Now that we’re back from our holiday travels, I have felt the need to clean out some of our pantry and freezer items. Buying in bulk and buying ahead really works well for our family, but I’m thinking it may be a good idea to dig down to the bottom of my storage containers and freezers to see what random items I’ve kept pushing to the side for the last few months. I have plenty of meat, plenty of frozen vegetables and fruit, plenty of pasta, plenty of so many food items!
So I thought to myself, “What if? What if each week during January (and maybe February?) I only buy fresh produce from the store, eggs and milk from our local sources, and (wait for it)…nothing else? What if I forced myself to think simply, to use what we have, and to be creative?”
I’m really not sure if this little experiment is going to work for me. The beauty of buying in bulk when I come across a sale is that I pretty much never run out of anything we need and pretty much never have to pay full price for anything. One or two months of eating from our food storage and not taking advantage of deals might set me back a little bit. Plus, whatever shall I do if I run out of applesauce?!?!??!?!
Right. I am not going to run out of applesauce.
There are dozens more jars where this came from. We had a great apple year.
Recovering from my bulk-food-obsession-panic, I realized that there will likely be good deals to be found in February and March when I’m ready to stock up again. Duh. In the meantime, I think we’ll see some big grocery budget savings. Sweet!
Our menu this week reflects all the food I have ingredients to make without having to shop. Because this is the beginning of our experiment, I have plenty to work with. And who am I kidding? My family could probably eat well for more than three or four months with all the food I have stored away. It’s like a Coppinger Family Grocery Store in my back room. I’d show you a picture, but it’s freezing in that room and therefore a terrible mess because it’s too cold to organize, and I’m not humble enough to share the insanity all over the internet.
Breakfast
- Peanut Butter Breakfast Cake
- Warm Vanilla Soother
- Quick Mix Pancakes
- Quick Mix Biscuits
- Snickerdoodle Muffins
- Cheesy Eggs
- Fried Eggs
Lunch
- Creamy Mac and Cheese
- Calico Beans
- Turkey Salad
- Pizza Soup
- Shepherds Pie
- Taco Corn Fritters
- Easy Noodle Stir Fry
Dinner
- Pizza Boats (for Sunday Night Huddle)
- Chili Mac
- Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Potato Soup
- Lasagna Casserole
- Turkey Pot Pie
- Cheesy Salsa Enchiladas
Fruit and Veggie Sides (I serve 1-4 with every meal)
- Spicy Avocado Dip
- Sliced Cucumbers
- Baby Carrots
- Broccoli
- Mixed Greens
- Spinach
- Apples
- Pears
- Oranges
- Blackberries
- Applesauce
- Spaghetti Squash
- Pineapple
- Zucchini
Have you ever done an “Eat from the Pantry and Freezer” Challenge? Anybody care to join me in this little experiment? That way, on January 31 at the end of this challenge, together we can enjoy eclectic meals of whatever is left of our rice, tuna, and of course, applesauce. Don’t forget the applesauce.