This month, we’re shopping our kitchen in order to use up what we have so we can save money and clear kitchen clutter.
Here we go with Day 16 of the Pantry Challenge!
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A few of us are feeling under the weather today, and the outside weather pretty much matches. The house is chilly, so much that I even turned on the furnace for a few minutes.
Clearly, I’m not 100%. Ha!
What We Ate
Breakfast – We still have a couple dozen eggs from the 5 dozen my friend bought for me in Clovis. I stretch them with egg whites which are still readily available around here. Today I pulled a loaf of bread from the freezer and sliced up some chicken sausages to go with.
Lunch – The girls made lunch for us: potstickers and ramen. I had chicken on mine; the others had fried spam.
Dinner – I had a bag of potatoes that were sprouting and a different kind of sausage in the freezer so I made Sheet Pan Sausage and Potatoes and sautéed some green beans.
How did Day 16 go for you?
Janet
B: Coffee and toast
L: Sandwiches, grapefruit halves, and tossed salad
D: I always save some of the family favorites until we are deep into the pantry challenge to keep me motivated and everyone else on board. Tonight, we had a peppered roast beef, mashed potatoes, and roasted veggies.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
That sounds like a good strategy!
Karen J
Day 16
B-toast and coffee
L-gift card from Panera (a perfect soup day)
D-fend for yourself-I have assorted leftovers, now they are gone 🙂
It was my grandkid volunteer in the classroom morning, after which I stopped at nearby Winco and bought croissants, a bottle of wine and cat litter (an interesting combo). My grocery spending on food is still under $10. I must make cookies or something as we are out of snacks.
Lynn from NC Outer
You’ve done amazingly well in keeping your food purchases so low this month. Good for you!
I think I’ve said it before, but I know it’s such a blessing to the teacher when you volunteer in your grandchild’s classroom. I did that for my children and it was always appreciated. Maybe (God willing!) I’ll get to do something similar for my little granddaughter.
Karen J
Thanks Lynn! As a retired teacher myself (38 years) this is a way I can help kids without all the teaching pressures-and I love it. I appreciate my grandkids’ teachers so much! It’s such a challenging job. The kids in my younger grandkid’s class call me Grandma 🙂
Kim from Colorado
Between working, having two growing boys, and starting back to classes for my masters (almost done- just have to make it to May!), my pantry challenge has had to evolve. My focus is now not to have free space but to use up those things that get hidden in the back or I have to figure out how to use…looking to you Dulce de Leche can, the cubed zucchini in the freezer from the garden last summer, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch taco shells we were gifted at Christmas (what?!). So far this January I have used every bit of meat, chicken, shrimp etc that we had in the freezers, finished all those partial jars of salsa and queso in the fridge and found new recipes for some of the odds and ends. But the egg prices- ahh! I need toilet paper so may go to Costco (in a challenge month that feels crazy) and see if they have better egg prices. Here’s a sampling of the last week I have missed posting.
B- cereal, yogurt with fruit and granola, eggs and avocado toast, waffles, biscuits and eggs
L- leftovers, sandwiches, adult lunchables (aka mini charcuterie)
D- pulled pork on buns and nachos, BBQ stew with lo pork (and some pork back to freezer, those shoulders make so much), HM ramen, meatloaf cupcakes (I add chopped carrots to the meatloaf and top with mashed potatoes)
My husband just got a lab result he wasn’t happy with at his annual so we are planning to add in more fish and healthy sides (growing up close to water, I have a tough time with frozen fish so hoping for the best)
Karen J
You are doing great! I have the same issue with things on my top pantry shelf that aren’t my “normal” groceries. I’m thinking of bringing down four or four of those items and keeping them on my counter so I will figure out how to use them somehow.
We almost always have a Costco pack of frozen salmon burgers in our freezer and they are a once a week or so dinner. Sometimes with buns and often just on top salad greens. They are super convenient.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Those are great PC accomplishments, totally separate from your ultra busy schedule. Even more remarkable with so many balls in the air. Yay for being in the home stretch for grad school!
You are right about the pork making so much. I’m still working my way through some of my lo pork.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Kim, could you use the Cinnamon Toast Crunch shells to make something like a cannoli? With a sweetened cream cheese type filling? My adult son would probably eat them from the box!
Heather M
Kim, I’m so impressed with all you’ve accomplished. I very much understand about lab results. My husband got some he (and his dr) didn’t like in August. He chose to “put me in charge” of his food. I have always fed him healthy dinners, but it was all the choices at work that were causing trouble, it would see. Plus the questionable snacks he would eat too much of in one sitting, etc. In two months we were able to turn things around really well. He’s still paying attention to my guidance and it’s definitely paid off. If you want someone to chat with about this, I’d be happy to. You could ask Jessica to give you my email.