Pantry Purge 2011, I don't even remember what day we're on!

Well that pantry purge is still going strong. I think we are actually finally in a place where it's not going to be easy anymore. We have enjoyed some creative meals over the last few days, including one that we affectionately refer to as Senor Ralph. I wanted to get rid of a bag of frozen hash browns and some preshaped hamburger patties. I decided to go with a Mexican type theme. I browned the hash browns with some onion, jalapeno, and cumin. Next came the hash browns. I added some shredded cheese and a couple of tomatoes I ran through the food processor and let it simmer. While it cooked, it sincerely looked like vomit. I knew this wasn't going to be consumed by Brennan and Drew if I didn't figure out a way to rectify the situation. I found a bag of tortilla chips and crushed a few handfuls up into the bottom of a pan and threw the simmered vomit like contents on top. I shredded some more cheese and diced up some tomatoes to put on top and threw it into the oven I baked it for 15 minutes until the pukey mixture was disguised by the gooey, melted cheese and the fresh tomatoes. I added a few tortilla chips to eat plate, added some of the newly baked goo and added some salsa and fresh cilantro. And voila! Senor Ralph was born. It never really looked good, but it looked far more appealing than when I started. The boys ate it without hesitation. In fact, they finished the leftovers today for lunch wrapped up in a tortilla and grilled on the george foreman grill.

Tonight's dinner I forgot to take pictures of, but it was really, really good! We had Marsala Pork Chops and Potatoes au Gratin. I cheated with the potatoes. My parents sent us a package of Omaha Steaks for Christmas and the potatoes were in the there. They were like crispy mashed potato balls and Brennan and Drew both loved them!!! I found a recipe for the pork chops in my eating well magazine and made a few alterations to fit what I had in my pantry. The only thing that I didn't include, which would have made it even better, was the prosciutto. Here's the link for dinner. The recipe was really simple and everyone really loved it. I think next time, I would serve it with noodles to soak up all the juices.

We ran out of bread and my first loaf of homemade bread is currently baking. Ummm....why have I never made bread before. It smells sooooo good!!! Pictures to come!