Thursday, February 16, 2012

Pantry Wars



Forget Chopped and Rachel Raye, Pioneer Woman and Bobby Flay.  My friends and I have created the next Food Network sensation.

Pantry Wars.

The week before payday (all us government folk, get paid once per month) when it's at least seven more days before you can go to the grocery store or more than a night before you can call in pizza - - - and whatever is left in the pantry is what's for dinner.  Usually it's the random ingredients that have escaped the normal cooking routines, maybe the cans of stuff that really aren't anyone's favorites.  Pulling off a successful dinner is often nothing short of the work of a magician. 

Enter Panty Wars.  The intro theme song starts with twitter like birds chirping in the bright sunshine and a day calendar marking the grand day of the month, pay day .... in cartoon animated style .... happy families are enacting bountiful meals and fun chatter at restaurants ......  then as the black and white day calendar flips .... the chirping eases, the theme song slows as does the countenance of the meal participants. By day 25 .... dinner time turns stormy as kids are pushing away plates of plain noodles and disappointed looks at another night of sandwiches or worse..... CEREAL!

The animated mom donning an apron and a weary look throws open the pantry to find three items staring at her - the personified non-perishables - hide their eyes as if its been months since seeing the light of day. 

And then the big words pop on the screen --- PANTRY WARS!

The challenge - use those few remaining food items to pull off a successful dinner.

Successful contestant and fellow Pantry Wars creator pulled off success a few days ago.  Cara Thomas with her ingredients ----- hamburger, rice, rotel and CHEEZ WHIZ.  She whipped them together into a casserole and all five of her kids voted it one of the best dinners she's put together.

I've participated in this game many a time, sometimes successful, sometimes disastrous.  Recently I had 4 tortillas, a can of kidney beans, half a packet of taco seasoning,  1 chicken breast, some minute rice and less than a 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.  I baked and shredded the chicken.  Warmed the beans mixed with the taco mix on the stove and cooked the rice.  The rice was a little sticky and of course I was out of butter, so I stirred in  a tablespoon of whipped creme cheese.  From this handful of mismatched ingredients I made "big ole burritos".  Layered all the ingredients in the tortillas and wrapped them up Chipotle Style.   Loved by all.

Contributing creator aka my BFF, Shannon says she often makes the aforementioned combo sans tortillas and pulls it off as "naked burritos".

So keep your eyes peeled and your DVR's ready - Pantry Wars just may be the next big hit!!!
 

4 comments:

one of nettie's girls said...

I would SO watch this show!

Anonymous said...

Gotta give Kim Whitty the credit for the home version of naked burritos.

Plant Seeds of Happiness said...

We call that week of pantry meals "FEND FOR YOURSELF NIGHT" It was more creative when the older kids still lived at home but we had some good concotions. Keep me posted on the show I would watch. Please check out my blog you are invited to follow.

Unknown said...

I loved reading this tonight. Made me laugh out loud. I was just talking to some couponers the other day who are on food stamps and trying to make it the whole month and they are struggling so hard. As many are scrutinizing every purchase trying to make it stretch and work out, your very lively commenting on Pantry Wars made me wonder just how many people this is happening to. No one really wants to admit that it is very hard trying to keep everything together.....and month after month people are silently struggling. I think a show like this would really bring it home and might be just the reality show of the decade. :)