BellaOnline Forums Money Frugal Living Food Pantries and Stretching Out Meals

The plum sauce I make is a reduction.
Pit the plums
Peel
Cut in quarters
Use enough water to cover
Simmer on medium-low (do not let it hard boil)
Mash until smooth
I add about a tablespoon of honey (I would taste test first to see if it needs any sweetening)
Let cool slightly and enjoy

This would be a wonderful sauce over bread pudding.

Those both sound like great ideas. I think i will try the plum sauce tomorrow, and then do the bread pudding idea. I'll take photos!

Sandy, let me know how your search for a local food pantry turns out and what you get in yours.

Jilly do those pantries allow you to change items or is it you get what you get?

For the free ones, you get what you get. I think that makes it fun - i have to figure out what to do with what is in the box.

It might be different at other food banks. I really don't know.

Has anyone tried out their local food pantries yet?

I got this week's box today and here's what was in it:
pears
plums
celery
cukes
tomatoes
squash
onions
potatoes
four kinds of bread
two boxes of desserts
nilla wafers box
a bag of pinto beans
canned applesauce
liter of soda
box of microwave popcorn
bag of chips
head of green cabbage

I think i will make the plum sauce if dan can't eat the plums in time. Will make salsa from the tomatoes, store the celery, onions, squash, potatoes and cabbage, dry the pears, pickle the cukes.

I honestly have not been able to keep up with all this bread. Either i need to freeze them, or else start making some serious breadcrumbs and putting them aside.

I am at the point of looking on craigslist for a used chest freezer. How much would one pay for one of these? I see some for $75 - is that too much?

Jilly, I sold a good frig-freezer for $50. Maybe you could bargain down. That's great you get so much fruit. To make freezer jam smash your fruit and stir in sugar till it disolves and put in ziplock bags. No need to cook it. After defrosting keep in frig.

Susan, that is a good price. And that sounds like a really easy way to make freezer jam. I think i need to play around with freezers and produce.

This week i got this from my food pantry:

bag of potatoes
bag of chips
four pack of clear soda
bunch of onions
bag of pinto beans
can of beef stew
several fresh plums
bag of prunes
half gallon of grapefruit juice
six cans of misc fruit
several cans of corn and string beans
box of poptart type treats
bag of tomatoes
four loaves of bread (some wheat, some white, some buns, some English muffins - there were many choices to pick four loaves from)
four ears of fresh corn
four green bell peppers

Oh and I also got a bag of egg noodles, a bag of elbow macaroni and a bag of dried milk. Was very excited about the dried milk.

I think I will use my dehydrator to dry the peppers and the plums.