Pantry Clean Out!

[lisam427]

today a coworker of mine is leaving our department due to a promotion. I had 2 gallon size freezer bags in the back freezers filled with cake pops and chocolate covered rice crispie treats. instead of making something i defrosted those last night and brought them in for the party at work. i also found two half pound packages of beef, and a full unopened bag of barley. going to cube up the beef and make my husband beef barley soup in the crockpot tomorrow. found a bag of dry black beans in my pantry. made black bean soup (pioneer womans recipe-healthy and absolutely delicious!!!). when he has his beef barley soup ill have black bean soup and a salad. also took a five found bag of boneless skinless chicken that we had in the freezer (bought at 99 cents a pound). tonight i am going to make baked chicken, i have some rice a roni left in the fridge that we can warm up for dinner for my husband and some steamable green beans in the freezer. i am trying to lose weight and currently doing phase one of the old version of south beach diet. My goal in the next few weeks is to basically use up everything in the 2 small top freezers. i am limiting my spending to basically produce, eggs, milk and bread on an as needed basis.

 

[lisam427]

LOL We're moving in 10 days, so I'm amping up my "don't buy, use what is on hand" pantry clean out. I'm very happy with the way that the freezer is going, although I'm getting tired of pierogies, which I apparently bought every time they were on sale. And on the shelves....it's pasta sauce. A bit of pasta, but ooooodles of pasta sauce.

Moving in ten days!! thats fantastic that you are using up what you have!! its going to make moving easier!! less to move. keep up the good work.

 

[lisam427]

I do a fridge cleanout every Thursday before garbage pickup on Friday. Anything good in there has to have a firm commitment that we are going to eat it very soon.

I used to stock a lot of stuff such as cereal. Now I hardly ever buy it, because we have thrown it out too often.

Canned goods fair a little better. They normally have longer shelf life.

And, back to the pantry - anything still good such as spaghetti sauce, veggies and other products will really be appreciated at the numerous food pantries that are helping folks through difficult times.

definitely need to do this!!!!!!!

 

[froggibabey]

One of the things that we do is once a month or every other month, we play "Chopped" with the random things left in our cupboards and freezer. We make a budget of $30 for groceries that week (because we're definitely going to need milk, and probably a few odds and ends), and make our menus based on whatever has been in the cupboards for a while.

Sometimes that means you have a random can of peas that showed up out of nowhere, a third of a bag of something frozen, the three chicken carcasses you've been avoiding making into stock, half a cabbage, etc. It's fun, and we all put forth what we'd make with them and then the most popular vote wins.

(There's two adults, a 15, 13 and 7 year old, and everyone gets into it!)

 

[StephMK]

Great thread, thanks for reviving! I was just writing down dinners to get through the month. I think one more grocery run for fresh items will get us to the end.

Best wishes for a stress free as possible move to all with plans. We moved out of state last spring and I feel for you!

This is a good time of year to start and use up winter staples. We have a big pantry for the first time and I don't want to waste things by losing them. Today, I cleaned out the fridge before trash day on Monday.

 

[barkley]

This is a good time of year to start and use up winter staples. We have a big pantry for the first time and I don't want to waste things by losing them.

absolutely the perfect time! one way i've managed to decrease waste with boxed items (esp. box mixes) is by taking a sharpie and writing what i perceive as the use by date (i'm comfortable w/some items going past the best by date while others that have baking elements i feel don't fare as well) on the part of the box that i see when i open the pantry. if i see that i've got something i need to use up this month i'll plan it into meals and make sure i've got whatever other ingredients are called for.

 

[dpswift]

LOL We're moving in 10 days, so I'm amping up my "don't buy, use what is on hand" pantry clean out. I'm very happy with the way that the freezer is going, although I'm getting tired of pierogies, which I apparently bought every time they were on sale. And on the shelves....it's pasta sauce. A bit of pasta, but ooooodles of pasta sauce.

Good luck with your move. With us it is the opposite, a good amount of pasta but no sauce. DD and I went to make sauce the other day and could not find a jar. We are very likely moving in the next year or so so I am trying to go from one pantry cupboard from 2.

 

[lisam427]

Doing good so far. Just bought produce that we needed this week.along with some eggs. Barely made a dent in the two small freezers. But will get there. Its only been one week.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

Talk about a zombie thread from 2015... wow still good ideas though.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

I've been reading along and enjoying this thread. Think my family are going to rebel if I serve sausages and mash again this month but I'm determined to clear out the freezer so they've got at least 2 more dinners of this to go!

 

[TwoMisfits]

I've been reading along and enjoying this thread. Think my family are going to rebel if I serve sausages and mash again this month but I'm determined to clear out the freezer so they've got at least 2 more dinners of this to go!

If you de-case the sausage, you can turn it into a chili (or spaghetti sauce, depending on the underlying sausage spice flavoring), so maybe they don't rebel quite as much?

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

If you de-case the sausage, you can turn it into a chili (or spaghetti sauce, depending on the underlying sausage spice flavoring), so maybe they don't rebel quite as much?

Thanks. I did offer sausage pizza which was turned down -hadn't thought of the pasta or chilli.but will see if they prefer those options

 

[lisam427]

I have been limoting my grocery spending but i need to remind myself not to brin

If you de-case the sausage, you can turn it into a chili (or spaghetti sauce, depending on the underlying sausage spice flavoring), so maybe they don't rebel quite as much?

Thats a great idea!! What about lasagna or pasta with vodka and sausage. Stay at home chef has a fantastic lasagna recipe on her site using sausage.

 

[lisam427]

Going to limit my spending to $30 weekly for essentials each week starting today. Going to use this thread as an accountabilty thread for that. Husband just told me that our freezers and pantry look like I have prepared for a zombie apocalypse lol!!
Have my meals planned for the week. I am cooking four meals and the other evenings we will be having leftovers. Went in the freezer and I have two big containers of Turkey soup and two decent sized Turkey breasts along with a ham steak, one more pack of lean ground beef, homemade cookies, 1 Apple pie, 1 pumpkin pie, frozen veggies, a carton of egg whites. Next week I will be tacking that freezer with my meal plan until it is empty.
Had an invite to go out to eat tonight. Instead friends are coming here. Pulled a chicken and rice teriyaki stir fry casserole from the above mentioned freezer. We are having that along with a big grilled chicken salad that my daughter ordered for me last night but I didn't touch.

 

[lisam427]

i underestimated my leftovers when meal planning this week. made low carb swedish meatballs. hubby at 3/4 of the pan last night so no leftovers for that meal lol. he is having stew (planned) but it has potatoes. i am eating lower carb. found some chicken legs and thighs in the freezer with some marinade. i am defrosting those for myself and just have to toss them in the oven. i did add a few things on to my meal plan just in case. Im sure we will be able to find odds and ends for me in the freezer too. have not gone grocery shopping at all.

 

[barkley]

i underestimated my leftovers when meal planning this week. made low carb swedish meatballs. hubby at 3/4 of the pan last night so no leftovers for that meal lol.

when that happens here, unless someone will for sure eat it for lunch the next day the remainder goes into a small freezer container and is labled. when i have an assortment (and i know that one day of the week i won't want to have to cook) they get pulled for a 'buffet night'. i'll have some bagged greens and salad toppings but everything else is just heated in the containers and we kill it off.

 

[lisam427]

when that happens here, unless someone will for sure eat it for lunch the next day the remainder goes into a small freezer container and is labled. when i have an assortment (and i know that one day of the week i won't want to have to cook) they get pulled for a 'buffet night'. i'll have some bagged greens and salad toppings but everything else is just heated in the containers and we kill it off.

Thats a good idea. Thank you for the suggestion!!

 

[lisam427]

FOUND TWO HAMBURGER PATTIES AND TWO VEGGIE BURGERS IN THE FREEZER. WE ARE GOING TO KILL THOSE OFF ON SATURDAY. HAVENT DONE ANY SHOPPING THIS WEEK BUT TONIGHT SENDING HUBBY TO THE STORE FOR MILK AND CUCUMBERS. EVEN IF HE ADDS A FEW THINGS (HIS SNACKS) I WILL STILL BE WAY UNDER BUDGET. WILL REPORT WHAT HE SPENT LATER. TONIGHT HE IS HAVING BEEF STEW AND THE REST OF THE CRESCENT ROLLS. I HAVE ONE PIECE OF CHICKEN LEFT, A HARD BOILED EGG AND SALAD VEGGIES SO FOR ME ITS SALAD TONIGHT. FOR NEXT WEEK I PLAN ON MAKING A POT OF CHILI, A POT OF LOW CARB STUFFED PEPPER SOUP, AND A TURKEY BREAST FROM THE FREEZER (ALL OF THE INGREDIENTS ARE IN THE FREEZER, FRIDGE OR PANTRY). THIS WILL WORK FOR LEFTOVER NIGHTS AND WHATEVER IS LEFT WILL GO IN THE FREEZER AND ADDED TO A FUTURE WEEKS MEAL ROTATION.

 

[lisam427]

spent $5.89 last week on milk and produce. still have a $30 a week limit . starting the beginning of the month have three meals planned from freezer items from the small top freezer so far this week. the rest of the week we will be eating odds and ends. i found a package of crab cakes, some broccoli stuffed chicken, and two good sized containers of turkey soup. will work on those too!

 

[crazylady]

Normally before we go on a trip we "eat down" the pantry and fridge. Between Covid cancelling our trips last year and stocking extras due to quarantines, we are stocked up. You're inspiring me to take an inventory and see what I can use up the next couple of weeks. Luckily (?), we don't have a huge freezer or pantry so hopefully it's not to daunting.