Still Eating Out of Pantry

Over a week ago, I stopped going to the grocery store. I wanted to see how long I could last without going shopping. Now over a week later, I still have plenty of food in the pantry and in my garden. I do have to get a bit more creative than usual. I bought some Knorr's Chicken Bouillon a while back from 99 Cents Store. 99 Cents Store is great if there's one near you. They even sell fresh produce now. In the summer, I bought many packs of blueberries from there for 99 cents per package. They are usually about $3 in regular grocery store. You do however have to refrain yourself from impulse buys since everything is 99 cents or less. If you can't control yourself, you may end up with a bunch of things you don't really need or eat. Try stay away from those mini candy bars.

For dinner tonight, I boiled a pot of water with a cube of chicken bouillon then added some rice noodles into it. I bought the rice noodles a while back and had been too lazy to cook them. You need to soak dried rice noodles in water or warm water first. When I tell people that I am eating out of pantry, people may get the impression that I didn't have any fresh produce. The mini produce department is actually right outside of my backdoor. One of my favorite vegetables is broccoli. I grow broccoli De Cicco, an Italian variety with open heads and long stalks. The leaves and stalks are all edible. They are smaller than regular broccoli and a lot more tender. I got some seedlings from a local grower over a year ago. Initially I thought they weren't going to survive, but they made a come back and flourished and seeded. They even survived the winter frost last month.

I clipped some broccoli De Cicco for my noodle soup.

I also have some mushroom blocks in the back garden, and some shiitake mushrooms are growing now. These might be the last of them for the season if it doesn't rain again soon. The mushrooms went in the soup, too. I think I eat quite well. I much prefer what I have over a box of frozen dinner. I will see if this can last another week.

How Long Can I Go Without Grocery Shopping?

Most people I know have their pantries fully stocked, but they still go grocery shopping saying that they have nothing to eat at home. I am no exception. Since I decided to live with almost no money, I am going to see how long I can go without shopping for grocery. The photo above is not my pantry. I don't have a big pantry like that. I also don't buy boxed macaroni and (fake) cheese or canned fruit. In my small pantry, I have a lot of dried wild mushrooms that I foraged and dried. I also have a couple bags of dried figs that I picked from my garden and dried. I have a lot of spices and different kinds of flour. I have rolled oats and steel cut oats. I have a few cans of tuna, sardines, chicken broth, coconut milk, and evaporated milk.

For tonight's dinner, I chopped up a couple onions and a daikon radish from my garden to make a pot of soup in my Crock Pot. I cooked some rice and opened up a can of King Oscar Sardines in fish oil that's been in the pantry for years. My father gave them to me years ago which I stored in my previous pantry for a year. I brought them with me when I moved into this house four years ago. I was sure they were still good. I I always hesitate to open a can of sardines even though I actually think they taste good. It's the way they look. They just don't look too appetizing, you know, with tails and skin. However, Sardines are one of the few foods that contain Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a nutrient found the body’s cells. In a nutshell, it’s believed to have antioxidant properties and is said to enhance physical energy. Studies have also found that CoQ10 benefits those with cardiovascular diseases, particularly hypertension and congestive heart failure. In addition to CoQ10, these little nutritional powerhouses are also ample sources of vitamin B12, selenium, omega-3 oils, protein, phosphorus and vitamin D.

I ate the sardines with steamy Japanese rice right out of rice cooker. It was simple and tasty for me since I love fish. The soup was good, too. I had to stop myself for finishing the entire can of sardines. I am saving some for tomorrow.