A Week of Comfort Meals | Using What We Have | Week One

[@growandpreserve]

For more fantastic meals you can make from your pantry, click here: youtube.com/@growandpreserve?sub_confirmation=1

[@KarenShady-l4b]

I’ve got a chance to watch half of the video and I couldn’t wait to comment again. It’s almost as if we are on the same journey…. I am keto low-carb and last year lost 35 kilograms (77 lb for those not in Australia).. my goal for this year is to focus on my gut, now that I’ve lost all the extra weight. I’m reading super gut by Dr Davis at the moment, so when you mentioned that I was excited. I was super impressed with everything about this video. (I want to be you when I grow up ha ha ha ha. Even though we’re almost the same age).. i am so looking forward to all youre videos in this challenge. Thank you so much Carter.

[@growandpreserve]

Good to see you, Karen! Wow! 77 lbs! That is quite an accomplishment. So glad to have you here!

[@redgingerbreadpam]

Always enjoy hanging out with you Carter & always learn something from you. Thanks for being you!!

[@growandpreserve]

Thank you, Pam! So glad to have you here.

[@tracyprice2814]

I have been waiting and watching for you to return. I was so excited to see you when I got home from church tonight. I went back and watched old videos.

[@growandpreserve]

Tracy, you are so sweet! I loved the brief break, but it is so good to be back at it.

[@ArkansasSquaw]

Carter, I'm just gonna say it..... David is beyond blessed to have you, he truly is. The man is lucky. He hands down won the wife lottery when he married you. No doubt about in my book. My poor husband......he wasn't quite so lucky in getting hitched with the culinary arts, if ya know what I mean.😂 Now I love you, Carter, I do. And I love your content. But I'm not ever gonna let my husband watch your videos! Ha ha ha! He would totally be like, "Where's my breakfast omelets, and my grilled cheese????" You dish out dinners that are not only magazine worthy in appearance, but that I'm sure taste equally as good, if not better, than any above par restaurant that I personally visit. Amazing! This video was chocked full of wonderful ideas, of which I took notes. I especially loved the dinner menu - genius! I'm totally going to do that! I'm also low-carb, along with a strict GF diet, and so finding easy to follow recipes and tips, along with a personality whom I can personally relate to, seemed impossible. That is, until you came along. Thank you, Carter. And Happy New Year!

[@growandpreserve]

ArkansasSquaw, you are just the sweetest ever. I think Mr ArkansasSquaw did pretty well himself! Happy New Year to you!

[@CherylHamburger]

Good to have you back. Glad you got to spend time with your children. Thank you for the Great content!!

[@growandpreserve]

Thanks, Cheryl! Good to be back at it.

[@loricook7670]

OMG, your back! Hope you had a wonderful holiday with your family. So happy you are back. Missed you bunches!

[@growandpreserve]

Thanks, Lori! I had a really lovely break, but I am so glad to be back. I hope your holidays were terrific. The snow here is finally melting. I hope yours is doing the same!

[@KarenShady-l4b]

I missed you… I hope you and David had a wonderful Christmas/new year Carter. It’s 8:50 am here, but, I look forward to watching this video tonight.

[@growandpreserve]

Love!

[@connieh9033]

Hello Carter, my name is CC and I am new to canning just since Christmas. I am quickly filling my small pantry with soups and beans. However, I just watched your dry canning potatoes video, and now I am excited to try that too!! I can't have them (low carb, zero sugar for me), but the hubby loves taters! Nice to hear you are down in TN, I'm just beyond Franklin, KY, in the little town of Auburn. Thank you for the REAL and informational content you do on your channel.

[@growandpreserve]

Welcome, CC! I'm so glad to have you here. How exciting to be at the very beginning of your canning journey! Never hesitate to ask questions as you learn.

[@pamcomer6091]

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN CARTER. I have so missed my Grow & Preserve ‘hit’ every week. Glad you’re back.

[@growandpreserve]

Love that! I had a wonderful couple of weeks off with family for the holidays, but I'm so glad to be back!

[@juliadreamweaver9360]

Happy New Year Carter 🎉 hope u had a wonderful time with ur family this holiday. Glad to have u back & looking forward to spending time with u this year!

[@growandpreserve]

Thank you, Julia! Glad to have you here.

[@SauerPatchGardening]

Happy New Year. I made taco chicken tonight too! I'm doing my version of the pantry challenge. We still buy fresh fruit, veg and dairy. And, if I see a good deal on meat that I can't pass up, I will buy it. But, I'm primarily working from my pantry. Meals are planned with that as a priority. Great video.

[@growandpreserve]

I love how you're doing your own spin on the challenge. Make it your own!

[@cindyparker9920]

So glad you are back. All the recipes look great.

[@growandpreserve]

Thanks, Cindy! Good to be back!

[@ABlueDahlia]

My oven has a dehydration/yogurt/bread proofing setting that you can set the temp and time, so I'd probably do that. I had been making it for a while and then decided for a month or so that I just didn't want any yogurt so didn't make it. I need to get back at it, though! Glad to see you're back and that you and your family had a wonderful holidays! Our's was, too.

[@growandpreserve]

That's perfect! My last oven turned itself off at 12 hours. Does yours not do that? I like to soak then slow roast nuts for 16 hours. It drove me crazy that it wouldn't stay on long enough to finish the almonds. So good to see you, BlueDahlia! I'm glad to hear your holidays were wonderful.

[@tmd7859]

Glad you are back. Love your videos. Even though we are not on any special diet I always find your recipes inspiring! You are always so creative in your cooking and it has really helped me expand on cooking our meals instead of having the same things all the time. Keep it up!

[@growandpreserve]

Thank you so much, TMD! That's my goal. Glad to have you here!

[@vickiwestlund7777]

Welcome back! Another great video!

[@growandpreserve]

Thanks, Vicki! Good to see you!

[@fionaatbromleycottagenz393]

Hello there Carter. Lovely to see you back. Those coffee cake muffins really do look delicious. Definitely one to try. I love watching the meals you come up with during the challenge. Very inspiring.

[@growandpreserve]

Thanks, Fiona! The coffee cake muffins are terrific. Hope you enjoy them!

[@CDJMiniRanch]

Welcome back Carter. I'm glad you had a great holiday with your family! Thanks for the video.

[@growandpreserve]

Thanks for being here, CDJ!

[@terrihageman9240]

The peach sauce in your yogurt will be delicious. I have used dehydrated peaches in mine. To put it over the top try adding some cowboy candy brine with the peach sauce. Chef's kiss!!!

[@growandpreserve]

Oh wow. That never would have occurred to me, but I'll have to give it a try!

[@BarbaraBiele]

Sure missed you Carter but I'm sure you enjoyed the holidays with your family. I wanted to let you know because of you I ordered some sprout seeds from grow true seed . They're organic and I'm very excited to get them and use your method for growing. All the best to you and your family in this new year. So nice to have you back. Barb

[@growandpreserve]

Fantastic, Barb! I just restocked my old seeds as well.

[@constancebeck2992]

Hi Carter! It all looks so good! I'm still in Va and my son is spoiling me with his cooking. I'm glad you had the kids home, I look forward to spending time with mine as well! I'll be home in a few weeks. Have stuff to can and lots of pantry meals I'll need to eat. Happy New Year!

[@growandpreserve]

Happy New Year, Connie! I'm so glad you're getting this time with your son and granddaughter. I know it means the world to them.

[@debbic02]

So glad you are back... I missed your weekly videos so watched some older ones... Hope you all didnt have this cold/bronchitis going around, I got it somehow. Was sick the entire month of Dec just now got to be able to talk without choking... Anywho... hard boiled eggs... I do mine in my 3qt Instant Pot hi pressure 3 min, then manual release 5 and dunk in ice bath... perfect the 5/5/5 method was too rubbery hard boiled for me 3/5 is perfect... cant wait to see all the video...

[@growandpreserve]

Debbi, so sorry you've had this crud going around. We've escaped it so far, but both my kids had it just before Christmas, so they were late getting here. Glad you're doing better! Thanks so much for the tip on doing eggs in the IP!

[@debbic02]

@growandpreserve was so great having awesome fully packed chicken soup on the shelf 😋 just added some rice or noodles or lemon and egg yoke for a more greek style...it's those days having soup starters on the shelf make it all worthwhile..

[@bhavens9149]

I have to try that boiled egg ice bath trick, thanks for sharing! Happy to see you back and glad you had a good holiday.

[@growandpreserve]

Glad to be back too!

[@pamcomer6091]

I’m doing ‘No Spend January’ We are living from my pantry, my store & my freezers. I have 4 tall freezers-all full, a fantastic store cupboard & a pantry full of ingredients. I’ve compiled a meal plan, taken a good stock take of my freezers and I am intending to not spend anything at all through January. Nothing. I’m in the UK where no spend January isn’t really done. This is my second year. And it’s going so well. I so wish I could send you a few photos. Believe me, you would be impressed Carter.

[@growandpreserve]

Pam, you are going to kill it! Fantastic work. I love to get pictures of what all of you are making. Feel free to send them to my email. [e-mail]

[@donnamullins2089]

Hello Carter. Glad you had a wonderful Christmas Holiday with your family. Everything looks delicious. Lettuce wrap beef looks yummy. 2020 chicken? Looked good how was the flavor? I was making pumpkin pies had several cans of organic pumpkin. All were 2024 sell by except one. 2020! Still beautiful in the can and tasted delicious. Some of my best pies. Your cover crop did well. Great idea. Everything I moved inside to over winter is blooming. Cut back my geraniums and now they are blooming. We are expecting and "ice event" tonight. So glad I'm retired. Have a great week.

[@growandpreserve]

Happy New Year, Donna! How did your weather hold overnight? I hope you still have power. We're supposed to get whatever we get starting Friday morning. Right there with you in being so glad I don't have to figure out a way to get to work in ice and snow! The chicken was completely fine. So glad your pumpkin pies were perfect as well. Best buy dates are so misleading, they need their own disclaimer. How wonderful to have geraniums blooming indoors!

[@donnamullins2089]

@@growandpreserve We have power and drizzling rain now but it is above freezing 35. Freezing temps tonight around 2am just in time for icy rush hour. I feel bad for anyone who has to venture out. Have a great day.

[@SandraMalone-pq4mn]

Happy New Year Carter! Looking forward to your recipes during this pantry challenge....and time spent together throughout 2025! Thank you for all you do!

[@growandpreserve]

Thank you so much for being here, Sandra! I'm excited for 2025 as well!

[@AngelaM-y4e]

Hello, this video was so inspiring! I love all the things that you have from your pantry. You have given me several ideas for sure! Thank you so much for sharing all your information and recipe ideas, truly makes me want to get into the kitchen and check out different seeds to grow this year! Have a wonderful day!

[@growandpreserve]

Thank you so much, Angela! That's exactly why I do it.

[@blessedbeyondmeasure318]

So glad to have you back. :)

[@growandpreserve]

It's good to be back, Lois!

[@janjimison]

A lot of great ideas for dinners, you are inspiring!

[@growandpreserve]

Thank you, Jan!

[@lisapop5219]

Happy new year Carter!

[@growandpreserve]

Happy New Year to you, Lisa!

[@Lalec122]

Happy New Year, Carter and David 😊 i learned about stabalized starches...rice and potatos...if they are cooled or used the next day...no glycemic effect... I have been keto, and I got a CGM to test how my body reacts to different foods... I was shocked 😮 I had such a hard time with my tomatos last year...i thought it was the humidity in Fl, even tried polinating myself...with no luck. Well as nature would have it, i have tomatos everywhere now...😂😂😂

[@growandpreserve]

Happy New Year to you, Annie! Interesting. I've never tested to see what impact resistant starches have on me. Did you have no glucose spike? So glad you're getting some tomatoes in Florida now! Are these plants that have been in the ground since last Fall?

[@Lalec122]

@ no glucose spike at all if served with protien and fat...i was floored...😮 yes, still have 2 tomato plants since spring, finally producing in winter...still have peppers out the wazoo, this week they are cold, but no freeze........yet 🥰

[@Lalec122]

Just wanted to add, that i beleive once you are "fat adapted" the glycemic index changes drastically... the example I would use, on my birthday I had a piece of pumpkin cheesecake, sent my blood sugar over 240, and stayed there for about four hours. Tested this again once I was a "fat adapted"... I barely had a blood sugar spike (107) with a piece of cheesecake. It just goes to show, that what you eat on a "regular basis" really makes a huge difference in how your body adjusts to the occasional sugar or carb load. Dessert should be rare in my case, as i have 4 autoimmune deseases, but possible.

[@growandpreserve]

@@Lalec122 Fascinating. I have some research to do! Thanks so much for the info!

[@growandpreserve]

@@Lalec122 I agree. I have seen this as well on a few items I've tested. Thank you for bringing it back to my attention.

[@daniellewoodward4728]

Great video all the meals look yummy . I love my oatmeal with fruit and a bagel for breakfast. I ferment my yogurt for 24 hours but I use raw milk from the local dairy and it doesn’t seem to bother me even though I am lactose intolerant. I love my peach sauce use it a lot. I also canned pear sauce from my pear trees that’s good too.

[@growandpreserve]

Good to see you, Dani! Glad to hear you're having success with yogurt as well. I do love pears. Perhaps I need to make some pear sauce this year!

[@karikelly2797]

Hi Carter. Good to see you. I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. I do my HB eggs in the Instant Pot. 1 C water in pot. 4 eggs into a mesh basket. 5 minutes high pressure, 5 minutes natural pressure release. Open IP and drop eggs into a bowl of cold or ice water until cooled enough to handle. The shells just fall off and eggs are not over cooked at all. We like them pretty soft boiled. I’m just letting you know we’re ok. We’re in a fire watch zone and the air quality is not good, but we are not evacuated so far. I lost some big planters in the yard, but we still have electricity. WiFi is spotty. We’re nearest to the Eaton and Hurst fires if you are watching the news. I didn’t go in to school today but it was open, surprisingly. Never a dull moment but we are just fine.

[@growandpreserve]

Kari, I'm so glad you checked in! I just talked to my daughter. They haven't been evacuated, but they did lose power last night with no repair time in sight. She said the winds are just brutal. I'll keep an eye on those fires. Keep me posted on your safety!

[@pennywillis8895]

🇦🇺For the ground meat you could make shepherds pie with lots of veggies and add curry to the mash potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes. Alternatively you could make the shepherds pie in a loaf pan or muffin tray for individual portions.

[@growandpreserve]

Yum, Penny. I do love Shepherd's pie! Excellent idea.

[@ronalee34]

So many great things but the bacon on the shelf is the best! :)

[@growandpreserve]

I think so too!

[@Redpilled19]

Carter, I’m convinced I followed a recipe, from you, for chipotle chicken, not a soup, but meal in jar nonetheless. Now I can’t find that video and my husband is begging for more. Can you help a girl out…or am I dreaming?

[@growandpreserve]

I think I only have a soup version of chipotle chicken, but it sounds wonderful. Hope you find what you're looking for!

[@neppieb]

Hi Carter, I'm interested in the recipe for the peach sauce. I've looked for it but can't find it. If it's not too much trouble I would appreciate the link. Thanks.

[@defendressofsan8948]

Ty

[@growandpreserve]

My pleasure! Thanks for being here!

[@lmherdz]

Got a presto electric pressure canner for christmas, my goal do some pressure canning.

[@growandpreserve]

You'll love it! I use mine all the time.

[@Erin_of_Australia]

Hi Carter - I’m flagging this as I think you’ve mentioned some sensitivity to high histamine food in the past. Mushrooms are really high in histamines, as I discovered a couple of years ago when I set a goal to increase the variety of veggies in my diet. Hopefully you’ll be fine, but wanted to share.

[@growandpreserve]

Oh my! I will have to do some research today. Thanks so much for bringing this up!

[@helenswanson1403]

Salad looks yummy

[@growandpreserve]

Thanks, Helen!

[@elissapoh7782]

Hi Carter - I work with a small batch commercial dairy that makes goat milk yogurt without any thickeners or additives - just milk and bacteria. There are a few things that can affect the set on the yogurt as it can be a bit more fragile. It really comes down to which strains of bacteria you use and make sure you are using non homogenized whole goat milk. We ferment for 11 hours. I can email you the strains of bacteria we use if that would be helpful… just let me know where to find your email.

[@growandpreserve]

Elissa! What a great source of info you are! Yes, please send me the list of bacteria strains you use. Google results kept turning up results about adding gelatin or xanthan gum to get a decent set with goat milk. Do you get a firm, thick set like the one I'm showing in the video? My email is [e-mail]. Thanks!

[@mardwella]

💜💜💜💜💜

[@lisagrafton2529]

I would think you could use your canned chicken, from 2020, to make chicken lettuce wraps. No thawing necessary.

[@growandpreserve]

So true, Lisa! I get it stuck in my head that it has to be ground meat...but of course it doesn't!

[@debbiemarks6086]

Great work beautiful yummy

[@growandpreserve]

Thank you so much, Debbie!

[@lmherdz]

Can't you save a portion of the yogurt to make a new batch? I need this don't like fermented foods like kimchi or sauerkraut. I have an instant pot with a yogurt setting. I need to eat more fermented foods & Im also a bit of lactose intolerant.

[@growandpreserve]

Yes, you can definitely make yogurt from just a bit of the previous batch. However, my goal is to get in as many probiotics as possible, so adding in a new capsule every few batches insures that the numbers stay way up. Since you are a bit lactose intolerant, you might also want to do a longer ferment like I do. Typical yogurt only ferments for about 8 hours. I let mine go for 32 hours. The longer fermentation time give the bacteria longer to eat the lactose and multiply.

[@Eph1-4]

Have you tried any chutney on your yogurt? That can be fun too🙂

[@growandpreserve]

Hmmm. I love chutney. I love yogurt. Somehow I'm not imagining a marriage made in heaven though! Have you tried this? If you like it, I'll try it!

[@Eph1-4]

@ it is good imo. Of course there are many types of chutney, some of which taste better on a sweetened yogurt than plain.

[@carolynvagher5296]

What state are you in?

[@growandpreserve]

Tennessee