Pre-holiday pantry challenge

[DawnM]

I have some expenses coming up this month with the holidays and some other things I don't normally spend on......SO.....my goal for December is $300, but chances are I will get closer to $400. I will budget $400 and hope for less.

The $300 saved last month from this thread is going directly to my kids' Christmas gifts!

Dawn

 

[smiller]

The bbq pork sandwich last night was good! I have another serving to be eaten later this week.

Lunch was my turkey soup - good, if a bit salty. It was my first try, so I'm happy with the results!

Tonight I have a late dinner meeting, so I'll snack on fruit and cheese & crackers right now. Dinner won't be until at least 8PM, and I'm hungry already!

Roomie got back in town yesterday and is wondering how her space in the freezer keeps getting smaller and smaller...

 

[njcarita]

tonight was Angel hair pasta with chicken and alfredo sauce( chicken and alfredo were both left overs) and I think I have over 50 boxes of ( free after coupon ) pasta......so I see alot of pasta dishes in our near future

 

[tavettava]

Tuesday food: breakfast-oranges and milk. Lunch ds get free-dd took pb&j sandwich, banana, yogurt, and juice. I had 2 hard boiled eggs and a banana, not sure what dh had, but it was all from the kitchen. For dinner I found some hamburger patties in the freezer, so we had hamburgers, mac n cheese, and a salad. Everything was from the kitchen.

Wedenday breakfast ds had cereal, dd had sunflower seeds and OJ (that's what she wanted.) Lunch ds gets free and dd had a pb&j sandwich, an orange, juice, and a yogurt. I'm going to have a can of soup and dh has a job interview so he won't be home for lunch. We are having dinner at my dad's tonight, so no cooking for me. I did take out some chick breast for dinner tomorrow so they could thaw out some.

 

[tzolkin]

I've been using some of the recipies from this site: http://eatathomecooks.com/

(Pretty sure she's a Diser-- don't know her name. )


I was checking her site often before, but it's been really helpful since I started this freezer challenge. I use my freezer inventory and search for recipies she has to use certain items. I had never used my crock pot before... That would have been helpful, especially when I had two babies. All the meals I've tried from her site have all been good so far.


My first grocery shopping of Dec last night-- $40. Fruit, veggies, milk, and bread only.

 

[charming23]

Last night I cooked up some split chicken breasts I had bought Sunday at marc's in the crockpot and we did pulled chicken sandwiches.

Breakfast was a banana and toast.

Lunch is going to be at a small itailian place (can't remember the name) that is near our favorite bakery. It has also been featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on the food network.

Dinner is going to be chicken and dumplings. We seem to be on a chicken kick lately.

 

[acename]

Tonight I'll use leftover ham to make some sort of breakfast casserole.

Breakfast is cereal

Lunch is leftovers from last night.

 

[DawnM]

Dec. 1- dinner was turkey casserole! They liked it.....it is GONE!
Dec. 2- dinner will be .99 kids' meal night at Burger King drive through.
Dec. 3- BB ribs in the crockpot and potatoes

 

[TiffanyK]

I've been using some of the recipies from this site: http://eatathomecooks.com/

(Pretty sure she's a Diser-- don't know her name. )


I was checking her site often before, but it's been really helpful since I started this freezer challenge. I use my freezer inventory and search for recipies she has to use certain items. I had never used my crock pot before... That would have been helpful, especially when I had two babies. All the meals I've tried from her site have all been good so far.


My first grocery shopping of Dec last night-- $40. Fruit, veggies, milk, and bread only.

I am a Diser! I've been watching this thread, but hadn't posted. I'm not really doing a big freezer/pantry challenge right now, but I am trying to avoid the grocery as long as I can. I didn't go over the Thanksgiving weekend (I shop weekly) and I really don't want to go until I have to.

We've replenished milk, juice and bread and we'll have to do that again today. I'm hoping to make it until Friday or Saturday before I do the big trip. We'll see how it goes.

 

[tzolkin]

I am a Diser!

I knew it.


I love your website! I'm on it at least once a day.

Easy recipies. Fun/casual writing style. And yummy photos.

 

[annsteere]

Tonight's plan is rye toast (fresh) topped with bbq pork (freezer) and pepper jack cheese (freezer - anyone remember that Kraft deal forever ago?).

SMiller, I remember. (I pmd you). I'm down to 6 bags. It is really going to be a bummerto start paying for cheese again. How many bags do you still have in the freezer?

 

[charming23]

TiffanyK, I love your website. It has given me so many ideas for the next few weeks.

Today I went out to Marc's and stocked up on some stuff since bad weather is expected here in the next few days. I got another pack of split chicken breasts at .69lb to make up in the crockpot and freeze in small containers for quick lunches and dinners.

 

[njcarita]

TiffanyK, I love your website. It has given me so many ideas for the next few weeks.

Today I went out to Marc's and stocked up on some stuff since bad weather is expected here in the next few days. I got another pack of split chicken breasts at .69lb to make up in the crockpot and freeze in small containers for quick lunches and dinners.

tonights dinner was
rice pilaf ( used 2 boxes I had gotten for free after coupon)
perdue fresh turkey meatball with sauce ( used 2 boxes .34each after coupons and sauce was .66)

so for 1.24 fed family dinner from my stockpile..... had meatballs leftover for lunch tomorrow.... and haven't needed to go food shoppin for the last 4 days......priceless

 

[TiffanyK]

Our dinner tonight will involve cheese tortellini, roasted red peppers (forgot I had those), sugar snap peas and cooked chicken I had in the freezer. We'll see what I come up with.

I did "invent" a dessert today that used yellow cake mix, chocolate chips, pecans and caramel sauce. I had to sneak a bite and it was good.

I seem to have plenty of ingredients, but not much for ds to pack for lunch tomorrow. I haven't been at this as long as some of you though. These challenges do inspire creativity in the kitchen

 

[stahshee]

we had cereal tonight. its just me and the 2 little ones

 

[smiller]

Tonight's plan is rye toast (fresh) topped with bbq pork (freezer) and pepper jack cheese (freezer - anyone remember that Kraft deal forever ago?).

SMiller, I remember. (I pmd you). I'm down to 6 bags. It is really going to be a bummerto start paying for cheese again. How many bags do you still have in the freezer?

Annsteere, THANK YOU for the cheese deal tip!!! Sadly, I'm down to my last two - the pepper jack block and some shredded mozzerella. I think I only did the deal 3-4 times and I shared a bunch of cheese with DSis, hmillerbarilla.

Lunch was pot roast, dinner will be bbq pork.

Went to the Aldi today for a couple work snacks: fig newtons, string cheese, Lebkuchen. My pantry and freezer seem to be yielding more complete dinners and not many quick snacks.

Also picked up butter and peanut butter to make those pb cookies with the Hershey kisses in them.

 

[tinkarooni]

We are seriously getting to the bottom of some barrels around here. Other barrels like potatoes, squash and pork are still overflowing.

So today for lunch the kids bought at school, they don't usually but asked to today.

Dinner was a last minute creation, I found one last lonely package of chop meat and made Taco Stuffed Baked Potatoes. We had a green salad from the garden. Everybody happily ate it and I avoided DH picking up takeout.

I must go to the grocery store soon. I am actually working on a grocery list that is taking me days. Shopping is this weekend and I want to use my Giant Eagle 20% discount, I can spend up to $300 with the discount and get the 20% off of that. I am going to spend every penny of that and probably more. I am also clipping coupons to match to my list. We are running out of everything, today I did all the dishes by hand because I am out of dishwasher detergent. No biggie. Allowed me to put off going to the store one more day. Don't really have time to get there anyway.

 

[figment3258]

We had hamburgers tonight with salad. i am freezing the rest of the buns for next time. Tomorrow I am making a chicken casserole with chicken from the freezer cheese and crushed tomatoes. over pasta.

 

[Priorityonecb]

Dh cooked tonight, since I started my new job today! Yay for the budget!!

He used the very last of hamburger meat, and used one of the MANY Hamburger Helper cheesy enchilada's we have (.50 sale!). He added corn and served them in tortilla's with lettuce.

No more beef in this house ever. We have a couple servings of ham in the freezer, once those are gone....no more pork!

 

[SnowWhite607]

I have a seriously small grocery list this week just from using what I have!

Used the last of the potatoes tonight and the last of the cheddar cheese in them. Used another can of peas (they were on sale!).