This week Andrew and I are home alone while the kids are at camp, and we’re getting ready to go on our own adventure for 10 days, so I don’t want to buy much food. Instead, I’m scrounging in our own freezer, fridge and pantry and we’re getting some pretty fabulous meals. It feels like we’re eating for free, which is a great way to work in some savings before we go on vacation. Another benefit is all the room this is making in our freezer.
I pulled some chicken out of the freezer, marinated it in some olive oil, lemon juice and kosher salt, then grilled it. When it was done, I tossed it with sundried tomatoes (I had an open jar), feta cheese, olives (finished the last 4 in the jar), and a little more olive oil. Served it with sliced tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar and a smidgen of olive oil (can you tell I love that stuff?).
Tonight I’m making scrambled eggs with whatever flavorful odds and ends I can find in our refrigerator–probably more feta and a little bit of leftover proscuitto. Bread is baking in the bread machine, and we have fresh cherries from the farm stand.
Tomorrow night I’m going to cook up a pack of Gorton’s grilled shrimp (unbelievably good!) and serve it with a big salad that will use up all the leftover veggies in the fridge before we go away on Saturday.
For breakfast and lunches we’ve been finishing up some cereals so they don’t go stale, and making sandwiches on leftover pieces of bread. Yesterday’s delight was field greens, herbed cheese, the last 2 pieces of turkey in a pack, and a slice of tomato.
I feel pretty virtuous eating so well on what seemed like a pretty sparse fridge, and if we didn’t some of this food would have to be thrown out before we go, which is such a shame. What’s more, we haven’t spent a dime on food all week (except for my one stop at the farm stand for peaches, cherries, and 2 tomatoes so we’d have a little fresh produce to supplement our snacks and meals).
Try this great money and time saver before your family goes on a trip! Then you can enjoy letting someone else prepare your food when you’re on the road.