Day 20 - A Month Without Groceries

September 1, 2009

Today is Day 20 of the challenge and we are two thirds of the way through. At this point, we have no fresh fruits or vegetables. Fortunately, we do still have some that are frozen, but it isn't quite the same. Once I go back to the grocery and to the farmer's markets, I am going to have to make sure I don't overbuy produce. Fresh produce can go bad quickly and that is such a waste.

If you find yourself with fruit on the verge of the trash can (wrinkly, getting brown, you know what I am talking about) try a few of these ideas to give it a new life:

• Cut off the brown parts of berries or stone fruits, remove pits/seeds, roughly chop, add a little cinnamon and sugar, and warm over medium heat to make an excellent compote. It is great over ice cream, in smoothies, or just as a sweet treat. You can freeze the compote to make it last even longer or if you have canning supplies, that works as well.

• Use brown bananas for banana bread, muffins, or pancakes. You can also freeze the bananas to use them later.

• Use citrus fruits that are getting dry to flavor water, tea, or as a home fragrance by adding a little cinnamon or cloves and heating on the stove. If the fruit is too far gone, slice it into pieces and dry it even more for a nice alternative to potpourri, for use in wreaths, garlands for the Christmas tree, or put the pieces out for the birds. They will love you for it.

For vegetables on the verge of going bad, try using them for vegetable stock. Just be sure to cut off anything that may be spoiled.

For dinner this evening, I will be making Red Beans and Rice. I had a mix in the pantry that I will use and will add some Chorizo I have in the freezer for the protein. I will grab one of the frozen bags of vegetables to round out the meal. I suspect the vegetable won't really match the meal, but that's okay. At least we will have something balanced.

This challenge is getting significantly harder!