Use It Up

As grocery prices become annoyingly high, though fortunately for me still within my means, some of the irrationality of my selections appeared.  I can no longer squeeze all the frozen items into my freezer.  With shabbos dinners made in bulk and marked down Kosher meat too good  a bargain to overlook, I will not have to add to shabbos dinner possibilities for a couple more months.  As much as I like preparing elegant meals, they are really all targeted occasions.  The rest of the suppers come from quick meals.  Fish is really nature's fast food.  They come mostly in packages of two servings.  Easy enough to thaw a tuna steak, put the other one in a freezer bag.  Vegetarian phony meat, when on sale make quick suppers as do fish sticks.  They take up room, though.  Whole chickens and turkey half breasts make multi-meals, usually shabbos or even for our rare guests but occupy a lot of freezer space.  And I have my specialties:  spinach lasagna and macaroni and cheese in the manner of Horny Hardart.  Not fast food at all, but each good for four meals, including two taking freezer space.

A request from the USPS to supply food to the local food bank took me to my pantry.  More pasta than I will use, canned beans which I will eventually use, single serve applesauce that will be there a while.  Rice and barley last indefinitely.  Packaged couscous in its various forms supplements shabbos entrees.  Baking is a pleasurable hobby, but it comes in -spurts.  Cake and brownie mixes have gone on sale faster than I can use them, so a couple of these went to the food bank.

The Iron Chef always started with an ingredient that became multitasked as a reflection of the guest chef's expertise.  I probably ought to do less shopping but have a more immediate destination for anything I get.  Apples on sale become Apple Walnut Pie.  Bricks of cream cheese at 99 cents each should become cheesecake the same week that the bricks are purchased.  Frozen vegetables become spinach lasagna before occupying excessive freezer space. I need to change my thinking from what's a good deal to be used some day to what would be a good meal before my next trip to the megamart.