Pantry Challenge!

Merissa from Little House Living has challenged her readers to eat down their pantries and freezers. This challenge came at the perfect time for me as I have just under 2 weeks until my next big grocery shopping trip and my hubby has challenged me to spend as little as possible over the next two weeks.

Tonight  I did a quick freezer and pantry inventory and then made a list of meals that I think I can make completely out of the times in my fridge, freeze and pantry.

Breakfast

I have a gallon bag full of scones in the freezer. These are either from Jessica Fisher or Alana Chernila, 

Lunch

(1) grilled ham and cheese
(3) cinnamon apple oatmeal
(1-2) Tuna salad on Triscuits

Supper

(3-4) Curry porkchops with rice and broccoli
(2) Turkey Pasta Salad
(1) Bacon Egg and Cheese sandwich
(2) Turkey, black bean and tomato bowl
(1) bacon, egg and grits or bacon, egg and toast
(3-4) HomemadeTuna Helper
(4-5) Quiche (either veggie or leftover turkey/bacon with onions and bell pepper)

Snacks
Apples
Raisins/Raisins with PB
Popcorn
Biscuits
Hot chocolate or chocolate milk


If my leftovers don't give me enough lunches once my "lunch menu" is finished I will allow a purchase of deli meat and cheese to go with the loaves of bread in my freezer.

I'm also planning on tidying up my freezer by making a batch of chicken broth and vegetable broth out of the assorted bags of bones and veggies hiding out in my freezer.

What are your favorite "go to" pantry meals? Also, have you ever done a challenge like this? How did it go? Any tips?

Meal Planning Monday

We went to Costco this weekend. Despite the membership fee and the transportation costs to get there I think it will either
 A. still save us money
 or
 B. allow us a choice wider variety and higher quality foods for approximately the same amount we were spending elsewhere

We stocked up mostly on meats and cheese. Here's what we plan on having the next two weeks.

Monday  Lunch: Sausages and Peppers
               Dinner: Turkey and Cheese Sandwiches
               Lunch: Shrimp and Fried Potatoes
              Dinner: Sandwiches

Tuesday  Lunch: Hamburger Steaks
                Dinner: Pork with Ramen or Sandwiches
               Lunch: Pork with Veggies
               Dinner: Sandwiches

Wednesday  Lunch: Beef Tacos
                    Dinner: Chicken Stuffed Peppers
                    Lunch: Duck and Hashbrowns or Duck Gumbo
                    Dinner: Tuna Cakes with Fried Rice

Thursday Lunch: Duck with Twice Baked potatoes
                Dinner: Frozen Pork Chops with ??
                Lunch: Cordon Bleu Style Chicken with Veggies
                Dinner: Sandwiches

Friday    Lunch: Breakfast
              Dinner: Sandwiches or Brats
              Lunch: Breakfast
              Dinner: Sandwiches or Leftovers

Saturday Lunch: Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
              Dinner: Out or leftovers

Sunday: Lunch: Sandwiches
              Dinner: Chicken Wings




  

Week 2:

Here is our menu for the upcoming week. It will probably be tweaked here and there, due to the upcoming holidays. I know we are going to a western style buffet Christmas day but as for New Year's I'm not sure of any food related plans yet:

Tuesday- Bacon, Eggs and Pancakes
Friday-Pork Chops with Rosemary Bacon Potato Hash (prep Saturday's chicken)
Saturday-Broccoli Carrot Chicken Ramen
Monday-Pork Chop with Bacon Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Tuesday-Chicken and Dumplings
Wednesday- Vegetarian Chili

Upcoming Meals

I spent the weekend pouring over recipes trying to come up to add some variety to our diet.

I need roughly 4-5 unique meals a week. This week we'll have less because I wasn't able to grocery shop until Monday night. We usually eat these for lunch and then have leftovers or sandwiches for dinner. We also eat out Thursday lunch and during the weekend.

Tuesday-Chicken Tacos (leftover chicken to go to the freezer for chili)
Wednesday-Hot Fried Chicken with Fried Rice
Friday-Duck and Sausage Gumbo (using homemade chicken stock)
Sunday- Cheesy Tuna Cake with Broccoli


Successful recipes to follow!

Back to Menu Planning

Here's what we're planning on eating the next two weeks. I've had to plan more meals lately since Angel Food has shut down. What meals are you looking forward to?

Last night- Fish N Chips
Tonight- Pumpkin Alfredo (sauce from Giant Eagle)
Wednesday- Blackened Steak with Sage Mashed Potatoes *new recipe!
Thurs-leftovers
Friday-Pork and Roasted Fall Veggies *new recipe

We'll be gone SAT/SUN so no meals then!

Monday- Peirogi Casserole *new recipe
Tuesday-clam chowder with loaded baked potatoes
Wed- leftovers/bookclub
Thur- Steak and greenbean salad
Friday-Potroast and Potatoes

Looks like a yummy week for us. I'm excited about getting to use my crockpot again this season. What fall favorites are you looking forward to?

A Week (or so) of "Bentos"

Todays cucumber sandwich, corn on the cob, mushroom bento went off without a hitch!

At work I came up with a few ideas for the next handful's worth of bentos:

Tomorrow- Bunless Turkey Burger w/Cheese, Kiwi, Strawberries and Chocolate!

Thursday I'm off so I'll be having pancakes

Friday- Turkey and Cheese lettuce wraps with pretzels

This weekend we're camping in my mother in law's trailer park.

Monday: Roastbeef and cheese rollups with mushrooms and carrot sticks

Tuesday: PB, Apples and Berries

Wednesday: Brown rice and a banana...as odd as this seems I had it in a hospital cafeteria (which I could eat at everyday their food was THAT good) and have loved it ever since

Thursday : Peanut Butter and Apple Butter half sandwich with cucumbers and hopefully tomatoes

What will you be having for lunch this next week?

Monthly Menu Plans

Next Saturday I'm picking up our Angel Food delivery (and then we're going camping in my mother in law's trailer park- but more on that later)

Using the food we're getting I've developed a lsit of 23 meals using mostly the food we'll be getting, which brings the cost per meal (for both of us) to about $4.39, but with a few random things leftover to create other, more creative meals, the cost will decrease once I account for all of the food.

In no particular order:

1. Chorizo
2. Burgers
3. Burgers
4. Fettuccini Alfredo
5. Vegetable Soup/Mashed Potatoe casserole
6. Chicken and Vegetable Spaghetti
7. Turkey Spinach Wraps with carrot fries
8. Garden Spaghetti
9. Green Onion Grilled Chicken and Homemade Fries
10. Wings, grilled potatoesand green bean salad
11. Crabcakes with veggies
12. Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas
13. Mustard Glazed Pork Chops with Mac N Cheese
14. Steaks, potatoes and corn on the cub
15. Pancakes with homemade blueberry syrup, hashbrowns, eggs and sausage
16. Lean Cuisine Meal dinner
17. Stouffers  Meal dinner
18. Chicken Jambalya
19. Hamburger Helper
20. Clam Chowder with Baked Potatoes
21. Pork Chops Primavera
22. Steaks with Sweet Potatoe fries
23. Mediterranean Style Tuna Casserole

If I buy extra chicken meal 24 will be Chicken and Dumplings, using the triple veggie blend included in our package . What yumminess (sp?) are you cooking up this month/week?

Angel Food Ministries

Have you heard of Angel Food? I hadn't until I moved here. Its basically a bulk buying program that helps families get their groceries cheaper.

Mike and I decided to give it a try for next month. We ordered two different menus for a total of $103.  That means I won't do much grocery shopping except to pick up small things like fruit, butter, cheese etc that maybe needed to make a few foods into a dish.

That's where ya'll come in. I'm going to list the foods we'll be receiving and I would appreciate recipes using the listed foods as the primary ingredients

• (1) All Natural Whole Chicken
• (1.5 lb) Whiting or Flounder Fillets
• (2lb) Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• (1.5 lbs) Boneless center cut pork chops
• (1.5lbs)  Turkey Burgers
• (2lb) Clam chowder (yumo!)
• (2lb) Sloppy joe mix (yucko)
• (2lb) Lasagna
• (1.5lb) Smoked sausage
• (1lb) ground beef
• (1lb) ground chicken (might make chicken cakes with these!)
• (1lb) carrots
• (1lb) green breans
• (1lb) triple veggie blend
• (1lb) sugar snap peas
• (24oz) natural cut french fires
• (28 oz) baked beans
• (1lb) white rice
• (1lb) pasta
• (26 oz) pasta sauce with mushrooms
• Jiffy Cornbread Mix
• (5ct) Oatmeal
• (32 oz) milk
• (1 doz) eggs
• 7.5 oz cookie dough
• 2.5 lbs Angus rib eye steaks
• 2lbs Angus burgers
• 1.5 lb bone in pork chops
• 2lb salmon fillets
• 1lb sugar snap peas
• 4 ct corn on the cob
• 20 oz twice baked potatoes (Mike is ecstatic I am not)

See any tasty combinations?

Menu Planning Never Ends

I came back from my graduation vacation to a house with no food. Mostly because I'd left it that way on request. Mike said he wanted to eat out with a friend some and would take care of the rest. So I left him the coupons (nope, didn't touch them).
So seeing as we really needed something for dinner last night (we had yogurt, macaroni noodles, wheat bread, 6 eggs  and half a jar of peanut butter) I made a quick menu and grocery list. It won't get us as far as it usually does (a month) but I was hungry and in a rush.
Lastnight : Frozen garlic butter pasta (apparently it got a thumbs down for not being "manly". I ate the leftovers for lunch) At $2.99 for 4 servings, it wasn't bad!
today: Philly Peppers
until we run our of food:
1. Mexican Manicotti - it was a huge hit last time so hopefuly I'll share the recipe
2. Chicken and Dumplings, one of my favorite foods but not his because I boil the chicken
3. Pasties (another favorite, this time with Racheal Ray's modifications)
4. breakfast skillet
5. pancakes and bacon
6. veggie meatloaf and mashed potatoes (hopefully he won't notice the hidden veggies)
7. Bouchons au Thon
8. Roast and veggies
9. Peaches and porkchops (will probably recieve the not manly enough complaint)
10. Lo Mein
11. Burgers

Meal Planning Tuesday

I wnet grocery shopping on Saturday. Here's the upcoming menu:
Tu- Bouchons Au Thon
W Chicken and Dumpling (I can't wait)
Th Brats and Beans
F Penne Pasta (my moms recipe!)
Sa Leftovers
Su Leftovers
M  Mexican Manicotti
Tu Chicken Enchilidas
W Cowboy Beans
Th Corn Frittata
F Slow Cooker Spicky Chicken with Broccoli and Cheese
Sa Leftovers
Su Leftovers
M Chicken Chili
Tu Cheddar Chicken and Black eye peas
W Chile Relleno Casserole with Tortilla chips
Th Pasties with mac and cheese (my scottish favs!)
Upcoming baking:
Frosted Flakes cereal bars
Mounds Bar Cupcakes
And something from somewhere else...probably scones
I promise I haven't dissapeared and that I have more posts coming up soon

Meal Plan Monday

I need to go grocery shopping but until then this is the menu plan I'm tossing around

Monday- Fried Chicken with Twice Baked Potatoes (turned out fabulous!)

Tuesday- Honey Lemon Chicken and Black Eye Peas

Wednesday- Breakfast

Thursday- Pork Tacos and Stuffed Jalepenos (grocery shopping day)

Friday- Stuffed Cheddar Chicken with Black Beans, Amish Cake for dessert! (We'll have company!!)

Saturday: New and Improved Pasties (I made these before but they didn't turn out the way I hoped, so I hope with some Racheal Ray inspired modifications these will be the way I remember!!)

Sunday- Turkey Pita Burgers with Amish Black Beans

Monday- Spaghetti with homemade sauce and turkey meatballs

Tuesday- Amish Cheeseburger Pie

Wednesday- Taco Quiche

Thursday- Breakfast Casserole

Friday- Chicken Fajita Pasta

Menu Planning...Thursday

Somehow we've gotten into the habit of almost running out of dinner foods on Wednesdays so that's when I've been doing the grocery shopping and meal planning gets posted after that. So while it's not Monday, it works for us and tends to last us at leat 1.5 weeks and occasionally 3 weeks. I'm exctied about this upcoming meal plan because it holds a lot of new recipes for me to try.

W- Hamburger Helper

Th- Raw Vegetable Amish Casserole (recipe coming)

F Grilled Chicken Sandwiches and Fries (recipe coming)

Sa Leftovers or Perogis

Su Kielbasa and Cabbage or leftovers (recipe coming)

M Pork Stirfry with Broccoli and Pineapple Chutney

Tu Meat and Potato Pasties (recipe to come)

W Cowboy Beans and Sausage (recipe to come)

Th Breakfast with Jimmy Dean SW Skillet....I love those things

F Spaghetti

Sa Leftovers

Sunday Leftovers

M Italian Grilled Chicken

Tu Pork chops...I haven't decided how I want to do these yet.

Menu Plan

I went shopping today and here's what we'll be eating over the next week and a half

Tuesday- Broccoli Skillet
Wednesday- Pineapple Burgers  and baked beans
Thursday- Chicken Casserole and some sort of vegetable
Friday- Chile Relleno Casserole or tacos
Saturday- leftovers
Sunday- leftovers or hamburger helper
Monday-  crockpot meatloaf and mashed potatoes
Tuesday- onion stuffed cheddar chicken (racheal ray taught me how!) and some sort of vegetable
Wednesday- Bacon, Eggs and pancakes
Thursday- frozen perogis
Friday- spaghetti
Saturday- leftovers or frozen pizza
Sunday- leftovers or frozen pizza

I'll let you know how it goes!

PS: I have two interviews this week!

Menu Planning Monday

I went grocery shopping today and managed to stay on budget! I did most of the shopping at ALDI and got almost everything we needed for two weeks for around $70. The I shopped at Giant Eagle and Dollar General for things like Dr. Pepper and the frozen lunchens Mike wanted.

So here's what we're eating for dinner (leftovers will be used for lunch the next day):

M- Breakfast for Dinner! This is one of my favorite meals.
Tu- Chickenburgers with fries.
W- Inside Out Stuffed Peppers
Th Spicy Crockpot Meatloaf and Scalloped Potatoes
F Quiche and black eye peas
Sa Mike's Day so probably Beer Butt Chicken
Sun- Tacos for Lunch, Kitchen Sink Dinner

M Cheddar Chicken with scalloped potatoes
Tu Veggie Fried Potatoes (like veggie fried rice)
W Chili
Th Broccoli Skillet
F Quiche
Sa Mike's Day or Frozen Pizza/Spaghetti
Su Mexican Casserole for Lunch, Kitchen Sink Dinner

I also plan on making a batch of corn chowder to have for lunches as well! And Mike wants me to make some Red Beet Eggs for him to snack on.

What are you eating this week?