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 24 of the Pantry Challenge!
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I have been in the need of rebooting my weekly time budget, so I switched today’s plan to be more kitchen prep than desk work, though I still had plenty of desk work to do….
- I planned out my Rest Day Prep and the weekend’s meals.
- Made a double batch each of Sourdough Bread and sourdough hamburger buns to bake tomorrow when I made the pizza dough for tonight.
- I made Bryan another batch of Freezer Burritos to take to work.
- I prepped different foods items for tonight, tomorrow night, and Sunday. I love taking Sundays off!
- I also started prep for Bryan’s birthday next week. I made Roasted Poblano Peppers to freeze so that it’s easier to make Poblano Chile Enchiladas. We’re also having a Slow Cooker Chocolate Cheesecake. Yum!
What We Ate
Breakfast – Any guesses? Yes, the instant oatmeal!
Lunch – We had leftovers from Tuesday that needed eating.
Dinner – Pizza night! Every week, like clockwork, I make a double batch of Sourdough Pizza Crust. Most of the pizzas are some version of Supreme Pizza, but I always make the GOAT, Goat Cheese Pizza – which now is in high demand. More of my family eat it on a regular basis that I may end up making two every week.
I also made a big Caesar Salad and an extra for the weekend.
How did Day 24 go for you?
Heather M
Day 24:
Continuing to use up things we have and am able to push off adding any fresh items until the end of the week for sure. And then, I won’t be overshopping. Definitely continuing into February as I’ve decided my goal is to clear out a lot more from the freezer and cupboards since there is plenty there and I’d like to use aging items before (slowly) restocking with only good deals or our usual favorites (like certain proteins at costco). I did get the eggnog sugar cookie bars frosted, too.
B: L skipped; I had the last of the christmas gift stollen!
L: L took the leftover chicken w/olives and veggie tossed couscous; I had a few pieces of bacon and sourdough toast with cream cheese (moods are weird sometimes)
D: blackened mahi mahi, cabbage and carrot slaw, cilantro lime rice. Mahi mahi- only had one fillet left in the freezer, but also had 4 mahi mahi burgers, so used one of those too. made a spice rub which was so good! Made a slaw with like 1/3 of the head of cabbage and 2 fat carrots, and made a really good dressing for it with light sour cream, prossecco vinegar(like white wine vinegar), salt, lots of pepper, and what made it a perfect balance with the spicy blackened fish, a little apricot jam. Leftover rice. I made it a pretty pile, since it was all so delicious in one bite together, rice on the bottom, then a bunch of slaw, then the fish. I will be making this again. So good.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Heather, your mahi dinner sounds so good! Great combo of flavors. I’ll be continuing on into February also, doing the same as you-trying to use up what’s in our inventory while very selectively buying needed items. Shrimp catches are picking up here now and I want to have enough room in our freezer to stock up. My freezers were so full that I didn’t get to buy shrimp back in the fall when supply was plentiful. Hoping to correct that this time. I usually have plenty of shrimp in the freezer, but this Christmas I had to go buy some to make our traditional shrimp creole. Plus, we’ve got some major expenses coming up so any extra room in the budget is welcomed!
Tasty
Sounds like a few of us expect to continue being careful into next month. I know that if we were to work our way thru all the proteins I have in the freezer we could keep going for at least 3 months. Good luck to all of us as we try to be frugal – it’s tough these days.
Heather M
Thanks! Glad to hear there are several of us continuing on. I think my kitchen will be happy with me using things up. And so will my budget. 🙂
Danielle Zecher
I’m definitely going to be doing the Pantry Challenge in February, too. I haven’t done well with it this month and the freezer is still really full, which isn’t a bad thing, but I want to use things up before they get really old and get a better idea of what’s in there.
ZC from MA
B: overnight oats with flax milk, almond butter and blueberries;
L: Trader Joe’s Thai shrimp gyoza;
D: carrot soup, grilled cheese sandwich;
S: an apple, yogurt and lemon tea
Emily
Well I went to the grocery store yesterday and spent $225! It’s just impossible not to with food prices and picky kids. I did buy my kid new rubber boots and picked up Valentines treats for school though. I also always buy a good deal, I got 3 chicken breasts for $9 which sadly is a great deal here, typically 3 chicken breasts are about $15. And salad kits were on clearance for just over a dollar so I picked up 2. I also picked up my kids some cookies and cupcakes to stick in the freezer for school lunches, all the Chinese new year treats were on clearance so a dozen cookies and cupcakes were only $2 each, I picked up 4. Luckily I’ve used my gift cards all month so I haven’t had to spend out of pocket. The amount I have spent out of pocket this month is $337.
B- baked oats and sausage
L- snacky lunch, a kiwi, cheese stick , a yogurt and a rice cake.
Snack- a mini kind bar
D- marry me chicken, mashed potato’s and salad.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Emily, the prices really are daunting these days, despite being ever so careful with purchases. And I’ve only got a family of 2 these days.
That “marry me chicken” sounds pretty intriguing 🙂
Tasty
Tuesday January 24th
B – fruit yogurt and granola for hubby, banana, cheese, and toast and marmalade for me
L – sausage rolls I made yesterday to use up the rest of the pastry from the pot pies along with some sausages from the freezer – they were good and saved wasting stuff.
S- ham corn chowder
Heather M
Good move making those sausage rolls, Tasty. I bet they were delicious!
Danielle Zecher
Breakfast: Drive-thru on the way to work.
Lunch: I had a leftover chicken and black bean quesadilla and pomegranate arils. Nick had leftover chili.
Dinner: We got home late and I was on the phone for a while talking to a neighbor (there’s a zoning meeting next week for our neighborhood for a huge development and we’re all stressed about it and planning to fight it), so I pushed the easy button and made naan pizzas for dinner. Pepperoni for Nick, bell pepper and onion for me. They were really good! I also had ice cream. Yes, I’m a stress eater
Heather M
Naan pizza sounds deelish! Yeah, development like that can be a huge issue. Where we live we are close to the metro in the DC area and there is constant redevelopment within walking distance of the stations, so it’s something we’re pretty used to at this point. But a huge new change to an area isn’t always the right move, that’s for sure. Years ago I fought for something not to happen in our neighborhood and it worked, much to the joy of those who would be immediately impacted. And, in the long run it would have been a huge waste of the state’s $$, given that they redid the same area 10 years later and what they tried to do before would have been torn down. Best of luck!
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Danielle, chicken and black bean quesadillas are on our menu for tonight, along with pom arils to go in ambrosia! Like minds! That’s why I had to pick up sour cream yesterday. DH said we “had” to have sour cream for quesadillas. Me? I could certainly do without but am trying to keep him happy for another week. 🙂 Plus, I can use the sour cream in the ambrosia. Same mind also for the stress eating!
Stephanie M.
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
B – I had yogurt parfait.
L – Paul had cereal and a banana. I had a ham sandwich and an apple.
D – we had quiche too. I made zucchini and mushroom quiche but mine is crust less. We also had a salad and dinner rolls.
Kathy in Denmark
I’m posting for the last two days today 🙂
Day 23
B: Everyone had their usual. I finished the brie!
L: DH eats at work, packed lunch for the girls. Soup and bread for me
S: Toast and a honey cake heart for the girls along with hot cocoa after school
D: Tortillas with LO refries beans and some HM chili beans. Also salsa, crème fraiche, shredded cheese, lettuce and assorted veggies
Day 24
B: The usual
L: The usual for DH and the kids. Last of the soup for me
D: Krebinetter with sweetheart cabbage in a white sauce, boiled potatoes, carrots and broccoli.
The soup I had for lunch used up an open bag of mixed veggies from the freezer and some HM chicken broth from the fridge.
Krebinetter are patties made with minced lean pork (mine had a fat content of 4-7%), dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and fried in a pan. They are very good! DH had some vegetarian nuggets and DD2 had the last fish fillet from the freezer.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Jessica, that must have been very disappointing for you all re: your daughter’s allergies persisting. I’m sorry. you didn’t get the news you were hoping for.
Jan 24
B: LO breakfast casserole
L: LO corn chowder, finished pimento cheese with sandwiches/biscuits
D: last of red beans and rice, sauteed cabbage and Waldorf salad
I went to the grocery store to get the sale on Springer Farms 92% lean ground chicken and chicken burgers that ended today. It was 2.99/# compared to the regular price of 4.79. Using 2 of the store’s 1.50 off coupons and 2.50 on a prepaid grocery card, I got 1# ground chicken, 1# chicken burgers and a container of needed sour cream for 2.94. That puts me at 64.40 for the month. Despite my buying of some proteins, I’ve still got white space in my freezers, so that is a plus!
Danielle Zecher
That’s a great deal! Don’t you love it when the sales and coupons align to get a lovely low total like that? It makes my day when that happens! I usually text a picture of the receipt to my mom and sister. 🙂
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Oh Danielle, I do like it when everything aligns! Seems to happen less these days so I was especially pleased. And, yes, I’ve been known to text pictures to my mother and sister as well. I guess you and I are kindred spirits and “weird” in that way! LOL. 🙂
Tasty
That was some well planned shopping Lynn – well done.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Thanks, Tasty! I was pretty pleased and that is a better brand of chicken than the traditional chicken available in other stores.
Heather M
Yay for still having white space! I’m in the same boat, even after buying the chicken breast last week. 🙂
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
1/24/22
Jessica, the Cashew Chicken sounds great-and easy. I have everything I need for it in the freezer (!) so I think I will plan to have it soon. I can’t wait to try it. Thank you for posting and photographing; I hadn’t come across it yet in your recipes.
B: skipped DH: avocado toast
L: avocado toast, ½ egg salad sandwich DH: LO wings, egg salad sandwich, chips
D: HM pizza (dough, pepperoni, Italian sausage, cheese-freezer), layered salad, apple slices.
Did some batch cooking. Cooked boiled eggs to have to eat as is, to go in a salad and to devil. Also cooked a package of bacon. I put the cooked slices in the freezer and take them out as needed. (I do have to “hide” it a bit in the freezer as my husband has been known to eat it, unbeknownst to me, then when I need it for a recipe-there is none!) I do the same with sausage. For breakfast the meat just needs to be microwaved, saving time and avoiding multiple cooking episodes and cleanups.
Jennifer
I love when 1 meal turns into another!
B – I made oatmeal for me – and daughter came down and wanted oatmeal so I gave her mine and made more. I think hubby had oatmeal too. Plus we had raspberries
L – I took triscuits and cheese, yogurt, peppers, hubby took leftovers and apple and nuts
D – I found a pack of firecracker brats buried in the freezer since 4th of July. I pulled them out and thawed in the sink real quick. Then I diced potatoes and carrots with the cut up brats and roasted it all for an hour. Served with homemade baking powder biscuits and sliced peppers.
Lily R.
It was a super busy work day but I managed to grab enough food from home so that I didn’t have to order take out. I’ll call that a win!
B: banana, walnut and chocolate chip muffins. Iced cinnamon lattes.
L: balsalmic, red onion and avocado wrap with a pear on the side.
D: stuffed shells with garlic pesto cheesy bread and salad.
No snacks for me today, hubby had cheez-its (he’s my big baby sometimes lol)
I can see the finish line but we still have so much food. What a blessing!
Heather M
Yes, exactly: ” I can see the finish line but we still have so much food. What a blessing!” Also, good for you, avoiding takeout on a busy day 🙂
Julie
B eggs and frozen California blend or cereal and milk
L pasta with homemade sauce for kids, husband had leftover spaghetti pie I made last week and I had a salad with turkey I froze last spring. My neighbor gave me a head of romaine.
D frozen chicken noodle soup, crackers , tortilla chips, canned peaches
I still haven’t shopped since Dec 21 but will probably get dairy and produce in Feb. I definitely plan to continue through Feb. We had a very prolific garden last year and have lots of kale and okra in the freezer still from that plus store bought frozen fruits and veggies. I still have milk in the freezer but have also been using powdered milk and that’s gone over pretty well.
lisa s
B: coffee and LOs
L: snacky lunch on the golf course
D: chicken enchiladas, guac and chips
Sandy
Great use of the nachos, Jessica. I hate to throw food away and sometimes eat it in a fashion that isn’t that great just to use it, but it sounds like you may have made a new recipe out of it!
B-Scrambled eggs and yogurt parfait for hubs, parfait for DD, and last of a box of cereal for me and some almonds. DS usually just has coffee and then eats in between online college classes, so I really never know what he eats!
L-Made quesadillas with leftover taco meat from making party appetizers over the weekend, leftover taco dip from the party and the last of the truffles from the party too.
D-Pulled pork totchos, which is just baked tater tots with bbq pork and shredded cheese on top. Not the healthiest, but it was a busy night in the barn and I had all of this in the freezer ready to go. Served with salads and apple slices that we dipped in the leftover snickerdoodle dip from the party.
After typing this I think we better get rid of this party food! Not the healthiest day for our food choices, but I did clear space in the fridge.
Heather M
Hey, but you did balance dinner with salads and apple slices, so it could’ve been worse, a lot worse. Sounds like you’re working through the party leftovers really nicely, too. 🙂
Maureen
For lunch my son and I shared a box of pasta that I’ve wanted out of the pantry. Dinner was homemade pizza with a little leftover. And my youngest baked a tray of snickerdoodles from dough leftover from the holidays. Various fruits, vegetables, and a couple of snacks were eaten, too. It was a busy day, so I’m not sure what all was had. I’m hoping to dig through the freezer to identify some snacks to offer up after school the rest of the week.
Danielle L Zecher
Breakfast: Not fast food! 🙂 Cinnamon pecan oatmeal, semi homemade iced latte (hubby), semi homemade white chocolate latte (me).
Lunch: I had leftover potato soup and a rice crispy treat. Hubby had leftover chili.
Dinner: Neither one of us left work even close to on time and were both pretty much over dealing with anything, so we ordered Mexican food. I should have just sucked it up and cooked something because it was horrible. Live and learn.
Duke update: He’s doing about the same and should be all set for surgery tomorrow. We’re planning to feed him dinner a little bit later than usual tonight since he won’t be able to eat in the morning.
Heather M
Sigh, you win some (breakfast), you lose some (dinner). Given the week you’re having with Duke, plus busy work, it’s no surprise. I’m sorry the Mexican food was no good. That’s a drag. Here’s to a better day Tuesday 🙂
Lily R.
Those dinner fails happen to everyone. Like you said, live and learn. It’s always hit or miss when you put your taste buds in someone else’s hands! I hope that Duke’s surgery goes off without a hitch tomorrow.
Tasty
Hope all goes smoothly for Duke tomorrow – hugs!
Tasty
Monday January 24th
B – hubby had his usual fruit and yogurt followed by a biscuit , I had the last pear with a piece of cheese, yogurt and the last muffin
L – hubby made egg salad sandwich for me and PBJ for himself in honour of PB day
S – fiesta chicken over pasta. That used up another jar of home canned tomatoes and some of the fresh peppers from the freezer.
Made another batch of butter tart muffins for breakfasts and that used the last of the raisins and pecans from the baking cupboard. A pretty good day here altho of course the muffins are nestled in the upstairs freezer.
Julie
I couldn’t reply to your comment yesterday but we are using the food I have canned but I’m continuing to can more. I canned lots of produce from our garden plus pears and peaches then as winter came began pressure canning broth and meats and stews. I have a husband and 4 children I’m feeding.
Tasty
Sounds like you’re doing a great job with your canning. Lucky family! I just did my first canning of the year today – made some blood orange marmalade. I just have to be careful not to do too much as we’re a couple of oldies and don’t eat as much as we used to.
Julie T
B-Cornflakes with bananas (finished the last of the cornflakes and bananas), coffee and OJ
L-Reuben soup from the freezer and pickled asparagus for me. Hubby had a couple of smoked pheasant brats and chips
D-Had a gift card from a Christmas gift for Arby’s. Our granddaughter had a swim meet so we ate on the way there. We had the new Philly French dip. It was so so. They were large and we each could only eat half so we both have lunch for tomorrow. But the cost was crazy-$10.49 for the combo. I thought our $20 gift card would cover it but no we had to pay a couple dollars out of pocket. If I were paying full price out of pocket I would not be doing this. I can cook at home much cheaper!!
Broccoli pulled from the freezer for broccoli cheese soup for tonight.
Stephanie M.
January 24
B – Paul had scrambled eggs, toast, turkey sausage, and hash browns. I had a yogurt parfait.
L – Paul had the last of the leftover Chinese fried rice and the last fried dumplings. He also had the last clementines and some grapes. I had a chicken salad sandwich and grapes. I bought a cooked rotissieri chicken in my grocery store and made chicken salad with it for sandwiches for the rest of the week.
D – flounder, last of the leftover macaroni from yesterday that I fried, tomato salad, last of the green beans, and stuffed clams. Lots of “lasts” out the door today.
Heather M
Jessica, I love how you repurposed those nachos! Glad it worked out so well. A great Challenge day here. I did run to Target for a few things and grabbed a few grocery items while there, spending about $10. Shouldn’t need anything until the weekend, maybe, though I’m sure we could make through until next week. We ate well today.
B: we both skipped
L: he finished off the lemon ricotta waffles and blueberry sauce; I had egg salad on a piece of sourdough toast and some pickles, then a piece of pear bread
D: soup & sandwiches, but fancy: roasted red pepper soup and mahi mahi burgers with fresh mango-jalapeno salsa – everything homemade (well, except the burgers and buns which came from the freezer): the soup used up the rest of the ricotta and half and half(I sometimes buy it for a cream replacement for cooking-we aren’t coffee drinkers) as well as a jar of red peppers from the cupboard and a few other ingredients; the salsa was all fresh ingredients I threw together and wow, it was perfect for the mahi mahi and I will be making it again and again to have on mahi mahi- just mango, minces fresh jalapeno & red onions, lime juice, garlic powder, salt, and a little fresh cilantro, all to taste. I may only ever serve mahi mahi burgers this way in the future, it tasted so good. Love wins like this 🙂 ( and also love that things are’t being tossed/wasted and instead used up)