Pantry Challenge Jan 23-30 wrap-up

I am going to write this last pantry challenge post - and then STP.

I am boring myself :-)

I am going to continue the 'eat out of my hoard' project however - I have a long way to go..... but between my change in the way I shop... and the current usage.... I have cut my grocery bill by almost half and am enjoying the SPACE in my refrigerator!  I haven't used the 2nd fridge in the garage in a couple of weeks.  We still need it for drinks in the summer and overflow produce BUT I won't be using it for overbuying!

I will toss in a random note here or there about my creations but not dedicate space to the actual project.

Okay - so....

I made meatball soup with some homemade meatballs which had been hanging around the freezer.... but with the back and forth about whether I would be at my daughter's home or not with the new baby.... some of it ended up in the crockpot too long and some ended up back in the freezer.  The meatballs were actually porcupines and totally fell apart in the soup.   So the soup ended up with a heft amount of ground beef and rice.... but is labelled ALMOST Meatball so I remember where it came from :-)  I used up a couple of freezer containers of broth and some red beans to make it

I roasted a butternut squash and added onion & butter.

One night was frozen hamburgers from a box I bought last summer to have on hand for random guests..... I added oven fries.. and my husband used the 2 random pieces of individually wrapped fake cheese we found in the fridge.

I made an apple pie thing using a refrigerator pie crust & home canned pie filling.  I still have a few jars of home canned goods from 2014 [still sealed but I want them gone]

A batch of breakfast cookies (I located some chocolate chips in the pantry - still have 1 bag chips and 1 half bag m& ms for cookies another day)

And one night was asian-inspired...  a bag of frozen fried rice.... a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables .... and some sauteed chicken bites....

Most dinners served with cut vegetables..... 

I am spending a few days with my daughter and have left a couple of individual containers for my husband to warm up.... and cut veggies.... we will see what is here when I come home!