Pantry Menus

First of all, I admit I have a somewhat unique pantry.

But this week, I decided I was going to try to put together my menu plan without buying any groceries except milk (of which we go through 4 gallons a week) and eggs.  It was surprisingly easy.

Here's what we had today:

Breakfast: cornmeal chili-cheese muffins, milk, and tea for Mama
Lunch: cleaned the leftovers out of the fridge; fresh homemade bread
Dinner: steak, baked beans, potato salad, fresh green beans from the garden, and applesauce

I told you I have a unique pantry.  I have a half a freezer of beef (well, maybe a quarter) that needs eating up before our beef goes to slaughter this fall.  I have tail ends of dry goods, like beans, that need using up.  And I have a garden that's as productive as gardens in these parts ever get.  Here's tomorrow's menu:

Breakfast: reheated muffins, milk, applesauce
Lunch: leftover side dishes from tonight, cheese sandwiches on homemade bread
Dinner: beef tongue with raisin sauce (much better than it sounds), egg noodles, peas, and oatmeal/chocolate chip cookies

It's been a fun challenge to see how long I can go without buying anything except milk and eggs.  I wouldn't have even had to get the milk and eggs if the kids didn't need whole milk; I have powdered milk I bake with.  After making one week of menus without having to think much, I was able to make a second week of non-shopping menus with just a little more thinking--things like, "how many potatoes will that take?" and "maybe I can make cream of spinach with that bit of frozen spinach..."  I think if I stretched my brain a bit I could, perhaps, even get a third week of menus.

It's vegetables that become the problem, I discover.

I encourage anyone who has charge of a pantry to see how many no-shopping menus you can make up before we reach our (ta-da-dum) fall-stock up.  Eat up the bits* you have hanging around your freezer and pantry.  So what if this means you have some dinners like, pancakes, stewed chicken and gravy, and apple pie filling with granola on top for desert?  You'll get to stretch your creativity, and you'll really know you're starting with a nice clean slate when you put your new items away.

Cheers,

Breanna

P.S.

*There is an argument to be made for buying staples, like dried beans, flour, vinegar, etc. before you use your current supply all the way up.  The argument is that if you wait until you're out, you have to buy at whatever price happens to be going, whereas if you keep an eye out while you still have flour, you can sort of name your own price.  This is sound thinking--but doesn't negate the challenge.  Just don't open any new packages of anything before the old packages are used up, if you choose to not use up everything.  Sound logical enough?