Pantry Challenge Update, Drama, and a New Week of Menus

I am SO spoiled.

Seriously, I am.

Remember the meal plan for last week?  Well it didn’t exactly go according to plan.  Which I guess defeats the purpose of a plan?  I mean, sure there were some substitutions and swapping of lunches (like when I forgot to make the quinoa energy bites until AFTER I was supposed to have eaten them), but that was to be expected.  The meal plan didn’t “go” because I didn’t cook…. for four days.

Yes, I KNOW, I’m spoiled!

The Background

You see, my grandma was in town and given that we don’t see her but once or twice a year, we spent every night we could with her at my dad’s house.  That meant that dinner was over there too and since grandma was in town, she treated us all to very special meals…

And so we ate like kings for the majority of the week. =)

In addition to all the dinners and leftovers, lots of fruit had come our way since Grandma rounded a little too high on how much the kids would consume during their time with her.  Naturally, the fruit became prime smoothie material when it started to turn and of course we couldn’t say no.

Oddly enough though, I was DYING to get back in my own kitchen and cook!  Dinner plans for Thursday (which were originally Tuesday, but got switched because of Grandma’s visit) were cancelled and I was slightly giddy because it meant the squash pasta with pesto risotto would finally make its way to my kitchen table!  It’s a new recipe, and you know how it goes when you find a new recipe that you just can’t wait to make – it’s like waiting for gifts at Christmas!

And then my new dish got kicked down the calendar, again.  Sneaky Mr. Crumbs pulled a fast one and quickly headed up “team spaghetti,”recruiting both kids and I was outnumbered 3 to 1.  I mean, how can “team vegetables” (as I was aptly deemed) even compete?

So chicken and spaghetti on Saturday became Thursday’s dinner, minus the chicken.  And it was an epic fail.  So much of a fail that it gets its own post and pity party, coming to you later this week!

Everyone was eager for “Pizza Friday” after the spaghetti disaster (or maybe it was just me trying to redeem myself), and then once again, Mr. Crumbs turned mischievous.

The Wrench

This warm-hearted, friendship-cultivating man called up some friends and family Saturday morning and invited them over for dinner that night! 

Company?!  During a pantry challenge?!  What was this man thinking?!  How in the world could I serve 10 people a wholesome, delicious meal based on the random 1 cup of this and 1 cup of that I had in my pantry?

*deep breath*

Trying my best not to freak out, we came up with a plan and a menu based around what I had on hand and little supplementing from the store:

Appetizer:  chips (tortilla and pita from pantry) and dips (homemade salsa, black bean dip and guacamole – required one onion (.50), cilantro (.25) and 5 avocados (5) from store, guacamole mix and other ingredients already in the pantry)

Meat:  grilled/BBQ chicken legs/thighs – required chicken at store (approx $10), sauces and spices at home

Veg: sauteed yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and mushrooms – all from fridge

Starch: pesto risotto – from pantry, homemade rolls – from pantry

So all in all it came out to about $15 out of pocket for feeding everyone, and throwing a last minute party for $1.50 per person isn’t too shabby.

And I got to make my squash and pesto risotto after all, so it was a happy ending to the week. =)

The Challenge Update

Breakfast plans went well.  The Girl and I made the strawberry pancakes (with strawberry syrup) on Monday which made a pretty good dent in the baking mix from the pantry (which needs to go and be replaced with a homemade version) and the strawberries we had on hand.  Smoothies were daily and the quinoa energy bars came out as a tasty and easy way to quickly eat protein when my exercise time fell in between meals.  Lunches were on-target with the kids and semi on-target with myself.  Inheriting delicious leftovers made it hard to not eat them, so a balance was struck and meats were tossed into salads and cut up for sandwiches.

One of my goals for this pantry challenge was to eat the random food we have in the pantry.  Here’s how the clearing of the pantry is looking:

• chicken noodle soup – one of two cans gone
• spaghetti o’s – gone
• 4 granola cookes – three eaten… the kids aren’t much of a fan, lol
• cool whip – gone (although the half container was found moldy in the fridge… oops)
• pretzels – gone
• cream cheese – down to half block
• frozen strawberries – gone
• quinoa – success in using it in a recipe we liked!
• egg whites – one of two containers gone
• arborio rice – gone
• pepperoni – gone
• bag of strawberry puree – three cubes gone
• black beans – half gone

See?  Random stuff right?

A small dent was made in the freezer too – one pound of ground turkey and two bell peppers were turned into 6 quarts of pasta sauce via the crockpot.  The downside is now this sauce is divvied into 7 glass jars in my freezer, which take up more room than the turkey did.  Kinda seems backwards… I should add “clean and reorganize the freezer” to the goals too, since it seems to be inevitable at some point in the next few weeks!

All in all the “gone” list doesn’t seem like much, but it’s the grand master plan is happening in baby strides.  Oh.Yes.It.Is.  And now that company is gone, we’re on our own.  PLUS we’re starting school this week.  EEK!

The Plan

Sunday

Breakfast: kids eating at grandma/grandpa’s; smoothies for mom & dad
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: family dinner

Monday

Breakfast:  Banana Nutella Muffins for kids; smoothies for mom & dad
Lunch: chicken noodle soup for kids; seed salad lunch for mom & dad
Dinner: leftovers (back-up plan of grilled cheese sandwiches for kids & dad; egg white omelet w/veggies for mom)

Tuesday

Breakfast: Banana Nutella Muffins or oatmeal for kids; smoothies for mom & dad
Lunch:  peanut butter and jelly on cornbread for kids; salad for dad; black bean and cheese tacos for mom
Dinner: vegetable fried rice

Wednesday

Breakfast: Banana Nutella Muffins or oatmeal for kids; smoothies for mom & dad
Lunch:  Peanut butter grahams with sprinkles for kids; salads for mom & dad
Dinner: leftovers (back-up plan of grilled cheese sandwiches for kids & dad; egg white omelet w/veggies for mom)

Thursday

Breakfast: Banana Nutella Muffins or oatmeal for kids; smoothies for mom & dad
Lunch: peanut butter and jelly on cornbread for kids; salad for dad; black bean and cheese tacos for mom
Dinner: macadamia crusted chicken, possibly with spaghetti (the right way hopefully)

Friday

Breakfast: kids eating at grandma/grandpa’s; smoothies for mom & dad
Lunch: kids eating at grandma/grandpa’s; mom at conference
Dinner: either dining out or daddy cooks – it’s a surprise to us all!

Saturday

Breakfast: Banana Nutella Muffins or oatmeal for kids; smoothies for mom & dad
Lunch: out to lunch or sandwiches or leftovers at home
Dinner:  tri-tip sandwiches (done the right way with homemade buns, garlic butter and bbq sauce, of course!)

Goals to Accomplish This Week

• Finish nutella
• Eat two frozen bananas in the freezer
• Eat last can of chicken noodle soup
• Finish 1 cup of cornbread mix in pantry
• Empty one of two jars of jelly in the fridge (yeah for more jars!)
• Finish package of tortillas
• Eat bag frozen mixed veggies in freezer

There’s three new recipes this week:  Banana Nutella Muffins, black bean and cheese tacos and PB&J on corn bread.  I’m pretty sure the muffins will be a hit.  The tacos are for me and we’ll see how the PB&J goes.  If all else fails, the cornbread can be eaten on its own with meals because I want it out of the pantry!

How are YOU menu planning this week?

This post is linked to OrgJunkie and StoneGable.