Challenge Update & Sauerkraut

The EAT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FREEZER is now in it's last official week and the cleaning continues!  I've been working on using up the items in my "upstairs" pantry.  I found lots of odds and ends that got shoved into the back of the cupboard, packages of dip mixes I got on sale and forgot about, a badly dented can of chick peas, several boxes of lasagne noodles with only two noodles in each box - I guess I should change the recipe so I can squeeze them all in the pan! - some gluten-free cookie mixes that were in the freezer and made their way into the cupboard and STILL weren't used up.

So what's a girl to do...make soup of course!  One can of nearly expired tomato sauce, 1 package of dry soup mix, the dented can of chick peas, some veggies from the fridge that needed eating, some of the peppers I froze last summer, yummy garlic from Michelle and a few other odds and ends.  Supper was served AND my cupboards got cleaned out in one shot.

I also found some small crocks that had been hiding deep in the cupboards so I decided to make a batch of sauerkraut- it is bubbling and nearly overflowing it's container right now.  It's such a simple process.  Chop up the cabbage, press it down in layers into a crock or jar with a sprinkle of salt in between.  Don't fill it too full because it will bubble somewhat when it's at work and you don't want it to overflow.  I have never been able to press enough water out of the cabbage to create a liquid barrier so I just add water until it covers  everything.  I place one reserved cabbage leave on top of everything and weigh it down with a small plate and a jar filled with water.  After it sits for a few days you can see some of the action happening and that's when you taste-test the yummy goodness.


It's been sitting for about a week now and I've tasted it a few times but I wanted it a little more "sauer" and crunchy - maybe tomorrow!

Tomorrow will also be baking day - a job DD usually takes care of with great skill.  She's come down with a cold so that's an automatic ban from food prep and kitchen chores. Now I get to choose what to make!

We've done so well on the challenge that we haven't run out of anything important.  That's pretty neat!  We are looking forward to a shopping trip next week to buy: 
cheese - we ate the last of it today
butter - only 1/2  a brick left
oatmeal - DD got into making oatmeal haystack cookies and used every last bit we have in the house!

That's about it!  We didn't even run out of bread.  We may keep going for an extra week as I have a few more spots to clean up.  I'm on a roll right now perhaps it's best to take advantage of it while I am!

How are all of you doing with your challenges???