Menu Plan Monday & Eat From the Pantry ~ Week 3

I've been planning my menu for the past few weeks and it is going extremely well. Here's the deal though. When you are really trying to eat strictly what you have on hand already, as the weeks go by, the job gets a little more difficult. You start putting garbanzo beans with peanut butter, or taco shells with tuna fish. Ewww. I haven't actually done either of those, but I imagine that recipes will start to get a little more interesting. And I've noticed that the condiments in the back of the pantry are now surfacing.

Did I tell you how much fun I'm having with this? The kids are wondering if we have much money at this point. That's totally not the point of this challenge for me, nor is it the reality. And both the dinners and lunches have been delicious. They're just used to me ordering food from the grocery store on line or going to the store when they are in the mood for something.

One of the other reasons I am doing this is because before long, we will be moving back home from the U.K.

So here is our Menu Plan for Week 3:

Monday, 1/18 ~ Roasted pork chops with gravy, mashed potatoes, buttered carrots

Tuesday, 1/19 ~ Chicken fajitas & a side of fruit

Wednesday, 1/20 ~ Rice, beans, ham, and cheese casserole (this is where the funny recipes come in)

Thursday, 1/21 ~ Beef tacos with rice & beans

Friday, 1/22 ~ Homemade tortilla pizzas & fruit

Probably the biggest challenge I have put before me was a budget of £250. By the way, that converts to just over $408 for the month. When I threw that number out there at the beginning of this month, I did so without truly knowing the dollar amount we spend per month on average. Apparently I am a little off with my number.

Here is what I spent during this past week:

£21.35 at the Co-operative (fruit, bread, milk, honey, chicken)

£16.87 Morrisons grocery store (similar items to above)

£6.30 Farmer's market

Total: £44.82

It's only January 18th, and I'm really close to £250. The grand total is: £189.94 + £44.82 =

£234.76

I'm not a half full kind of gal, but I'm thinking that £15.24 is just not going to cut it. I will continue to stay close, though.

Thanks for following me through this & Happy Monday! Oh, and Happy MLK Day!

To see more menu plans, go to Orgjunkie. com. Also, visit MoneySavingMom.com and Lifeasamom.com to see more pantry challenges.

Menu Plan Monday & Eat From the Pantry Challenge

Last week was a huge success with my menu plan. Can I encourage you emphatically to do this if you currently don't? Having a plan will give you some measure of peace knowing that all you have to do is cook to pull it off. :-)

Monday:

Meatloaf (rolled up with broccoli & cheese)

Risotto with peas

Mixed veggies

Tuesday:

Baked ham (leftover from Sunday)

Beans

Cheesy pasta

Wednesday:

Ranch Style Chicken (recipe from Pioneer Woman)

Salad

Green Beans

Thursday:

Pasta with homemade marinara sauce

Garlic Bread

Fruit

Friday:

Tuna Sandwiches

Fruit

This has been a great challenge for me to only use what I already have with the exception of buying milk, bread, eggs, & fruit & vegetables as we need them. Last week I also baked 4 loaves of zucchini bread and my dear hubby baked 2 loaves of wheat bread. We had had a snowstorm, and with frugality in mind, we both got in a baking mood.

When you really look at what you already have, that might have been pushed back in your pantry or has simply been ignored, there is a lot to work with. At least in my case there is. We want to be good stewards of what God has already provided and I've always liked a good challenge.

Purchases we made this week within our £250 budget for January were:

£29.12 at Costco

£23 for Dominos pizza (oops that wasn't on the menu plan!)

£49.28 at Morrisons for Braaten's birthday

£8.75 at the bakery

£20 Lunch at the bakery on Friday (It was Braaten's birthday after all)

£4.95 milk

Total: £106.94

+83.00 from last week's grocery order

=189.94

Hmm... no more eating out this month! It's only January 11th and we only have £60.06 left in our proposed budget. The burning question is: Can we do it??? We'll have to just wait and see.

Thanks for stopping by. You are a blessing.

Menu Plan Monday & Eat From the Pantry Challenge

It's great to start a new week in the New Year and make a menu plan. I've decided to rejoin "Orgjunkie" and get a serious plan. Taking the time to see what you have on hand coupled with buying a few ingredients to make a plan for the week is very freeing, and yet I don't always take the time. I like plans. I like lists. And I like order. Having said that, I'm not so sure why I often flybytheseatofmypants to make things work. I have more peace when I have a plan because that's the way God made me. He wants me to have His peace, so this is one small way to have that, so here goes.

Monday: Barbecued pork chops, roasted butternut squash, and an asparagus/parmesan puff pastry.

Tuesday: Beef Stew. Need I say more? OK, I will... zucchini bread

Wednesday: Shrimp Scampi & Salad

Thursday: Ham & Cheese paninis (or leftovers from the above nights) :-)

Friday: Penne pasta alfredo with chicken (At my birthday girl's request. Braaten is turning 12 that day)

For this week, I'll leave it at Monday through Friday, but might add the weekends in the future.

As I was stumbling through different blogs and jumping around, I ran across another idea I'd love to try.

It's called "Eating from the Pantry Challenge" hosted by both Money Saving Mom and Life As Mom.

There is only one slight problem. I just had food delivered here, which is a beautiful thing and a whole 'nother post. The food delivery that is. It was £83! The whole idea here is to use what is in your pantry, freezer, and fridge in the effort to use what you already have, saving lots of money along the way. Of course you have to plan for milk, bread, eggs, cheese, fruit and vegetables and possibly some meats. The rest should come from your abundance as it is.

My Goals: To spend £250 in January. With a family of 7, that is a savings. I know we spend a lot more, but I can't give you hard numbers because I am bad at keeping a budget at the moment. That's yet another post and I definitely have to work on that.

I'll let you know how I'm doing at this as I go along. It'll be interesting putting different ingredients together in order to use what we have, but I think it will honor my hard-working husband and God all at the same time.

Whatdaya think? Do you want to join me?