Back in February, I decided to embark on a "No Shopping Challenge", to try to use up some of the things in my massive stockpile, so I could have turnover of my foods and use up some things that would otherwise not get used up. The added benefit of this was to be able to save the money we'd usually spend on groceries, in order to have extra money set aside for some lower income and higher expense months coming up.
So, how did I do on my challenge? For the first month, I was very good and, as set out in the rules of my challenge, only went to the grocery to pick up one or two items, and no more than 1 or 2 trips per week. In March, a friend invited herself over to my family for a dinner, and wanted me to "go all out", and gave me money to spend on the dinner, so I did a big shop then, with the intention of buying nice things for the meal, but I did have things left over to supplement my pantry.
Since then, I've been back on track and have used up most of the old things in my stockpile, and barely spent anything on groceries, and certainly didn't do a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly shop as I used to do.
I'm done with the challenge. My stockpile supply is really low, and I'm going to do my first real, big shopping in 10 weeks! We did manage to put away a decent amount of money during this time, and I have very little really old food on my shelves. My no shopping challenge was a success.
Now that I've completed my challenge, I'm ready to go shopping tomorrow (and don't worry, I'll share details of my shopping trip).
Here's what's on the menu.
Note- I only am writing breakfast and supper, as lunch is almost always leftovers from the night before, and when there's no more leftovers, I cook supper early and eat that for lunch and supper.
Monday
Breakfast- raw oats and milk
Supper- pasta and tomato sauce with chicken and cabbage
Tuesday
Breakfast- pancakes
Supper- couscous salad with veggies and white beans
Wednesday
Breakfast- oats and milk
Supper- majadra (Syrian rice with lentils) and steamed carrots
Thursday
Breakfast- eggnog
Supper- minestrone soup with chicken balls and wild mustard greens
Friday
Breakfast- bananas and homemade yogurt
Supper- (having guests) Moroccan style fish, tomato dip, coleslaw, garlic spread, carrot and butternut squash soup with foraged pine nuts, mashed potatoes with cracklings and gravy, breaded chicken breast, strawberry and redbud blossom sorbet
Saturday
Breakfast- eggnog
Supper- Moroccan style fish, tomato dip, coleslaw, garlic spread, tomato sauce chicken bottoms, stuffed potato balls, sorbet
Sunday
Breakfast- fruit shakes, maybe green smoothies with chickweed
Supper- colcannon
What are you serving your family this coming week? Want any of the recipes for the foods mentioned above?
Linking up with Menu Plan Monday over at OrgJunkie.com.
So, how did I do on my challenge? For the first month, I was very good and, as set out in the rules of my challenge, only went to the grocery to pick up one or two items, and no more than 1 or 2 trips per week. In March, a friend invited herself over to my family for a dinner, and wanted me to "go all out", and gave me money to spend on the dinner, so I did a big shop then, with the intention of buying nice things for the meal, but I did have things left over to supplement my pantry.
Since then, I've been back on track and have used up most of the old things in my stockpile, and barely spent anything on groceries, and certainly didn't do a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly shop as I used to do.
I'm done with the challenge. My stockpile supply is really low, and I'm going to do my first real, big shopping in 10 weeks! We did manage to put away a decent amount of money during this time, and I have very little really old food on my shelves. My no shopping challenge was a success.
Now that I've completed my challenge, I'm ready to go shopping tomorrow (and don't worry, I'll share details of my shopping trip).
Here's what's on the menu.
Note- I only am writing breakfast and supper, as lunch is almost always leftovers from the night before, and when there's no more leftovers, I cook supper early and eat that for lunch and supper.
Monday
Breakfast- raw oats and milk
Supper- pasta and tomato sauce with chicken and cabbage
Tuesday
Breakfast- pancakes
Supper- couscous salad with veggies and white beans
Wednesday
Breakfast- oats and milk
Supper- majadra (Syrian rice with lentils) and steamed carrots
Thursday
Breakfast- eggnog
Supper- minestrone soup with chicken balls and wild mustard greens
Friday
Breakfast- bananas and homemade yogurt
Supper- (having guests) Moroccan style fish, tomato dip, coleslaw, garlic spread, carrot and butternut squash soup with foraged pine nuts, mashed potatoes with cracklings and gravy, breaded chicken breast, strawberry and redbud blossom sorbet
Saturday
Breakfast- eggnog
Supper- Moroccan style fish, tomato dip, coleslaw, garlic spread, tomato sauce chicken bottoms, stuffed potato balls, sorbet
Sunday
Breakfast- fruit shakes, maybe green smoothies with chickweed
Supper- colcannon
What are you serving your family this coming week? Want any of the recipes for the foods mentioned above?
Linking up with Menu Plan Monday over at OrgJunkie.com.