Week 3 of the pantry challenge

This is week 3 of the pantry challenge.  We have done very well with cooking from the pantry and freezer.  We still have been buying fresh fruits and lunches for the boys to carry to school.

This is this week's menu.

Sunday - baked spaghetti with meatballs
This was a new recipe and one that we enjoyed very much!

Monday - hot dogs, chips

I made a big pot of homemade chili.  I will freeze it into smaller bags later tonight.

Tuesday- roast, rice, gravy, green beans

I have a late meeting on this day so the crockpot will help me out!

Wednesday - baked potatoes or nachos, meat, onions, cheese

Thursday - baked chicken, broccoli, mashed potatoes

Friday - shrimp jambalaya, green beans

Saturday - sandwiches

Peer Pressure and a Pantry Challenge

Good Cheap Eats is joining several other folks for a pantry challenge.  Her website is new to me; I have enjoyed reading some of her articles.  She has a very good write up on what a pantry challenge is and what it is not.  It basically comes down to eating out of your pantry and freezer to avoid waste of food.  I thought this was a good thing since I had to throw several items out of my refrigerator this morning.  I hate to waste money like that.  It does not mean that you never buy groceries or that you don't continue to stock up.  It should, however, result in savings from your grocery budget.

  

Now, how does peer pressure come into play here?  

Well, I started reading blogs of my online friends when I noticed a trend of them joining:

Dawn - A Home in the Country

Rhonda - Made Do and Mend

Tammy - My Little Corner of the Prairie

Now, you see why I have to join in!  I can't let these girls get ahead of me!!  :)

So, I started with today's meal:

*Ham (had on hand)

*Turnip greens (pantry)

*Corn (pantry)

*Apple cake (all from the pantry)

*Black-eyed pea dip with tortilla chips (pantry)

*Yeast rolls (freezer)

Being in the South, I had to serve pork, greens, and black-eyed peas on New Year's Day!! 

I also wrote a few goals to go with this particular challenge:

1.  This 'extra' money will come in handy as Dennis and I sat down and made a list of our financial goals for 2013.  This should help us along with that challenge.

2.  Clean out/Organize my pantry.  (Rhonda has the prettiest pantry I have ever seen.  You need to go to her blog to read about how pretty it is.  Come to think of it, that might have been on her old blog.)

3.  Write a menu out each week based on what I have on hand.

4.  Teach both boys how to cook.  I have missed the boat on that chore.  They can do simple things but they really need to be more proficient that what they are currently.

5.  Keep my grocery spending down to less than $100/week for a family of four.  

Anyone want to join us?  

And, Happy New Year!!