Pantry Challenge- The End

I didn't adhere to the Pantry Challenge to the letter. There were times that I forgot to thaw something or thought that I had ingredients that I didn't have, so I had to head to the store for random items, but I KNOW that I saved money this month.

Here were our family’s goals for the “Eat From The Pantry Challenge”

• To build my menus from what we have in the freezers and pantry.
• To stop at the store a maximum of three times in January.
• To only buy dairy (milk, eggs, cheese, etc.), produce (fruits/vegetables), and bread.
• To spend a total of $150 or less on groceries during the month of January.
• Donate the extra money that we would usually spend on groceries to Sam’s college fund.

Here's what we accomplished.

• To build my menus from what we have in the freezers and pantry. - Mostly Complete
• To stop at the store a maximum of three times in January. - I think it ended up being 5 times
  Linked to Good Cheap Eats
• To only buy dairy (milk, eggs, cheese, etc.), produce (fruits/vegetables), and bread.- Mostly Complete
• To spend a total of $150 or less on groceries during the month of January.- I'm pretty sure the total was right around that.
• Donate the extra money that we would usually spend on groceries to Sam’s college fund.- We are going to put the extra $150 that we didn't spend this month in the college fund.

We are probably going to continue this, informally, since we are planning on putting our house on the market in a month. I'd love to use a lot of what's in there now, so that it doesn't look as packed.

Pantry Challenge- Week #4

2012 January Pantry Challenge- Week #4

My weekly menu never seems to go as planned, so we are moving the Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas to tonight and tomorrow night. We also had to change our Saturday and Sunday night dinners because we celebrated my husband's mother's birthday on Saturday by going to Carrabba's. Yummy!!

There was no way that I was passing that up.

 

Sunday - Carrabba's leftovers

Monday- Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas 
Tuesday- Quesadillas leftovers
Wednesday- Pork Ribs (thawing right now)
Thursday- Breakfast for Dinner
Friday- Chicken or Beef
Saturday- Chicken or Beef

Link to another Menu Plan


Good Cheap Eats

2012 January Pantry Challenge- Week #3

2012 January Pantry Challenge- Week #3

My husband wanted something different than what I had planned, so we diverted from the pantry challenge on Sunday and tonight, but we are getting back on track.

Sunday - Chinese Takeout

Monday- Chinese Takeout leftovers

Tuesday- Kathy's Delicious Whole Slow Cooker Chicken (except it will be frozen)
Wednesday- Chicken leftovers
Thursday- Venison Steaks with seasoning
Friday- Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas (Thanks OrgJunkie)

Saturday- Quesadillas leftovers

Link to another Menu Plan

Pantry Challenge Progress

So far, I have had to make some small changes to menus for the Pantry Challenge, but nothing Earth shattering. The changes were mostly running out of a meal and having to add another one or having more of an item to have for an extra day.


The later is what has occurred this week. We have enough of the Crock Pot Chicken to have another meal tonight. I'm going to use it to make enchiladas. This will push everything else back a day, but we are still on target to use items that we have on-hand to complete our meals.

I thought that we had pork available, but it was labeled incorrectly. It's actually beef and it probably won't last the full 2 days, so Iove made that change in the new menu.

Original Menu
Sunday - Whole Chicken Crock Pot Recipe

Monday- Chicken leftovers
Tuesday- Venison Steaks
Wednesday- Pork (I'm not sure how I'm going to cook it)
Thursday- Pork leftovers
Friday- Chicken and Veggie Pasta
Saturday- Chicken and Veggie Pasta leftovers

Adjusted Menu

Sunday - Whole Chicken Crock Pot Recipe
Monday- Chicken leftovers
Tuesday- Chicken enchiladas
Wednesday- Venison Steaks
Thursday- Beef (I thought it was pork)
Friday- Diced Chicken and Veggie Pasta
Saturday- Diced Chicken and Veggie Pasta leftovers

2012 January Pantry Challenge- Week #2

I'm so glad that I cleaned out the freezers. There are so many items that I found that would be so yummy.

Here is my menu for week #2

Sunday - Whole Chicken Crock Pot Recipe
Monday- Chicken leftovers 
Tuesday- Venison Steaks
Wednesday- Pork (I'm not sure how I'm going to cook it)
Thursday- Pork leftovers
Friday- Chicken and Veggie Pasta
Saturday- Chicken and Veggie Pasta leftovers

Happy New Year!! and 2012 Pantry Challenge Update

Last Night's Pasta with Meatballs- Yummy!

I already have to update the Pantry Challenge Menu in the first week.

Current Menu Plan for January 1-7

Sunday- Lunch @ Broncos Football game
              Dinner- Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
Monday- Turkey Chili leftovers
Tuesday- Pasta with Meatballs
Wednesday- Pork Tenderloin and broccoli
Thursday- Pork Tenderloin leftovers
Friday- Salsa Chicken, rice and brussel sprouts
Saturday- Lunch- Lunchmeat sandwiches
                Dinner- Salsa Chicken leftovers

Unfortunately, the Turkey Chili recipe did not serve the quantity of servings as stated, so we are going to have to make some adjustments to the menu. Also, I found a Beef Round Roast in the basement freezer that I wanted to use this week instead of the Pork Tenderloin.

Updated Menu Plan for January 1-7

Sunday- Lunch @ Broncos Football game

                Dinner- Quick Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

Monday- Pasta with Meatballs

Tuesday- Pasta with Meatballs Leftovers

Wednesday- Crock Pot Roast and broccoli

Thursday- Crock Pot Roast leftovers

Friday- Salsa Chicken, rice and brussel sprouts

Saturday- Lunch- Lunchmeat sandwiches

                   Dinner- Salsa Chicken leftovers

January 2012 “Eat From The Pantry Challenge”

Now that Samuel's older (and I recently completed a freezer inventory on our kitchen freezer and soon to complete a pantry inventory and our basement freezer), I think that I can complete a Pantry Challenge with a little more success than what occurred in February 2010.

Here are our family’s goals for the “Eat From The Pantry Challenge”

• To build my menus from what we have in the freezers and pantry.
• To stop at the store a maximum of three times in January.
• To only buy dairy (milk, eggs, cheese, etc.), produce (fruits/vegetables), and bread.
• To spend a total of $150 or less on groceries during the month of January.
• Donate the extra money that we would usually spend on groceries to Sam’s college fund.

Besides saving money, completing this challenge will help me clean out our basement, chest freezer so that it can be defrosted. This hasn't been done since it was purchased in 2008. I want to make sure that it runs efficiently.

During the week, dinners will only be listed.

Menu Plan for January 1-7
Sunday-  Lunch @ Broncos Football game
                 Dinner- Laura's Quick Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
                        * Using ground turkey from freezer and beans from pantry
Monday- Turkey Chili leftovers
Tuesday- Pasta with Fast and Friendly Meatballs
                        * Using ground turkey from freezer

Wednesday- Pork Tenderloin and broccoli
                        * Using pork from freezer
Thursday- Pork Tenderloin leftovers

Friday- Salsa Chicken, rice and brussel sprouts
Saturday- Lunch- Lunchmeat sandwiches
                   Dinner- Salsa Chicken leftovers



Wish me luck!!

February Pantry Challenge- Wrap Up

Another stellar week (please read sarcasm)!

Here was the menu plan for last week.
Monday- Fish and veggies
Tuesday- Plum Tomatoes and Artichokes with Penne
Wednesday- Plum Tomatoes and Artichokes with Penne (if there is enough leftover)
Thursday- Shredded chicken tacos
Friday- Black Bean Soup
Saturday - Black Bean Soup
Sunday- Pizza

Here is what actually occurred.

Monday- Fish and veggies
Tuesday- Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Wednesday- Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Thursday- Pizza
Friday- Thawed marinated chicken
Saturday - ILs took us out to dinner
Sunday- Crockpot Chicken

One of these weeks I will finally make Black Bean Soup and the Plum Tomatoes and Artichokes with Penne that I have been saying I would for a while.

I’m definitely going to keep heading to my freezer first for meal selections, instead of the grocery store, but the restrictions that I tried to abide by wasn’t for us at this stage of my family’s life.

Here were our family’s goals for the “Eat From The Pantry Challenge”:

1) Stop at the store a maximum of three times in February. - FAIL
2) Only buy dairy (milk, eggs, cheese, etc.), produce (fruits/vegetables), and breads (we eat too many sandwiches to not have fresh bread). - FAIL
3) Spend a total of $100 or less on groceries during the month of February. - FAIL
4) Donate the extra $85 leftover (or more) that we would usually spend on groceries to Sam’s college fund. - FAIL, but I have donated $40 to his college fund.


What I have learned from this experience
• Unless you have time to cook on the weekends, don’t try to cook full meals during the week with a 10 month old that is on a certain schedule.
• Make sure that everyone in your house is eating the same thing. Sam is not fully eating table food yet, so his dinners were different.
• I think that this would have worked a whole lot better if I was a SAHM (stay at home mom). I don’t have a lot of time with my son after I pick him up from daycare. I don’t want to spend it in the kitchen, cooking.
• Utilize the Crockpot more often on the weekends.
• Purchase a programmable Crockpot with a warmer option, so that things aren’t overcooked after a 10 hour day. (I drop Sam off at daycare at 7am and get back to the house after picking him up at 5pm.)

My next adventure will probably be a Monthly Freezer Weekend by making an entire month’s worth of dinners over a single weekend.

When I first hear about making an entire month's worth of meals in a single day, I didn’t believe it was possible. But with dedication and some prep work, it can be done. I know people who have done it.

I will try to do it over a weekend instead of a single day. I’m not that ambitious.

There are many families who will spend an entire day making a month’s worth of meals. It requires planning, such as selecting recipes, listing all the ingredients needed then shopping for them and doing any prep work such as chopping or peeling. Then on the day, it will consist of a systematic routine to prepare all the meals, most of which are made in multiples of at least two or three to make up the monthly quota. Finally, packaging and labeling, then popping it into the freezer to be served as the meal later in the month.

Of course, it does take dedication to do this. It is a lot of work, but then it makes a lot less work over the rest of the month, which is why so many people do it. And you can easily plan these meals around what happens to be on sale at the time, which enables you to budget better, particularly when the bulk of your food budget is purchased at once.

So many people swear by this system, and would never ever go back to cooking a meal for the family every night. It is much easier to simply defrost and reheat that it is to go through the entire preparation, cooking and serving of a new meal every single night.

Of course I will wait to do this until I get my programmable crock pot so that I can have 2 going at once along with the oven.

Wish me luck!!!

February Pantry Challenge- Week 4 (Final Week)

This is the final week for the pantry challenge. Yea!! I haven’t done very well with my menu execution, but the planning hasn’t been hard.

Here was the menu plan for last week.

Dinner Menu- WEEK 3:
Monday- Brian- Rigatoni with Cheese and Italian Venison Sausage leftovers;
Me- Pork. I might cut some of it up for Sam’s dinner on Tuesday night.
Tuesday- Black bean soup
Wednesday- Black bean soup
Thursday- Plum Tomatoes and Artichokes with Penne
Friday- Plum Tomatoes and Artichokes with Penne
Saturday - Chicken Wings
Sunday- Not sure (I need to check the freezer)

Here is what actually occurred.

Altered Dinner Menu- WEEK 3:
Monday- Brian- Rigatoni with Cheese and Italian Venison Sausage leftovers;
Me- Pork.
Tuesday- Pork
Wednesday- Cereal (I didn’t have a lot of time after I put Sam to bed to eat)
Thursday- Shredded chicken sandwich with veggies
Friday- Shredded chicken sandwich with veggies
Saturday - Chicken Wings
Sunday- Pork Chops

That’s not too far off. I’m actually pretty proud of myself for staying on menu (kinda). Here is my plan for this week.

Monday- Fish and veggies
Tuesday- Plum Tomatoes and Artichokes with Penne
Wednesday- Plum Tomatoes and Artichokes with Penne (if there is enough leftover)
Thursday- Shredded chicken tacos
Friday- Black Bean Soup
Saturday - Black Bean Soup
Sunday- Pizza

That will take us through the end of February. I still have a ton of things in our chest freezer in our basement. I’m going to continue to use those items before heading to the grocery store to buy more.

As for going to the store during the month, I have gone more than the 3 times that I was hoping. 95% of my purchases have been veggies and fruits for Sam that he is going through faster than I have expected. I bought pork for Sam (and us- buy 1 get one free) since he needs to add different types of food to his diet and we didn’t have any in the house. I also ended up purchasing breakfast bars, since I don’t have time to make eggs in the morning. I’m going to see about finding a breakfast quiche recipe that will last me for breakfast this week.

Wish me luck!!!

Pantry Challenge- Week 3

Here was the menu that I was planning on doing last week. Here was the plan.

Altered Dinner Menu- WEEK 2:
Monday- Chicken and mashed potatoes
Tuesday- Chicken pasta
Wednesday- Rigatoni with Cheese and Italian Venison Sausage
Thursday- Ham (Sam needs to try it)
Friday- Ham leftovers
Saturday - V-Day Dinner out with Brian and Sam
Sunday- Not sure (maybe pizza again)

Here is what actually occurred.

Altered Dinner Menu- WEEK 2:
Monday- Chicken and mashed potatoes
Tuesday- Chicken pasta
Wednesday- Ham Sandwich
Thursday- Ham Sandwich
Friday- Cereal
Saturday Lunch- Rigatoni with Cheese and Italian Venison Sausage (I didn’t like it, but Brian did)
Saturday - V-Day Dinner out with Brian and Sam (we went to Old Chicago).
Sunday- V-Day Dinner leftovers

That’s not too far off. I’m actually pretty proud of myself for staying on menu (for the most part). Here is my plan for this week.

Dinner Menu- WEEK 3:
Monday- Brian- Rigatoni with Cheese and Italian Venison Sausage leftovers;
Me- Pork. I might cut some of it up for Sam’s dinner on Tuesday night.
Tuesday- Black bean soup
Wednesday- Black bean soup
Thursday- Plum Tomatoes and Artichokes with Penne
Friday- Plum Tomatoes and Artichokes with Penne (if there is enough leftover)
Saturday - Chicken Wings
Sunday- Not sure (I need to check the freezer)

Wish me luck!!!

Pantry Challenge- Week 2a

I already have to adjust my menu for this week. I didn't know that I have 3 full split breasts in the fridge, so the chicken will last a while.

Altered Dinner Menu- WEEK 2:
Monday- Chicken and mashed potatoes
Tuesday- Chicken pasta
Wednesday- Rigatoni with Cheese and Italian Venison Sausage
Thursday- Ham (Sam needs to try it)
Friday- Ham leftovers
Saturday - V-Day Dinner out with Brian and Sam (early dinner since Sam’s bedtime is 7pm).
Sunday- Not sure (maybe pizza again)

I will make the Pasta with cooked eggplant tonight and take for lunches tomorrow and Thursday.

Since the shredded chicken is still frozen from last week, nothing will be wasted. I can still make the following dishes next week.

• Shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches
• Shredded chicken tacos

Pantry Challenge- 2nd Grocery Store Trip

Here is the breakdown my shopping trip to Sam's Club on Saturday.
7 items for a Total of $43.68

Not Included
Fish Oil Pills- $9.98
Fiber Pills- $9.84
Total (with tax)- $21.43

For Sam's Food
Gala Apples (14)- $5.98
Kiwi (10)- $4.77
Avocado (5)- $3.88
Total- $14.63


The Challenge
1 Gallon 2% Milk- $1.98
2 loaves of wheat bread- $3.64
Total- $5.62

If we include Sam’s food with the challenge, the total is $20.25 and that leaves $59.34 left in the Pantry Challenge Budget.

I won't have to go to the store again this week, maybe even next week.

My 200th Posting on this Blog

I wish that I had something more profound to say on such an occasion, but I don’t so here goes.

At the beginning of February, The Wilson Family decided to take the “Pantry Challenge.” Since February started on a Monday, I will be listing our weeks from Monday- Sunday.

Here is what I was hoping to have for dinners this past week:
Monday- Lasagna and bread
Tuesday- Turkey tenderloin and canned corn
Wednesday- Leftover turkey tenderloin with another canned vegetable
Thursday- Shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches (using the crock pot) with rice
Friday- Chicken thighs and artichoke hearts in Italian dressing
Saturday Dinner- Pasta
Sunday- Frozen pizza

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday’s dinners came out just as I had hoped.

Tuesday morning I put a frozen whole chicken in the crock pot (along with spices and a quartered onion) and was hoping to have at least 2 dinners out of that. When I got home, turned off the crock pot and started removing the meat from the bones, the entire chicken fell apart. It was cooked so long that it was not able to hold its shape. That doesn’t mean that it tasted bad; it was wonderful

The meat falling apart was great for the BBQ sandwiches, but there was no way that we were going to have the chicken thighs and artichoke hearts in Italian dressing in the presentation that I was hoping. That’s not a BAD thing, but it wasn’t like I wanted it to be.

Before having Sam, I had time to cook and took some pride in what was put on our table for dinner. Since Sam’s arrival, my time has been cut severely to prepare meals. Saying that, here is what I had for dinner on Thursday and Friday; cereal. Brian ate the chicken on Thursday, but had cereal as well on Friday. Saturday, we both had brinner (pancakes) and Sunday was pizza.

Looking at this, it looks like to don’t eat very well rounded meals. I’d have to agree. This week, I’m going to do my best to make sure that we do eat better organized meals.

Here is what I’m hoping to have for dinners this week- WEEK 2:
Monday- Chicken and mashed potatoes
Tuesday- Pasta with cooked eggplant
Wednesday- Rigatoni with Cheese and Italian Sausage
Thursday- Shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches (that we didn’t have last week)
Friday- Shredded chicken tacos
Saturday Dinner- V-Day Dinner out with Brian and Sam (early dinner since Sam’s bedtime is 7pm.
Sunday- Not sure (maybe pizza again)

There should be enough each night for me to take the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Next Monday I will post our results from this week. Wish me luck!!!

Weekend Wrap Up

Here is my "To Do" that I went into the weekend with.

• Vacuum the entire house
• Plan dinners for next week (Pantry Challenge- Week 2)
• Start thawing dinners for next week
• Sam’s Swim Class
• Watch Super Bowl just for the commercials
• Go to Sam’s Club for vitamins
• Start researching hotels & activities for our Philly/DC vacation in June/July (never too early to start)
• Cook meat/fruits/veggies for Sam’s lunches and dinners for the month
• Go to the grocery store (maybe)
• Clean all of Sam’s toys
• Denver Art Museum (free) or Museum of Contemporary Art ($0.01)- probably won't go
• Hunt down overdue library books before I have to pay for them
• Go to the gym or go running outside (maybe I could take Sam in our jogging stroller)
• Watch “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” before it is due back to the library
• Laundry
• Hang up Sam’s clothes

That's a pretty lofty list for me. Here is what I was able to accomplish:

• Vacuum the entire upstairs—That’s a good start for me.
• Start thawing dinners for next week (some have been determined and started to thaw)
• Sam’s Swim Class
• Watch Super Bowl just for the commercials- I finished up the rest this morning.
• Go to Sam’s Club for vitamins (and fruits for Sam- apples, kiwi, bananas, and avocados). I didn’t need to go to the grocery store since I was able to get the fruits at Sam’s Club.
• Cook fruits/veggies for Sam’s lunches and dinners for the month- white potatoes, eggplant, and apples (no need to cook the kiwi, bananas, and avocados) I should have taken pictures of all of the cooking, cutting, packaging and freezing that I did, but I will next time.
• Watch “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”
• Laundry

We were able to watch “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” on Saturday after Sam’s swim class. It was okay, but I want to record it so that Sam has another animation video in his collection (or should I say “my” collection). Hee hee!!

I wasn’t too excited about the actual Super Bowl, since none of my teams were in it this year, so I was most excited about the commercials. They weren’t as good as in past years, but I did like the Snicker’s commercial with Betty White and the “Gym Ninja” Doritos commercial. Very Funny!!!

There are a few more things that I have to do this week that can’t be put off until the weekend.
• Cook meat for Sam’s lunches/dinners (tonight and tomorrow night)
• Clean some of Sam’s toys (tonight and every night until they are all sanitized)
• Hunt down overdue library books (tonight and every night until they are found)

Brian's work schedule is changing starting today, so I really hope that he is able to get home in the evenings before Sam goes to sleep.

Busy, But Not Fun, Weekend

I wish that I could say that I have a lot of interesting and exciting things going on this weekend, but unfortunately, I don't.

My weekend is going to be full of cleaning (one thing or another), something to do with food (cooking, thawing, grocery shopping), and researching.

Here is my fun, exciting list.

• Vacuum the entire house
• Plan dinners for next week (Pantry Challenge- Week 2)
• Start thawing dinners for next week
• Sam’s Swim Class
• Watch Super Bowl just for the commercials
• Go to Sam’s Club for vitamins
• Start researching hotels & activities for our Philly/DC vacation in June/July (never too early to start)
• Cook meat/fruits/veggies for Sam’s lunches and dinners for the month
• Go to the grocery store (maybe)
• Clean all of Sam’s toys
• Denver Art Museum (free) or Museum of Contemporary Art ($0.01)- probably won't go
• Hunt down overdue library books before I have to pay for them
• Go to the gym or go running outside (maybe I could take Sam in our jogging stroller)
• Watch “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” before it is due back to the library
• Laundry
• Hang up Sam’s clothes

I hope that everyone else has a better weekend than I do.

February Pantry Challenge- Day 2- Part II

Here is our planned meals for the week. If you missed it, here was the breakdown:

Monday- Lasagna and bread
Tuesday- Turkey tenderloin and canned corn
(The turkey tenderloin is so big that once if bake it all, I should be able to stick half of it back in thee freezer for later in the month.)
Wednesday- Leftover turkey tenderloin with another canned vegetable
Thursday- Shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches (using the crock pot) with rice
Friday- Chicken thighs (and legs) with artichoke hearts in italian dressing-- CHANGED
Saturday Dinner- Pasta
Sunday- Frozen pizza

It's only Tuesday and I already have to make changes to this list. Brian was able to eat the lasagna last night, but since I was doing stuff with Sam, I ate 2 hard boiled eggs (the whites only) and an apple for dinner. I should have brought it for lunch today, but I will eat it tonight, so I will be one day behind Brian for part of this week. I know that Brian does not like to bring meat leftovers to work for lunch, so it won’t take me long to catch up.

I’m going to start the tenderloin right when I get home tonight and it should be done when I put Sam to bed and when Brian gets home. We will still have that as leftovers tomorrow.

I’m going to add an onion and a few spices (Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, a few garlic cloves) to the chicken tonight to save time. I’ll turn on the crock pot with the chicken tomorrow morning. It should be done when I get home. After Sam goes to bed, I’ll shred some of it and add the BBQ sauce for dinner on Thursday and lunch on Friday.

Knowing our family, I may have more changes to this tomorrow.

February Pantry Challenge- Day 2

It's only February 2nd, but I was forced to take our first trip to the grocery store. Sam is almost out of food.

If you haven't read the comments that were listed under the intial post, I made a few stipulations to this challenge.

1. This challenge does not include prescription medications that we purchase at the grocery store.
2. This challenge will not include my son's food. I make all of his food from scratch and that can be expensive (fresh frutis & veggies). I will still keep a counter on what we spend on him, but it will not be part of the $100 maximum spending limit.

Of course, if after combining Sam's food with the household food, it comes out to under $100, that's good, too.

The total bill for my shopping trip this morning was $10.41 for 6 items. Here is the breakdown.

For Sam's Food
Gala Apples- $1.38
Bananas- $0.87
Anjou Pears- $1.51
Carrots- $1.29
Total- $5.05

Except for the bananas, each will be steamed and packaged.

The Challenge
Potatoes- $3.49
18 Eggs- $1.92
Total- $5.41

I know that the combined total adds up to $10.46, but we received a $0.05 deduction for bringing in my own bag.

Left in our Pantry Challenge Budget- $89.59. I won't have to go to the store again this week.

February Pantry Challenge

If you are unsure about what the Pantry Challenge is, please click HERE to find out where I got the idea.

After speaking with my husband in depth more about the Pantry Challenge, we have decided to start it this month. Actually for us it is more a “Freezer Challenge.” I did not take stock of everything in our freezers, but I think that we might have enough to squeak by (especially since February is such a short month).

Based on the original “Pantry Challenge,” we have altered the original goals to fit our family.

So here are our family’s goals for the “Eat From The Pantry Challenge”:

1) Stop at the store a maximum of three times in February.
2) Only buy dairy (milk, eggs, cheese, etc.), produce (fruits/vegetables), and breads (we eat too many sandwiches to not have fresh bread).
3) Spend a total of $100 or less on groceries during the month of February.
4) Donate the extra $85 leftover (or more) that we would usually spend on groceries to Sam’s college fund.

We may have to suspend this challenge on February 13 if we decide to go out to dinner for Valentine’s Day, but I will post about our progress then.

In thinking about this, the only things that we will have problems not buying are breakfast. Brian eats cereal every morning and I usually eat breakfast bars. [Right after we determined that we were going to do this challenge, Brian went to the grocery store yesterday (January 31st) and purchased several boxes of cereal. He made it under the wire.]

Breakfasts will be the toughest for me since I’m going to do everything that I can to not buy any breakfast bars. I know that we have waffles in the freezer and we have a couple of eggs in the house that I can cook up the night before and pack for breakfast the next morning.

To get ready for the challenge, last night I pulled some stuff out of our freezer for the week; an entire chicken, 2 servings of lasagna (my grandmother’s recipe- yum!!), and a large turkey tenderloin.

Here is what I’m hoping to have for dinners this week:
Monday- Lasagna and bread
Tuesday- Turkey tenderloin and canned corn
(The turkey tenderloin is so big that once if bake it all, I should be able to stick half of it back in thee freezer for later in the month.)
Wednesday- Leftover turkey tenderloin with another canned vegetable
Thursday- Shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches (using the crock pot) with rice
Friday- Chicken thighs and artichoke hearts in italian dressing
Saturday Dinner- Pasta
Sunday- Frozen pizza

Brian and I will try to eat as much leftovers for lunches so that nothing is wasted.

I hope that the lasagna is thawed for tonight’s dinner or Brian and I get to each some of the cereal that he purchased.

Wish Us Luck!!!