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 27 of the Pantry Challenge!
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I spent the day quarantining just in case what I had yesterday was contagious. It may be overkill but better than six other people getting sick. I hope to leave my room tomorrow.
What We Ate
Breakfast – Cinnamon toast and yogurt.
Lunch – Miss 17 cooked me a beef patty and a baked potato.
Dinner – One of the boys picked up Costco frozen entrees and made us dinner.
How did Day 27 go for you?
Allie from Ontario
Jessica, I hope you are feeling better soon and that the rest of your household manages to avoid it!
The final stretch! We’ve done well re: limited spending (milk, salad greens + a few other fresh veg). Re: yesterday’s discussions, we are very lucky to have a LOT of freezer space for garden bounty, preventing food waste + my “around every 9 months” run to Peterborough, which includes at least 2 small butcher shops + Costco to stock up on lots of meat & some of the really good Costco buns (hello cheese buns!). We don’t have a super large house (around 900 sq ft?) but I have the lower part of 2 fridges (kitchen & laundry “space”) + an upright in a room that we don’t heat in the winter (or cool in the summer) and new this fall, a small chest freezer in the garage. Not surprisingly, I freeze a lot of stuff…and can everything else! 🙂 We also have a food saver (shrink wrapper) that really prevents freezer burn on meat. The plan always is to work through garden stuff by spring so I have room to start all over again. And T bought me a 3 shelf cupboard strictly for canning jars.
Yesterday, I did make a big batch of chicken stock + a pot of chicken noodle soup with freezer stock (as the new stuff wasn’t ready) & finishing off the extra fine egg noodles from the pantry.
What we ate on Jan 27
Brunch: I made a little salad with the last of yesterday’s dressing & croutons + some the of cooked chicken, romaine & celery. T had a poached egg + a toasted English muffin with h/m jam
Dinner: I made a little casserole with mashed potatoes (a couple of very sketchy looking Yukon golds), chicken, frozen corn, cooked broccoli, green onions, pickled hot peppers & cheddar. It all got mixed up in a pan and baked til hot/bubbly then topped with the last of the focaccia crumbs (freezer jar), melted butter & parsley. A last run under the broiler to get crispy & it was pretty good. I blame January temps for amount of carbs we seem to be enjoying.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
With all the produce you grow, you need lots of freezer space!
Heather M
Allie, thanks so much for explaining your food storage situation. That’s so fantastic for you, especially given your gardening and how far you live from easy bulk shopping. Your casserole sounded yummy!
Vicki Skonieczny
Feel better Jessica:)
Jessica Fisher
Thanks, Vicki.
Tasty
Jan 27b _ the usual for both of us + a muffin for me
L – hubby???. I ate with the ladies I had spent the morning canning with. We do this every week and yesterday’s snacks were yummy plus we sample what we have made that morning
S – chili and French bread from the freezer.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
A canning get together! I would love that. I do a bit of canning (water bath only) but it is not second nature to me. Doing it with a group would be so supportive and efficient! I would feel more confident I’m sure if I did it more often and with friends.
Tasty
Lynn,we are a small group, currently 8 of us, members of our local hospital auxiliary, who can jams and marmalade, pickles and chutneys etc. We then sell them during the warmer months at our local farmers market. The money eventually passes from out hands and buys much needed equipment for said hospital. We have been doing this for a dozen + years. Looking back, we didn’t know very much when we started! I like to think we’re keen learners.
Stephanie M
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
B – Paul a mixed fruit with yogurt and a whole wheat English muffin. I had cereal, nuts and fruit.
L – Paul had a buffalo chicken quesadilla. I had an egg salad sandwich that I made using up all the hard boiled eggs.
D – leftover roast chicken, leftover mashed potatoes, leftover peas and carrots, asparagus, and leftover cucumber salad. Paul also ate the last two dinner rolls from the freezer.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
1/27/25
B: cottage cheese and peaches at my mom’s
L: soup from home with cornbread
D: chili from home with cheese and last piece of cornbread
S:2 Dove dark chocolate pieces, boiled egg
Tasty
Day 27
B: hubby finished off the bag of frozen fruit with yogurt and some granola. As we’ve only got a couple of days until we leave, I won’t replenish it. I had pears, yogurt and granola with a muffin.
L: we finished off the sausage braid I made at the w/e and whatever was left in the way of baked beans.
S: by supper time no-one was really hungry so we had eggs on toast.
The fridge really is getting bare – gotta love it.
Kathryn M
27th
B- caffeine
Lunch- I picked up 2 fast food tacos to go on the way to work. It was only $2.50 so I didn’t feel too guilty.
Dinner – the rest of the canned chili and the chopped up green onion. I forgot to grab cheese on the way out the door, so I did without.
Snacks at break – trail mix, soda
I had two really long brutal days at work Sunday and Monday.
Stephanie M
Monday, January 27, 2025
B – Paul had toast with the bread we made over the weekend and a yogurt with almonds. I had a whole wheat English muffin, a yogurt, 1/2 a banana and a few grapes.
L – Paul had Italian sausage soup from the freezer. Had two freezer bags of it in there each with enough for one meal. Defrosting the last one for his lunch for tomorrow. I had leftover white rice from the Chinese food we got a few days ago. Whenever we get Chinese I use the white rice that they always give you to make a lunch meal for myself. I found this easy dish on the internet. Sounds strange but it’s good. I use 1 cup white rice, put two fried eggs over top. Sprinkle with sliced scallions and some balsamic vinegar.
D – breakfast for dinner. Jessica’s whole wheat pancakes. I’ve been making these for years when I found it on her site. Never went back to white flour pancakes. We also had turkey sausage and Paul also has scrambled eggs. I make a batch of these pancakes which makes about 20 and I wrap each one in plastic wrap then put into freezer bags. We love having them for dinner. Once I run out I make more right away. Thanks Jessica!!!!
Heather M
That rice and egg dish sounds good to me.
Maureen
I buckled down and we had a decent challenge day. I had leftover rice from the fridge for lunch. I found some cooked chicken in the freezer and made a sauce from a few restaurant packets to go with it. Smoothies (various fruit from the freezer) and odds-n-ends for the girls’ first dinner. I had planned to make a salad to go with leftovers for dinner, but no one seemed interested in the salad so I didn’t bother, but we did have various leftovers for dinner. I’m not sure what the girls had for second dinner, but I think it was more snacky that a full meal.
Erin in Ontario
The “exciting’ weather continued all day yesterday and until a couple of hours ago. Even the ducks were having none of this being outside business and huddled in their house, telling us at top volume about their displeasure. The chickens didn’t even bother to come out.
B: Oatmeal or bagels
L: A hodgepodge of whatever each person dug out of the fridge/freezer. I saw a salad topped with herbed chicken breast, a tuna sandwich loaded with pea shoots, and a bowl of beans and rice with roasted veggies.
D: I had to brave the elements to get our daughter to an appointment in the next town over, which was honestly terrifying. While she was in, I hit the grocery store and got nacho fixings for supper. We white knuckled it home in whiteout conditions and sat under many blankets crunching away.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Oh goodness, Erin. That sounds terrifying. So glad you made it home safely.
MANY years ago while in school, I was training about 45 minutes from the university. I got caught in a snowstorm on my return. My car about slid-with me in it-into a ravine. I was shaking like a leaf and scared to death. What appears but a wrecker to pull me to flat ground. I left it there and started walking the 5miles back. I promised the good Lord if he got me home safely, I would not drive in snow again. He kept his end of the bargain and so have I for 45+ years. I thoroughly enjoyed looking at our 5-7 inches-from inside. No driving for me! Down south, we have no idea how to drive or the equipment to do so with snow.
Heather M
Oh goodness that sounds not fun at all, Erin. Glad you all made it there and home safely, and that you took advantage of having to be out in it. Nachos were well deserved. (btw, those lunches all sounded great, too)
Kathryn M
Lunch Leftover ravioli at work for lunch.
I came home early from work and grabbed a 2 pack frozen of Red Baron mini pizzas on the way. Had one and stuffed the other in the freezer for later.
Krista
B I had creamed eggs on sourdough, DD made a sandwich, DH had LO macaroni, weird choice for Bfast…
L Pimiento toast, LO last bowl of pumpkin soup, sweet potato fries
D Turkey lemon rice soup and crackers for me and my parents, DH and DD were at home and BBQ’d chops, mini potatoes and the last of the burgers, using buns from freezer. I had been looking forward to a few of those potatoes when I got home from visiting my parents, but they were all gone :(, all except 1 small potato that I guess got missed by my family. Oh well.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
1/27
B toast and coffee for both
L turkey havarti sandwiches with raw carrots for both
D picked the smallest bulk meat in the freezer, a pork butt, to fix in the crock pot. On our way home from our trip DH had gotten fried chicken. He got slaw with it, but didn’t eat it. I added some grated carrots to stretch it for 2. We had pork on buns with slaw and mixed fruits.
S popped corn from a bag in the pantry from LONG ago. It tasted good and I think we’ll use that as a snack to finish out the month, tho DH may want some special food for the football playoffs.
PS we’ll see if this post goes in the correct place this time!
Karen J
Hey Lynn, it wasn’t until I’d visited relatives on the east coast (I’m from north of Seattle) that I’d ever had pulled pork with coleslaw on buns. Now it’s the favorite way we like it. My aunt also introduced me to ham salad. Got to love that salty goodness! I’m not sure if these are east coast foods or just that I’d never experienced them.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Karen, I can’t speak to the more northern east coast (or Texas with their beef bbq) but here in the south we love slaw on buns with our pork! Adding veggies to our meat! 🙂 My aunt also made ham salad from leftovers. I haven’t made that in some time. Hmmm..I’ve still got a big ol’ ham to be eaten at some point which will yield many leftovers. I’ll have to put ham salad on the list:) Thanks for the reminder and a sweet memory.
Also, visiting your part of the country is on my To Do list. I missed the northwest corner when I was out that way many years ago.
Tasty
January 27
B: hubby grabbed a yogurt and headed for thè gym I had a yogurt.and aslice of toast.
L: l /o pork in sandwiches
S: hubby was taking part in a 24 hour curlathon so we had supper at the club watched a game then headed home so he could grab some sleep before his 4 am game and then another one at 10 a.m. Makes for a long weekend.
Karen J
Breakfast-out
Lunch-skipped I think or just snacked
Dinner-last of the turkey in the freezer, LO turkey gravy from the freezer, boxed mashed potatoes and frozen peas It’s so nice to see space!
I made a mixed berry crisp with frozen berries and we still had some peanut butter blossoms that used up the Christmas leftover Hershey kisses. I took out six muffins from who knows when. Not sure if they survived as I haven’t tried them yet. I will need to diet after this month.
Allie from Ontario
First off – heartfelt thanks for all the kinds thoughts after the loss of our freiend…it is greatly appreciated.
Jan 27
Brunch – We thawed burgers + buns on Friday that we didn’t eat so we had them for
a late lunch on Saturday.
Dinner – We sous-vided 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts before finishing them on the BBQ smeared with homemade BBQ sauce. I also made a small salad using up some homemade dressing from the fridge.
Allie from Ontario
Ouch…I guess I should have read my comment before posting – typos!
Diinaus
B:skiped
L: lo risotto from night b4 or Sandwhiches, banana smoothies
D: haystacks and a big Salas for me using up odds and ends..
Heather M
Also, Jessica, I’m so sorry you had to cancel your trip. January not behaving well at all.
Jessica Fisher
Not at all. Thanks!
Heather M
Jan 26 & 27: Friday was quiet for me, busy for L. Saturday was fun for a change- we went to a movie, stopped by a thing for someone from church, and ended the day at a party and had a great time. Saturday was my first day eliminating most good food in prep for a colonoscopy. It’s all refined white flour this, protein that, no veg or fruit or whole grains or anything fun.
26:
B: we both skipped
L: L ate at work with colleagues; I had lunch out with a group of women and had some veggie pizza
D: chili- I used the rest of the ground turkey from the other day’s salad(from the freezer), and the leftover black and beans.and kidney beans in the fridge, among other things. Turned out great and was a small batch so no leftovers.
27:
Brunch: made pancakes- L had them with blackberries, I had them with canned peaches cuz they’re allowed; turkey breakfast sausage and bacon
Dinner: we ate random things at the two events- which wasn’t great pickings for me, so I had a piece of toast with cream cheese when we got home.
Karen J
Your Saturday does sound busy and fun!
Fingers crossed for good testing results.
Heather M
Thanks! 🙂
Danielle Zecher
Breakfast: I picked up a donut and latte from Dunkin Donuts on the way to work. I think Nick also got some kind of fast food.
Lunch: I had tuna and crackers. I think Nick got fast food.
Dinner: After a long week, we decided to go see a movie and got popcorn there. We were both hungry afterwards, so got Chic-Fil-A on the way home.
I’m really hoping to continue/actually do the Pantry Challenge in February when things will be a little more calm at work.
Heather M
I’ll be continuing too. I need to clear out the freezer and cupboards a bit. The freezer has some space now, but I need to use up the things that have been hanging around too long and then slowly restock with things we actually use regularly and not some of those random things. And the cupboards are the same. There is just a lot in there that needs rotating out before it’s too old.