What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow. ~ Martin Luther

Monday, February 08, 2016

Week 1 of the No-Groceries-in-February Challenge

  





Breakfasts:
~ shredded wheat
~ cinnamon oatmeal
~ omelets with queso blanco cheese
~ homemade vanilla yogurt with toast
~ scrambled eggs
~ Fiesta Omelets (omelets topped with onions, peppers, tomatoes, garlic, salsa and homemade queso cheese.) and caramelized onions
~ banana muffins (using up old, brown bananas)

Lunches:
~ sandwiches everyday but two....most with HC jam, some with homemade garlic dill queso blanco
~ cheeseburger casserole (brought over by my SIL Holly)
~ beans and rice

Dinners:
~ Chili with drop biscuits and queso blanco cheese
~ Turkey Potpie,  green beans, applesauce
~ Leftovers
~ Pizza, carrot sticks, ranch dressing for dip
~ BBQ chicken drumsticks, pizza dip with crackers, carrot and celery sticks
~ Lasagna with collards (because I needed to use up the two batches of ricotta I had made), applesauce, corn boiled in a splash of milk
~ Loaded Nachos 

Other:
Pecan sticky buns (Possibly.  Did you come over for a visit last week Elizabeth...or the week before? I can't remember.)
Caprese Salad (for church meal)
Dried Apples (snacks)
Popcorn (snacks)

My approach to food this week was very lackadaisical.  I stayed with stuff I could reach for quickly in the fridge freezer instead of going into the chest freezer (the whole post of this challenge!)  I took the lazy route (as usual) with lunches, fixing sandwiches mostly, knowing that all this bread eating is going to result in no store-bought bread by next week if I am not careful.  I also continue to eat too many handfuls of chocolate chips (60%  cocoa Ghirardelli chips are my weakness and are not bought for baking but for Mama) throughout the day.  These will be gone too if I don't start to show some restraint and then there will be NO CHOCOLATE.

I hope to go through my chest freezers this week to get an idea of what needs to be used up.  In theory, this should help me to be more intentional and creative with food prep.  IN THEORY.  I was, however, more intentional about taking photos of food which is a challenge for me in winter (lighting is so crummy-as you can see with the finished lasagna picture above) and often something I avoid.  But posts about food still need a snapshot or two, am I right?

At this point, the cupboards still overflow with opportunities and I wonder if this month will be difficult at all.  (Except for maybe the chocolate situation.)

7 comments:

Mrs. Pepper said...

Sounds like a great idea. I think we may have to try something like that to. It's amazing the types of meals that can be made with things on hand.

Bonnie said...

You're making me hungry! Lunches are my challenge. We're usually finishing up the days lessons, a certain youngest child is hangry, and it's just a general zoo. I won't buy bread because I can make it, but then I don't have time and so we end up with pretzels (the only junk/snack food I buy) and cheese again. I made them corn bread and baked beans that I'd canned for lunch last week and they thought that was wonderful, a Little House meal. So maybe we'll have to do more of those. I do love your challenges and reading what you do : )

Rozy Lass said...

I keep a roll of masking tape and some Sharpie markers in a kitchen drawer so that when I'm putting food in the freezer for later I can label it. Makes life so much easier when looking for something to fix for dinner (or breakfast or lunch). Your meals look great!

Mary P said...

My favorite is the last picture - that is sure one doted on babe - and that's as it should be :-)
But your meals sound great too!

Alyssa Spring said...

ANytime I'm running out of groceries...a big pot of vegan taco chili is always a go too. I love drop biscuits too

Unknown said...

You put me to SHAME, girl! I'm SOOOO bad with meal inspiration and just cooking when trying to keep up with my home educating! This looks delicious and I hear ya on chocolate chips. I rarely buy them unless I have some PLANNED to do with them.

Rebecca said...

MRs. Pepper- I am realizing this! I have plenty of ingredients to make food- just sometimes I lack in the motivation to cook those ingredients in order to MAKE food. :-)

Bonnie- yours is pretzels? Ours are tortilla chips. That is the one snack we absolutely MUST have on hand. :-)

Rozy Lass- I am usually pretty good about this but inevitably there are few things just 'thrown in' cause I will use them soon and will remember. HA!

Mary P- it's true! She is so doted on I have found myself with Ineke (and I never remember doing this before) praying for all those babies out there who are sad and don't find comfort. I don't know why they have been on my heart so much but almost every single time I am holding Ineke in the evenings, those babies come to my heart and mind and I find myself praying for them again.

Alyssa- yum!

Amy- I would probably be a good 10 pounds lighter if I followed that very good advice to only keep chocolate chips in the house when there is a plan for them. I should take that advice- but come March, I doubt I will. ;-)