Family is much more fun than using up all the pepper

Oh my gosh guys I completely sucked at the 7 posts in 7 days challenge.  I got Sunday up, because I thought it started on Sunday, and then on Monday I kept reading all of these posts talking about 'Yay!  First Day of the Challenge!'  and I felt all smug because I'd started it a day EARLY.  Maybe I'd even go an EXTRA day - maybe I'd do eight days and kick the challenge's butt.  Right?  Right?  Who's with me??!!

And then I wrote a post on Monday, and lost my camera so I download the pictures I needed, so Monday's post went up on Tuesday.  Which was also when TUESDAY'S post was supposed to be up, and I think that happened on Wednesday.  And Wednesday ain't got no post at all.  At which point things sort of...fell apart.

Last week we also had company.  David's brother and his family were here.  It was the first time I had an opportunity to meet my youngest nephew, who is almost TWO, and the first time they had seen Clara, who turned one in May.

Immediate friends.

Now that our family has headed off home again, and left us sad at their going, we're in full packing mode once more.  The purging!  The purging!

And one of the things I'm hoping to do in the next week or so is completely clear out my cupboards and food stores.  It's going to be hard.  Not because I'm lacking in imagination, that's not an issue when it comes to me and cooking, but more simply because I get nervous when the food gets low.  When the food gets low the children get cranky and the husband gets a worry wrinkle and the mama starts to talk in a really upbeat voice - and that's not good for anyone.  But I also cannot abide wasting food, and will use up every last bit of it before leaving.  I'm planning on bringing some spices with me, and maybe yeast and baking soda, but other than that - we'll re-buy when we arrive.

For the next two days we'll be eating up everything from the freezer.  Not that there's a lot left.  The big storage freezer is empty, and pretty much everything from the fridge/freezer combo is gone already, but there were a few odds and ends.  This was my status this morning from facebook:

"Trying to figure out how to make a collection of random bits of food turn into 2 days worth of edible meals. Tonight we're doing a cheesy rice sort of thing, with rice cooked in chicken broth and the last of a jar of alfredo sauce and shredded cheese. And I'm going to make tuna cakes. And then tomorrow's lunch will be navy beans cooked in cream, pesto and roasted garlic. Supper is wonton wrappers stuffed with the wee little bit of ground beef left, tossed with black bean sauce and garlic scapes. And a slaw of shredded 'whatever is in the vegetable drawer' - a sad looking kholrabi, some carrots, um...I have apples..."

I'm optimistic.  But send me ideas all the same.