July Pantry/Freezer Challenge - Page 3

[kathirynne]

Pantry Challenge update

This morning I put some frozen chicken legs in the Crock-Pot, dumped a bottle of bar-b-que sauce on them, and took some frozen corn on the cob and homemade baked beans out of the freezer to thaw in the fridge. All I have to do when I get home is make rice, boil the corn, and heat up the beans!

I have spent only $70 on groceries this month (for fresh stuff, and not all in one trip). I don't feel like our diet has suffered, and I haven't heard any complaints from the children, so they must be okay.

Now if I could just figure out what to do with all these wheat berries I've "inherited". :

[member]

Originally Posted by kathirynne

Now if I could just figure out what to do with all these wheat berries I've "inherited". :

They're great cooked up until soft, drained and rinsed and then packed into serving sizes. Then warm them up each morning, add a bit of milk, sugar of choice... great hot cereal. My DH prefers them to oats.

[ashleyhaugh]

im going to the commissary tomorrow, and dont really need much beyond fresh produce, and milk eggs and cheese, and a couple things for a potluck at work...
my menu plan thru the end of the month looks like this (its just me so i'll be eating and/or freezing all the leftovers)
eggplant parmesan bake
ricotta gnocchi
chicken stirfry
spinach pizza
chicken potpie
salad w/ chicken breast
spaghetti
fried rice
beef stroganoff
spinach tortellini soup

i might not end up making all of it, but we'll see

ive also gotta make some bread, and im gonna try some granola bars from a recipe i got from "good eats" (love that show ), and maybe some muffins or something

[ashleyhaugh]

i went shopping today and spent 128- which is good for me cuz i can easily spend 200+ every 2 weeks, and dh isnt even here right now...... im a hoarder, lol.... any ways, heres what i got

dog food
4 lbs grapes
a 5 lb chunk of watermellon
2 lbs cucmbers
cilantro
3 1/4 lbs fuji apples
1.7 lbs spinach
1 lb broccoli
1.5 lbs celery
2.5 lbs bananas
2 lbs eggplant
parsley
3 bags (1.5 lbs total) baby carrots
sunflower seeds
2 jars of feta packed in oil (for a dish im making for a church potluck)
parmesan
butter
1 lb organic raw sharp cheddar
cheese stuffed spinach totellini(for a soup recipe i wanna try)
3 gallons organic milk
2 bags dried fruit
a can of bean sprouts
6 boxes of cake mix(kids from our church are going on a mission trip to romania, and the missionaries sent a list of things they wanted- these are for them)
6 CLIF bars
3 bags veggie tri color rotini(for the potluck)
some oil
bread flour
3 boxes of ziplock bags (also for the missionaries)
2 bottles of visene, cuz my allergies started acting up this week
2 boxes of frozen spinach(for the potluck)
some foil pans to freeze in
2 cartons of vanilla ice cream (also for the potluck- not the same dish though, lol)
and 18 eggs

and i saved 9.75 in coupons

[*Jessica*]

Doing really good here. I've spent about $75 more on fresh produce, eggs, and a few necessary items like flour and yeast so I can make bread. That brings our grocery total for the month to $83. I bought organic strawberries, blueberries, cherries, canteloupe, pineapple, organic bananas, kiwi, organic broccoli, lettuce and baby spinach, organic baby carrots, and more I'm not remembering. I have a little fruititarian on my hands so we must keep lots of fresh fruit in the house.

This morning I made my first loaf in the bread machine my MIL gave me yesterday because she never uses it! Wahoo! That's a frugal score! And the bread I made is soooo tasty! I modified a recipe that called for just water, milk, wheat flour, salt, honey, shortening and yeast by adding gluten, flax seed, sesame seeds, oats, and wheat germ. Yummy! I just wish I had made a full 2 pound loaf. I did a smaller loaf since I was not following a recipe. I didn't want to waste too many ingredients if it didn't turn out, ya know? But it turned out great and I'm soooo happy!

I'm contemplating buying a dehydrator that can also be used to make yogurt. I buy organic raw milk for $4 gallon and buy a quart of yogurt from the same place for the same price. We almost never use all of the milk, so if I could make my own yogurt I would be wasting less food and money. At $40 with free shipping the dehydrator would pay for itself in 3 months if I used it only for yogurt. Using it for dehydrating as well will make it pay off faster! It's a Ronco and is $40 at Amazon (marked down 69% from a list price of $129.95!) Has anyone had any experience with Ronco brand?

How is everyone else doing?

Forgot to add~dinner tonight is chicken marinated in Chiavettas marinade, that broccoli I bought, my homemade bread, and fruit salad. That meal isn't exactly emptying the pantry but we needed a dose of freshness.

[*Jessica*]

Originally Posted by ashleyhaugh

im gonna try some granola bars from a recipe i got from "good eats" (love that show )

Oh do I ever! It's my favorite show of them all. I look forward to watching it all day.

[member]

Way to go, Jessica!

Doing well here too. I went to Wild Oats and got a 5 lb chicken, 2lb ground beef, cornmeal, fresh strawberries and eggs (all organic) for $22. I did not buy anything NOT on the list and I still have $26 left for the month with not more than some incidentals left.