A Month Without Groceries - After Thoughts

September 17, 2009

I made my first visit to the grocery store yesterday and MAN did it feel good. I purchased some fresh produce to have a nice big salad with dinner and a few other items. My total was $56.67 which isn't too bad considering the state of my pantry. I expect that trip to the store will last us about a week for the produce and about 3 weeks for the other items (meats, cheese, etc). Not too shabby.

I have included a few pictures of our refrigerator, freezer, and pantry shelves after the challenge concluded. Pretty barren, but we still have a few things! With those few items we have remaining, I can make at least four dinners.

Rather than completely restock, I am really going to change the way I shop. Less focus on convenience and more focus on whole foods. Additionally, I will not purchase too much produce at a time to eliminate the possibility of things going bad or getting mushy before we can enjoy them.

I plan on keeping track of our spending over the next few months to ensure we stay on track and don't revert back to our old habits. I will likely post something approximately once a week or once every two weeks in the future.

A Month Without Groceries - Lessons Learned

September 16, 2009

We wrapped up the Month Without Grocery Challenge yesterday. There were a few surprises along the way, but all in all, I think things went well. No one starved, I made a different meal each night, and for the most part the family enjoyed the meals. I'd call that a roaring success.

I took a lot of heat for spending so much on groceries from friends and strangers alike. Who knew so many people cared what we spent per month? More so, who knew that so many people where so passionate about it? To clarify, our original spending per month on “groceries” included food, beverages, household supplies, cleaning supplies, personal care items, vitamins, over the counter medicines, and food for the birds in the backyard. We have a family of three and we feed about 500 birds a day. =)

Now that we have wrapped things up and I have had some time to reflect, there are a lot of things I have taken away from this challenge. Namely,

• We spend more on groceries when I am working.

• Some frozen produce is just yucky. Peas, corn, and green beans seem to be the best. Broccoli, snow peas, and cauliflower get mushy when reheated.

• We ate fewer fruits and vegetables than we would have normally which isn't a positive. If I had this to do again, I would limit grocery visits to fresh produce and dairy products only.

• It didn't take much to expand my normal menu to include a larger variety of meals.

• I was able to make most of the meals in the past month in 30 minutes or less. The meals that took longer were the result of baking time, not prep time.

Additionally, there are some things that were a bit surprising to me including:

• We didn't throw out a single leftover the entire challenge. I can honestly say that is a first in our house. Since the refrigerator was so empty, the leftovers had nowhere to hide.

• American cheese lasts a very long time in the refrigerator. That kind of makes you think doesn't it?

Now that I have learned a few things and expanded my meal repertoire, I plan to implement some changes in our future grocery trips. More on that over the next few days.

Day 34 - A Month Without Groceries

September 15, 2009

Today is Day 34 and after dinner this evening, we will have officially made it through the Month Without Groceries Challenge. Phew! We have run out of quite a few ingredients, but surprisingly, we still have quite a few staples such as rice and pasta. Over the last week or so, I have been consistently using up the last of various ingredients from ketchup to mozzarella cheese. With no fresh produce on hand, I am really looking forward to a visit to the grocery store to get some ingredients for salad. I make this official though, I can't actually go to the store until tomorrow.

Our entire grocery bill this month was $9.21 for milk. Our milk bill could have been significantly smaller, but we have to buy lactose free milk which is approximately four times as expensive for a gallon. That is not ideal, but I have to say, well worth it.

For tonight's meal, I will be making patty melts. We had a couple of onions (the last of the fresh produce), bread, cheese, and hamburger remaining. I can't imagine that the family won't like those!

Tomorrow I will provide some insight into what I have learned. Future posts will include what I plan to do in the future, the new budget, and how this has changed our eating habits.

Day 33 - A Month Without Groceries

September 14, 2009

Monday again. We made it through our last weekend of the challenge without too many issues. A little moaning and groaning from the family, but not too bad.

I was watching Food Network this past weekend and found Melissa deArabian's new show interesting. Her shtick is to make a meal for four for $10. Initially, it sounds impressive, but if you think about it, that is $300 a month for dinner alone. If you add in breakfasts and lunches, for say $5 each per day for the family, that brings your grocery total to $600 a month. Call me crazy, but that doesn't really sound that economical. I am hoping we can bring our grocery bill in much lower than that once this challenge is over.

Tonight I plan to make lasagna. I will definitely have to make adjustments to my typical recipe, but I expect it will turn out OK. We still have some mozzarella cheese in the freezer and I have ground beef on hand for the filling. The only thing I am missing is ricotta or cottage cheese. I don't think that will make too big of a difference and in the end, the meal will have less fat and sodium. I may add in some spinach to the sauce to get the family to eat more vegetables. I wonder if my daughter will notice.

Day 32 - A Month Without Groceries

Another weekend day and I swear, these breakfasts are going to kill me! We have cold cereal, but that is what the family has all week long and typically, I like to make breakfast somewhat special on weekends. I managed to dig up some waffle mix so breakfast was respectable.

This challenge has impacted more than just our eating habits. It has also significantly decreased the number of grocery bags we have on hand. I try to use the eco-friendly bags when I go to the store, but sometimes the bags are not enough to hold the food I buy. In those cases, we get plastic bags to supplement the ones I bring with me. To ensure we make use of those plastic bags, we use them to pick up after the dogs. After feeling guilty because we had way too many, we now have only a few left. We won't run out, but boy would that ever stink (no pun intended) if we did! Enough about that...it is gross.

For dinner this evening I will be making chow mein. I know it isn't my husband's favorite meal, but we have most of the ingredients and at this point, that is good enough! I don't have a recipe to follow so it will be more of a use what you've got approach. I am curious to know what the family will think.

Day 31 - A Month Without Groceries

September 12, 2009

Today is Day 31 and we would be finished with this challenge if it not for the wonderful generosity of our friends and neighbors. It seems that has been both a blessing and a curse. We absolutely love the fact that our friends have invited us into their homes, but in keeping with the challenge, it has resulted in an extension of the original 30 days to 34.

Last night for dinner, I made tacos. The meal was a little more interesting than anticipated. Expecting to find a bag of Mexican blend cheese in the refrigerator, I was surprised when it wasn't there. My husband seems to have used it in the chili last weekend when I was away. As a substitute, I had to use mozzarella. Surprisingly, it was not noticeable! Note to self: You an substitute mozzarella for cheddar jack cheese in a pinch.

On that note, I wanted to mention that I often freeze cheese to extend it's life. I just toss it in the freezer and take out what I need when I need it. This works best for shredded cheeses, especially since they usually have resealable bags. If you don't already do this, you should try it! You will eliminate mold and extend the life of your cheese significantly.

There is a bit of a nip in the air today so for dinner, I plan to make meatloaf with potatoes and vegetables for dinner. It is one of those comforting meals that I know both my husband and daughter will love.

Day 30 - A Month Without Groceries

September 11, 2009

Yesterday's dinner was much better than I had anticipated. I've got to be honest, I thought it would be one of those meals that I had to force myself to eat. Fortunately, that didn't happen. The salmon cakes had a nice crunch to them and the dijon sauce (dijon mustard and mayonnaise) went very well with the dish. I served the dinner with a black bean and sweet corn salsa to which I added the last remaining jalapenos and red pepper and onion relish from the refrigerator. All in all, it was pretty darn good. My husband also thought the meal was good and gave it a high rating.

One thing I am glad we still have on the shelves is cold cereal. It is a staple for my daughter in the mornings when she has school and a favorite snack in the afternoons. I have concluded that if I didn't have cereal, this challenge would have been very difficult. I used to buy brand name cereals trying for the most part to stay away from too much sugar. Our pantry typically has Rice Crispies, Fruity Cheerios, Kix, Granola, and some variety of shredded wheat. I have noticed however, that those large bags of cereal in the grocery really do taste just as good as the brand names. They cost so much less too! Once this is over, I plan to scale back the cereals and purchase those more often.

Tonight for dinner, I plan to make tacos. Unfortunately, we don't have any fresh lettuce or tomatoes, but I do have some salsa and cheese to use as toppings. We'll see how that goes over.

Day 29 - A Month Without Groceries

September 10, 2009

Sorry for the late post today. I had a lot of things going on this morning and just now caught up.

Today is Day 29 of the challenge. Since we added the extra four days due to dinners with neighbors and friends, we have five days left. We still have a lot of dry goods in the pantry such as barley, various pastas, lentils, etc. I am however, running very low on frozen proteins and vegetables. The majority of the proteins in the freezer are fish or shellfish which is not exactly on the top of my daughter's favorites list. I don't like to make her separate meals, but I also don't want to torture her with fish for the next five nights.

I have not yet reused any of the recipes I have made up to this point in the challenge. That being said, I have found it quite difficult lately to come up with meals that are unique, interesting, and appetizing to everyone, especially given my lack of certain fresh ingredients. I will need to reassess all of the ingredients I have on hand in the very near future to see if I can continue to create new meals.

Tonight I will be making salmon cakes for dinner. I have a couple of packets of salmon in the pantry that need to get used up. Ideally, I would make them with fresh salmon, but that isn't going to happen considering the circumstances. I'll add a little mayo, some bread crumbs and spices and we should be set to go. As for my daughter, we will make her take at least one bite and if she doesn't like it, she can have one of those corn dogs consuming space in the deep freeze.

Day 28 - A Month Without Groceries

September 9, 2009

I was looking through the ingredients I have left and noticed a strange trend in the refrigerator. I currently have seven open bottles of salad dressing. I am not surprised that I have not used much of it lately given the fact that we do not have any lettuce for salads. However, it seems a shame to have so many bottles open that are not getting used.

In the past, I have used salad dressings for more than salads. They make great marinades, dips, sauces, and glazes. I typically use Italian dressing for a marinade for chicken or pork chops. The flavor is fantastic! French is used for a glaze on chicken, pork or ham. Honey mustard is a great dipping sauce and thousand island is wonderful in tuna salad (as a replacement for the mayonnaise) or on other sandwiches. The possibilities are endless.

Tonight I plan to use some of that thousand island dressing as a spread on sandwiches. Although I don't have any fresh bread right now, I do have the ingredients to make a loaf from scratch. I plan to make Rachel sandwiches which are a twist on the classic Reuben. Instead of using corned beef, turkey is used. The result is fantasic. I think I will grill it on my George Foreman grill to give it a nice crunch. My husband has a dinner appointment this evening so it will be just me and my daughter.

Day 27 - A Month Without Groceries

September 8, 2009

Day 27 of the challenge. Things are still going pretty well although I have noticed the ratings my husband is giving my meals has been dropping in the last week or so. I guess that can only be expected when you get to the last remaining ingredients in the pantry and freezer things just aren't as appetizing. He still likes them, but he has indicated they aren't as tasty as the first couple of weeks.

For me, I really miss the fresh produce. Our frozen vegetable supply is fine in a pinch, but the texture of the vegetables is much softer than I prefer and I kind of feel like I am eating baby food at times. Yuck! I am really looking forward to hitting the farmer's markets to pick up some fresh seasonal veggies when this is over. On the positive side, I read that frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh and are a good substitute when needed (http://www.wisegeek.com/are-frozen-vegetables-less-nutritious-than-fresh.htm).

Tonight I plan to make Halibut with a Puttanesca sauce. Essentially, I will use the leftover sauce from last week's pasta and add a few new ingredients such as green olives, garlic, and red wine to freshen it up. I will serve it with whole wheat penne pasta.

Day 26 - A Month Without Groceries

September 7, 2009

Today is Labor Day and I returned home in the early afternoon. The trip was short and pretty taxing as far as sleep goes. Lots of traveling from town to town visiting family, attending services and the like. All in all, it is nice to be home. Tonight we have been invited over to a friends house for a barbecue. That is good news and bad news. The good news is that I didn't have to cook a meal right after walking in the door. The bad news is that if we keep getting invited to people's homes for dinner, it undermines the intent of the Month Without Groceries experiment. To make up for days missed due to the generosity of our friends and neighbors, I have decided we will continue the challenge to make up for the days when we had dinner elsewhere. That means our family will keep doing this challenge for a total of 34 days rather than 30 days as was originally planned. My family is going to love me for this!

A couple of weeks back, I had someone mention that I should do my shopping at warehouse stores because the prices are lower and we could save a lot of money that way. I typically do some shopping at our local Costco store, but for the most part, it is difficult to shop for a family of three in a warehouse store. I would suggest they work better for larger families or for purchasing paper products or cleaning supplies. Currently, I can think of at least two examples of package sizes too big for our family. First is the forty count box of corn dogs consuming space in our freezer and the other is a half gallon size jar of artichokes. For the corn dogs, it would have been much less expensive for me to buy a “normal” sized box at the grocery store and I wouldn't have had any go to waste. As for the artichokes, we are still working on those.

That being said, I know the warehouse stores can produce some real bargains for families both large and small. I would recommend, however, that before you purchase that gallon jug of hot sauce (or whatever food product that strikes your fancy), you ask yourself these questions:
What is the price per unit/ounce and how does that compare to the grocery? You may be surprised to find many products do not provide a discount for buying large quantities.

• Do I have coupons to use at the grocery that will bring my price per unit/ounce below the price per unit/ounce at the warehouse store? Be sure to consider coupon doubling or tripling if you have coupons to use.
• Does my family like this product enough to eat a large volume of it?
• Can my family consume this within a reasonable amount of time?
• Do I have space in my pantry, refrigerator, or freezer to accommodate this?

Don't just assume the deals are good because you are buying a large quantity. You need to do the math and decided what makes sense based on your family's eating habits and your storage options.

Day 25 - A Month Without Groceries

September 6, 2009

I cannot believe today is Day 25 of the challenge. The last three and a half weeks have gone by quite quickly and I feel like I have made some significant changes our eating habits. We have not thrown away any leftovers and the only groceries we have purchased have been 2 gallons of milk. The foods we have been enjoying have been healthful and for the most part delicious. I can see this experiment turning into a longer term commitment to use what we have on a more frequent basis.

People have asked me what I plan to do at the end of the challenge and if I will end up spending a bunch of money to restock the pantry. Although I expect to make a grocery run to purchase fresh produce, meats, and additional dairy products, I don't feel I will need to spend too much money to keep my family fed. To challenge myself further to maintain the good habits I have developed over the last month or so, I am budgeting $100 for the restocking efforts. Beyond that, I will budget $250 a month for the family. I will keep you all posted on my progress.

I have not returned home yet to cook for my family, but they do have some food on hand I prepared before I left to get them through lunch. Additionally, tonight my husband and daughter are attending a neighborhood potluck party and should have plenty to choose from there. Our contribution to the potluck is a couple dozen cookies I baked right before I left home. All in all, I don't think they will have any problem eating well tonight. The hosts of the party indicated they are making carne asada. Yum! We sure have great neighbors.

Day 24 - A Month Without Groceries

September 5, 2009

Yesterday when I was making dinner I noticed something interesting about the tuna I was using. The name brand albacore tuna (Bumblebee) for the Tuna Noodle Casserole was mushy, kind of gray in color, and broken into very small pieces. Not at all appealing. I wanted to use a couple of cans in the recipe so I decided for the other can, I would use one of the cans of Costco's Kirkland brand albacore tuna I had on hand to do a side by side comparison. Interestingly, the Kirkland tuna was one large piece of tuna, that was light in color and quite firm. Just what I would expect.

If I recall correctly, Kirkland brand tuna is less expensive than the other brands AND the can size is one ounce larger. I have seen a number of comparisons of products (grocery and otherwise) in Consumer Reports over the years, but hadn't really paid much attention to the food items. I figured food items are taste specific and the commentary from the testers was subjective. After my own little comparison, I think I will start paying more attention to those tests in the future.

Coincidentally, the September issue of Consumer Reports has an article on Name Brands versus store brands. The results were mixed as far as what products were recommended, but quite a few of the recommendations were for the store brands. This, although not completely surprising, will definitely sway my purchases in the future.

Tonight the family is having the chili I made yesterday before I left home. It should be better after a day in the refrigerator.

Day 23 - A Month Without Groceries

September 4, 2009

I received some bad news yesterday from my parents. My paternal grandmother passed away yesterday morning. I will need to travel back to the midwest for the funeral on Sunday and will be away from home and not able to make dinners for the next few nights. My family will continue with the Month Without Groceries Challenge by eating some meals I have pre-made.

In my absence, my family will be having Chili and Cabbage Rolls. Maybe not the most inventive of meals, but certainly easy to prepare in advance. Even better, I know they both like the meals and they should have enough leftovers to hold them over until I return and can continue cooking.

The great thing about a chili recipe is anyone can make it. The most difficult part of the recipe is the patience. You can use ground beef, cubed beef, ground turkey, or even ground chicken in this recipe. Add a few beans, tomatoes, chili powder, and you have a very easy meal. An added bonus is that the chili freezes very well. Use it as a full meal or over baked potatoes or on hot dogs for a slightly different spin on the classic.

Tonight for dinner, I am making Tuna Noodle Casserole. Yep, I said it. Tuna Noodle Casserole. More to come on the response from the family. Now that dinner is over, my husband liked it and my daughter was not at all thrilled.

My apologies in advance for the brief blogs over the next couple of days.

Day 22 - A Month Without Groceries

September 3, 2009

I received a comment the other day from a woman struggling to make her meals interesting for her family. The comment was focused on having a lot of ground beef and few ways to prepare it that her family enjoyed. Being a relatively inexpensive meat, I know I have a number of pounds of it in the freezer and we tend to get stuck in a rut when it comes to preparing meals that use it.

To keep the meals fun for the family, try using world cuisines as a guide. Most of us probably already leverage ideas from Italy and Mexico, but how many of us look further? Off the top of my head, I can come up with more than two weeks of meals using ground beef. If you have a glut of ground beef in your freezer, try rotating in some of these meals: Samosas, Cabbage Rolls, Nachos (yes, for dinner), Shepard's Pie, Chow Mein, Pot Pie, Burritos, Pizza, Soups, Lasagna, Meat Loaf, Sloppy Joes, Chili, Patty Melts, Tacos, Casseroles, Spaghetti and Meatballs, and of course Burgers. Just switch up the spices you are using to prepare the meals and they instantly become different. I'd be curious to know what other ground beef meals people use. We can all use some new tricks.

Tonight for dinner I will be making a pasta dish I often use to clean out the refrigerator. I will take some of the chicken I have in the freezer as well as some olives, a small jar of artichokes, a small can of diced tomatoes, and a few capers and mix it with pasta. The meal goes together very quickly and always gets a thumbs up from my family. I usually use spaghetti as the pasta, but since I am out, today I will have to use whole grain penne.

P.S Now that we have had dinner, I forgot to add the artichokes and used fusilli instead of penne because my daughter didn't want the penne. It was essentially the same meal, just one ingredient short.

Day 21 - A Month Without Groceries

September 2, 2009

Yesterday's dinner was, well, interesting. The red beans and rice were just fine. It was the chorizo that concerned me. It didn't cook down very well and rather than feed my family an orange gelatinous mess, I switched out the chorizo for turkey breakfast sausage. I think the chorizo may have been in the freezer too long. Yet another casualty. On the positive side, the turkey sausage is a much healthier alternative. I just feel thankful I had some on hand to use.

Today is Day 21 and marks the end of the third week of the challenge. I am starting to notice that some of the meals I had planned may be “at risk” due to old ingredients. If that continues to happen, this is going to become a whole different type of challenge.

One of the ingredients I have on hand with an expiration date that is looming is cream cheese. I had bought a variety for breakfasts when we had house guests a while back and it never got eaten. Now, I have 2 tubs to use. I have found a good way to use cream cheese is as a base for cream sauces. I use it in chicken and seafood enchiladas, in pastas, etc. If you have some extra cream cheese, try it!

Tonight for dinner, I plan to make calzones. I have the ingredients to make the crust and have leftover pasta sauce, mushrooms, sausage, and cheese for the filling. Everyone likes pizza, so this meal should go over well. The cost for the ingredients is approximately $6.00 to feed everyone, so this is not only a meal everyone will like, but a good bargain as well. That is the best kind!

Day 20 - A Month Without Groceries

September 1, 2009

Today is Day 20 of the challenge and we are two thirds of the way through. At this point, we have no fresh fruits or vegetables. Fortunately, we do still have some that are frozen, but it isn't quite the same. Once I go back to the grocery and to the farmer's markets, I am going to have to make sure I don't overbuy produce. Fresh produce can go bad quickly and that is such a waste.

If you find yourself with fruit on the verge of the trash can (wrinkly, getting brown, you know what I am talking about) try a few of these ideas to give it a new life:

• Cut off the brown parts of berries or stone fruits, remove pits/seeds, roughly chop, add a little cinnamon and sugar, and warm over medium heat to make an excellent compote. It is great over ice cream, in smoothies, or just as a sweet treat. You can freeze the compote to make it last even longer or if you have canning supplies, that works as well.

• Use brown bananas for banana bread, muffins, or pancakes. You can also freeze the bananas to use them later.

• Use citrus fruits that are getting dry to flavor water, tea, or as a home fragrance by adding a little cinnamon or cloves and heating on the stove. If the fruit is too far gone, slice it into pieces and dry it even more for a nice alternative to potpourri, for use in wreaths, garlands for the Christmas tree, or put the pieces out for the birds. They will love you for it.

For vegetables on the verge of going bad, try using them for vegetable stock. Just be sure to cut off anything that may be spoiled.

For dinner this evening, I will be making Red Beans and Rice. I had a mix in the pantry that I will use and will add some Chorizo I have in the freezer for the protein. I will grab one of the frozen bags of vegetables to round out the meal. I suspect the vegetable won't really match the meal, but that's okay. At least we will have something balanced.

This challenge is getting significantly harder!

Day 19 - A Month Without Groceries

August 31, 2009

Yesterday was our first casualty from the pantry. I went to use up some of the oyster crackers in the soup last night and I noticed they were exceptionally stale. Not just tasting a little stale, but completely inedible with a potent odor. I had to discard them.

On that note, I have heard feedback from a lot of people about donating the extra food I may have around the house to a local food bank. This is a fantastic idea and one I support. However, it is important to note there are specific guidelines that need to be followed for individual food donations. Specifically, food banks typically do not want:

• perishable items

• rusty or unlabeled cans

• noncommercial or homemade canned or packaged items

• alcoholic beverages, mixes, or soda

• open or partially used items

In our case, we had a lot of perishable (fresh and frozen) foods as well as many open packages. Rather than have those items we are not able to donate go to waste, we are choosing to use them in a creative way. And, just for the record, we donate food via local programs (9 Cares Colorado Shares, US Postal Service Food Drive, and the Boy Scouts of America) on a regular basis and will continue to do so. I would strongly encourage others to do the same.

For tonight's meal, I will be making cod with an orange glaze. I will make the glaze out of some marmalade I have in the refrigerator. I don't have a recipe, so this will be more of an experiment than anything. I will try to post the recipe and response from the family a bit later after I have the chance to put the ingredients together.

If you have an interesting way to use ingredients, please post some comments and share your ideas. I'd love to hear how others are able to cook with what they have on hand.

Just finished dinner. I used 1/4 cup orange marmalade with 1/8 cup dijon mustard and 1/8 cup water. It was delicious!

Day 18 - A Month Without Groceries

August 30, 2009

I am definitely starting to run out of ingredients and as a result need to be more creative in what I use to make my meals. One thing that remains important is to keep the meals interesting and tasty for my family. In looking for alternatives, I realized there are a lot of options for coating chicken, fish or pork for baking. The obvious bread crumbs is a good stand by, but equally as good is ground up nuts, crushed saltine crackers or pretzels, hash brown potatoes, potato buds, or the broken chips at the bottom of a bag (potato or otherwise). To make the coating stick, you can brush on a small amount of salad dressing (Italian, Ranch, French, Russian, Thousand Island) or mayonnaise. It is a great way to use up items in the refrigerator that are close to their expiration dates while adding flavor to your meals.

Tonight for dinner, I plan to make split pea with smoked turkey soup. The photo will not likely do the meal justice as the color of split pea soup is, well, pea green. Don't be afraid of trying it. The flavors are wonderful. It is important to note that you can use ham hocks, leftover ham, sausage, or whatever protein you may have left in your refrigerator to make this soup. I like to use turkey to lighten up the meal. You can also make it vegetarian by using vegetable bouillon and omitting the meat. My basic recipe is as follows:

SPLIT PEA SOUP
1 pound smoked turkey, shredded (you can substitute ham hocks, ham, bacon, sausage, etc)
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 cup carrot, shredded
1 stalk celery, finely diced
2 cups dried split peas (you can substitute soaked navy beans)
6 teaspoons chicken bouillon (you can substitute beef or vegetable bouillon or a packet of onion soup mix)
12 cups water
salt and pepper

In a large pot, bring the water, onion, and bouillon to a boil. Turn down heat to low and add shredded turkey and split peas. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes or until the peas are soft. Salt and pepper to taste.

Leftovers can be frozen. You may have to add more water to the soup when it is leftover. This meal goes a long way. Additionally, the total cost for the whole batch (as outlined above) comes in at approximately $4.50 and feeds 6 conservatively. Today, I don't have carrots or celery so I will leave them out.

Day 17 - A Month Without Groceries

August 29, 2009

A couple of days ago I was on Sirius radio speaking about my challenge. I followed a segment by a woman in Massachusetts who uses coupons and loyalty programs to feed her family of 6 on less than $10 a week. She has an amazing story and does a lot of charitable giving in her community. For those of us with the time and patience to use coupons, I say Bravo!! Keep up the good work. I think we can all learn to be more frugal and she has definitely figured out a system that works for her.

I have to be honest. As much as I would like to use coupons to save money, I don't always find it is effective for me. We tried that approach a couple of years ago and determined the coupons were mainly for processed foods or items we wouldn't normally buy. I believe you can significantly reduce your grocery bills by using them, but your menu options may be limited and there are very few coupons that work for fresh meats, fruits, and vegetables. That being said, if you have got them, use them. It's free money.

For lunch today, we will be eating some of the leftovers we have from the last couple of dinners. We need to use those up soon. This evening we have been invited to a friend's house for dinner and a send off for one of our friends that is moving so I don't have to cook.

Day 16 - A Month Without Groceries

August 28, 2009

Thanks everyone for the comments on my Month Without Groceries challenge. As was expected, some people cannot relate. Many others however, have provided wonderful feedback that is greatly appreciated and keeps me motivated to continue. I think it is important for people, no matter what their situation, to evaluate their lifestyles to determine if there are areas of waste that can be addressed.

One key area of focus in our house has been using our leftovers for lunches. In the past, my husband would bring a frozen meal to work for lunch (approximately $3.00 each) or would eat out (approximately $6.50 for fast food). Based on what I have seen in the workplace, the number of people who eat out for lunch far exceeds the number who brown bag it. The added benefit for me is that we no longer have those leftovers getting forgotten in the back of the refrigerator. C'mon, be honest, we all have them. In the last 14 days I have not thrown out a single leftover and my husband has not eaten out or brought a frozen meal for lunch. That has already saved us a minimum of $30 this month...and we are only half done. Tomorrow, I will share another way I am extending the value of the ingredients I have on hand.

Tonight for dinner, I plan to make chicken pot pies. To make this meal, I will use up some of the frozen vegetables I have in the freezer as well as some of those long forgotten baking ingredients such as shortening and flour for the crust. For the sauce, I plan to use some of the potato soup mix I have in the pantry. I've never made pot pies this way before, so it should be interesting to hear the family's response. I hope it is a success so I can use the ideas for other meals in the future.

Day 15 - A Month Without Groceries

August 27, 2009

Yesterday was pretty cool. Heidi McGuire from 9News came by the house to interview me for the Month Without Groceries challenge. She came by for a couple of hours to discuss why I started, how I plan my meals, and even a quick demo of my Pecan Crusted Tilapia. The story aired on Channel 9 last night on the 6pm newscast. For those of you interested in seeing the segment, here is a link to the story:
http://www.9news.com/rss/article.aspx?storyid=122078

I told her not to air anything that would make me look like a dork. You be the judge.

The viewer commentary on the story is a bit one sided indicating my lack of budgeting skills, etc. Certainly, everyone is allowed an opinion and I can't fault them for that. That being said, it is it is important to note that the reason we have spent so much on groceries is mainly because I went overseas for 12 weeks on a business trip and overstocked the freezer to ensure the family ate well in my absence. Needless to say, upon my return, there was still a freezer full of food. Now, I want to make sure that food that wasn't consumed when I was away is not wasted. Those poor folks who are spending $300 a month and eating ramen noodles (even for one meal) are really suffering. I am happy to say, we are not. We have pretty darn good meals every night.

Those of you who are questioning the validity of the story should take a look into your freezers and pantries and ask yourself, “Do I waste food?” Maybe this story isn't relatable to everyone, but certainly everyone can take a good hard look at their spending habits and eating habits and determine if there are ways they can reduce waste. I'll bet there is.

For tonight's dinner, I plan to make pizza. I have a package of Italian sausage in the freezer to use for the topping and will add some mushrooms and onions as well.

Day 14 - A Month Without Groceries

August 26, 2009

Just as I suspected, last night's dinner was not Mike's favorite. He did indicate the peanut sauce was good though. Poor Ania just had her palate expander (orthodontia treatment) put in yesterday and she was having a hard time eating anything. She did eat enough to mention that she really didn't like the peanut sauce. That being said, now I have an additional challenge of trying to feed Ania things that she can eat that won't get stuck behind her appliance. It is going to be very difficult and will require some additional thought on my part. Maybe soup for the next 6 months? Ugh.

Something interesting happened today. I was contacted by 9News to run a story on my 30 Days Without Groceries Challenge. It would be really interesting to see if it makes the news. I briefly spoke with Heidi McGuire who is a regular contributor. She is going to call back this morning to discuss further. Cool.

Today I will make pecan crusted tilapia in lemon sauce. Mike should be okay with the meal, but Ania will be bothered to have to eat fish again. Since it isn't too crunchy, I would expect Ania will be able to eat it just fine. It will be more a function of whether or not I can convince her to do so.

The recipe for this meal is as follows:

PECAN CRUSTED TILAPIA
4 tilapia filets
1/4 cup pecan pieces
3 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
cooking spray

Mix the pecan pieces (they need to be chopped finely) and bread crumbs together. Lightly spray each tilapia filet with cooking spray. Dredge fish in nut mixture and place on a lightly sprayed baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 10 minutes. Drizzle with lemon juice, if desired.

You can also use other nuts for this recipe including almonds, macadamia nuts, or hazelnuts.

Day 13 - A Month Without Groceries

August 25, 2009

Now that I am one third through the challenge, I have decided it was time to assess the ingredients I have remaining. In doing so, I have determined we are pathetically inefficient and an unobservant in how we use food. For example, I have two open bottles of soy sauce, two open bottles of dijon mustard, and eight open bottles of salad dressing. That is just crazy. I have gone through and consolidated what I could and will try to keep an eye on this in the future. I think when the refrigerator gets too full, it is harder to determine if we have an open bottle of something and we end up opening multiple bottles of the same thing.

I have also done an analysis of the food expenses for our family for the last year. On average, we spend $822.11 a month on food. For a family of three, that is downright gluttonous. I know there was a lot of waste included in that number either from fresh fruits and veggies that spoiled or from things that got buried in the freezer and were not salvageable. Pretty sad.

For today's meal, I can use the extra pork chops we had from last night. I plan to make peanut ginger seared pork over soba noodles. I made the peanut sauce yesterday so the meal will come together very quickly. It likely won't be Mike's favorite, but it will prevent the pork from going to waste.

Day 12 - A Month Without Groceries

August 24, 2009

Thanks Von for the wonderful dinner last night! No photos of the meal, but it was fantastic burritos with margaritas. Yum! I was happy to have a break from cooking. Tonight the challenge is back on!

Yesterday a neighborhood Boy Scout came to the door and I ordered some of their fantastic popcorn. Man I love that stuff! Mike questioned whether or not that counted as groceries. I told him it didn't and have amended the rules accordingly. Fortunately, Girl Scout cookie season doesn't start for a while.

Tonight for dinner I plan on making marinated grilled pork chops. Both Mike and Ania like pork chops so they meal should be a hit with the family. I may make another rice pilaf so I can use the leftovers for fried rice tomorrow. I'll see what strikes my fancy later today.

Day 11 - A Month Without Groceries

August 23, 2009

Today is Day 11 and it is a Sunday. Ugh. I like weekends, but I find them very challenging when it comes to keeping everyone from snacking all day long. This morning, Mike ate the pancakes that were leftover from breakfast yesterday and Ania had cereal. I can officially check breakfast off the list. It is the “second breakfast” that I am concerned about. Second breakfast is the time between breakfast and lunch when Mike and Ania like to snack.

This evening, we are supposed to go to a friends house for dinner so I am off the hook. I just need to make it through the morning and lunch.

Our running total spent on groceries this month is $1.58 for a half gallon of milk. I noticed last time I was there that the gallon of milk costs just 11 cents more. Since Ania can't drink a whole gallon before it starts to taste funny, I don't like to buy the gallon. It is definitely time to make a trip to the store to buy some more so I might have to consider getting the gallon size this time.

Tomorrow is the beginning of the work week and should get us back into the groove with meals. I am definitely looking forward to a less chaotic week.

Day 10 - A Month Without Groceries

August 22, 2009

We have reached Day 10. After this evening's meal, I will be one third finished! There is an interesting side effect of this challenge. It is one that I hadn't considered before I started. I am finding myself being a lot more creative with my cooking. Additionally, I am not repeating meals. I hope I can keep it up until the end of the experiment, but that will depend mainly on the ingredients I have left and my ability to maintain some level of creativity in how I use what I have. Mike has indicated he really likes this challenge because he feels the food is better. Hmmm. That is definitely food for thought for me.

This morning for breakfast I am making pancakes. I hope they stick to Mike's and Ania's ribs so they aren't hungry at 10am.

This evening we are entertaining some friends for dinner. I mentioned yesterday that I would be putting a chicken on the rotisserie and will serve it with a few sides. Our guests have volunteered to bring a salad and a fruit salad which was a wonderful surprise. They aren't even Facebook friends so they don't know they are walking into the middle of an experiment. I wonder if they will notice.

I made a trip to the liquor store yesterday and spent about $350 on a couple cases of wine and some beer. I think we should be set! Part of me feels bad and most of me feels excited to be able to enjoy a nice glass of wine with my meals. Cheers to that.

Day 9 - A Month Without Groceries

August 21, 2009

Last night's dinner was fantastic if I do say so myself. Mike even liked the rice and ranked it #2 of all of the meals I have made so far. Tonight we have a neighborhood potluck to attend. A number of my neighbors are also Facebook friends. To them I say this, do not be afraid of my contribution this evening. I will be bringing forks and plates. No, just kidding!

Being from the midwest, I grew up on tasty casseroles (pronounced “Hot Dish” in Minnesota). I will be bringing Chicken Divan. Chicken Divan is a chicken casserole served with broccoli and almonds in a Mornay sauce (white sauce with cheese). Should be good...or at least non-offensive for most.

Tomorrow's dinner with friends will be a bit more challenging, but I think I have a plan. I will put a chicken on the rotisserie and serve it with green beans in a dijon vinaigrette and a salad. I just need my lettuce to hang on for another day.

Day 8 - A Month Without Groceries

August 20, 2009

This is the first day of the second week of the Month without Groceries challenge. This weekend is going to be interesting with a potluck on Friday evening and dinner guests coming over on Saturday. On Sunday, we have another social event. Phew! I have Friday's meal planned but I need to get started on a plan for Saturday. More to come on this.

Dinner yesterday went over well. Ania finished all of her chicken and Mike almost polished off the rest of the bird. I saved the bones as usual for a future Chicken Soup night. I may have to pull it out before the end of this challenge!

Tonight I have decided to make grilled Mahi Mahi with rice pilaf and mixed vegetables. I know Ania will like the rice and Mike will like the Mahi Mahi, but Ania isn't a fan of fish and Mike isn't a fan of rice. Oh well!

I have started keeping closer track of the meals and the reactions from Mike and Ania. I am thinking it will be good to see overall what are considered my best meals and which are not the fan faves. That way I can adjust our menu accordingly after the challenge is complete.

Day 7 - A Month Without Groceries

August 19, 2009

Today is the first day of school for Ania. She prefers hot lunch at school so I am officially off the hook for her lunches Monday through Friday. One thing I have noticed is they eat lunch late so they are supposed to bring a healthy, non-messy morning snack to school. That could be interesting. I'll try not to embarrass her too much with the snacks I send (like croutons or something crazy like that). I will definitely have to assess what we have available.

This marks the end of the first week of the challenge. So far, I haven't felt impacted at all by not going to the grocery store. Mike and Ania have indicated they are pleasantly surprised by the meals I have made for them over the course of the week. I hope their perspective remains consistent throughout. By the end, they may want to wring my neck for using them as guinea pigs.

Tonight I plan to make a roasted chicken. I thought about doing it on the rotisserie, but changed my mind when I decided I didn't want to clean all of the parts after the meal.

Day 6 - A Month Without Groceries

August 18, 2009

We are at Day 6, which means we have almost reached a week of this challenge. I realize we have a long way to go, but this week school starts which will make this challenge much easier. Ania will be in school starting on Wednesday and will not be snacking ALL DAY LONG! For being a skinny thing, she sure can put away the food. I am certain she will thank her Dad for her metabolism when she is older.

So far, Mike has indicated he has really liked all of the dinners I have prepared for him. He has ranked them in the following order:
1 – Sea Bass with Creamy Polenta
2 – Chicken Noodle Soup
3 – Chicken Cordon Bleu
4 – Chicken Enchiladas
5 – Choo Chee Chicken

You have probably noticed we eat a lot of poultry and seafood and no beef or pork. That is because I consider myself a “Chickatarian”. I was a vegetarian for 13 years, but now I eat poultry and seafood. Mike still gets beef and pork, it is just less frequently than in the average U.S. Household. He doesn't seem to mind....at least he hasn't mentioned it.

We still have a very long list of options for dinner. Tonight, I need to use up some of our fresh veggies before they get funky. I plan to make barbecue pork sandwiches with cole slaw for Mike and Ania. I may end up eating one of those turkey corn dogs.

Day 5 - A Month Without Groceries

August 17, 2009

Today is Day 5 of the No Groceries for a Month Challenge. After this past weekend, I have determined that my most challenging days will be Saturdays and Sundays when both Mike and Ania are home most of the day. I have noticed they both like to snack which is problematic for me trying to monitor ingredients for future meals. I think they are getting sick of me asking “What are you eating?”

Mike has plenty of leftovers for lunches this week. In addition to some Chicken Enchiladas, he also has some soup from last night's meal. He seems to really like leftovers which is great for me.

Tonight, I have decided to make a Thai chicken dish. We call it Choo Chee Chicken after a fantastic meal we had one time at a restaurant. The meal consists mainly of chicken, coconut milk, and red curry paste served over rice. I don't think Ania will like it because it will probably be too spicy for her. If that is indeed the case, she will be getting a corn dog from the gigantic box in the freezer. We certainly have plenty of those.

Day 4 - A Month Without Groceries

August 16, 2009

Day 4 of the challenge has made me think more about weekend breakfasts. I had planned on making pancakes from a mix that just requires water so that I don't have to hear any complaints about how deprived Mike and Ania are for having to eat cereal on the weekends. Much to my surprise, by the time I got downstairs (at 7:30am), Ania had already eaten cereal. So much for pancakes this morning.

Today is a bit cooler than most August days so I have decided to make Chicken Noodle Soup for dinner. I know Mike and Ania both like it and we will have lots of left overs for lunches. I know this is a bit odd to some, but I keep the bones from our roasted chickens and freeze them to make chicken stock. Last time I checked, I had 3 bags of it in the freezer. Time to use it!

I foresee an upcoming challenge with a potluck party planned for next week. I don't know what I will bring yet, but think I need to plan wisely so my contribution to the potluck is acceptable. We also have a party to attend at the end of the month, but I think I can bring a bottle of wine to that one.

Day 3 - A Month Without Groceries

August 15, 2009

Ah, day 3. Today is the first weekend day and I am finding a new challenge in making breakfast for the family. We typically eat a larger breakfast on the weekends which often includes eggs. Being as that I don't want to use up key ingredients, I don't want anyone to eat eggs for breakfast until after this challenge is complete. Mike isn't too happy with that and I suspect Ania will have the same reaction.

Last night for dinner, I made sea bass with creamy polenta. Again, I got the thumbs up from Mike. Ania decided it wasn't good and didn't eat much. She really wanted pizza rolls. She did eat some edamame and went to bed without much of a dinner. Oh well.

Today I plan to make Chicken Enchiladas for dinner. I hope Ania will decide this meal is good enough to eat. She likes chicken, cheese, and corn tortillas, so I am hopeful we will have a winner.

Day 2 - A Month Without Groceries

August 14, 2009

I got a thumbs up from Mike on yesterday's dinner. Ania was less thrilled, but she was just being a picky eater. I served the chicken with mixed veggies and pasta to make it well balanced. Both Mike and I thought it was good and Mike has leftovers for lunch.

After our first day, I have determined that we need a new rule. Shopping for wine is allowed. Although we have a number of bottles of red, we had only one bottle of white....and we drank it last night. That's not good.

Now that I have had some time to think about my approach and determine what food we have available, I have noted this experiment will result in a number of positive impacts. The obvious is the savings we will have not shopping for groceries. In addition, there are several less obvious impacts such as
* Portion size will be more realistic to ensure we don't consume too much food for one meal.
* No more short order cook for me. Everyone will have to eat the same meal.
* No snacking throughout the day because I cannot consume ingredients I may need for dinners.
* We should have less waste.

Today is day 2 of the challenge and I have taken out Sea Bass for dinner. Looking in my pantry, I think I will pair it with creamy polenta.

Day 1 - A Month Without Groceries

August 13, 2009

So here we are at Day 1 of the month without groceries. I have concluded that I need to have some sort of approach to prevent running out of any “critical” ingredient during the next month. It would really suck if 10 days in I had to make nothing but ramen to keep the family fed. I am pretty sure I would never hear the end of it.

I think what I need to do is peruse my pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to come up with meal possibilities. Fortunately, I have a well stocked pantry so I think I will have quite a few options. I also have a freezer full of proteins.

In looking through my stock of food, I am wondering what I was thinking at the grocery store over the last few months. Did I really need that jumbo box of corn dogs? I don't think Ania or Mike even like corn dogs. I wonder what else is lurking at the bottom of the deep freeze. I'll be starting an expedition to the bottom of the freezer later today to get an inventory.

The good news is that I do have a lot of ingredients that are versatile and easy to use. Tonight, I have decided to make Chicken Cordon Bleu. The challenge is going to be the veggies. I have some frozen, but the fresh produce will run out soon. Too bad we don't have a flourishing garden.

Month Without Groceries Challenge Guidelines

I have implemented some simple guidelines to ensure we eat a balanced diet and don't cheat during the next 30 days. The following rules apply:

* I can purchase milk as needed
* I cannot make a gigantic trip to the grocery store to stock up before I begin
* The meals I make need to be well balanced (protein, starch, and fruit/veggie)
* Leftovers will be used for lunches and other dinners when possible
* The family's lunches are not included
* We can eat out for one meal a week, preferably lunch
* I will document my meals with photos and the family's response to them

Challenge Overview

A few weeks back I was reading through some magazines and came across an interesting column. The BA Foodist in the September 2009 Bon Appetit magazine had a question submitted about making the most of the food they had in their pantry. Andrew Knowlton's response included some recipes as well as a reference to a challenge he saw on an online message board to make a week's worth of meals using only what you had in your refrigerator, pantry, and freezer.

I thought a week was a rather short amount of time and after perusing my pantry, refrigerator and freezer, my Month Without Groceries challenge was born. I actually started my challenge 14 days ago using Facebook as the vehicle to communicate my progress, successes, and failures with my friends and family. After hearing from a number of people I should be blogging about this, I started my blog today.

I will post all of the historical information including meals and reactions to catch everyone up to where we are today at Day 14. All of these have been posted to FaceBook previously. I hope you enjoy reading about my experiences as this challenge continues to unfold.