Pre-holiday pantry challenge

[smiller]

I'm glad I found this thread - it's just what I need!

I don't have a particularly large pantry or freezer, but they're still both quite full. I'm definitely out of room in the freezer and starting to encroach on my roommate's shelf!

I get a weekly produce box and loaf of bread, and I'll buy milk to work on eating up all my cereal. I shouldn't need much more groceries.

My goal is to have at least one pantry/freezer item in every meal of the day. I need to simply eat up what's already in the house. (Speaking of which... I do have popcorn in the pantry!)

Lunch: finished up pita crackers

 

[WDWHo]

The kids were starving so they just ate the fried rice leftovers from last night and said it was the best dinner yet. I told them good, cause they are eating it again tommorow! HA!!

I feel a bit guilty, going out to dinner with my girlies....oh well I deserve a treat with all this planning! HA!!

 

[Jen117]

Tonight we're having spaghetti and I'll make some garlic bread with some french rolls I have in the freezer. So far since I started doing this I've only spent $4.91 at target for cat food and baby wipes.

We are having spaghetti also. I will make garlic bread out of the leftover bread I made on Monday!! Such an easy meal!

 

[acename]

I forgot to so say earlier that I had a whole chicken in our freezer and a friend of ours smoked it for us on Monday. Yesterday I made homemade chicken stock in the crock pot with carrots and celery and some other spices. I was surprised by how easy it was. I didn't throw my wilting veggies or leftover chicken meat away and I got to mark one item off my grocery list! Woo Hoo!

 

[neatokimmo]

Ok I am going to have to buy a few things because the stuff I've been making lately is just ICK.

Today was a tuna helper but with peas and ham in it. I don't normally buy that type of thing and I'm not sure why I even had this. It was gross.

We had PB&J and fruit for dinner lol

 

[stahshee]

Ok I am going to have to buy a few things because the stuff I've been making lately is just ICK.

Today was a tuna helper but with peas and ham in it. I don't normally buy that type of thing and I'm not sure why I even had this. It was gross.

We had PB&J and fruit for dinner lol

your so funny! my kids this week hated the beans and rice I made. They hated the baked stuff french toast also

 

[tavettava]

So last night the kids had soup and sadwich's, dh and I had saurkrat and kielbasa. For lunch today dh had cereal, ds got hot lunch at school (he gets free lunch), I made dd's lunch (she allergic to gluten) and she had a turkey, cheese sanwich, yogurt, a couple of gf cookies, and some grapes. For dinner tonight dd, ds, and dh had soup, I had beef chow mein.

 

[mom2npr]

We also had spaghetti and turkey meatballs, garlic bread and canned corn. I had salad. DH was still out of town, so I have a lot of leftovers. Forgot my lunch today so I had to buy lunch from the cafeteria at the school where I teach.

 

[pigletto]

I have been reading this post and silently joining the challange. I have quite a bit to go through in the chest freezer.. though I absolutely have to get some fresh veggies and a few staples this week. I won't be going over 25.00 though.
I do have a question though.
My FIL bought us several pork loins on sale this summer and I have never made one so I have no good ideas for how to use them.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.. I'd like to cook a full one and then use the leftovers for some other dishes, so if anyone has some ideas I'd love to hear them

 

[smiller]

Used up the green beans, beets, brie, egg noodles, and bread crumbs.

Dinner:
Egg noodles with buttered bread crumbs and parsley
Chilled salad of green beans, beets, toasted almonds, brie, and balsamic vinaigrette

Does it also count that I'm "working" on finishing up the wine?

 

[stahshee]

I am going to to Crockpot Bean Dish. I found this recipe on HillBilly housewife. I have tons of beans to use. Along with whole wheat pasta that I need to get rid of. Also Baked potato's

Gotta think of a desert

 

[Jen117]

I have been reading this post and silently joining the challange. I have quite a bit to go through in the chest freezer.. though I absolutely have to get some fresh veggies and a few staples this week. I won't be going over 25.00 though.
I do have a question though.
My FIL bought us several pork loins on sale this summer and I have never made one so I have no good ideas for how to use them.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.. I'd like to cook a full one and then use the leftovers for some other dishes, so if anyone has some ideas I'd love to hear them

You can roast a pork loin in the oven similar to a beef roast. Add a little water to the bottom of the pan and you will have juices for gravy. I have also made mine in the crockpot. If I cook it all day, I will shred the meat and sometimes add BBQ sauce for sandwiches. If the loins are large enough, shred the meat and freeze some of it.

 

[lattemomof3]

Tonight will be scrambled eggs & potatoes (fry cubed potatoes in a bit of olive or canola oil, when done throw eggs in with them and scramble, top w/ shredded cheese at the end). I'll pick up some bananas so we can have strawberry/banana smoothies w/ this (or some other fresh fruit, whatever is on sale). Last night we brought home soup and Runzas from Runza so back to the pantry tonight!

 

[minniebeth]

lattemomof3, if we had access to Runza, we'd never make this challenge! You so just made me hungry!

 

[MineMail]

I didn't see this thread, but we've been eating out of our pantry/freezer for the past month. I did some major shopping in September because I knew we would be busy for the rest of the year.

In the past month, I've made rice&beans, ravioli, chili, chicken fajitas, beef stew, shrimp scampi, shish-ka-bob (in the crock pot - not a hit), chicken cutlets and a few other meals using what I had on hand. The most appreciated meal was rigatoni (pantry) with Filetto di Pomodoro sauce. Filetto di Pomodoro is one of our favorites - I use leftover prosciutto (italian ham from the deli counter) that no one wants to eat because it's "too old." I've done it twice now and everyone loves the dish.

The kids noticed that I didn't go shopping for meal ingredients several times. It was a "learning moment" to teach them about stocking up on sale items to save money.

When we moved, we left our standalone freezer and I really miss it - when meats are on sale, I would stock up, but our freezer drawer is always full so I can't do that now. I've saved about half the money of a new standalone freezer, so next year will be better.

My new house's existing pantry closet was badly designed and I couldn't find anything! Last month, I put in some extra shelves and baskets so now I can keep things organized. It's really made meal planning and food shopping easier since I can see what I already have on hand.

Tonight's dinner is canned corn (pantry), mac-and-cheese (pantry), and ham steaks (from the freezer.) I work on Thursday nights, so this is an easy and inexpensive dish that DH or the kids can prepare themselves. It's nice to come home to find dinner ready to eat.

I buy dairy, baked goods and produce once or twice a week, but I only pick up other things that are on sale. Short, in-and-out market trips. When I can find fresh Broccoli Rabe, we'll have that with baby lima beans and fresh bread. Or, I'll cook it to serve with cavatelli (from the freezer) and carmelized onions.

I can't stock up on roasts and chicken/turkey unless they're boneless and can be frozen "flat."

 

[tavettava]

For today 11/5 we have used ds-cereal and milk, dd ate some colby jack and turkey (I was making her sandwich for lunch). Ds gets lunch free at school, dd brought turkey and cheese sandwich, juice, yogurt, and grapes. For dinner I put a beef and pork roasts in the crockpot. Will make potatoes, a veggie, a ceasar salad and maybe gravy and all from my pantry and freezer. We will have leftovers for lunch and dinner tomorrow.

 

[MineMail]

My FIL bought us several pork loins on sale this summer and I have never made one so I have no good ideas for how to use them.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.. I'd like to cook a full one and then use the leftovers for some other dishes, so if anyone has some ideas I'd love to hear them

I love pork loin. Defrost one in the fridge (takes a day or so) and rub with salt, pepper and paprika. Place the meat in an open roasting pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add a large, thinly sliced, onion and some quartered, peeled potatoes. I use both red potatoes and sweet potatoes. around the roast, along with a little water to cover the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika on top of the potatoes. Roast at 375 degrees for 25 minutes/pound. I use a meat thermometer - it takes about 90 minutes for a half loin.

Remove the meat to a platter and cover.

Add 1 cup of water and scrape/deglaze the pan. Add salt and pepper. Turn the potatoes and spread out the potatoes and onions in the roasting pan. Raise the heat to 400 degrees. Roast another 10 minutes. I serve the potatoes in one dish with the onions, and the sliced roast on a platter. The pan juices/water make an au jus gravy that's light and tasty. (Skim off fat that collects on top.)

 

[charming23]

^^^mmmmm that Pork recipe sounds wonderful. I am going to try it. Thanks

Last night Uncle and BFF loved the hot roast beef sandwiches that I made from roast beef from the freezer. We also had pasta salad from pasta in the pantry, fresh sliced carrots, shredded cheese, pepperoni and italian dressing.

Today breakfast was cereal with milk. Lunch will either be leftovers from last night or spicy chicken samdwiches from the freezer.

Dinner is going to be out tonight with my grandma.

 

[Piecey]

Alright, I'm in. We moved recently when I was 38wks pregnant and my mother moved all the food. It wasn't until recently when I tried to organize my kitchen that I realized how much crap I had accumulated!
I am heading to the grocery store today for a coupon frenzy/winter stock-up sale but know I won't buy anything we won't eat or don't need.

Last night we had homemade chicken noodle soup.
Egg noodles and chicken base from the pantry.
Bag of frozen veggies and chicken breasts (w/bone) from the freezer.. neither of which did I realize we had. I don't usually buy chicken with a bone so it was a shock.

Tonight we're going out to Buffalo Wild Wings. DH has been craving and tonight is boneless night.

 

[belle41379]

I'm in! Better late than never, right?

Maybe you guys can help me out with a couple things. I cook for just DD8 and myself so we ALWAYS have leftovers that I toss in the freezer. I need some help figuring out what to do with already cooked and made:

- A lot of chili - well, for 1 and half people anyway
- 3/4 of a Pork tenderloin roast

Hopefully you guys will help inspire some new dinners for me to make!

For the chili - we do a version of walking tacos. We take chili, grated cheese, and "frito" corn chips (really we use generic usually). Heat the chili on the stove and stir in however much cheese and chips you want. We usually top it with a bit more cheese and chips. Super fast and super easy.