We are still working on all of our Phase 1 goals (no plastic bags, no single serving products and check out local sources of produce). Sometimes we end up with a candy bar or a bottle of water if we are travelling but in general we've done really well. I was thinking for a while about what "Phase 2" will be and I think we're finally ready. I'll give you a hint on a couple things that are a part of our new goals...
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The real purpose or intent of "phase 2" is to continue to rid our pantry and our diet of processed foods, preservatives and mystery ingredients. In this phase we are trying not to buy canned or boxed goods or storebought breads. Here are some of the things we aren't buying anymore and what we do instead:
Lemon wedges frozen for future use. Freeze flat on a cookie sheet then transfer to ziploc bag when firm. Canned Fruits & Vegetables: I buy them fresh and then for some of our most common veggies (peppers, onions, etc) I diced them and froze some so we have them on hand. If we have excess fruit I slice and freeze it for future use as well.
Canned Soups: For regular soups I just take the time to make my own and freeze in lunch portions. For broth, if I have a chicken carcass I simmer it to make my own broth. If not, I use some chicken bouillon that I already have on hand (when that runs out though I probably won't buy more). For any recipes that call for a "cream of..." soup I either modify the recipe to use some greek yogurt for creaminess or find another recipe.
Canned Soups: For regular soups I just take the time to make my own and freeze in lunch portions. For broth, if I have a chicken carcass I simmer it to make my own broth. If not, I use some chicken bouillon that I already have on hand (when that runs out though I probably won't buy more). For any recipes that call for a "cream of..." soup I either modify the recipe to use some greek yogurt for creaminess or find another recipe.
Noodles: I finally got out my Granny's pasta maker and started trying to make our own noodles. We've made linguini noodles and bowtie pasta noodles. So far they are just regular flour (no semolina or 00 flours yet). We ate some fresh and then we also froze some and dehydrated some. The frozen ones ended up sticking together some and we even had to toss out the frozen bowties. But the dehydrated ones cooked up great and were barely different from the fresh ones. I also had some that I cooked in a soup and then froze the soup. When I reheated the soup the noodles fell apart a little but they still tasted great.
Breads: Ryan really likes eating bagels for breakfast (his favorite are "everything" bagels) so I did some searching online for a good bagel recipe. I have had a little bit of an issue with these bagels burning on the bottoms so watch them closely. That being said, the finished texture and taste is awesome and they freeze fine too. The recipe makes 1 dozen bagels so I usually leave 6 out for the week and then freeze six for a future week. If you've never made bagels it's really fun. I had no idea you had to boil them. Click Here to see the bagel recipe I used and click here to see the spice blend.
Julia Child's white sandwich bread. Looks perfect but still too dense. I have also been making some homemade bread. I have made several loaves and it comes out tasty but a little too dense. It's great for french toast or garlic bread with dinner but it's just a little too dense for sandwhich bread. I'm going to try some more new recipes so when I find one I like I'll be sure to share it. In the meantime, you can find the recipe I've been using for bread by clicking here. it is really easy and does freeze quite well. I may continue to use it and just have some on hand frozen for french toast or garlic bread.
Sauces, Dressings & Condiments: For now I am still using most of the condiments and sauces we already have on hand. When those run out I will probably try to make my own. If i can't make my own or it's not working out, then I'll just try and buy locally made ones or kinds with as few ingredients as possible. If I find any recipes that are tasty I'll be sure to share them along the way. Is anyone else still working on Less Junk, Less Waste? If so, let me know how it's going!
