This past week brought an unusual Nor’Easter; it was October, it was before Halloween, it was weird! We gained 14″ of snow and lost power for several days.

I wasn’t looking forward to trekking to the grocery store since many trees were down and crews were everywhere trying to clear the roads and restore power. So, upon looking through the pantry and freezer I decided that I have enough food to get us by for the week.

I made lots of dried bean recipes and included whole grains such  as brown rice, barley, quinoa and bulgur wheat. I used various spices on hand and a few leftover fresh herbs from my brother’s garden, thank you Chris, Laura and Holly!

What I found in eating this way is that I made more room in both the pantry and refrigerator and I lost 4 pounds just by eating whole grains and various vegetable proteins. Bonus!

So now I’m heading out the door to the local farm stand, yes, they’re open until the day before Thanksgiving, thankfully! I plan to stock up on fresh, local, seasonal squashes, greens, potatoes and fruits. Then, I’m off to the grocery store for the typical staples of dietary life.

I will continue to have a few days every month of “pantry cuisine”, that way it will keep the pantry slim as well as my waistline!