New Year – New Pantry Challenge – LadyEm ~ Under Mary's Mantle

It’s the most budgeting time of the year! Are you singing it with me? Uh… my husband says, “everything is NOT song.” I beg to differ.

This year for New Years, we visited The Netherlands. I will post a few pics, but you can click on the link, “The Netherlands” to see the album on FB. It’s public.

So for the past 10+ years… I have participated in the Pantry Challenge, hosted by Good Cheap Eats. You can read Jessica’s thoughts on it by clicking the link. But for me – and everyone, it can be adapted to your own goals. I use Pantry Challenges to work through the pre-cooked meats in our freezer, as well as foods that may expire in the pantry. But more than that, I also challenge myself to only buy peripheral goods during this month – six weeks. For me, that means dairy, produce, etc. Let me lay it out in bullets:

LadyEm’s Pantry Challenge Goals:

Use Pre-cooked meats.
- And meats that are dates November or earlier in 2022.
- The reason behind this is that in Italy, meat and foods don’t have preservatives, and you can’t keep them, even in the freezer, for more than say four months.
Use soon-to-expire goods.
Shop my pantry/freezer.
- Cans of tuna/veggies
- Pasta/rice
- Flours, etc.
Bake my own breads and muffins, etc.
Only buy dairy and veggies…ok, maybe paper goods.
Participate at least six weeks.
- Many only do 30 days, but we have things to get through.

I get home late tomorrow, but I knew the challenge was coming, so – I have two weeks meal plan done, and a list of items to buy. In this way, taking Jessica’s classes on organizing my kitchen and knowing what’s in my freezer/pantry is an amazing way to live and not waste in my kitchen and in many ways have helped my family and I be more creative.

Now that we are empty nesters, we are even more creative because no one is saying “I don’t want to eat that!” Ok yes, we miss them all. But you know what I mean.

I hope, if you are reading this, that you will do the challenge with me. Check out Jessica’s Blogs and her Good Cheap Eats FaceBook page.

I will post more of our plan on Tuesday.

Until then…. Enjoy the beginning of 2023. My word of the year is PEACE. I intend to seek it, through faith and surroundings.

Love and Hugs,
LadyEm