Pantry Challenge: A How To Guide

It's that time of year again, time for another Pantry Challenge!  I'm joining with Jessica over at Good Cheap Eats for a month long Pantry Challenge.  Intentionally eating from your pantry or freezer for a period of time is a great way to use up what you have in the pantry or freezer, try new recipes, save money in your grocery budget and make the most of the grocery money you've already spent. Convinced? Maybe, but how does go about starting a Pantry Challenge?

Decide the length of time
A week, a month, even one meal per week from your pantry will help you use up odds and ends items and save money in the process.

Inventory the Pantry (or Freezer)
What ingredients do you have on hand to use up? What is laying on the bottom of your chest freezer that you completely forgot about? I keep a small whiteboard on the side of my fridge with a list of the items in the basement chest freezer. I try to write things on it before I take them down to the freezer and erase them when I bring them up to use. This helps me immensely when it comes to pantry cooking, because the list is already made.

Check the Sale Ads and Coupon Match ups
What fresh items are on sale? If you know that you're one ingredient shy of a batch of chili, is that ingredient on sale this week? Eating from the pantry doesn't mean I stop buying altogether during that time period. Not only will I still buy milk and fresh produce, I'll still stock up on items that are at their lowest prices. I still manage to spend less overall than other times because I'm planning meals around items I already have on hand.

Make Your Meal Plan
When I do this step, I'm often surprised by how many meals I can plan without much effort based on what I already have! I try to plan meals around ingredients I already have on hand, thus using it up and saving money on my grocery list. I'll then buy only the fresh items I need or that one or two last ingredients to make the meal I have chosen. I have found Allrecipe's Ingredient Search to be particularly helpful with this. You can type in several search terms of ingredients you have on hand and it will give you lists of recipes with those items!

Add meals to the Calendar
Assigning meals to calendar days is the last step of the planning process. On a day that you'll be out, choose a meal that can go in the crockpot. If you have a short dinner time on a certain day of the week, don't plan an elaborate meal. Don't plan a meal on birthday or days you plan to eat out. The calendar can be a guide, but with room for last minute switches if needed!

Here are links to some more resources on Pantry Challenges, Meal Planning and more:
Good Cheap Eats explains more on what a Pantry Challenge is and why it can be worthwhile
Good Cheap Eats also has information on month long meal planning and links to lots of recipes
No Ordinary Moments has an editable month long meal planning calendar for your personal use (Thanks, Stacy!)

Plus, just for fun check out this sweet Magnetic Menu Planning Board that I pinned on Pinterest!  I'd love to make one of these one day!

Pantry Challenge Menu Plan + Plan to Shop!

Photo credit

As you know, we've been trying to eat from the pantry intentionally this month by creating a meal plan. It has been great so far, but another hiccup taught me a valuable lesson last week.

I mentioned in the Cash Wise Weekly Deals that chili sounded like a good part of the menu plan for the week, since beans were the free item and Fritos were on sale. (I can't eat chili without Fritos, of course.)   The problem didn't arise til Wednesday when I decided to make the chili (we were feeding guests that night), but I only had time to stop by Hornbacher's. Unfortunately, the Fritos and beans were on sale at Cash Wise, and cheese (which we were completely out of, of course) was on sale at SunMart. I obviously did not plan that meal well, because I didn't plan to shop at SunMart or Cash Wise til the end of the week. I ended up getting a better deal on Shopper's Value Fritos ($1.50!) at Hornbacher's and spent the difference on a small block of cheese that was definitely not on sale.  And, I already had beans in the pantry.

Lesson learned: you can't use it in your meal plan til you bring it home from the store.  Obvious?  Not so much to me apparently.  :)  Here's this week's plan:

Breakfasts:
Strawberry Spinach Peach Smoothies
Waffles
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Breakfast Burritos
Cereal, Yogurt, Fruit

Lunches:
Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup
Wraps, Sandwiches
Salads
Leftovers

Dinners:
Vegetable Stir Fry with Rice
Chicken Blurkey (Turkey Blurkey made with chicken.  I know that doesn't explain it well.  It's a family thing and others have compared it to Turkey ala King?), Biscuits, Watermelon
Chicken Fajitas
Homemade Pizza (Crust recipe found here)
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese, roasted potatoes (Still searching for the best homemade Mac and Cheese recipe - anyone have one to share?)

Snacks:
Cucumbers, Carrots, Applesauce, Cantaloupe, Muffins, Energy Bites, Zucchini Cookies

My husband and I did the preparation for our meals for the whole week this afternoon, to alleviate some stress through the week.  We also preserved quite a bit of fresh produce this weekend and I baked 5 dozen muffins to last us awhile in the freezer.  I hope to post more details on our freezer cooking adventure later this week.  We'll see how the week goes...

Care to share your menu plan?  Are you eating from the pantry?  If so, what creative uses have you come up with for items we all probably have sitting in the pantry?

Pantry Challenge Menu Plan + Freezer Cooking!

I'm still menu planning and trying to eat from the pantry this week though I'm a few days late in posting my plans!

I was able to do a nice freezer cooking afternoon with a friend this last weekend and we stored away more than 10 meals each, plus the fixings for a few more. I can tell we're getting close to this little baby's arrival and so after the weekend I'm trying to slow down and rest more as well as take care of odds and ends around the house. Until baby makes her arrival, here is the plan:

Make Ahead Lunch Wraps

Dilled Chicken Salad (part of our freezer cooking was cooking several whole chickens in the crock pot and freezing the cooked meat in portions for recipes like this one)
Make Ahead Lunch Wraps (we altered this recipe a bit)
Wild Rice Hotdish (made ahead in the freezer)
Chili, Cornbread
Tuna Casserole, Green Beans from the garden (didn't get to this last week)

Are you menu planning along with me? How is it going? Since I'm trying to use what I have in the pantry, I enjoy the feeling of knowing I'm using things I've purchased at great prices ahead of time. Definitely the hardest part for me is sitting down at the beginning of the week and going through what I have and trying to be somewhat creative in meal planning without buying too many extra ingredients.

What about you? What challenges have you come across and what is working for you?

Pantry Challenge Menu Plan + Tips to Avoid!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Like I mentioned last week I'm menu planning and trying to eat from the pantry week by week til the baby comes (late September or early October).

Last week was incredible!  After taking stock of the freezer and pantry, I planned a few simple, but yummy meals. The peace of mind that comes from knowing what's for dinner, that I have what I need and know when to get started on it is a great feeling!

But I learned a few things to avoid as well. Just as a little PSA, I thought I'd share with you all. You know, just in case. :)

Packing and Travel days.
Just because you're packing and leaving town on Friday and *might* get to your destination by supper time doesn't mean you'll get out the door on time. A quick meal back up plan will save you a headache and $ you didn't plan to spend on food on the road. Furthermore, the day you plan to arrive home, you will not have time to menu plan and should have something planned if you don't intend to pick something up. That will save you a stop at Papa Murphy's on your way home at 6:30. Not that I'd know. :)

This Week's Plan:
Egg Casserole, fruit or smoothies
Grilled Pork Chops and Zucchini, roasted potatoes
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas, salad (this is a family fave and I'll probably try to double or triple it for the freezer)
Tuna Casserole, green beans (may double this casserole as well)
Pasta with goodness from the garden added to the sauce: zucchini, tomatoes, basil
Blueberry pancakes or waffles and fruit

A glance around the garden and yard today found me a huge pile of green beans, several cucumbers and a small tree full of plums to be picked!  I'll only need to purchase sausage, extra tortillas and cheese, plus milk for the week.  Not too shabby.

How is menu planning and eating from your pantry working for you?

Eat From the Pantry Challenge

Photo credit

As I mentioned on Facebook last night, we cleaned out the fridge last night and were shocked by the amount of food that we waste when things are shoved to the back, or ingredients have gone bad because we didn't plan the meal.  I'm determined to make changes in these habits, and I know that one of the best ways to  make the most of what you have is to make a meal plan.

I've never been terribly motivated to plan our meals out each and every week, but I do notice a change in the mood of our home between 4:30 and 5:30 when I do. I also notice a marked decrease in eating out, unplanned grocery purchases and the general lack of the feeling of "what's for dinner?"  Plus, you spend less if you use what you have on hand!  That's one of the reasons why I stock up when I can get chicken for $0.50/lb, and pasta for $0.20.

This month, a week at a time I will plan meals in advance, using primarily items already on hand from my pantry and freezer.  The reason I only am planning a week at a time is because I like to incorporate sale items when possible, and I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, since baby #2 is on the way soon!

Breakfasts: Cereal, Oatmeal or Toast, Fruit and Cheese or Yogurt
Lunches: Leftovers, Sandwiches, Wraps, etc
Snacks: Fruits, Veggies, Yogurt, Applesauce (see below)
Dinners:
Dinner with friends
Pasta with red sauce (add fresh sauteed zucchini, tomatoes and basil), salad
Steak on the grill with skillet potatoes (pick up a handful of red potatoes at the farmers market)
Breakfast for dinner: eggs, toast, fruit, hash browns, sausage
One night will be left open for leftovers

Also, I've got apple fever here. We've been gifted LOTS of apples, so I'll be making 2-4 pies or crisps to eat and share with others and hopefully 2 more to freeze. And, we've been eating them as snacks every time we're hungry! Thanks, Amanda!

I shouldn't need to buy much, since I bought milk and fruit over the weekend.  I plan to purchase only the best deals this week using a limited budget.

Meal Planning Tips:

• I keep a list of meals we like, and recipes stashed all in one place
• When going to choose meals for a meal plan, I look first in the freezer and pantry.  Based on the meat and pantry items, I'll choose meals to make for that week.  Often, the items on sale that week can be incorporated as well!
• If you have ingredients to use and aren't sure how, do a search by ingredient at allrecipes.com
• Look at your family calendar to allow for nights you won't be eating at home so that you don't plan extra meals.  Plus, I love this tip from the FM Cheapskate Facebook page: if you won't be home in time to prepare a meal, use your crock pot!  Thanks, Adrianna!
• Use a printable meal planning page, like the one here from Money Saving Mom.  Or, do an internet search to find one that works for you.  Someday, I'd love to make this this magnetic menu planning board.  It's so functional and cute!

I think the easiest thing to do is over-complicate it.  I'm really good at that.  A sheet of paper with your 5-6 dinners written on it is all you need.  Or, if you're a smart phone person, maybe there's an app for that.  Who knows.  Just give it a whirl and let us know how it goes!  

If you have tips for the rest of us, please share them!  I enjoy meal-planning but am no expert.  Anyone up for the challenge?

Pantry Challenge: Week 1 Recap

As you might know, I've challenged myself to eat from the pantry during the month of January. I'm happy to report that week 1 of the Pantry Challenge went pretty well! I definitely started out with more steam than we finished with, but we managed to eat at home every day and I did use the meal plan loosely.

Sunday: I ventured right into the pantry challenge with Beef Stroganoff, using some steak from the freezer, noodles and sour cream we had on hand. I also used a cream of soup substitute recipe, which I’ll share with you soon. This meal makes my husband very happy, and there were no complaints from a certain little one, which seems pretty rare these days!

Monday: I decided to start out by making a few whole chickens in the crock pot in order to have cooked chicken and stock for several of our meals this month. I used 2 Whole Gold’n Plump chickens from my freezer that I had purchased on sale with coupons! Here's how I cook chicken in advance and make delicious and nutritious chicken broth:

Cook the chicken in the crock pot all day with a few inches of water. That water will be the base of your broth.

After the chicken is cooked, take the meat off the bones and freeze in 1-2 cup portions that will be ready to use in recipes. (I LOVE this time-saver!)

Add the bones back in the crock pot with some more water, extra veggies (whatever is in the fridge that needs to be used up – we usually use carrots, celery, garlic and onions) and some herbs (bay leaves, thyme, sage, parsley, rosemary).

Let cook on low overnight and even through the next day, strain the broth, and voila – tasty and nutritious chicken broth! Adding the bones back to the broth enhances the flavor and makes your broth much more rich in nutrients!

Portion and freeze or use in soups or any recipe that calls for broth or stock.

Pat yourself on the back, you just made delicious and nutritious chicken broth!

For dinner on Monday we had chicken, frozen corn and garlic bread from the freezer. Apparently that day I forgot about how your plate should have many colors on it. Just to continue the yellow/orange color trend we had clementines for dessert. :)

Tuesday: Tuesday I improved on the color front. I cooked some Wacky Mac pasta in some of my homemade chicken stock and added a bag of frozen broccoli and a block of cream cheese. I was feeling a little overwhelmed with the kitchen that day and wanted to try to keep it simple. Surprisingly it was a huge hit. You could easily add cooked chicken or a can of tuna to this dish as well, or use whatever vegetables you have on hand!

Wednesday: I thought about giving the poor crock pot a break after 2 straight days, but we were so excited to try these pork carnitas in Chipotle style burritos that we had to put it back to work! We made cilantro lime rice and pico de gallo and the burritos were SO yummy! I’d alter the recipe slightly next time, but overall I thought the carnitas was awesome! We had leftovers Thursday and Friday in order to clean out the fridge and the pork is all but gone already. Amazing since there are only 2.5 eaters in my house and it was a 4 lb roast!

Saturday: We were out of town and didn’t eat at home.

I enjoy using what I have and spending less, but I think my favorite part is using the meal plan. I feel much more peaceful throughout my day when I know what’s for dinner (or when dinner is already in the crock pot!). As I expected, we need extra days without meals planned in order to eat leftovers and for days we eat away from home.

Coming up this week, the meal plan is:

Chicken enchiladas (double), salad
Lasagna (double or triple for the freezer)
Rice and Beans with all the fixings
Homemade Alfredo Sauce (double) for Chicken Alfredo with pasta, vegetables

For those of you that are joining me in the Pantry Challenge, how are things going for you?

January: Eat From the Pantry Challenge

I've been stocking up when grocery items are at rock-bottom prices.  My pantry shelves are full, and I'm so thankful for the deals and coupons that have made it possible!  I appreciate having a well-stocked pantry.  It has served my family and many others very well.

But this month, I want to focus my energy on making sure I'm making use of the items I've gotten such great deals on!  I'm not planning to clean out the pantry, just to make use of what I have in an effort to buy less.  I'm planning to make meals using mostly what we have on hand through January.  We'll buy perishables as needed and might even stock up on other items that go on sale during the month if it's something we will need.

My Goals for the Month:

Spend $60 or less per week
We're well-stocked on many items, including meat.  I'll use this to focus on produce, milk, cheese and yogurt (we're running low), any other items at stock-up prices and possibly chicken if there's a great deal.

Get creative with the ingredients we have on hand.
I'm not afraid of substitutions!  I'll save the few bucks on that one last ingredient and find a substitute I already have on hand.  Thank goodness we for Google and a Betty Crocker cookbook!

Create and work from a month-long Meal Plan to stay on track
We're a pretty easy going family, so I tend to wing it more often than I should.  Meal planning is simple and easy, and so worth it!  Simple planning means I can buy that missing necessary ingredient when and where I choose rather than at the last minute at full price.  Have you noticed that when meals are planned in advance you can avoid (or at least most of the time) that 4:00-5:00 Crazy hour?  I feel much more peaceful going about the day when meals are planned for and I know I have what I need. 

Make double (or more) of 4 meals this month for the freezer
It's been a sad few months without meals in my freezer.  I'd like to have a few meals planned and prepared, ready to throw in the oven or crockpot!

Use my (handy dandy) crockpot 4 times this month
I don't use this amazing appliance enough!  I'm excited to use it today for Chipotle-style carnitas that we'll use in burritos!

Here's the Menu:

Breakfasts

• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins - pureed squash from the freezer, chocolate chips from pantry
• Oatmeal
• Ham Souffle - leftover ham
• Eggs
• Oatmeal Pancakes - Quaker Pancake mix
• Waffles
• Zucchini Muffins - shredded zucchini from the freezer

Lunches

Our lunches are pretty simple.  We often have salads, sandwiches or just leftovers.

Dinners

• Carnitas for burritos (crockpot) - cilantro, rice, pork roast
• Split Pea Soup - we have a ham bone to use, I'm looking for a good recipe!
• Chicken, Gravy and Veggies over Biscuits - buttermilk, vegetables, chicken
• Stir Fry - cabbage, veggies on hand with linguine noodles
• Lasagna (double) - will use pasta and sauce from the pantry and cottage cheese I picked up last week at SunMart marked down and with a coupon!
• Panko Crusted Fish Sticks - tilapia from the freezer
• Tuscan Chicken with Artichokes (crockpot) - artichokes, zucchini and tomatoes on hand
• Beans and Rice (crockpot) 
• Creamy Chicken Enchiladas (double) - cream cheese from the freezer and green enchilada sauce from the pantry
• Penne Chicken Alfredo (double the sauce) - quick cook pasta, cream
• Homemade Pizza 
• Tuna Noodle Casserole (double) - tuna pouches amd noodles from the pantry, peas from the freezer
• White Chicken Chili (double) - will use white beans
• Taco Soup and Cornbread - all items from freezer and pantry
• Cabbage Rolls (crockpot) - will use cabbage, beef and tomato sauce

Are you up for a Pantry Challenge?

I'd love to have your company in this Pantry Challenge.  You set your own terms.  Maybe a week is enough for you, or maybe you just need to find a use for several of those boxes of Quick Cook Pasta (I know I do!).  Maybe a Pantry Challenge isn't possible for you in January, but February works for you.  Do what works for you and your family!

As soon as I made my monthly meal plan, Jessica, from LifeAsMom.com announced a Pantry Challenge over at Good Cheap Eats  Check her out for meal ideas and freezer cooking inspiration!  She'll post a Pantry Challenge link-up on Tuesday, and I'll remind you here if you want to check out others meal plans for inspiration!