So Now What?

I recently made two different recipes that each called for a common ingredient, but in an unusual amount. With some things, like flour or butter, I'm used to varying quantities, because we see these items as "bulk" and we just use what we need and are prepared to store the rest.

Most recipes that use canned goods are written to accommodate a full can of a product. For example: a pumpkin pie calls for a can of pumpkin (it does specify what size can) and a can of evaporated milk. The recipes are written/developed that way, or the canned stuff is just made that way. Baking magic.

For Thanksgiving I made a recipe that called for 1 Cup of canned pumpkin. Um, a can has 2 cups in it. I now have a cup of canned pumpkin left over, and I either need to make that recipe again (though I didn't like it) or find one that calls for 1/2 can of pumpkin. Good luck with that.

I wouldn't be ranting, except I just made a meatball recipe that called for 1/4 Cup of evaporated milk. Um, that comes in a 12 oz can, so now I have 8 oz of evaporated milk, and ... now what?

Do I go in search of recipes that need odd amounts of evaporated milk? I suppose I could make half a pumpkin pie with my 1/2 can of pumpkin, and 6 of the 8 oz of evaporated milk, but ... sigh.

The makers of tomato paste got smart and now you can get it in a tube. This solves the problem of buying a 6 oz can and needing 1 tablespoon. I just wish everything else was that easy.

Come on, people, get with the program!

PS: If this is the rantiest I get lately, I apologize to all my readers who still even know about this blog. Retirement has settled my nerves, apparently. :)