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 31 of the Pantry Challenge!
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Wow! Last day? How did we get here?
Yesterday I gave the fridge a good clean and it felt good to see so much white space. I also tidied the kitchen closet storage. Ready for a new month!
Thank you so much for your participation this year and your graciousness as I work through energy and health issues.
If you’d like to continue the conversation, feel free to do so in the comments section of this last post!
What We Ate
Breakfast – I made instant oatmeal before Bryan and I went out for a vacation day.
Lunch – The kids had leftover soup. Bryan and I grabbed tacos when we were out.
Dinner – Pizza night!
And that’s a wrap, folks!
How did the Pantry Challenge go for you?
Stephanie M
Wednesday, January 5, 2025
B – Paul had yogurt and almonds. I had bran cereal with bananas and blueberries and a side of peanuts.
L – we both had ham sandwiches. Paul finished the havarti cheese on his.
In the afternoon I had cherries and almonds. Paul had two small bags of cookies from the coffee station basket. (I have a pretty basket on a small part of my kitchen counter. On it I have a container of coffee, 2 mugs, a small container of tea bags, a cup with spoons, and I always have a few snacks in there for Paul like cookies or crackers or breakfast bars). Next to the basket is a coffee maker and an espresso machine. So I call this area my coffee station. Hs just grabs what he wants and I always replace them.
D – chicken veggie stir fry over rice. I used up both of the red peppers I had, all three broccoli crowns I had and most of a bag of carrots. I also used three boneless chicken breasts from the freezer. Once I had the veggies pre cooked and started browning the chicken the ratio of chicken to veggies looked like not enough chicken. So I had a bag with three turkey sausages in it in the freezer and I defrosted it and used that up too. I’m getting happier everyday when I see the contents of the freezer going way down. Plus I have to say it’s more fun doing a challenge with all of you than by myself so I have someone to answer to. Lol
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Stephanie, smart add ins there! And more winning. You are so right. It is definitely more fun to share successes and challenges with this group. Plus, I really don’t have many (1maybe?) like minded friends.
Even with the proteins I’ve bought, and 2 layers of a soon to be Cookie Monster birthday cake in my freezer, I’ve still got white space!!
Heather M
Great dinner prep, Stephanie! Yay for emptying freezers. I just refilled mine, oops. But i do only have the small one in the kitchen, no second one of any kind.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
2/5/25 (my daddy would have enjoyed today’s date. He always noticed unique number combinations:)
B: I had cottage cheese with apples, coffee. DH had more pancakes and Greek yogurt with add ins.
L: dh had quesadillas and soup again. I had soup and another good salad.
D: per dear hubby’s request, I made his sweet mother’s hamburger casserole. It is true comfort food. I did buy the beef at The Fresh Market. Spent just under $8 for 2#. Used one # in the casserole along with some sausage from the freezer. Subbed corkscrew pasta for egg noodles and he enjoyed it. Had roasted asparagus and ambrosia as sides. Jessica’s method for making citrus supremes is quite helpful and the oranges look much better. Thank you Jessica! Subbed Pom arils since the fresh cherries are gone.
Have leftovers for tomorrow and an extra casserole for another time. It is a delicate balancing act between leftovers and using up other available options. I’m right there with the rest of you in figuring out what works best.
I bought green peppers I needed for the casserole (.50 each), sale avocados for .69 (figured I better get them while I can!) and cucumbers .50 each for a total of 3.85.
I did spend 5.25 for a few incidentals needed to make the granddaughter’s birthday cake. I think that brings my total to $63. We are about out of coffee and it’s on sale so I see some more purchases but still trying to be very mindful.
Thank you all for your supportive comments regarding our power surge. We are supposed to get our new appliances tomorrow. We will be glad to have access to a dishwasher and dryer again. We are awaiting the repair from the power company and the definitive cause of our electrical problem. Then we DO intend to be in touch with those who caused our damage.
See y’all tomorrow!
Heather M
Feb 4:
I finally cooked a dinner I ate. I turned a corner and am ready to introduce more varied food into my diet. Not all at once, but slowly.
L: C worked from home and ate his usual sandwich and idk what else; L had a colonoscopy and when we got back we both had tuna on white bread. He also finished the jello from his prep day and some pretzels. I had some lentil rice snack rings too. YAY for that!
D: Salmon burgers, yellow rice from a box, steamed “italian style” veg from the freezer
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Heather, good to hear you are feeling better! I’ll bet your dinner tasted great!
Karen J
2/4
B-breakfast sandwich in my breakfast sandwich maker thing (we really do use that small appliance-even taking it on vacation)
L-yogurt, banana and peanut butter
D-It was supposed to be chicken pot pie as I’d already precooked the chicken and had the vegetables chopped and ready. But then I had the two youngest grandkids all day due to a snow school closure and didn’t get them home until after 6. I was exhausted so stopped at Burger King on the way home. Chicken pot pie tonight it seems.
The 8 year old granddaughter and I made cake pops yesterday (lots and lots of cake pops) and they turned out quite professional looking-like Starbucks only just a bit lumpier! It used up a funfetti cake mix, some canned frosting just barely expired, and a pound of almond bark that I’d bought before Christmas and hadn’t used. Nothing from the freezer but less in the pantry, so a win and a fun experience.
Heather M
Karen, what fun to make those cake pops! Bet the kids loved it and they sound fun and yummy. Less in the pantry is a win!
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
That sounds like a fun memory making session with the grandkids. And less of anything is a win!
Maureen
My January success and lesson were closely linked…we did a great job eating up leftovers all month. However, I realized that if I’m not careful cooking to minimize leftovers, then we don’t get to clearing out the other items because we are too busy eating leftovers. Totally obvious in hindsight. February’s focus for me will be the old and random items – both freezer and pantry. We’ve eaten up a few things in the last couple of days, including a few Christmas treats. I did a little veg prep and grated a ton of cheddar cheese to make things a little easier, too. DD just had a mild stomach bug and DH came home early yesterday with a head cold. I think I’ll dig through the freezer/pantry and make soup today. And maybe smoothies after school with some odd bits of frozen fruit.
Karen J
Maureen, I totally get you about minimizing leftovers. Our youngest moved out twenty one years ago and still I often seem to cook for more than the two of us. I do like having a ready meal in the freezer, but not tons of them!
I’m back to shopping but I am going to try my hardest not to overbuy. That’s a big goal for me.
Heather M
I totally get the leftovers thing and got pretty good at minimizing. And then our son moved home this fall to start working after grad school and he takes leftovers for lunch, as that is what he prefers AND he is taking advantage of being home to save some serious $ while he can (for fun travel, for the future, etc) because we live in a very HCOL area and he won’t be able to save nearly like he is right now. So I’ve had to adjust back to cooking with leftovers. I am finally starting to cook again, after finally feeling better. I need to root around and make space for things I need to use up- reorganize a bit in the cupboards so I can use up those old and/or random items. I hope your family manages to avoid passing illness around to each other! This season has been so rough!
Stephanie M
Tuesday. January 4, 2025
B – Paul had a whole wheat bagel with cream cheese and a yogurt. I had bran cereal with bananas and blueberries and a side of peanuts.
L – Paul had a ham and cheese sandwich. I had a Mediterranean salad using up the last of the small white beans from the can I opened the other day. I also had 1/2 a bagel.
In the afternoon I had some cherries and almonds and Paul finished the Christmas cookies from the freezer.
D – we had leftover ravioli and sauce with the last of the meatballs and sausage. Also used up the bag of ravioli from the freezer.
Starting to see some real progress in the challenge. It just takes time when there are only two people.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
2/4/25
B: Greek yogurt with add ins and coffee. Same for DH plus the last of the pancakes, I think.
L: put together quesadillas for DH with some bits of ham, cheese and onions, using up some of the 40 tortillas I’d discovered. He had some of the chowder and some tortilla chips. I had a salad similar to Jessica’s blue cheese and pear salad. I never have pears so I always use apples and today I used candied cashews instead of pepitas. It’s one of my favorites. I really like Paneras chicken apple Fuji salad-just not their price. I have some of the components used in their salad (ie Fuji chips I got awhile back at Aldi) in the pantry so I added some of them. I did splurge on Panera’s dressing when it was on sale in the past. The salad, plus a cup of chowder, hit the spot.
D: chicken burgers with cheese and condiments. DH ate his in a bun. I tried mine in a lettuce leaf and it was pretty good. I cooked the last of the cauliflower and added a sauce. We finished up some pinto beans and had raw carrots too. I doled out the last of the cherries.
I now have an extra incentive to keep our expenses low. We experienced a huge power surge a week ago. It knocked out our small tv, lots of LED lightbulbs and 2 clocks, all of which was concerning. However, THEN we realized it ruined our dishwasher and dryer!! 🙁 The power company came and worked til 10 at night. They said it may be a month before we are back online with power. We currently have a temporary line. They think the cable was ruptured when a fiber optic company (Brightspeed) went digging. So angry here.
It happened when I was visiting my mother and DH opted to stay here. Thank heavens he did. He said it was like the Twilight Zone or Stranger Things. The lights were cutting off, dimming and then blindingly bright. I get wigged out with electrical since our house fire 20 years ago was due to electrical, so it’s probably good I wasn’t here. We went and bought a dryer and dishwasher today. Was not planning on that expense! So whatever I save can go towards that big bill. Please forgive my rant!
Maureen
That’s horrible about your electrical! I am so sorry that you are going through that. I’m glad you had a jump on the finances with the pantry challenge, but it still stinks.
Stephanie M
Oh Lynn. That’s unfortunate. When it rains it pours. I’m so sorry. Here’s to a better March for you. Hang in there. Things always get better.
Karen J
Oh my gosh, Lynn, how scary and awful! I’m glad your husband was home when it happened and that the power company was able to fit you out with a temporary line. It sounds like maybe the fiber optic company was at fault-if so they should have some financial consequences. Hugs!
Heather M
Lynn, this is awful!! It feels like you should send that company a bill for your replacement appliances! Wow. What an experience for your husband, and not a good one. Yes, you definitely will feel good about keeping expenses low. These situations are exactly why to keep extra food on hand for “emergencies”. There are all kinds, and a huge surprise outlay to replace needs is definitely that. Thanks for sharing with us. Also, your lunch salad sounded DELISH!
Heather M
Hello All who are still here! Karen J, your trip to AZ sounded great! Lynn, I hope your grandbaby birthday trip this weekend is wonderful! Stephanie, you know I’m always happy when you’re around. Maureen, I love your plans!! If I’ve missed anyone who’s hanging around longer, I’m sorry- I’ll catch you another post. I’m going to hang out, too. I think I don’t have the stomach to let my food stores get very low right now, given that taking advantage of good sales seems prudent now. BUT. I have so many random things and aging things in the cupboards that I’m going to take a cue from Maureen who mentioned focusing on a goal a month, and make February and March (or however long it takes) to use up the random things and the aging things in the cupboards. I’ll spend time fishing things out and making plans to use them up. I effectively already started this on Saturday, Feb 1, despite the reality that I really haven’t been cooking at all and have bought convenience food and things I’ve had to eat (not what I want, but for my health to improve had to). I made pancakes from a mix of pancakes-stonewall kitchen so yummy but still refined white flour(I prefer making healthy kinds, not 100% white flour, but that’s what I’ve been relegated to for a bit longer still) I’d been gifted 2 years ago- I need to make the rest of the canister to finish it off but I was feeling so poorly saturday I could only make what I could. I’m making salmon burgers tonight, from the freezer and likely getting replaced on my next trip to Costco which will be soon. I am mostly pleased with how our food spending was in January, except that at the end I had to buy things to survive. Still was way less than a normal month. And i don’t expect to spend minimally in February now, given how everything is going, but I will be extremely careful in what I purchase: only food we really eat and are on sale or well-priced. I can use an example: When I picked up my massive antibiotic scrip at Target, I bought some things for me to survive(not wanting to go anywhere else since I felt awful). And I chose their brand of white bread and crackers. Way cheaper than a name brand. So, best of luck to all of us, whatever our goals are for this month. 🙂
Stephanie M
Hoping this passes soon for you Heather!! Nothing feels right when you don’t feel good. I’m sorry you’re feeling bad right now.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Heather,
You are doing what you need to do to get well. You can pick back up with your healthier meals when you’re healed. Glad you’re coming along!
Yes, I think it’s prudent to restock also, but for me-very carefully! I no longer have the 20+ bags of shredded cheese in my freezer like the first year I did the challenge, but I’ve definitely still got food to use.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Heather, I’m not sure what happened to my last comment, so I’ll repeat myself.
I had just said that you are doing what you need to heal. Once you are well, you can resume your healthier, whole grain diet.
Maureen
I’m glad you’ll be sticking around and prioritizing your health. I hope you are feeling better soon! I love that you are going to use up older and random items. That’s my February focus, too. I think smartly stockpiling is a great strategy. I’m still limiting my shopping because it’s my downfall, but will take advantage of sales for our favorite items.
Karen J
Positive healing thoughts sent your way, Heather!
Stephanie M
Monday, February 3, 2025
I am continuing on with my pantry challenge too.
B – we both had overnight oatmeal. I also had peanuts. I always add peanuts to a meal if I’m looking for extra protein.
L – we both had ham sandwiches. Paul had cheese on his. I had sliced pickle using up the last of the sliced pickles in the jar. Three more jars of pickles left. We never run out of those. I love them. Paul hates them. So I never have to share. lol
D – ravioli and meatballs and sausage. I had a container of uncooked meatballs in the freezer that I made a while back so we finally finished those with this meal. And I had a bag with cooked sauce and turkey sausage in it that I defrosted and that’s the last bag of that. I also had a bag of frozen ravioli in the freezer with just enough for tonight and tomorrow and then that’s gone too. So I made a lot of progress today.
Heather M
You made a ton of progress! That’s a lot of little bags gone. Pickles are delicious–more for you indeed! Hope you’re having a good week with your grandbaby. 🙂
Stephanie M
Thank you Heather!! We’re having a nice week. He turned one yesterday.
Karen J
It is so satisfying to use up multiple items from the freezer in one day. Your dinner sounds yummy!
Stephanie M
It sure is Karen. There’s just something so satisfying about throwing empty bags in the garbage and washing containers and putting them away.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
That is a lot of progress! It’s especially good when there are only 2 of you! Glad you’re joining in.
Stephanie M
Thank you Lynn. I feel good about it. Love to get rid of those things lingering around.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
2/3/25
B: Greek yogurt with add ins and coffee. DH had pancakes and yogurt also.
L: dh had a soft taco with meat from carnitas, black beans with cheese, sour cream, salsa and a few tortilla chips on the side. I had a salad, using up the last spoonful of pork and black beans, plus some cheese. We both had soup from the freezer as well.
D: last of the shrimp and grits, last of the 3 bean salad and roasted asparagus
We’ve about eaten all of our frozen soup so I decided to make a corn chowder with some shrimp. I had a container of shrimp broth in the freezer and a few shrimp I didn’t use for the shrimp and grits. I added corn I’d frozen last summer plus a can of corn, the last of the frozen peppers from the garden, the absolute ends from the celery (only the shortest nubs left), onion and then used powdered milk in the chowder. It made enough for us to have several days, but not so much that it will linger forever. Plus, with the dairy it can’t really be frozen. Glad to get those additional items out of the freezer!
I made sugar cookies for a friend and also some to take this weekend. DGD likes “ ‘nacks” including cookies. Her mother asked that I make a Cookie Monster cake, so that’s on the agenda for the week as well. My plan is to make a banana cake, which is semi healthy and will use up the bananas in the freezer plus one I bought for this purpose.
Glad to see I’m not going solo this month!
Karen J
Lynn, you are my pantry challenge inspiration! The other day you made shrimp and grits and I thought ‘I have everything for that!’ as there are still three pounds of shrimp still in the freezer. Then this post you mentioned corn chowder with shrimp, which reminded me that I was going to make a seafood chowder with odd and ends of fish and some of that shrimp. I have corn in the freezer so I can throw that in too. We shall see how that all turns out. Thanks for the ideas!
I have grandkids today as school is closed due to icy roads. I think we are going to attempt cake pops with one of my multiple cake mixes languishing in the cupboard.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Karen, oh thank you! I’ve gotten so many ideas from others here, I’m glad perhaps I’ve provided a little bit in return!
I have accumulated some of those cake mixes too. I’m not sure exactly why either. ? But I’ve decided I’m going to use one as the topping (along with melted butter) when I decide to use those cheap cherries to make a cobbler.
I’ve also seen some recipes where they used the mix as a base for cookies. I usually make sugar cookies for my neighbors, but I’m thinking these drop-cake mix cookies would be easier and move the mixes off my shelf!
A story about my shrimp broth. I’ve made all kinds of broth before-chicken, beef and ham. But it had never occurred to me to make shrimp broth. So I made it, strained it and had it in a bowl on the counter near the sink, cooling so I could refrigerate it. Well, DH walks in and dumps it down the drain!! Ahem. Well, this time, I warned him so I had it at my disposal. The broth added a lot of flavor since I didn’t have many shrimp. You can also add potatoes if you’d like.
Heather M
Lynn, you are really amazing! That corn chowder sounds amazing. You are really using up so many things effectively. It’s like you’re not doing a challenge. Eating so well, and healthy to boot. 🙂
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Heather, thank you! That just goes to show HOW much I had in the house to begin with!!
Karen J
February 2nd
Back at it, at least for a while. Coming back from Arizona I had to do a shop as we were out of milk, bread, coffee, yogurt-life’s basics for us. I got out of the store and didn’t get any extras other than one package of cookies and chips.
Breakfast-I found two of the Trader Joe’s green onion pancakes in the freezer so we had those with scrambled eggs and cheese. I will have to buy those again next time I get to Trader Joe’s. They are yummy.
Lunch-?
Dinner- I made chili in the crockpot with half a pound of ground beef from the freezer, canned pintos and kidney beans, canned habanero diced tomatoes, onion and spices. It was definitely spicy! I used it to make chili dogs with freezer buns and freezer hot dogs. So four more items out of the freezer.
Karen J
I did also buy some fresh vegetables. The only fresh I had left was a cabbage and some carrots. There are still a few freezer veg hanging out..
Heather M
OOOO i’ve wondered about those pancakes. Thanks for letting us know! I hope your trip to AZ was wonderful! (maybe I’ll see further down here)
Karen J
The trip to Arizona was good! The weather was a little cooler than usual while there, but still warmer than home. (Now that we are home it is in the 80s there, of course) However for hiking in Sabino Canyon near Tucson I much prefer it cooler. They have a tram you can take up then hike down. Perfect for our 70 year old legs!
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Green onion pancakes? I’ve never heard of those. A savory option. I’ll have to check into that the next time I’m at my mom’s and near a Trader Joe’s.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
2/2/25
B: I had a boiled egg and coffee. DH had more pancakes and coffee.
L: I had soup from the freezer and a taste of the tuna salad. DH had another tuna melt and a small cup of soup.
D: chicken burgers that I bought, the last of the cheese slices, lettuce, buns from the freezer, last of the sautéed cabbage, and bean salad.
S: finished up the hm hummus and carrots, hm iced coffee
I did go shopping, buying many of the things we’d used up. I spent $60. With the $7 from yesterday my total so far is $67. That included 5# of 92% lean chicken at 1.50#, some salmon (cholesterol was up ? , 4# bacon $3.49 special sale, lettuce, London broil ($3.99#-the best I’ve seen in a while, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, 4cans of vegetables, 2# of asparagus for the birthday dinner coming up for our family at our little granddaughter’s birthday this weekend, almond milk for DH and bananas and other baking needs for grand baby’s party. I guess two is no longer a “baby” tho I do wish time would slow down. ?
The proteins I bought should last the month and beyond. I wasn’t able to get the sale boneless skinless chicken breasts so I got a rain check for later. Now that I have lettuce again, I can resume having different salads. I will probably pick up a few more things when I pass by an Aldi traveling to meet up with our family this weekend. I have a variety of foodstuffs in the freezer that I’ll be taking too.
Karen J
Lynn, I remember last year during pantry challenge when your granddaughter was turning one. They grow up fast, don’t they! My grandson turned ten while we were in Arizona. We are celebrating this coming weekend.
My husband is wanting me to do a Costco shop, but I am holding off. I want to enjoy the white space in my freezer for a while longer.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Oh do they ever grow up fast! :,( The year has flown by. She may be our only grandchild so we’re trying to savor every (fast) minute.
One way I can tell the PC was successful was that even with all those proteins I bought and put in the freezers, I still have white space! Yay!
Glad you’re joining in too!
Heather M
Lynn, those protein prices are amazing! And, given this climate (incl the chicken situation), I’d be stocking up on chicken at good prices for sure! I won’t be shopping until later this week, trying to get myself better, which is happening, just too slowly for my taste. Happy Birthday to your granddaughter!!
Heather M
Lynn, those protein prices are amazing! And, given the chicken situation, I’d be stocking up on chicken at good prices for sure! I won’t be shopping until later this week, trying to get myself better, which is happening, just too slowly for my taste. Happy Birthday to your granddaughter!!
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Heather, I’m glad you are healing, though at the slower pace. I hope you’ll be up and running soon!
Thank you for the birthday wishes for our little one! 🙂 We haven’t seen her since Christmas and are very eager to get there this weekend!
That’s what I thought about the chicken too! And it is all natural, no antibiotics, no hormones and 92% lean.
I’m kicking myself for not buying more eggs when I’d seen them at a lower price earlier in the month. I bought 2 dozen, but I’d just dealt with those old ones and the ones I’d frozen so didn’t want to wind up in a similar situation. I am being very strategic with them for sure. They are about 4.49-4.69 here right now.
The one protein I didn’t buy, was ground beef. Wouldn’t you know it? DH requested that I make his mother’s signature beef casserole. I’m going to be out tomorrow and The Fresh Market has their Cluck and Chuck sale on Tuesdays, so I’ll pick up some then. I’m going to substitute the egg noodles with pasta I already have but the beef is essential. He wants it “just like hers” so no subbing in the chicken!
Maureen
I was definitely not as focused this year, but am happy that we used up what we did. And I am truly grateful to read all the comments and catch up with everyone. I plan to continue for three more weeks and will hopefully remember to post every day or two. I’m going to note “pantry challenge” on my calendar and set a different goal each month this year…even if it’s just pulling a few older items from the pantry to use up. I’d really like to be in better shape going forward.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Your monthly goals sound like a good idea. I’ll look for you here.
Heather M
Maureen, I love the idea of monthly goals, especially the idea of pulling out the older things to use up. That would certainly help me get a better handle on what’s in the cupboards and not letting things go to waste.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
2/1/25
I said I was going to continue along a bit with the challenge, so here goes for February. My husband said he couldn’t tell any difference 🙁 but he doesn’t know how/where to look!
B: dh had some of the pancakes I’d made previously, I had coffee and peanut butter toast
L: used the last can of tuna to make tuna salad with add ins. In addition to a boiled egg, I add grated carrot, minced onion and celery to stretch that little can, plus add more veggies in our diet. I sometimes add a bit of mashed white beans too, but don’t have any of those now. DH had a tuna melt and chips. (No soup for him!) I had some soup and a spoonful of the tuna.
D: got ready to make the planned shrimp and grits. When I took down the bag that I thought was grits, I realized it was cornmeal instead! So that sent me to the store. I was already subbing some Italian sausage in lieu of andouille that I usually use, and jalapeños and tomatoes for Rotel, but I HAD to have grits. So while I was there I picked up 2 packages of the 92% lean ground chicken that I got for 1.50#. I spent $7.
Although it’s typically a more warm weather salad, I fixed a 3 bean salad. I’d used the last can of kidney beans in chili and hadn’t made any more from dried. So I subbed black beans to go with the usual wax and green beans. Not as colorful as the kidney beans but still tasted good. Added mango and cherries for another side.
I’ll be picking up some of the other sales in the next few days.
Heather M
Yummy food, Lynn! And, I had to laugh at my reaction to you using your last can of tuna. I might die if ever had a “last can of tuna” left. I buy it in bulk at costco, and when I open the last package of 12 from there, I put it on the list to replace, so we always have lots of tuna.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
I remembered that you loved your tuna! I do see it’s on sale this week, so I may buy a few cans, but not too many!
Tasty
We are now safely ensconced in ou rvacation home in Hilton Head. Our pantry challenge was really successful this year and really did have lots of space when we left home a few days ago. It is my intention to keep going when we return home I. April. I know shopping will catch up with me again, but for the PC of January 25 I am a happy camper. Our meals were not exciting or odd thisyear, just normal, plodding along. I have to add that I really love the camaraderie that comes with January every, year, meeting up with old friends and always some new ones, catching up on a little of what’s happening with each of you. I’ve been doing this for so long. I wish you all health and happiness until 2026 when wedo it all over again – Jessica permitting .
Jessica thank you so much for hosting us. Hope you get your health issues sorted out. Thanks!
Maureen
Enjoy your time down south. Wishing you the best for 2025!
Heather M
Enjoy Hilton Head, Tasty. I do agree with you- the camaraderie here is wonderful. I wish you a wonderful 2025 and look forward to seeing you next January.
Kathryn M
B – banana bread, lots of caffeine
Late lunch or early dinner – whatever you want to call it – went out to eat at Chili’s and had an enormous meal.
In the evening we just snacked on assorted stuff that was here as I wasn’t hungry. I think DH actually ate some leftovers about 9pm but I wasn’t really hungry.
Kathryn M
I also wanted to say thanks to Jessica for hosting.
My conclusion is that I still need to keep working on the freezer a bunch over the next couple of months. Little bits and pieces are resurfacing that are really needing used up. I was way under budget on my grocery bill this month and if I can do that for a couple more months I will have some nice vacation savings to spend this summer.
Heather M
Kudos to you, Kathryn! And adding to summer vacation spending because of careful grocery spending? What a win!
Allie from Ontario
Huge thanks & hugs to Jessica for hosting again this year…I’m so happy I stumbled into this 3 years ago (I believe “lurking” is the term for my 1st year behaviour!). I love reading about all your lives and your pantry successes and I learn something about my shopping behaviour each time. Also, I am proud to announce that we managed to purposefully use the contents of 23 mason jars (give or take) this year. These jars came from my canning cupboard, dry pantry, fridge & freezer. Last year T bought me a little rechargeable vaccuum sealer for jars that store dry goods and I love it…the gift you didn’t know you needed! The other one in that category is the mini labeller that I run off my phone….I labelled everything EXCEPT the actual labeller! ALSO – is it ironic that as I strive to use the fruits of my garden labours in January at the same time that I am madly ordering seeds & planning for the coming season ?!?
What we’ve been eating
It’s been a lot of soup for me and T has been foraging for himself. I did dig out a wedge of homemade soda bread from the freezer and have been eating warm buttered slices buttered which seems like a real treat. Also, last night, in honour of the final challenge day I decided to treat myself to something I had seen in 1 of my books. I rescued the last of the ricotta by whipping it up with grated parmesan & some fresh herbs from the freezer and topped it with some hot olive oil roasted tomatoes (also from the freezer) and a dollop of jarred pesto. I ate it slowly and enjoyed every bite. T had made a slow cooker of seasoned, shredded chicken + veg for his father and had some of the that with a Costco cheese bun from the freezer.
Well that will be it for me this year…it is getting old typing I ate soup! If you are where it is warm, stay cool and if it’s cold…you know what to do 🙂
Jessica Fisher
So glad you found us and delurked! You did a great job, Allie!
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Allie, we are a LOT of soup as well. At lunch today, my husband stated that he wanted to take a “break” from soup! It was great for the challenge and great for our cold weather and our #snowmageddon 🙂 I will continue to think of you and all.that.snow. The most I ever remember enduring is 15”, a far cry from those 3 feet of yours!
That’s a lot of emptied jars! Good for you! Your ricotta treat sounds amazing! Hmm. I’ve got ricotta, pesto and parm. Might need to rustle up the tomatoes!
So glad you joined us. I think I may have lurked for two years! See you next January!
Erin in Ontario
Allie, half the fun is buying the new seeds and dreaming of spring! Sounds like you’re doing a terrific job of using up last year’s stash.
Heather M
Cheers to you, Allie! I’ve really enjoyed our interactions this year and look forward to them next year. You’ve done a marvelous job here. And, that ricotta thing you whipped up? I was drooling by the time you finished describing it. Yum! I hope you have a wonderful year. See you in 2026!
Erin in Ontario
Jessica, thank you so much for hosting again this year despite not feeling great! You have no idea how much encouragement I draw from seeing these posts each January. I’m definitely planning to keep going on this for a while longer. Confession time: I have even gone back and re-read the posts mid year when I need to refresh my goals.
Breakfast was cereal or oatmeal.
Lunch was a mesclun salad with some toasted sourdough bread and grilled halloumi (I should know by now not to let my husband go to the local farm store unsupervised, lol). It used up zero ingredients from my fridge or pantry, but it was delicious!
Supper varied. I had a jalapeno and some mango in the fridge, so I made coconut rice and cooked up the mango, jalapeno and some green onions with black beans and lime juice to make a bowl of yumminess for three of us. The teenager wasn’t in the mood, so he made himself a massive southwest style burrito with scrambled eggs.
Here’s hoping to see you all again next year! Thanks for letting me play.
Jessica Fisher
I am so glad to hear it, Erin. Thank you for participating! I’m taking notes to remind myself about health pitfalls next year so that I’m better prepared and more ready!
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
1/31/25
That was a quick month! Thank you again, Jessica, for hosting our annual get together. It is a fun community that has developed over the years. As Stephanie said, it’s great to catch up with one another’s lives annually. Who knew Stephanie would become a southerner since last year?!
It has been a really good PC for me. Still not down to bare bones, but MUCH less food in the house overall, and I feel like I used up many of the bits lurking in the freezer. I usually run out of vegetables, but this time, having long term options like cabbage, carrots and cauliflower was helpful.
I am going to continue on a bit with food I’ve got, but since some of my faves are on sale, I’ll be picking them up before Tuesday, and I need to pick up some staples too, like yogurt. Nothing too crazy though.
I hope Jessica, Heather and others facing health issues will experience healing with better days ahead. I’ll look forward to seeing old and new posters again in January, 2026-same place, same time.
To close out the month:
B: we both had coffee and toast with peanut butter
Since DH felt our breakfast options were limited, I made pancakes from an opened complete pancake mix. I had it for my young “adopted grandchildren“ who visit every Labor Day. To up the nutrition I added oats, 1/2 frozen banana, flax meal (not too much-saving it to be a possible egg substitute) and chopped walnuts.
L: dh went out to eat, I had a few of the pancakes for brunch
D: last of the ziti, cooked carrots and cherries, Pom arils and mango (which I’d forgotten about)
S: Made a small batch of hummus from a partial can of chickpeas I had frozen, tahini and the other add ins. We ate it with carrots and it was quite tasty. Saved the liquid (aquafaba) to have as an egg substitute too. I searched and learned that hm aquafaba can be made when you cook chickpeas from dried. I thought that a helpful tidbit, in case the egg situation continues to worsen.
Hope to hear from anyone that continues along with me. Take care everyone. Til next year!
Stephanie M
Haha Lynn. You are right. This time last year I was a Jersey girl with no idea I would soon become a southern belle. lol. Paul and I have become so enamored with the “southern hospitality” that we have been shown. Now if only I could say “y’all” and make it sound natural. lol.
Jessica Fisher
Thank YOU, Lynn, for participating so faithfully. We have come a long way over the years. Maybe someday we’ll be able to have a PC reunion in person! 🙂
Lynn from NC Outer Banks
Jessica, oh how fun would an in-person reunion be?!! 🙂
Stephanie M
Friday, January 31,, 2025
B – Paul had yogurt and almonds. I had bran cereal with bananas, blueberries and a side of peanuts.
L – Paul had leftover rice and grilled cheese sandwich. I had a whole wheat bagel with smoked salmon and red onion. I also had 1/2 a banana.
D – Paul had leftover grilled Asian salmon, and rice. I had the last of the rice, the last of the sautéed broccoli slaw and two fried eggs. Using up those leftovers before we start with new meals. lol.
Good morning everyone.
Jessica thank you so much for hosting another wonderful pantry challenge. So many of us have been returning for years and it’s always so nice to come back each year and get together for the month to not only challenge ourselves but to catch up on each others lives. I always look forward to these challenges and while at the end, my pantry and freezer are never as empty as I would like, they are certainly void of a lot of things that I intentionally used up. Thank you again and I’m wishing each and every one of you a wonderful, safe, healthy and happy new year ahead and look forward to next year when we get together again.
Jessica Fisher
I’m so glad you guys come back. The world and the internet have changed so much over the last 16 years, but our PC crowd is ever-faithful! Thank you for participating this year, Stephanie!