A Dinner Party and A Pantry Challenge

Only a crazy person would host a dinner party at the end of a month long pantry challenge.   Well, I guess I must be crazy.  I hosted a dinner party on Friday night for 6 adults and 2 children and I only purchased one single item.  I purchased a jar of marshmallow creme for marshmallow frosting for the cupcakes.  I could have used a vanilla buttercream, but REALLY wanted to try the marshmallow frosting.  While it wasn't a gourmet dinner, it was a wonderful meal. 

On the Menu -

Italian Chicken Soup
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting
Iced Sweet Tea

I also spent a great deal of time on Friday cleaning out the pantry and several cabinets.  We had 15, yes that's right 15 boxes of crackers in our pantry, mostly left from holiday parties.  Some had just one or two sleeeves of crackers in them, so I did some consolidating and got that number down to 10 boxes.  Ridiculous!   I'll be making lots of dips and cheeseballs in the next few weeks to get rid of some of these before they go stale.

Linking to Good Cheap Eats

Pantry Meals Round Up

Each January I participate in the Pantry Challenge with Life As Mom's Jessica at Good Cheap Eats.  This allows us to spend less and use more of what we have.  Pantry Meals are an important part of a successful Pantry Challege as well as instrumental in getting dinner on the table during the week all year long.  Pantry meals are those meals you can just throw together based on what you have on hand, eliminating an extra trip to the grocery store.  Each of these can be made either with what I have on hand or substitutions.  Many of my pantry meals are one dish meals that either stand alone or with the addition of a quick salad or bowl of fruit make a complete meal.  All week I've been sharing some recent pantry meal additions -- Veggie Quesadillas, Fried Rice, Cheesy Mexican Rice, and Tomato Basil Pasta with Italian Sausage.

Here's a round up of our all time favorite pantry meals.  I can throw each of these together and never get a complaint from a single member of my family. 

Chicken Pot Pie

 

 

Pizza Pasta Casserole

 

 

All-American Frittata

 

 

Chili

 

 

Risotto

 

 

Main Dish Salads

 

 

Tomato Basil Cheese Pasta

 

Linking to

Tidy Mom's I'm Lovin' It

Tatertots and Jello's Weekend Wrap Up

Pantry Challege Week 3 Wrap Up

We did very well on our Pantry Challenge this week.  We did have an unscheduled dinner pick up from Wendy's this week because my tutoring session went LONG and I couldn't even begin to cook until after 8:00, so we opted for a quick drive thru meal on Thursday.  However, I had only spent $12.00 on fresh veggies and dairy at the grocery store that week, so even with our $15.00 Wendy's trip we were still WAYYYY under our usual food expenditures. 

I managed to do a bit of freezer cooking this week as well.  We own a small restaurant and when there are extra items that will not be used before the expiration date and are not needed at the Salvation Army soup kitchen, I am the lucky recipient.  My DH brought home 10 pounds of ground beef and 6 white onions.  I quickly turned that into 5 meals of homemade meatballs and 12 half-cup portions of frozen chopped onions.   I also made pancakes and chicken taquitos.   I love that I was able to add to the freezer and still keep up with our pantry challenge. 

My refrigerator is getting bare.  We've used up lots of condiments and made better use of leftovers this month.  My freezer is showing signs of emptimess, which is good as it needs a good defrosting.  You can see what we are eating from the freezer this week on my weekly menu post.  Every meal starts with an item or two from the freezer.  I still need to do a thorough inspection of my pantry.   The kids just kind of throw things in there and I'm not sure what exactly is in there.  That will be this week's project and make next week's meal plan from what I find in there. 

Hope everyone is doing well on their own challenge. 

Linked to Good Cheap Eats.

Meal Planning and A Pantry Challenge

Conducting a successful Pantry Challenge is impossible without meal planning.  If you don't plan to use what you have, you will end up at the grocery store or the drive thru or at a restaurant, blowing your small January grocery budget.  I try to meal plan all the time, but during a Pantry Challenge it is a necessity.

I start out by checking the refrigerator for things that need to be eaten quickly.  Today I found bacon, proscuitto, lettuce, celery, green onion, pesto, smoked sausage, and bagels.  I also checked the freezer and we have an abundance of brats, italian sausage and mac and cheese.  In the pantry I had black eyed peas, plenty of canned tomatoes, hot dog buns and a 1/2 bag of potatoes.  These items will make up the bones of my meal plan. 

Sunday -Black Eyed Pea Jambalaya, Salad
     used - celery, green onion, smoked sausage, proscuitto, black eyed peas and lettuce
Monday - Grilled Brats, Peas and Mashed Potatoes
     used - brats and potatoes
Tuesday - Tomato Basil Pasta with Italian Sausage, Salad (recipe coming this week)
     used pesto, italian sausage, lettuce, canned tomatoes
Wednesday - Salad and Sandwich Bar
     used lettuce, bagels
Thursday - Teriyaki Chicken, Rice, Salad, Fruit
     used the last of the lettuce
Friday - Subway - Nanny's treat
Saturday - meeting a college friend for dinner

I didn't use the mac and cheese or bacon, so those will start off the list for next week's menu.

Next week I will be featuring a different pantry recipe each day.  Stop by for recipes for

Monday - Mexican Rice
Tuesday - Veggie Quesadillas
Wednesday - Tomato Basil Pasta with Italian Sausage
Thursday - Fried Rice
Friday - Links to many pantry recipes

Linking up to Good Cheap Eats' Pantry Challenge. 

Meal Plan Monday - January 13

Still going strong with our Pantry Challenge.  There are many benefits of doing a pantry challenge,  but this week, the biggest was not spending money at the grocery store.  I had some extra cash to do a little clothes shopping from the sales racks.  I have some great new spring outfits (like a $278 Ellen Tracy dress for $12.00!) to begin building my spring wardrobe. 

Next will I will be featuring a different pantry recipe each day.  Stop by and check them out. 

Sunday - Black-Eyed Pea Jambalaya 
Monday - Brats, Mashed Potatoes, Peas
Tuesday - Tomato Basil Pasta with Italian Sausage, Salad
Wednesday - Sandwich and Salad Bar
Thursday - Teriyaki Chicken, Rice, Salad, Fruit
Friday - Subway - Nanny's Treat
Saturday - Out with Friends

For more menu ideas, visit I'm An Organized Junkie. 

Pantry Challenge Week 1

The first week of the 2013 Pantry Challenge did not go as well as expected.  My pantry basics needed a replenish after the holidays.  After Christmas Eve Dinner for 15, Christmas Day Dinner for 9, New Years Eve party for 35, New Years Day Dinner for 11, 4 days of houseguests and 5 teenage boys for a sleepover I was out of some essentials -- flour, oil, confectioners sugar, mustard, salt, eggs, chips and salsa (the boys ate 3 bags of chips and 2 jars of salsa as well as 24 cupcakes!)  So a quick trip to the grocery store for those items as well as fresh fruit (my kids are just devouing those adorable and delicious clementimes), salad fixins and milk.

We ate very well this first week off of leftovers from the holidays.   For lunches we finished up Nanny's pimento cheese, chili and hot dogs, leftover enchiladas and nachos.  

Dinners were delicious.  I made Fried Rice and Pioneeer Woman's Italian Chicken Soup, subbing in leftover pork loin from New Years in both (posts coming soon).  We enjoyed dinner with friends on Saturday night, I took creamed corn (from the freezer), Cream Cheese and Pepper Jelly Appetizer (from the pantry) and Sugar Cookie Bars.

To read more about the Pantry Challenge visit Good Cheap Eats.

2013 Pantry Challenge

Since 2010 I have participated in the Pantry Challenge hosted by Jessica at Good Cheap Eats.  It is a fantastic way to eat what we have on hand, use up food before expiration dates hit, get creative in the kitchen and save money.  There are several ways to approach the challenge - Jessica discusses them here.  This is how we do it at our house.

1.  Plan from the pantry/freezer/refrigerator first.
2.  Shop only for fresh food items -- salad fixins, fruit and dairy products

That's it, so simple. 

I'll post weekly updates as well as any great recipes or  meals we discover as we eat through our pantry and freezer this month.

Final Pantry Challenge Update

Heading into the last few days of the Pantry Challenge,  my pantry and freezer are lighter, but still with plenty, so even though the challenge ends on Tuesday, we are going to continue the challenge through the end of the week and possibly into next.

Looking back over the whole month, we ate some great food, while focusing on using what we had. 

Goals for the January Pantry Challenge -

1.  Spend Less - we usually spend about $100/week or $400 for the month.  This month I didn't shop some weeks, but also stocked up on some good sales.  Overall we averaged $50/week or $200 for the month, cutting our grocery bill by 50%.  Not bad!

2.  Clean out pantry and freezer - my pantry is clean and organized, my kitchen freezer is cleaned out and refilled with homemade breakfast items.  The 2 freezers in the garage are emptier, but still need organization.  Hopefully I will get that done in the next few days.

3.  Add some new recipes to our menu rotation and revisit some old favorites - I tried several new recipes from my Southern Living Cookbook collection and my Pinterest boards.  We loved the following recipes -

• Chicken, Corn and Potato Chowder
• Sugar Cookie Bars
• Twice Baked Potato Casserole
• White Chicken Enchiladas

I also revisited some recipes I hadn't made in awhile. 

• French Dip Sandwiches
• Italian White Bean Soup
• All-American Fritatta
• Broccoli Cheese Soup

When some think of doing a Pantry Challenge, they think you eat rice and beans alot and go without.  That was certainly not the case in our house this month.  In fact, if you asked my family they probably didn't notice a difference from any other month.  I'll certainly be doing this again in the future.

Linking up to
Good Cheap Eats Pantry Challenge

Pinterest and a Pantry Challenge

Week Three of the Pantry Challenge has me getting a bit creative as I am using up certain ingredients that have been lying around my kitchen for far too long.  Last week I used my extensive Southern Living Cookbook collection for inspiration.  This week, I turned to my Pinterest Boards to jump start my menu plan. 

I matched up what I had in the freezer and pantry with some of the recipes I had pinned to my Recipes to Try board.  The following made the cut and I will be reviewing them later on.

• Buffalo Chicken and Potato Casserole (had everything but the cream of chicken soup and decided to make a white sauce instead)
• Twice Baked Potato Casserole (had everything for this one)
• White Chicken Enchiladas (had everything but the jack cheese - may just sub cheddar)
• Almond Butter Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting (had everything for these as well)

There were many other recipes I could have made, but I decided I probably shouldn't experiment on my family too many times this week.  

How's my pantry/freezer looking at Week 3?  Well, the inside freezer was empty until last weekend when I cooked up a variety of items for the freezer from what I had on hand.  Now, it is almost full of yummy, quick, nutritious breakfast items. 

The small freezer in the garage is quickly emptying out.  With the exception of a Key Lime Pie (leftover from a catering job) and a turkey breast, it is mostly cheese, tortillas, butter and creamer.  

The upright freezer in the garage is beginning to look a bit bare, but there is still a lot of food in there! 

I did do some shopping this week.  Publix was having a great sale on many of the items we use all the time and many things we were out of or dangerously low on.  Between Publix and Walmart, I spend $122.00.  Add this to the $50.00 I already spend this month and we are still on a path to saving over $250.00 this  month.  For the rest of the month, I should only have to buy milk and fresh fruits and veggies, totaling about $25.00. 

Linking Up to 
Good Cheap Eats Pantry Challenge

Meal Plan Monday - January 23rd

We are still chugging along with the Pantry Challenge.  Well, I'm still chugging along, the rest of the family isn't even aware we are doing it.  I have just been telling them I've been too busy to stop at the grocery store! 

We did run into a few snags last week.  I forgot I had a meeting at school on Tuesday and someone used all my eggs on Wednesday and didn't tell me, so we hit the drive thru twice.  Both times was due to my lack of planning, so guess we know what I need to work on this week. 

We did however use up a great deal of items from my pantry and freezer. 

This week I'm using my Pinterest Boards as inspiration for my meal plan.  It's time to try out some of those pins I've been collecting and see if they taste as good as they look.   Check out my Pantry Challenge Post to see which recipes I'm trying this week.

Sunday - Brat Burgers, Twice Baked Potato Casserole, Lima Beans
Monday - Mozz. Stuffed Sausage Meatballs with Tomato Pesto Sauce, Parmesan Pasta, Salad
Tuesday - White Chicken Enchiladas, Mexican Chopped Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
Wednesday - Chicken Nachos,Texas Beans, Mexican Chopped Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
Thursday - Buffalo Chicken Casserole, Peas, Fruit
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - 

Breakfasts - Yogurt and Granola, Muffins, Fruit

Lunches - Italian White Bean Soup (didn't make last week), Dinner leftovers

Baking - Chocolate Chip Cookies, Almond Butter Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

For more great menu ideas, visit I'm An Organized Junkie. 

Chicken, Corn and Potato Chowder

Participating in the Pantry Challenge this month has made me be a bit more creative in my recipe choices.  I have turned to my Southern Living Cookbook collection several times this month for inspiration.  Some recipes have been OK, while some have been home runs.  This Chicken Corn and Pototo Chowder is an adaptation of Cheesy Chicken Corn Soup from July 1997.  The original recipe called for cream of chicken soup and did not include potatoes.  Here is my new and improved version.  I have added this recipe to our family favorite cookbook.

Chicken, Corn and Potato Chowder

6 T butter

6 T flour

1 1/2  c milk

2 1/2  c chicken broth (divided)

1 16 oz pkg. frozen whole kernel corn

2 c chopped cooked chicken

3 c shredded, frozen hash browns

1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilis (I used Rotel)

1 8.5 oz. can cream style corn

1 8 oz. loaf Velveeta

1 minced garlic clove

1/4 t pepper

4 T chopped cooked bacon

In a large dutch oven, melt butter.  Sprinkle flour over it and stir to incorporate.  Cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Slowly whisk in 1 1/2 c milk and 1 1/2 cup chicken broth.  Simmer over low heat until thick. 

Add 1 c chicken broth, stir until blended.  Add all remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer; uncovered, 30 minutes or until smooth, stirring often.  Serve topped with chopped, cooked bacon.

Original recipe stated this froze and reheated very well, but we didn't have any leftover to try it out!

Linking to

Sundae Scoop 

Beauty and Bedlam

It's A Blog Party

Full Plate Thursday

Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Show Me What You Got

Your Cozy Home

Make It Yourself Monday

Tatertots and Jello

Freezer Cooking from the Pantry and Freezer

Part of the reason for doing a Pantry Challenge is to use up what you have.  Looking through my freezer and pantry over the past couple of weeks I realized I had somethings that needed to be used up pretty quickly and there were also some freezer staples I was either out of or extremely low on.  Thus I began putting together a freezer cooking session based on what I had on hand. 

I like to keep homemade muffins and breakfast bars in the freezer for quick breakfasts on the go, but the rush of the holidays had depleted my supply.  I had fresh cranberries in the refrigerator as well as some over ripe bananas that needed to be used quickly.  I also have an abundance of oatmeal hanging out in my pantry thanks to some really good sales.  Those cranberries, bananas and oatmeal quickly became Pineapple Muffins, Cranberry Muffins, Banana Oat Muffins and Oatmeal Breakfast Bars.  Leftover cranberries made their way into the freezer to make more muffins at a later date.  The only item I had to purchase was a container of vanilla yogurt for the muffins. 

Total - 48 muffins, 16 oatmeal bars

I always keep pre-cooked hamburger in the freezer for really quick weekday meals.  My DH purchased (3) 5 pound portions of ground beef before the holidays and I didn't have time to do anything with it then, so I threw it in the freezer.  I thawed 10 pounds worth and made 5 pounds into WW Sloppy Joes and the other 5 pounds I cooked up with onions and garlic for spaghetti and tacos.  I purchased a red onion and fresh garlic for this.

Total - 3 meals Sloppy Joes, 4 meals cooked, seasoned ground beef

I had some buttermilk to use before the expiration date, so Boo Boo made her first batch of pancakes all by herself.

Total - 26 pancakes

Bubba gets himself up and off to school each day after I am already at work, so I like to keep quick breakfast items in the freezer for him.  One of his favorites -- breakfast burritos.  I had cheese, ham, sausage, tortillas and a few eggs already on hand.  I just purchased another dozen eggs to make it worth the mess.

Total - 12 breakfast burritos

We love mac and cheese at our house and we used the last of it over the holidays, so I quicky whipped up a batch for the freezer from the pantry and refrigerator. 

Total - 3 side dishes of Macaroni and Cheese

Christmas 2010 my DH brought home a HUGE, ENORMOUS bag of chocolate chips from the restaurant supply store.  That bag has been sitting in my freezer for over a year because I was too busy to portion out the chips into smaller bags.  I finally took the plunge and opened the bag, making a double batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies (freezing most of them to cook later) and portioned out rest of the chips into smaller bags for easier use. 

Total - 8 dozen chocolate chip cookies

One of the things I HATE about cereral is the bits and pieces you have left when everyone tires of their "favorite" cereal.  I took all those this and that cereals as well as crackers, pretzels and peanuts from the holidays and made Chex Mix for the kids to snack on over the next couple of weeks. 

Total - 14 cups Chex Mix

This took just a few hours on Saturday afternoon, cost me less than $10.00 and give us quick items for breakfasts and snacks for a couple of months.  It's a win, win, win in my book.

Linked to- 
Good Cheap Eats Pantry Challenge
Tasty Tuesday
It's A Blog Party
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Tidy Mom

Meal Plan Monday - January 16

Continuing with the Pantry Challenge this week with great success.  For the past two weeks I have kept my grocery shopping to a minimun and used what we had on hand to create wonderful meals.  I was even able to put together a Freezer Cooking Session over the weekend using what I had in the freezer and pantry.  We probably have enough food that I could continue the Pantry Challenge on into February.  That would be great for my bank account!

Sunday -  Chili and Hot Dogs, Chips, Brownies
Monday - Tomato Basil Pasta with Italian Sausage, Salad, Cookies

Tuesday -  All-American Fritatta, Fried Apples

Wednesday - Crockpot Baked Potatoes, Salad

Thursday - Trader Joe's Chinese Buffet, Fruit

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday -

Lunches - Chicken Salad, Italian White Bean Soup

Breakfasts - Muffins, Vanilla Yogurt with Granola, Ham Biscuits

For more great menu ideas visit I'm An Organized Junkie. 

How I Make a Pantry Challenge Work For Me

The idea behind a pantry challenge is to use what you have on hand first.  My 3 freezers, while not full, have plenty of variety to keep us happy for the month of January.  For some, the idea of a pantry challenge is overwhelming  Here is how I make it work of us.

Contents of my kitchen refrigerator

1/2 bag shredded hashbrowns
3 breaded tilapia filets
grilled chicken strips - 1 buffalo, 2 asian sesame
1 bag corn
1 frozen pizza
2 boxes chopped spinach
1/2 bag frozen peas
waffles and pancakes
cooked rice - 3 (1 cup) portions
bacon
bread crumbs
3 bags uncooked chicken breasts
pecans, chocolate chips, toffee bits

Here's what's might be on our weekly menu based on the above list -

Tilapia Sandwiches and Cheesy Hashbrowns
Italian Bean Soup
Corn, Bacon and Potato Chowder (add chopped cook bacon before serving)
Rice Bowls
Grilled Chicken Salad or Wraps
Spinach Rice Casserole (sub spinach for broccoli in my favorite broccoli casserole)
Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts 
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Toffee Pecan Bars

I can make all of the above by simply purchasing milk, lettuce, onion and buns at the store.  This would be enough for a week's worth of dinners with leftovers for lunch in addition to two desserts.  I will round out each meal with either salad or frozen vegetables, fruit and with the soups I will make cornbread or beer bread.  

How do you make the best use of what's in your freezer and pantry?

Linked to
Good Cheap Eats Pantry Challenge
Sundae Scoop
It's A Blog Party
Made By You Monday
Your Cozy Home
Beauty and Bedlam
Link It Up
Delighful Order
Somewhat Simple
Fireflies and Jelly Beans
Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

Pantry Challenge 2012

For the third year in a row I am participating in the Pantry Challenge hosted by Jessica at Good Cheap Eats. 

A pantry challenge is NOT an abstinance from grocery shopping or eating beans and rice 3 meals a day for a week. 

It IS using what you have on hand FIRST, before running to the grocery store. 

It IS making the most of what you have. 

It IS leanring to be creative in the kitchen.  

My goals for the pantry challenge this year are -

1.  Spend less.

2.  Clean out my freezer and pantry.

3.  Add some new recipes to our menu rotation and revisit some old ones.

Visit Good Cheap Eats to share your pantry goals and be inspired by others.

Pantry Challenge Wrap Up

Each January, I eagerly await the opportunity to clean out my freezer and pantry as a way to expunge the excess of the holidays and begin the new year with a purged kitchen.  This year was not exception.  I participated in Jessica's pantry challenge last year at Life as Mom and was hoping she would host again.  I loved the accountabilty and reading about how everyone else got creative in their kitchen.  I was thrilled to see she was hosting the challenge again on her food blog, Good Cheap Eats.  I jumped on board, posting my goals for this year's challenge.

Goal #1 - Prepare meals from the pantry and freezer exculsively beginning January 1 and ending January 31st.

All meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner originated in my freezer or pantry this month.  I purchased very few items.  We only ate once as a family, on the go where there was just no other option.  I also ate lunch out one time, but this was a celebratory occasion and well worth it!  We even discovered some new favorite recipes.

Spinach and Black Bean Pizza

Peanut Butter Granola

Roasted Pork Loin with Garlic and Rosemary

Seven Layered Salad

Honey Glazed Chicken Stir-Fry

Cocoa-Almond Biscotti

Goal #2 -  Only buy dairy, bread and fresh fruits and vegetables during the month of January. 

We were successful with this goal as well.  My trips to the grocery were $10 - $15 and all of it was fresh food.  I did not even stock up on one deal the entire month of January, eventhough I was very tempted.

Goal #3 - Utilize leftovers more effeciently.

Super Success on this one!  I made planned leftovers several nights for dinner and actually used them!  I also planned my lunches around our leftovers.  I threw out soooooo  much less food than in previous months.  I am hoping to continue this good habit.

Goal #4 - The only "out" I am giving myself this month is for my Bunco night.  I am hosting and may have to buy some items to fill in the menu.

I served a full dinner with appetizers and dessert for 12 ladies and only spent $50, which included 2 bottles of wine.  This is great!  I saved over $50 off my usual Bunco Budget.   I even hosted another dinner party for 8 for $14.oo, only buying a bag of potatoes and 3 bunches of asparagus. 

We are continuing with a modified pantry challenge for the next couple of weeks.  I have some items in the freezer that still need to be used and I want to save some money for some special events at the end of the month.

Thanks for hosting Jessica, it's been fun and so very useful.

January Kitchen Goal - Eat From the Pantry

Today begins the January Pantry Challenge at our house.  I am playing along with Life as Mom and Good Cheap Eats, just like last year.  This is part of my 2011 Kitchen Goals.  My rules are simple -

1.  Prepare meals from the pantry and freezer exculsively beginning January 1 and ending January 31st.  If I don't have a special ingredient to make a certain recipe, either find a substitute or a new recipe.

2.  Only buy dairy, bread and fresh fruits and vegetables during the month of January, trying to make due with what we have first.

3.  Utilize leftovers more effeciently.  I have a hard time with this one.

4.  The only "out" I am giving myself this month is for my Bunco night.  I am hosting and may have to buy some items to fill in the menu.  I will be "shopping" from my pantry for this first. 

In order to prepare for this challenge, I did a quick pantry clean out and make over in December.  I know exactly what is in my pantry and can plan accordingly.

Before

After

Wish me luck.  Anyone wanting to join me, just leave a comment.  We can cheer each other on!  And on Tuesday, pop over to Life as Mom and link up your Pantry Challenge post.

Pantry Challenge Wrap Up - Jan. 2010

Participating in the Eat From the Pantry Challenge was a HUGE success for us. I had so much food in this house and I just kept adding more and more, but not using enough. I can happily say that after this month I have room in my pantry, cabinets and freezer. I used things the were about to expire and be thrown out instead of adding more. This month I suffered from a bout of the flu and a sinus infection at the same time that put me down for 9 days. My pantry saved me. My dh was able to feed the family without resorting to take out (well, we did have Zaxby's once, but only because I finally wanted to eat and I was craving their house salad!).

I am most proud of the fact that I hosted Bunco for 10 ladies and our Supper Club for 12 this month with VERY LITTLE expense. I used my stockpile for both events. I only spent $15.00 for Bunco- a Baked Potato Bar and salad and $80.00 for Supper Club - a 4 course Italian meal with drinks. I have been known in the past to spend of $200 on Supper Club, so this was a huge success!

We still have a house full of food. I plan on continuing my own personal pantry challenge, only replacing items as we get low. For example, I only have one jar of spaghetti sauce left. This is just not acceptable in this house, so I will be stocking up on that item over then next few weeks as it goes on sale. I also used up all my precooked ground beef from the freezer, so that needs to be replaced as well. But, buying just to buy because it is on sale, well, not so much.

A very special thanks to Money Saving Mom and Life As Mom for hosting this challenge. It has certainly been very beneficial to my family.

Meal Plan Monday 1/18 - Eat From the Pantry Week 3

We have been very successful eating from our pantry this month. This week I spent a little more as I splurged on a pound of deli ham for dinner on Saturday. We ate out for the first time this year on Friday. DH was working, Bubba spent the night with a friend and Boo Boo had a friend spend the night. I treated the girls to a trip through the McDonald's drive thru after dropping off Bubba. I have to say, after cooking for 15 days in a row I truly appreciated the quick trip through the drive thru.

This week will be a budget challenge. I am hosting both Bunco (12 ladies for dinner) and our monthly Supper Club (7 couples for dinner) at our house, but I think I have it under control. I planned both menus to either be extremely economical or to use items from the pantry. Publix and Kroger are both having great sales with coupons on things we use alot, so I will be shopping at both this week, so we will see. The good news is I should not have to shop at all the next week.

Meal Plan for this week -

Monday - Leftover hot dogs and hamburgers, scalloped potatoes, lima beans and Warm Vanilla Fruit

Tuesday - French Dip Sandwiches (crockpot), chips and fruit

*** Make Banana Blueberry Muffins

Wednesday - Sesame Ginger Chicken, rice, pineapple

Thursday - BUNCO NIGHT - Beer Cheese and Crab Dip with crackers, Baked Potato Bar, Salad and Bourbon Cake

Friday - Grilled Italian Sausage, hashbrowns and salad

Saturday - SUPPER CLUB - Manicotti, Ravioli with Creamy Pesto Sauce, Tortellini with Agli e Olio Sauce, Caesar Salad, Foccacia and Italian Cream Cheese Pie

Sunday - leftovers!

This post is linked to Life as Mom's Pantry Challenge and Orgjunkie's Meal Plan Monday.

Meal Plan Monday 1/11 - Pantry Challenge Week 2

We are having great success with our eat from the pantry challenge. So far, all meals prepared at home have been from the pantry with the exception of lunch on Saturday. DH was craving Totino's frozen pizza and we were out, so he stopped by and picked up 3 for lunch. This week should be just as successful. Here is our meal plan for the week, entirely from the pantry and freezer.

Monday - Baked Potato Bar, Fruit

Tuesday - Leftover Beef Tenderloin (from Sunday), mashed potatoes, Broccoli Casserole (from Sunday)

*** Make Blueberry Muffins

Wednesday - Cheese Ravioli with Creamy Pesto Sauce, Peas, Rolls

*** Crepes with Apple Filling (maybe)

Thursday - Corn and Potato Chowder, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Fruit

Friday - Spicy Chicken Breasts (crockpot), Rice or Couscous, Lima Beans

*** make Chocolate Chip Cookies

Saturday -

Sunday -

Linked to other GREAT meal plans at OrgJunkie.