It’s been nearly two weeks since I went shopping and we’re still eating food leftover from our sisters’ visit last week. Talk about way over planning! Though we’re running low on a few things and I’m tempted to go shopping, I thought it would be fun to join Penniless Parenting’s Eat from the Pantry Challenge.
I plan to buy milk from a friend who runs a farmer’s market, but that’s all until next weekend when birthday season starts at our house.
Our garden is just starting to produce vegetables and we have odds and ends left in the fridge to ensure that we won’t be skipping vegetables. I’ve been feeling stuck in a rut lately and the challenge has already started to spark my creativity.
Plus, we’re saving to replace my husband’s car (yay!) and every little bit helps, right?
So, here’s my menu plan for the next eight days.
Friday— Grilled chicken with Pope’s Bean and Rice Salad (a new recipe I can’t wait to try)
Saturday–Homemade pizza topped with leftover grilled chicken and vegetables
Sunday— Homemade Beef and Vegetable Lasagna (from the freezer)
Monday— Bbq chicken with sweet potato fries
Tuesday— Baked Potatoes Stuffed with Leftover Bbq chicken, broccoli, sprouts, cheese, etc.
Wednesday— Spinach, Bacon & Sprouts Quiche
Thursday-– Spaghetti Pie (from the freezer) with fresh green beans from the garden
Friday— Chicken fajitas (once again with homemade tortillas)
Um, that hardly feels like a challenge. I didn’t realize quite how much food I still had in the fridge. I’m so glad I didn’t go shopping because otherwise I’m sure I would have let some of this food go to waste.
If it weren’t for a birthday girl’s special request, we could probably go longer.
What about you? Do you like to challenge yourself to eat from the pantry (and fridge/freezer?)
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Isn’t it amazing what you can make with “nothing in the house”? 🙂 It doesn’t sound as though your family will be suffering by no shopping. 😀
I agree Bekah! I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was.
I think, Anna, that you should share your recipe for homemade tortilla shells. I’d love to see that. I make flour tortillas (actually Indian chapatis) and I can never get the hang of keeping the corn tortillas together.
Thanks for hosting again this week. I’m sharing my Dandelion post, with the recipe for the crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth Dandelion snacks. My husband said he likes them better than Kale chips. And the big batch I made yesterday was gone by the end of the day. Not a bad way to get a gallon of dandelion leaves, with all their herbal goodness, into my family. ☺
Have a blessed day!
Chris
Great idea, Chris! I’m gonna take pictures tonight of our tortilla making.
That’s wonderful. I cannot wait to make some once we move and have non-pesticide covered dandelions. Haha!
That is awesome- I think sometimes we waste so much food because we go on our normal routine to shop on a certain day and then older leftovers and food gets pushed to the back of the fridge and forgotten until we spot it and must then throw it away. I need to “shop my pantry” before I go shopping each week- that would be super helpful! Blessings to you!
~Nicole
workingkansashomemaker.blogspot.com
Thanks Nicole! Yes, that’s what happens if I shop too early–the older food is in danger of being wasted.
Way to go, thrifty daughter! So, what’s the birthday girl’s request?
Sprinkles on her cake!
I enjoy eating from our pantry! It feels so good to not see food go to waste!
I agree–it’s like we’re on a food rescue mission. 😉
I am SO bad at eating from the pantry sometimes. I’m not very good at thinking up meals…maybe I’ll take some suggestions from you! 🙂
It was much easier than I expected. You should give it a try—it’s kinda fun!