March Freezer/Pantry Challenge

**peanut** · 03-24-2011, 02:28 PM

I know it's a week early, but I'm posting what I've used to give me a handle on what needs to be used...

Upstairs freezer (above fridge): (items used are in bold)

Korean food for boarder (we can use, but don't know how)
ice-cream
sauerkraut juice (soup stock?)
lamb gravy (stew?)
venison stock (soup?)
coffee (boarder gave up coffee so we have a can of Timmie's on ice)
butter
tomatoes (leftovers from a can)
sesame seeds (2 packages)
vegetable stock (2 containers)
ginger root
beef stock
tomato sauce (leftovers from a can)
walnuts
pecans - ground and whole
almonds - slivered, whole, blanched
peanuts - raw
sunflower seeds - raw hulled
dill
yeast
chives
root beer yeast
coriander
curry powder
ginger - grd.
cumin
oat bran
samosas (6)
bananas (7) - 3
blueberries
beef crumbles (1/2 lb)
beef gravy (stew?)
veggie scraps for soup stock
grapes (2 bags)
peas
corn
bread crumbs (2 containers)
celery tops (soup stock)
green pepper, sliced
green pepper, chopped
carrot tops (soup stock)
saskatoons
cranberries
wheat bran
wheat germ
parsley
lemons (7) - 2

Basement freezer:
lamb bones (2 packages)
chicken bones
ham bone
pork chop (2) - 1
lamb chop (4)
lamb shank
lamb neck chop (soup)
lamb rib
lamb roast leg
lamb stew meat
chicken breast (2)
chicken stock (2 4 c. + 5 750 ml.) - 1 750 ml.
Vegetable stock ( 2 4 c. + 2 2 c.)
green pepper, sliced (2)
green pepper, chopped (3) - 1
dill
crushed tomato (2 c)
mustard (4 c)
kidney beans (2 750 ml)
black beans (7 750 ml)
pumpkin puree (2 750 ml) - 1
strawberries (4 x 2 c.) - 1
peas (2 bags) -1
corn (2 bags) -1
cranberries (4 bags)
tortillas (10)
bananas (11)
Swiss chard (1.5 gall)
rhubarb (4 4 c.)
Brown basmati rice (lots!)

Cold room:
Applesauce - sweetened (27 pints!) - 11
Canned crabapples (1 pt. + 3 c.)
icing sugar
red lentils
evaporated milk
whole tomatoes (28 oz)
cranberry jelly (4 x 1 c.)
nutmeg
cloves
celery salt
sage (2 containers)
rolled oats
candy (my stash! )

**piney** · 03-24-2011, 05:06 PM

I had some home made chilie out freezer for lunch i am slowley using things up but the way prices has gone up i shouldn't be in a hurry yesterday at walmart some things has went up .10 cents since last week.

**MsMarieH** · 03-24-2011, 08:48 PM

The ham and noodle casserole I have in the oven right now used up the last of my leftover ham from this weekend, the last of an open bag of noodles, the last of a jar of roasted red peppers, a stalk of celery that was going limp and the last of a container of sour cream along with a few more ingredients.

**qsaver704** · 03-29-2011, 11:52 AM

I have been dealing with a colic-y kid for a week and then was out of town for a week. I got totally offtrack with the baby having colic. We ate out A LOT and bought quick meals or had bad for you expensive snacks. I am broke between the extra food costs and the new expensive formula. I WILL get back on track!!! Regrouping today for April!

**MsMarieH** · 03-29-2011, 12:36 PM

That's the beauty of a new month - it's always a fresh start!!!

I'm planning to do this again for April. I'm going to try to limit myself to one grocery trip during the month for a "real" shopping and then no more than 1 or 2 other stops for milk/bread/produce if needed.

Once again, I'm not going to count the shopping I do that is strictly for my stockpile, since I am trying to build that up, unless I specifically use something during that month.

**peanut** · 03-29-2011, 01:19 PM

Cleaned out the freezer and did a totally new inventory. So glad I did! Turns out I still have enough food for the month of April.

PLUS, a friend has offered us garden space in her yard. Don't know if we'll take it up or not. It's quack grass and slug infested. We'll see. Possibly we could make raised beds. Our friend wants to charge us for water used. We'll have to see what she wants to charge. Would be real nice for the pantry/freezer situation if we could grow some food though!

**MsMarieH** · 03-29-2011, 04:21 PM

That's awesome on the garden space. You should take advantage of that! You could always get a five gallon jug and refill it and take it with you for watering.

Even growing some various salad fixings - lettuce, radishes, greens, etc. would be nice and save money.

**piney** · 03-29-2011, 04:32 PM

Still using out pantry and freezer took bag strawberries out freezer today trying get freezer empty by first May so i can defrost it and try fill it again.

**frugalfranny** · 03-30-2011, 02:05 PM

Was making 'okay' progress until about a week ago.....then motivation/schedule/time changed and not so good lately.

Using up a huge bag of tomatoes today for soup........that will help. But have put some things back in from sales too.......oh well, deal with the space thing later......would rather have the sales.

**peanut** · 03-30-2011, 02:53 PM

I hear you about the sales FF. DH and I finally cleaned the freezer, which was my whole purpose for taking part in this challenge - to get it empty enough to clean it! And now I am looking at frugal ways to fill it again. I have one month's worth of meat in there anyways, but I could do with more vegetables and fruit. Will be keeping an eye out for sales.

**MsMarieH** · 03-31-2011, 10:38 PM

Used up 1/2 bag of hamburger buns and a package of patties that were probably more than a year old. Bread was a teeny bit freezer burnt, but still tasty overall.

**peanut** · 04-01-2011, 01:00 AM

Used some frozen vegetables, some frozen tomatoes, and some frozen chicken stock.

**waterbaby77** · 04-01-2011, 07:55 PM

Pantry:
1 can ancho chilis in adobo sauce (used 3, put the rest in the freezer)
1 onion

Fridge:

Pesto
Lemon

Freezer:

4 hamburger buns
Package of 10 corn tortillas

Didn't do much cooking this week because DH had to work late, so we subsisted mainly on sandwiches for part of the week. Will try to use more stockpiled foods next week.