A few weeks ago, the appliance repair guys were here to finally (finally!) repair the refrigerator light. It broke during the move in August and we have had no light in the refrigerator since then. I think it was just about six weeks all told. I hated every time I opened the refrigerator, peering into the dark space trying to figure out what was there, what wasn’t there, and where everything was. I nearly kissed the appliance guys with joy when they repaired the light. Cue the chorus of angels, a round of Hallelujah was in order.
While they were fixing the light, they commented on how full the fridge was. I get that alot, and it never fails to puzzle me. I mean, isn’t that the point? Houseful of people, therefore we need food and drink. And the frequent cooking certainly adds to its fullness. But I will admit, it was a little fuller than usual. Even for us. And so began my little challenge.
I decided I was going to forego any upcoming trips to the grocery store for as long as I could, in an effort to use what I had on hand first. It seems like it’s all too easy to run out and buy ingredients for a new recipe, instead of being creative to use what’s already there. Today is Day 10, and I have only spent $7.38 at the grocery store since I began, deeming Diet Coke, Snapple and milk necessities.  Hey, a family has needs!
While I was making my way through the freezer last week, trying to see what we had available, I spied a package of chicken tenderloins and a container of homemade marinara sauce. And then I remembered a recipe for Chicken Parm that I had just seen in a magazine. A plan quickly came together.  The recipe was actually part of an ad for Prego pasta sauce. What I liked about it is that this version was slightly different in that the chicken isn’t breaded at all, so it’s not only making a faster version, it’s healthier to boot. Using the tenders also sped up the recipe too. Honestly, as soon as the spaghetti was done, dinner was ready. A healthy, homemade dinner using ingredients I had on hand, that was kid-friendly to boot … that’s my kind of meal.
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