If you’ve been following along, Kelli from The Sustainable Couple and I are hosting a Spending Strike this January. As part of that strike, my family is eating about 80% from my freezer and pantry {I love following along with Jessica from Good, Cheat Eats & Life as Mom on her Eat from the Pantry Challenge}. I have one freezer stuffed to the gills, a fridge freezer that’s mostly a big mess, and a huge pantry full of wheat, beans, rice, sugar and oats. All I plan to buy this month is a bit of fresh fruit/salad fixings, and some dairy products. Everything else will be made with ingredients I already have on hand. Here’s what we’ll eat…
Monthly Menu ~ Eat from the Pantry
Breakfasts will be ~
- Homemade granola and yogurt
- German Pancakes
- Eggy Breakfast Muffins
- Scones
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Eggs & Bacon
- Toast {on homemade bread} & Smoothies
Lunches will be ~
Left overs and sandwiches on homemade bread. We have a lot of lunch meat and cheese right now, but that will disappear quickly. Then it will be peanut butter and homemade jelly. 🙂
Dinners…In no particular order…
- Sauteed Spinach and Cheese Ravioli {from Costco and in my freezer} –> check
- Turkey Pot Pie {from my freezer} -> check
- Spaghetti {Roasted Tomato Sauce already prepped with meat and in my freezer} -> check
- Italian Zucchini Pie {from my freezer}
- Taco Soup for the Crockpot –> check
- Beef Fajitas {from my freezer}
- Spinach Mozzarella Meatloaf {from my freezer} with Roasted Veggie Medley -> check
- Pork Chops & Home Canned Sauer Kraut -> check
- Turkey {from my freezer} with Roasted Greek Potato Wedges
- Turkey Tetrazzini {from Good Not Perfect blog}
- Zuppa Toscana {adapted from The Sustainable Couple} -> check
- Shrimp Scampi {scrimp from my freezer}
- Salmon & Sauteed Veggie Pasta
- Chicken Florentine Burgers {from my freezer}
- Crock Pot Ham
- Fried Rice with Ham & Peas {leftover ham}
- Fried Potatoes & Sausage
- Fried Potatoes & Bratwurst -> check
- Round Steak & Mashed Potatoes -> check
- Lasagna
- Scalloped Potatoes & Bacon for the Crock Pot
- Tacos {meat from my freezer} -> check
- Skillet Sausage & Egg Hash
I’m leaving a few wild card spots for dinners to clean up any extra leftovers we may have {or food I find hidden in the freezer} or for me to re-group and change my mind as needed. Hopefully after this month, I have an emptier freezer and a cleaner and better organized pantry! I’m looking forward to cleaning up a bunch of food that needs to be eaten!
How about you? What will you eat this month?
Linking up: MPM;
Matt Beglinger
Monday 20th of January 2014
Nice work and thanks for sharing. This is a great idea. I'd be interested in knowing how much this ends up saving you.
Michelle Marine
Monday 20th of January 2014
I will let you know, Matt. It's saving a ton so far - I've spent right around $100 only this month. It's a pretty good feeling.
christina
Sunday 19th of January 2014
That is so smart to do weekly or monthly lists of pre-planned meals. I try to do that but I find it so hard to stick to.
Christina B.
Tuesday 14th of January 2014
Thanks for all the recipe links. This is a great Idea
Mystica
Sunday 12th of January 2014
I love the way the menu planning is done. so practical and useful.
Holly
Friday 10th of January 2014
I have been doing something similar to this! Stretching meals so far!