So, I officially suck at hosting challenges–especially on busy months when my workload gets ahead of me. My apologies. It’s amazing how quickly things can get ahead of you.
I hope everyone is doing well. I spent $18.68 this week, which brings our grand total to $58.70. Things are starting to get a little scroungy around here: fried rice with leftover turkey for lunch and lots of hamburger salads (which are genuinely delicious–by the way).
So how are you wrapping up December’s pantry challenge?
Lovage Soup for Spring
Moroccan Preserved Lemons
campfire roast chicken with flowering onion and dill
Our Daily Bread: No-knead Sourdough
A Story of Recovery (and a Recipe for Grain-free Carrot Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting)
A Recipe for Beet Kvass: A Deeply Cleansing Tonic
Well, I have to admit we went over-budget with our Christmas Eve dinner, which included three Dungeness crabs. The trip inside the natural food store was the real budget-buster, which is one of the reasons why I don’t shop their regularly anymore. A couple pricey cheeses, bottles of wine, and a few other items not on my list wound up in my cart. One shopping excursion put us over by nearly $100!
What I did find during the first three weeks (when we did stay within budge) is that we can really eat well, relying on our stored food and $30 or so in fresh produce and milk, and that in doing so, I could have a lot of fun in my kitchen. I’m so pleased with the discovery that sauerkraut, added to soups just before serving, stays crunchy and boosts the flavor of all the other ingredients. In fact, I’ve been relying on our fermented veggies a lot, using them raw and in dishes like borscht and choucroute garni.
Oh, and that budget-busting Christmas Eve dinner? Totally worth it! Dungenss crab with arugula, fennel, and orange salad was amazing! I wish we could afford to do that more often.
Chris´s last post: Christmas Meals Plans.
We were out of town visiting family for Christmas, which did wonders for keeping our food budget under control for a few days! Mom’s roast beef was more than what we would have had here… thanks, Mom!
Even with stocking up for our travels, our month’s spending is somewhere in the $50-60 range, which blows me away. I’m motivated to do more of this! I’m already planning my shopping for next month. What really surprises me is the good food that can come with good planning. I made some gumbo last night that does NOT taste like it was scrounged out of the fridge and freezer (even though it was).
I also have learned a couple tricks that will help make next month go better. I need to roast a couple more chickens than I did in December. We ran out of broth and meat before we ran out of month.
Thanks again for this challenge. Our home has benefited from it!