Keeping it real

Our family pantry is stocked as best as we can manage.  Thank goodness we stock up on things we use a lot.  Plus, my brother had me preparing weeks in advance.  

This week-

Spaghetti and meatballs *

Roasted chicken drumsticks with leftover stuffing

Dumplings, lumpia, steamed veggie and pork buns, sauteed baby bokchoy **

Burgers and french fries

Quesadillas with refried beans and steak  ***

Lentils and rice

* When I went shopping, the store was already out of spaghetti sauce.  I said out loud to my shopper helpers, "We need to get a bunch of canned tomatoes so we can make marinara at home."  The woman behind me, staring at the empty spots for the spaghetti sauce must have heard me.  She turned around and grabbed her own canned tomatoes and went on her way, hopefully to make her own sauce at home.

** Pro tip.  I went to the Asian market another day.  Everyone needs a big ole bag of rice.  I also found a ton of green veggies, fruit and frozen things like lumpia, steam buns, noodles, etc.  

***One reason why we cook the way we do, dried pinto beans turn into a lot of refried beans when you cook in the crockpot or pressure cooker.  Freeze in labeled bags, flattened for easy stacking.  Then pick up more beans when you can find them.  Rinse and repeat.