Last week of Jan 2010 menu plan-Pantry challenge

This has been fun - creating from what is on hand and using up packages that had been opened that were just sitting in my small pantry. Thank You Pantry Challenge.

Here is what I have learned::: I do have a small pantry - holds about 1 1/2 months of 2+ meals a day groceries. I need to gain more control and organize this situation to create more space. For this, I need to help hubs get the garage cleaned out and have a better shelving/storage system. I want to plant a garden this year and can some things this summer/fall. I will need that storage by then.

I do have a pretty good shopping system in place,we shop twice a month at big box stores that are out of town, it fits our family and our budget, but I can reign it in a bit more to make the weekly food allotment for us 4 (and usually a guest) to $75 from $100.,We can sustain that price reduction, just need to reduce more prepared foods, stockpile some more loss leaders, and let my older picky tweenaged eater go without snackies a few nights if he chooses not to eat what has been prepared for the family dinner. (I do not make him something special he just snacks later on in the night)

So without further ado, here is what is left of the menu for this month :::

fish sticks, french fries, orange slices Sat dinner 1-30
Au Jus French Dip sammy, green salad Sun dinner 1-31
pork steak, scalloped pots, greenie beanies Wednesday 1-27
pancakes, sausage and mandarins Tuesday 1-26
helper and corn or peas Monday 1-25
CP roast with pots and veggies Thursday 1-28
canned beans and rice with fruit slices Friday 1-29
pork chop broccoli soup, rolls Sunday dinner 1-24
chicken noodle veggie soup, garlic bread exchange menu item
ham and eggs over toast, fruit/yogurt smoothie Sunday brunch 1-24

These menu items are what I originally created I could squeeze so much more from what I still have in my pantry. At this point in this working menu no days are specific meals (the green dates are tentative) I will be determining this as the week goes on. However, as usual most will stay the same because choices are getting limited.

I need about $10 for this week to get some more breakfast and lunch things such as cereal, milk, bread and maybe some produce. Our tree still has a few oranges so those are incorporated in our menu however, a little fruit variety might be a nice change!!

Our lemon tree is also brimming this year and was wondering if anybody has ideas on how to store the lemon juice for more lemonade in the summer. Do you think the regular pectin type canning would work? Please reply!

Lastly, I will be linking this with the following blogs::: Grocery Cart Challenge, MPM at Orgjunkie, life as mom and money saving moms as they become available.

Shopping for this week (and next)

Well, we made our car purchase so that took up almost all the tax money (well, that and 3 years of payments that were more than I wanted-for this car DH has to and I do mean HAS to quit smoking - there is no other way!!!)with the rest we got $28 in gas, $35 in fast food on 2 trips, and $28 on groceries also in 2 trips

!st grocery trip - DH went to WM and got some junk food $8

Trip #2 we got milk, cereal, bread, salami, chips, yogurts, cheese - this was kind of the last run of the month for breakfast and lunch stuff. spent $20

Fast Food was #1 for me and DH on our way to work the other morning $7 spent at McD's and #2 was $21 taking all 4 of us out to BK while we drove the new to us car.

I can tell by my buyers remorse frustration I need to find some biblical passage. Do you have any to suggest?

This post is being linked with the following blogs:: Grocery Cart Challenge

Pantry Suprise

While digging through the pantry, which yes, I can see through to the back of them, I discovered a box of Quaker Oatmeal Pancake mix that I had gotten at Grocery Outlet about 3 months ago for about a dollar. We tried it and it was good but...well, so here sits a box of pancake mix that needs to be used so I created this::

2 1/3 C pancake mix
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
2/3 C milk - well, 1/3C milk, 1/3C water - ran out of milk
1/3 C Molasses
1/3 C sour cream (light)
1 egg
good dash of vanilla - loves me the vanilla LOL
Topping ingredients listed below

Mix dry together in larger bowl - put aside about 1/2 C, whisk wet in medium bowl, pour wet into dry, mix together

Put into 8X8 or so size pan these ingredients probably too small for a 9 X 13 but a bundt?? I may try that next time! (That's for you Gina-my friend) And in a bundt, I would put the topping (listed below) in first then the cake mix on top.Yum!!

Mix together set aside dry ingredients with 1/2 C brown sugar, 1/4 C butter (and nuts??) crumble over tops of cake.
Cook 350 a good 30 minutes. Let sugar cool on top then enjoy, it's crumbly at first then soft and spongy a day later.

My boys asked for seconds - they had a 1/8 size piece for their after school snack with some hot cocoa - it was really raining today yet Hubs and I walked to get taxes done. We get a small return, Yippee!!More money for the car down payment savings. Walking to work in the rain stinks!! Silver Lining:: I have a job to walk to, I can walk to my job, My job is close enough to walk to - take your pick I know I am blessed!!

As usual, I have this linked to the Panty Challenge I love reading what everybody is doing with their challenges.

Shopping for this week $40

Oops, I got it all put away before I thought to take a pic so this week I will just write but I will be working on getting pics for next weeks big shopping. Today, we went to 3 stores 1st:: Dollar Tree, 2nd:: WinCo, & 3rd::Hostess Outlet

Dollar Tree:::batteries, ritz(2/$1), bologna(2/$1), french bread(2/$1), candy, mustard, clippers&baked beans, it was $11.25 total

WinCo::::meat $9, apples, banans, salad mix, cucumber,grape tomatoes$5, milk,marj, cheese, sour cream $5, fresh salsa $1.78, mayo, gravy pkt, brownie mix, bread $6 it ws $26.83 total

Yes, We had a few dollars left over so we stopped at the Hostess Outlet Store and each of us got a special treat choice in the 5 for $3.89 bins and I got 4 for $1 single cupcakes for desert tomorrow at lunch. Shopping for this week is done and rather thorough. DH an I got the extra little cupcakes that we split last midnight. so yummy!!

Fun experience, I was at the Dollar Tree in Chico today and a fellow savy, frugal,shopping lady, notices my list and we started talking about the Pantry Challenge she is following it also this month. We had a quick talk about what to do with excess noodles and tomato soup. Nice to know I'm not alone on the West Coast with this project. hahaha So if you read this you will know it is me..... Julie

PS:: OK trying to do this...to see other grocery shopping experiences go here

PSS::I am still working on learning links and will be trying some ideas out to see if I can follow directions. haven't had luck yet.....J

Menu Plan Monday - Welcome 2010 with weekly Pantry Challenge Meanderings

Hi all, How is your new year starting out? Are you still working on your new goals? I am getting my menu ready for next week and I have a few things that are regular menu items but they may have a few glitches with alternate ingredients exchanged. For instance, I swore I got 3 cans of Rotel last shopping trip but what got home were 3 cans of Italian flavored tomatoes well, anyway, they must are what we have so my menu may have a Guido marries Juanita flavor.

While starting to get my pantry more organized I found over 10 cans of off brand tomato soup. Not my fav for sure but DH acquired them and since we are using what we have well, they must get used. So I ask the following question

Do any of you have ideas for condensed tomato soup and pasta?What would you do with these? Please, oh please leave a comment!!

My menu is looking like what is listed below with my usual disclaimer, I an alter at anytime for any reason yet, limited quantity means limited choices therefore less alterations.....

Mon::hamburger patty, Alfredo noodle, fruit slices

Papa Murphy's pizza - DH paid from small paycheck
Tue::chicken noodle and gravy with steamed carrots

Burger King - Dollar menu I had side salad w/nuggets
Wed::CP Mexican pork, rice and tropical fruit salad

spaghetti, peas, DH cooked forgot garlic bread
Thur:: spaghetti, peas, garlic bread

mexican pork tacos, lettuce/tomato
Fri::beans and rice, orange slices

ham and eggs on toast with fruit slices
Sat:: fast food and shopping day then soup and sammys

expect as planned
Sun::CP roast, potatoes, veggies - been on menu plan for 3 weeks lol

expect as planned or some type of CP meal

For more menu plans here or go to http://www.orgjunkie.com/ - still working on my linking skills Instead of the big bulky link I want to be able to use the words without the www stuff Thanks.....Julie

::::::::::Pantry Challenge Meanderings::::::::::2nd, 3rd& 4th thoughts

Wow, with this menu planned I just realized that I will be doing my WinCo shopping this next weekend. I am afraid if I do not do it when I get food money then I will nickle and dime it at my local Food for more store. Thus, I am thinking that I can actually reduce my original plan of $40 for the next 2 weeks shopping to $25 this week total.Edit:: went grocery shopping for this week and well, it was $40!! there were some expenses that I forgot to calculate see next blog... Again, My biggest goal is to keep DH out of the fast food drive thru at 9 pm for "just a hamburger and soda." This expense costs us maybe $30 a week lol but that is $120 a month and that could be half a used car payment, right?? Now, If I could only get him to quit smoking hehehe

So far I have failed at keeping DH out of the drive thru when HE gets a check...We ate out both Monday and Tuesday--pizza, $15 for take and bake (and cookies) and $10 for burgers and fries (and my salad and nuggets lol) I will not give up and it will be easier as all bills are paid with $8 leftover. I hope I get my paycheck on the 10th but IDK since time card was turned in later because of holidays so we may only have the $8 for groceries. That would cover 2 gallons milk, a pound of margarine, and a few apples.

Pantry Challenge in January...

I am still thinking how I can modify this project from (links to go here-HELP!!if you read this I cannot make links - please leave a comment on how - please!!!! ) with how I have to shop because of our income. This (I'm sure) is the last month that my family gets dedicated food money and from Feb on out it is spending cash. In the past few years I have spent about $200 cash per month and $200 SNAP benefits - the new name for Food Stamps - lol - therefore, if I do receive these benefits I want to spend them like I did in December spending $$ to stock up my pantry even more with staples, seasonings, and flavorings.
From Feb on I also spend around $25 each month stocking up my pantry because I work for the school district and am off school for 2 1/2 months in the summer and that is when we really live off our pantry. So suffice it to say perhaps Jan in not the best month for me to be taking this project on??
What I am for sure going to do is to follow others so when do use my pantry as planned so I will have many other ideas to fall back on and the wisdom of other peoples experiences to gleen from.
What I will be doing in Jan is organizing and cleaning out my pantry taking out items that have expired or items that we will just not eat.