Party from the Pantry

We're on the downhill slide of the February Eat from the Pantry Challenge, and I thought I'd share some ways I've been able to stay on course and still be prepared for various celebrations. It's helped me know what to keep on hand in a pinch and how to get creative when necessary.

Valentine's Day means several parties for the kids. The first was with our MOMS Club chapter where everyone brought something sweet to share. I had thought about rice krispy treats but someone had already planned on that. So I settled on homemade granola bars. I chose this recipe because it didn't call for wheat germ (like many recipes online) which I didn't have. I wanted to use up some oats, honey, coconut, and dried fruit. It was simple enough to make but in my haste of multi-tasking, I forgot the sugar. Who forgets the sugar?!

Rather than scratch the whole batch, I decided to get creative. I'll just use another ingredient in abundance in my pantry: prepared icing! I had gotten several for free awhile back and forgot about them. So I broke up the granola, took a small dollop of icing and rolled it in the granola. Not surprising--they were delicious! How could they not be? I know they're not healthy, but they made for a yummy treat. When I ran out of the icing, I used peanut butter to do the same thing--also tasty. I plan to make another batch correctly soon.

Continuing on valentines parties, both boys had celebrations at school. Bobby needed to bring "something salty;" he was thrilled with a can of multi-grain Pringles nearing their expiration. Devin brought apples and grapes, which I'd bought a lot of the week prior. Both boys took valentines with Hershey kisses taped to them (another deal I had in abundance).

Our party scene continued with Brooke's second birthday party. I kept it very low-key at home with three of her friends. We played Elefun, Hullabaloo, and built towers out of our eco blocks. They had a great time. I served apples, grapes, and pretzyls for a snack and then cupcakes on reusable plates. I had the cake mix and frosting in the pantry already. My only costs were $1 for balloons (which I forgot to blow up), $1 for streamers, and $1 each for the balls I gave as party favors. Devin and Brooke helped me make a sign from poster board and stickers we had on hand; I even re-used the 2 candle and hats from previous birthdays. Hey, why not? A two-year-old doesn't care! What she did notice was that for a small period of time, she was the queen bee and garnered attention and presents.

Lastly, I planned two special valentine dinners: one with our family and one as a couple. The family dinner was steamed crabs I'd picked up at Sam's Club a few weeks ago, scalloped potatoes (AMAZING recipe!) that were starting to spud with heavy cream I needed to use, and steamed broccoli. We ended the meal with our favorite dessert: the chocolate fountain. I had the chocolate, marshmellows, and pirouette cookies in the pantry. The bananas and organic strawberries I'd bought fresh that day.

The special couple meal was supposed to be a dinner out at The Melting Pot (where I of course have a half off certificate), but kids' illnesses have put that plan on hold. So tonight I'm going to use the rest of the crab to make crab cakes and have a candlelight dinner with just the two of us after they go to bed. Plan B's not so bad!

If you ask my hubby if this challenge has been terrible, he might respond, "What challenge?" I haven't changed my habits greatly and have added some fresh fruit, bread, and veggies to balance our diet. I've saved a TON of money by simply not going to the store as often or buying only selective items. I may have to break down and pick up some cinnamon to keep the peace, but I'd say this has been a good experience. Thank you, Couponing in Critical Times, for suggesting it. I'm hoping to win that $5 gift card to Walgreen's to see how far I can make it go!

What has been your most creative use of items in your pantry?

How I'm feeding others from the pantry

I was a bit concerned when I took on the February Eat from the Pantry Challenge, that I would not be able to find meals suitable for giving away. I often take food to others in need because it gives me joy: the mother who just had a baby, the neighbor who broke her arm, the friend I've been meaning to invite to dinner. With a little creativity, I haven't missed a beat.

We invited the friends to dinner just as Bob made a big batch of chili. There was plenty to share and freeze for later. Fresh bread and salad made it more nutritious.

I did the same thing with a big batch of stew for my neighbor. I also made homemade cornbread and fresh brownies.

Yesterday I took tuna noodle casserole, fresh bread, and chocolate pudding to a new mom. Thanks to matching coupons to sales, I got most of the ingredients for free or under a dollar.

• The pudding I made from a box in the pantry (got it on sale for $.50).
• The tuna I got for free.
• The pasta was free.
• The can of cream of chicken soup was free.
• The homemade breadcrumbs I added on top were free.
• The frozen peas I added were $.50.
• The most expensive item was half a loaf of fresh bread that I allowed myself to buy through perimeter shopping: $1.25.

And the best part was that I had all the ingredients on hand, I wanted to use them up, and it was easy enough to double so that I had dinner for my family too with no extra effort.

How are you getting creative with eating from the pantry?

Perimeter Shopping: How did I do?

Since joining the February Eat from the Pantry challenge, I have been doing well with intentionally eating what we have on hand. Saturday night we had steak, baked potatoes, and roasted winter squash. Sunday was pizza for the Super Bowl. Tonight was mahi mahi with homemade frozen pesto, penne pasta, and steamed broccoli. We had smoothies with frozen fruit and fresh yogurt and toasted zucchini bread for breakfast. Kids usually prefer toast or cereal. Lunches are left-overs or soup.

It had been 11 days since I visited the grocery store and we were low on milk. So off to Kroger I went with my plan to stick to Perimeter Shopping. Just like it sounds, you only buy goods along the perimeter of the store and don't walk down any aisles. Generally, that's a healthier way to shop. My one exception was one loaf of whole wheat bread.

I've given myself the leeway in this challenge to include fresh fruit & veggies, milk, bread, eggs, cheese, and deli meat because this is a priority for my family. I'm not going to deny them fresh food because I'm trying to make a point. I also find that mixing in steamed veggies with meat I pull from the freezer or fresh bread with stew makes it all taste so much better.

So how did I do? Pretty well for me: I spent $56.01 and saved $31.29 (37%)--proving that you can still coupon on the good stuff.

• PRODUCE: I saved on produce by buying what was on sale: red peppers, broccoli, red grapes, asparagus, mushrooms, and bananas.
• BREAD: I saved on fresh ciabatta bread with a $2 off $7 at the bakery coupon from Kroger's home mailer. Yes, there are cheaper breads but I won't buy crap bread. My sandwich bread would have been an awesome deal if they hadn't over-charged me. Nature Pride was on sale for $2.19 and I had a $1 coupon from the Kroger home mailer. Anyone know their policy for when they make a mistake?
• DAIRY: I got one Voskos yogurt free with a coupon and a 4 pack of Activia for just $.88 with a $1 coupon from again, the Kroger home mailer. I got two blocks of Kraft cheese for $1.17 each and some shredded Kraft cheese for $.67 after coupons. The milk, half & half, and sour cream were just on sale.
• DELI MEAT: I wasn't going to buy any deli meat, but HIllshire Farm was $3 each and I had 2 $1/1 printables, making them $2 each. I decided not to pass it up.
• FREEBIES: I grabbed a treat for the kids: two Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, on sale for $1 each. I had 2 $.50 coupons (which were doubled). An e-saver took another $.40 off, making it a $.40 money maker. I did not get the Dove or Colgate freebies because the Dove deodorant was not marked as $2 and my coupon was for Colgate Total. It might have worked, but I wasn't going to push it.

My goal is to make it another 10 or 11 days before returning to the store. I'm hoping not exceed $200 in grocery or pharmacy shopping for all of February. So far I'm under $60. We'll see!

What are your tricks to surviving a Eat from the Pantry challenge?

February Eat from the Pantry Challenge

Maybe I'm crazy; maybe I just can't turn down a challenge. When my friend Gabrielle from Couponing in Critical Times set a challenge that she was going to "eat from the pantry/freezer/fridge"--aka, her stockpile--for the entire month of February, I decided to join her. I believe there are at least five of us actively trying to do this for two main reasons: save money and reduce waste. This is the ultimate in green living.

So often we buy things because they're a good deal and then they get shoved out of sight and we forget about them. Throwing away spoiled or expired food is just like throwing money in the trash; I can't stand it. So this weekend I took an inventory of everything in my stockpile to see where I could get creative with what I already have on hand. I have way too many cans of frosting, enough cereal for months, more beef than I know what to do with, and several goods nearing or just past their expiration dates. It's a good time for this challenge.

Each of us have set our own exceptions that work for our families. Personally, I'm allowing myself to buy fresh milk, bread, eggs, fruit, and a few veggies. I can't stand the idea of eating just canned or frozen veggies for a month, and I will not deny my family bananas and milk. I usually spend $500 on food every month. For February, I've set my limit to $200 for groceries and pharmacy deals. Also, if it's truly a freebie, I can get it. I think I'll come way under, but I'd rather give myself some buffer. We'll probably spend $36 on milk alone.

It's Day 4 of the challenge and so far, so good. I went to Kroger Jan. 27 and did my Walgreen's and CVS runs Jan. 31. Since then, I bought some bananas for $1.13 and had to stop in to Walgreen's for some decongestant and breathe right strips for Bobby. Thanks to register rewards and coupons, I saved $20.28 and only spent $2.26.

We've eaten lasagna and frozen peas, duck gumbo with shrimp and salad, stir-fry with pork loin and rice left-overs, and tacos. We'll probably have steak, potatoes, and broccoli tomorrow night. I'm not feeling deprived yet. We'll see how it goes. I think the hardest part will be telling my kids they can't eat something because we're out of it. However, I'll have what they need for healthy meals--just not some of the extra treats. They'll get over it.

Would you consider doing a challenge like this?