^^ Hard boiled eggs and egg salad in the Instant Pot
Minimize fresh, Maximize pantry + freezer
Like all of you, we’re trying to minimize unnecessary trips to the grocery store and make our pantry and freezer food last us as long as possible. We’ve been getting some meals from Plenty or takeout and the rest are improvised at home with what we have on hand. Of course now I wish I had had the time or forethought to plan like I would with a new baby coming: freezer bags of crockpot meals or casseroles. But this all happened so fast the best we did was buy some bags of beans and rice and a few extra pantry staples.
One of our last “fresh” meals
BBQ chicken with asparagus and rice
Pantry + Freezer Improv
Beans + rice
I whipped up this meal from the pantry that also happened to be vegan! Coconut rice, black beans, canned pineapple, spices (cumin, cinnamon, paprika), spinach, orange bell pepper, and lime. If we had had cilantro it would have been involved too!
More beans + rice, this time with peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, cheese, and sour cream.
Pasta
Good old spaghetti and meat balls! We added frozen spinach and used frozen ground beef.
The next night I used leftover noodles and frozen peas to make a butter-parmesan-lemon pasta. There was nothing fancy about this – simple eat for simple times.
Green Muffins
I made a batch of these green muffins my friend Caroline invented. (Get the recipe in her IG story highlights.) They’re so good, and Birch loves them! I’ve had one with a hard-boiled egg all week for breakfast.
Picnic Dinner
Outdoor dining at its finest. Pita chips (with egg salad), olives, peppers, almonds, salami, cheese.
And canned wine 😉
Plenty
We’ve been lucky that Plenty Cville is still delivering in a time when people need to stay home. (Della has made a bunch of changes to systems so that there is no contact with households and food is coming in recyclable containers instead of glass jars and Pyrex.) This is a lifeline to many here in Cville who otherwise would need to go to the grocery store for food, including my elderly neighbor who I introduced to it.
Egg + cheese + herb bake
Beef bulgogi with rice and carrot ribbons
Lampo Takeout
While I think most people are in money saving mode, I do want to continue to support the restaurants who are hurting so badly right now. Many of our restaurants are offering curbside pickup or delivery, also with no person-to-person contact. (We wipe down the outside of containers, then wash hands, then serve food, wash again, then eat!) Lampo pizza sure tasted good on our porch.
Can we live on smoothies?
Remember that flash-frozen produce has its nutrients frozen at peak ripeness. If you’re out of salad supplies, have a smoothie. (Daily Harvest is a great option for some vegetables included! Get $25 off your first box.)
Rachel A says
The black bean and sweet potato bowl sounds amazing. This pic of you is beautiful…you’re glowing! 🙂
Kath Younger says
Thank you <3
Melissa says
Great ideas! I love the idea of the green muffins; healthy, but still comforting!
Louise RD says
Will def try those green muffins! I’ve been incorporating more beans/legumes into our weekly meal plans, recently made lemony lentil & black bean soups. I’m intrigued by your purchasing of ‘bagged beans & rice’. Please share what that is, thanks:-)
Kath Younger says
Bagged beans = dried beans (rather than canned) but alas, they did not come home from the grocery store after all
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
Everything looks so delicious! Love the green muffins! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Barbara says
Just two things. One, you have to give me more than Caroline and green muffins. Could you provide a link to the recipe? I’d appreciate that. And, two, you are such a pretty lady. That picture of you is lovely.
Kath Younger says
Haha – if you click on the link I shared to her Instagram you will find them in the Story highlights. I will see if i can post the recipe!
Louise RD says
Oh! Thought there was a great convenient beans & rice product out there that just involved heating up-ha! Also, how many green muffins did that recipe yield for you? I filled 12 cupcake-sized cups and had extra batter to spare…PS-I agree, that pic of you is great- should use it for one of your profile pics;-)
Kath Younger says
Haha!
I got 12 muffins exactly.
coco says
my fear of quarantine is running out of vegetables and fruits. so i feel like i’m constantly ordering them. nice to see your well rounded meals 🙂
Cyn says
Here’s a good maximize the pantry recipe…
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/curried-lentil-tomato-and-coconut-soup?mbid=social_pinterest_1217
Thanks for your meal ideas and for just being you. Your blog is always a bright spot in my day!
Kath Younger says
I love anything with coconut!
Kori says
All of your meals look so good!! I feel we have such similar tastes. I must echo everyone else & say the photo of you is so very beautiful!
Danielle Martin says
Everything looks great!
I just found a local CSA that delivers, and I’m looking forward to getting fresh vegetables (and sometimes fruits) once they open to new members in May. We’re running low now… and it’s hard to be without green leafy veg.