The Food Pantry Chronicles

The movers are coming in a little over a month and I've been working my way through the pantry for what seems like forever. It was more of a goal to tap into the pantry reserves than it was a necessity to empty everything. Now we are getting down to the line and I'm really trying to use up the pantry contents. I'd really just like to take spices and staples and buy new food when I get there. 

While Hubs is gone I should be cooking for one. I've found that cooking up a soup or a casserole to share with the neighbors gives me something to look forward to and I'm using up more ingredients that way. It's also nice to have that social interaction. 

I have made some fun meals with ingredients mostly from the pantry. I've also embraced my inner 13 year old and tried combining ingredients that I normally don't use. My two favorites from this week were Chili-Ghetti and Tuna Melts. 

My Chili-Ghetti was much better than the stuff my mom (or was it my dad?) used to toss together when I was a kid. I used the last of the lentil chili (lentils, chili powder, cumin, garlic, Rotel, Boca beef crumbles) I made on Sunday along with bow tie and corkscrew pasta bits. I topped it with bagged taco cheese shreds and half a can of chopped green chilis. (I used the rest of the can chilis in omelets.) I had a few boxes of 1/2c or so of pasta left in the box so I combined them to empty the boxes and just followed the instructions for the pasta with the longest cook time. I'll post the recipes for everything along with pictures as soon as I can.

For my tuna melts I used the usual tuna salad ingredients but I substituted hot Chow Chow for the relish. I didn't want to buy another container of relish just to eat up the canned tuna and I had a jar of hot Chow Chow that I bought at the farmer's market over the summer. It was amazing on a Tuna Melt and the Chow Chow flavor did very well with a sharper cheese. 

I've also set a few guidelines that seem to help the pantry emptying process.

1. No random canned goods or boxes of foods for future use. If I can't cook it tonight, don't buy it. (Exception: Max of two cans of soup for use this week, broth and coffee.)

2. Stick to buying produce, dairy and small portions of meat that can be combined with pantry contents to make meals.

3. Try to use something from the pantry at every meal.

4. You can throw a lot of stuff into soup! The same goes for casseroles and pot pies. Make it on Saturdays and let the neighbors know that a container will be coming their way. Don't freeze more than you know you'll eat between now and move day. 

5. No more condiments. Look up recipes for ketchup, mayo etc. or use up salad dressing as substitute. 

6. Save sour cream containers, mayo jars, etc. to give soup to neighbors. Avoid tracking down the good Tupperware on move day.

Things I Wish I Knew About COT and JASOC

I haven't updated in a while. I've noticed that is a reoccurring issue with most post I've read about COT and JASOC. The blogger will almost always drop out of contact for a few weeks. Now that COT is over and JASOC is well underway, I'll just post a few things I wish someone would have told me before this all started.

Things I Wish I Knew About COT

1. COT sucks, by design. Just be supportive and try not to drag drama into the few conversations you will be able to have while he is gone. Try not to be a whiner. I finally cracked after I had been sick for a week and a half and really needed to find out about the insurance. It stressed him out and I still feel bad about it. Unless someone dies, try to keep the conversations light. Send a few pictures each week. My dogs would occasionally hijack the computer and send him messages and a photo. Don't send anything you don't want someone else to see and don't be upset if he doesn't really have a chance to look at what you send. It got to the point I was shooting off two or three random emails a day, just keeping him updated on funny things going on at home.

2. COT is horrible the first few days. Pat him or her on the head and let them know that it's alright if they don't call on the first couple of days but you would like a text or email update letting you know if they're still breathing. Once they get their COT legs they will be able to email and text more, but the first two weeks is hit and miss.

3. Watch those stupid videos on folding underwear and making sock nuggets. They're going to have room inspections based on one of the most vague and poorly scripted manuals ever written. They're going to freak out. Then they're going to realize that no one has ever been kicked out of Air Force COT for an improperly rolled sock. 

4. They do kick you out for not keeping your hands to yourself.

5. Read up on the Dining Out before you attend. The Dining Out at COT seemed more semi-formal and even ladies at the head table were wearing very conservative knee length dresses. I'm not sure if that is a COT specific evolution of the event. It does make sense for COT Dining Out to have a less formal attire standard as there are so many graduates bringing their parents or even grandparents. I'll update you more after JASOC.

6. I wish someone had started a spouses page on Facebook for his COT class. I think if we had one we could have posted when we received updates or if we heard about something big happening in their schedule that would make it harder for them to contact home. It would also be helpful to meet some of those spouses online before all of the graduation events. 

Things I Wish I Knew About JASOC

1. JASOC comes with a lot more freedom. Hubs has been able to come home for two weekends and I've been able to visit him there on one other weekend. We're lucky because home is only a few hours from Maxwell. A new AF friend (and I suspect he will be a dear friend for many years) has a wife a children back home on the west coast. Try to squeeze a little extra in the budget for hubs to fly home for a weekend. It may be tough to take the whole family to Maxwell, but your significant other may be able to come home for a weekend or two. Some spouses have moved to Maxwell full time and will just move again when it's over. 

2. JASOC seems to be more social and they are encouraged to build friendships with everyone else there. I think they're planning a touristy trip as a group somewhere this weekend or next. 

3. The DC trip was supposed to be a lot of fun. It was canceled due to budget cuts. :( I haven't heard if they will bring it back for future classes. They took a bus down to Florida for the other field trip. Yep, a bus. They had an amazing time and you'll hear lots of cool stories about the fun stuff they were able to see and do. If you live near DC and were hoping to meet up with your JASOC person there, time to develop a Plan B.

4. They are in ABU 4 days a week at COT but in their blues 4 days a week at JASOC. 

5. The University Inn at Maxwell has efficiency hotel rooms with a mid-size fridge, microwave, two burner stove and small kitchen sink. On my last visit I took hubs the crock pot, extra kitchen towels, a small cutting board and a proper cutting knife. They have some pet friendly rooms but I don't know what the demand is like for those. I think I'll make my first trip to the commissary on my next visit and pick up meat and veggies to grill at the Inn's outdoor grill area. It should give hubs enough leftovers for the week or some to share with friends.

Daddy, we went on a long walk. It was cold and wet so we made Mama carry us the last block.