Fridge/Freezer Cleanout Begins

                This week I have a goal of not going to the grocery store.  My cabinets and freezers are bursting with food.  Plain and simple, it needs to be used.  I am infamous for finding amazing recipes and never having ingredients so going to the store and buying every single item I need.  Lots of fun but sometimes not necessary. I am bargaining with myself that I should save that for special occasions or Saturday night date night dinners.  After Christmas (Which was fabulous!) the funds are a little low and with starting the new year I look forward to more financial restraint and stewardship.  So, the event have begun.  Monday night was date night with Michael so we cheated and went and saw a movie and ate popcorn for supper.  Way to start the week, right?  (Actually this was a Tuesday idea so technically the event was not declared so I guess we weren’t cheating!)  Last night I cleaned out the veggie drawer to make chicken pot pie.  It turned out really yummy!  Homemade crust was easy as I have more flour than a mill and lots of shortening.  It turned out perfectly creamy and flaky.  I sautéed onions and celery in butter then added flour and some more butter to create a gravy type sauce.  I had 2 bags of frozen chicken that was left over from rotisserie chicken events (ie: Thanksgiving) and mixed it with carrots, corn, cream of broccoli soup, broccoli (random and not typical but there was about ½ cup left in a bag that had to go!).  That mixed with the celery and onion made for a good base.  I added random seasonings that sounded good and wa-la, the inside of the pie.  I buttered a dutch oven (my first dutch oven cooking experience) and placed the bottom crust in.  From there I added the “guts” and put a layer of cream of mushroom soup on top.  Then topped with another crust which I monogrammed with M&M.  Put that all into the oven for about 55 minutes and it was time to eat! It turned out great, not a typical pot pie flavor but regardless, it was delicious.  I will post pictures soon – if I can figure out how!  I also had some leftover frozen biscuits and so I brushed them with butter and heated them in the oven.  All in all it made for a great winter supper which we enjoyed in front of the fire.  I would say my first experience cooking without a recipe or a grocery store trip was a success!   Can’t wait for what tonight may hold!