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Using Up Leftovers

I don’t know about you, but sometimes we have a hard time using up all of our leftovers. They tend to get lost in the back of the fridge and never seen again until they have turned into some kind of science experiment. YUCK! Not only is that wasted food, but it’s wasted money, too. You’ve already paid for the food so why not use it up and get your money’s worth out of it?

So, here’s an easy tip to help make sure that those leftovers do not go to waste. First, start with a clean fridge. Just dive right in and give your fridge a really good cleaning. Now, before you start putting things back, go through EVERYTHING. If you have open jars/containers that have been in there for who know how long, get rid of them. If it’s not growing any mold and doesn’t smell bad, I’ll give it to my chickens.

Now, designate a shelf for everything: drinks, condiments, dairy (i.e. cheese, yogurt, etc.), and last, but not least, a shelf for leftovers. In my fridge, that’s the top shelf. Everyone knows that what’s on the top shelf needs to be used up first. They also know that it’s up for grabs for lunches, snacks, etc. I’m not saying that the system is perfect, but it sure does help to know what needs to be used up first.

You can also do the same thing in your freezer. Designate a shelf in there for your leftovers that are frozen, whether it’s meals that you’ve frozen, or partial bags of frozen fruits/veggies, or your pre chopped veggies that are waiting to be used. Hope this helps you use up those leftovers!

For more great ideas, check out We Are THAT Family!

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Update to my hatch………….

Unfortunately, I do not have anything to report. I did check earlier today and I could still see movement in 2 out of the remaining 6, and 1 more that had obviously stopped. But, there has been no change in any of them trying to hatch. I will give them another day or so, and then call it quits. They are on day 22. Since I did have all the temp swings, I want to make sure and give them plenty of time, but I also know that after a couple of extra days, the chances of them hatching greatly decrease. I’d love to have at least a couple more hatch, but I don’t know that they are going to.

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Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

I have been asked to share my alfredo recipe. I hope you won’t be too disappointed when you find out it’s made with Magic Mix. For those of you that don’t know about Crystal at Everyday Food Storage, you need to check it out. She has lots of yummy recipes to make with Magic Mix. It’s great to have on hand. I usually triple the recipe and keep it in a #10 can with a lid in the refrigerator.

Here’s the recipe for the Magic Mix:

Magic Mix

  • 2-1/3 cups dry non-instant powdered milk
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

Combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Using a wire beater attachment, mix ingredients together slowly and gradually increase speed until incorporated. Keep mix tightly covered in refrigerator for up to 3 months.

**I put all my ingredients into the food processor and pulse until mixture is combined (will look like coarse cornmeal). **

Magic Mix White Sauce

  • 2/3 cup magic mix
  • 1 cup water

In a saucepan combine all ingredients. Stir rapidly using a whisk over medial heat until it starts to bubble, remove from heat immediately.

To Make Alfredo Sauce

To ingredients, add:

  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 Tbs. garlic powder
  • White pepper to taste (can use fresh ground pepper)

Continue with recipe as directed, combining all ingredients in saucepan.

Magic Mix is very versatile. You can use it to make cream soups:

Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

  • 1 4.5 oz. can Mushroom pieces and stems (SAVE THE WATER!)
  • 1/4 C. Water
  • Dash of Onion Salt
  • 1-2 drops Kitchen Bouqet,optional (check the previous video to see what this is)

Combine all ingredients over medium heat. Stir constantly until mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Remove from heat immediately.

**I coarsely chopped my mushrooms and added them back, & I used the juice from the mushrooms as part of the water required. **

**You can make any cream soup that you need with this recipe. **

You can also make Pudding:

Magic Mix Pudding

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup Magic Mix
  • 2-3 Tbs. cocoa (optional)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tsp vanilla (don’t add until the end)

Combine dry ingredients in saucepan and mix well. Add water, stir over medium heat until pudding bubbles. Remove from heat and add vanilla and beat. Cover and cool.

Check out Blessed With Grace for more Tempt My Tummy Tuesday!