Frugal Food and Cooking

Re: Pantry challenge july 4 to 11th,2009

MarthaMFI — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:36:51 GMT

Welcome Holly! jump on in! I agree these threads get you thinking about what you have and need to use up. plus meal ideas!

on that note I put the bluewater grilled fish in the oven for fishwiches. goes down better with guys. cut up the last pepper, cuke and some baby carrots for veggies. made tartar sauce with mayo, mustard and relish. kids had ham. mixed bag of stuff for dessert. dd had ice cream,ds wagon wheel and me a cupcake.

Re: Pantry challenge july 4 to 11th,2009

maziemom — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:30:40 GMT

Nice to see you here, Holly! On threads like these, the check-ins are helpful not only for accountability, but also because we can often pick up ideas from one another.

Tonight I had a head of cabbage that needed using, so I stir-fried that and boiled some new potatoes from the garden whole. I just used a package of ground beef in the freezer and made up a couple of seasoned patties. Not very imaginative, but I was off today and working on sorting out some stuff in my garage, so it was quick and easy. Got a couple each of yellow squash and zucchini from the garden today and my husband brought home some fresh mustard greens from a friend. Mustard greens aren't my favorite (prefer collards, kale or turnip greens), but they will be used and enjoyed. I will probably thaw out some drumsticks to shake n' bake with the greens and squash tomorrow night, and maybe fix a box of Rice-a-Roni.

Re: Pantry challenge july 4 to 11th,2009

Luvd_Lioness — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:29:16 GMT

Welcome Holly! Feel free to jump in anywhere!

holly679:
I think these threads are great for accountability!

I agree totally! For me, I tend to always think... I can post about that!!

Re: Pantry challenge july 4 to 11th,2009

holly679 — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:05:41 GMT

I am new .. Hi everybody! But I would really love to join this challenge too! I have been reading these for the last few months or so :) and I seriously need to do this, this month too.

We are a family of five, me,dh, and two teens and one almost pre-teen. But we are supporting my mom right now, and a couple of other family members as they have lost their jobs. So stretching our food is a huge deal right now to us. My pantry is pretty stocked with all the basics, but I am almost out of meat, as it has been awhile since I have bought any. Friday is payday, so I need to stretch what we have until I can buy some.

So today, ( I think this is how this works) I put some leftover pork in the crockpot for dinner already and a whole bunch of potatoes and veggies and such to make sort of a stew for dinner. The kids ( we homeschool and my mom eats lunch here as well) are having egg salad sandwiches for lunch because we had some eggs needing to be used up, and I made chocolate chip cookies for snacks last night.

I think these threads are great for accountability!

Re: Pantry challenge july 4 to 11th,2009

swedluv — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:48:36 GMT

Yesterday my cousin took me out for lunch and last night dh and I just had sandwiches and chips. Ds1 is at his dad's til friday so I'm not cooking alot this week. Besides I'm on vacation and repainting the entire house! I will do quick meals this week for dinner.

Re: Pantry challenge july 4 to 11th,2009

MarthaMFI — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 03:39:47 GMT

added couple of cans of baked beans to the chili. will give some to the inlaws and freeze some.

safeway has customer apprec. day with 10% off tomorrow so will do some shopping there.

stopped at farm market store sunday $33.15 for deli stuff, roast beef with garlic, rosemary ham, garlic havati, mild gouda, bakery items like pineapple red bean buns for our student, loaf of bread and fruit and veggies. mil needed tomatoes for dinner.

kids ate at moms and having assted stuff for bedtime snacks. pb and crackers, roast beef and milk.

dh picked cherries yesterday so everyone is eating them. gave some to my mom and the inlaws and work.

nice and cool here so might turn on the oven tomorrow!

Re: Pantry challenge july 4 to 11th,2009

shelliajean2 — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:19:32 GMT

On Sunday all meals were from home. We had pancakes and bacon for breakfast. Lunch was BBQ spare ribs, fried potatoes and corn. For supper DH & I had BLT's with the first German Johnson tomato from our garden. DS#1 & 2 had ravioli.

Today all meals were also from home. Breakfast was ceral for me, pancakes for DH & ds's had pop tarts. Lunch was leftover spaghetti for me & ds's, DH had some leftover ham puffs. Supper was oven fried chicken, mashed potato's with gravy and green beans. We had ice cream for dessert.

I will probably have to make a run to the store either tomorrow or Wednesday. We will need bread, milk, bacon and eggs. I think we will be ok on fruit until next week. I think I'll make a fruit salad with the last of the grapes and a can of mandarin oranges and one of tropical fruit salad from the pantry. I also need to a make something for dessert the rest of the week. Will look and see what I have that needs to be used up.

Shellia

Re: Pantry challenge july 4 to 11th,2009

Pat — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:32:08 GMT

maziemom:
I also got a small pack of toasted pumpkin seeds for myself for $1, which I've never had. Have a question, though: do you discard the shells on these, or are they edible?

I discard the shells, my son eats them. To me, they're woody, but it won't hurt you to eat them. I love pumpkin seeds.

Re: Pantry challenge july 4 to 11th,2009

Striving1 — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:30:59 GMT

Yeah our challenge is back! I love these.

We were out of town over the Fourth of July. I came home and realized that we are out of many things: yogurt, fruit, milk, bread, eggs, cereal, vanilla. I spent $42 for stocking up. The last time I bought groceries was June 15. So $42 is pretty good for three weeks.

This weeks dinners will be: berry or peach crepes with whipped cream and bacon; grilled fish, sweet potatoes, and broccoli with cheese; Swedish meatballs over mashed potatoes, lettuce salad, and green beans; grilled chicken, Oriental salad, mango, with fresh baked bread; pork chops with escalloped apples, rice and vegetable medley; taco salad with fresh fruit.

For dessert we can finish up the rhubarb cake, chocolate chip mint ice cream or vanilla ice cream. If the heat gets too bad, there are popsicles and ice cream sandwiches.

I will need to purchase a few things for DS's birthday. We'll have extended family over the weekend to help celebrate. He wants BBQ ribs, mashed potatoes, fresh fruit, baked beans and pineapple upside down cake without nuts.

Re: Pantry challenge july 4 to 11th,2009

maziemom — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:54:58 GMT

We have some brats left over from Saturday, so I will finish them up tonight. I will saute an onion and some peppers from the freezer to serve with them; not much of a dent, but every little bit helps. So far, I have used about $15 of my July food budget. My store had eggs for $.68/dozen and I was nearly out, so I bought 3 dozen and hot dog buns for the brats. I went to Dollar General to pick up a couple of 2/$1 cards for birthdays this month and flip flops and crayons (24 pk 2/$1) for my granddaughters. They have the best deal going on many food items, so I rarely get out of the store without buying a few things. Their Clover Valley line of crackers, cookies, snacks, cereals, etc. is wonderful. Most items are only $1; they are made in the US and are comparable in every way to national brands. I ended up getting 4 boxes of crackers, 2 of cookies and a ginormous 24 oz box of cornflakes for under $9; not things we really needed, but they will be used.

I also got a small pack of toasted pumpkin seeds for myself for $1, which I've never had. Have a question, though: do you discard the shells on these, or are they edible?

Re: Pantry challenge july 4 to 11th,2009

MarthaMFI — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:09:13 GMT

wow Tracy that is a good deal on syrup.

have the chili in the crockpot. pack of hamburger, couple of yellow peppers (hate green), an onion, big can of diced tomatoes, can of tomato paste, can of white kidney beans plus spices.

kids have eaten alot of fruit this weekend and since I have to pick up tomatoes for mil for dinner tonight, I will go to the farm market store and pick up more.

cereal and toast for breakfast, brunch bowl from the freezer for me and ds is having ham and cheese and dd a pb sandwich for lunch. there are hotdogs and more ham to be used up. I ate a small bag of cheetos. had a craving.

stocked up upstairs from downstairs with granola bars, wafer cookies for lunches, couple boxes of cereal when I went for the canned stuff for the chili.

Re: Pantry challenge july 4 to 11th,2009

lmnichols — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:17:27 GMT

I'm in, too. It is just the two of us and money is tight for us as well. So time to stop shopping and start eating the supplies!

Re: Pantry challenge july 4 to 11th,2009

tripletree — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 02:15:32 GMT

I'm in. I need to use up last year's canned and frozen produce to make room for this year's stuff. I also need to get the freezer emptied out and ready for a beef that is scheduled to be butchered in a couple of months. Today's meals were all out of the freezer and pantry.

Re: Pantry challenge july 4 to 11th,2009

brenl — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 02:00:23 GMT

I am in because, I need to use up food from the freezer. Lunch was turkey meatballs. Supper was chicken and veg. Tomorrow one meal is pork chops and the other is hamburger. Today and tomorrow is from the freezer. I need to start emptying the freezer out side because of the heat.

Re: Pantry challenge july 4 to 11th,2009

latenightleader — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:48:41 GMT

I'm in- used a bunch from the pantry yesterday. Today bought syrup to stock up at the store, this is rarely on such a good sale. I got 8 Ego syrup for $10.

Packing the cooler for the fireworks from the fridge- sandwiches, grapes, pop we bought yesterday.