Friday, February 1, 2013

First Day of Eating Challenge

Tonight's supper for me was a bowl of chili. This is really for tomorrow nights supper. I think chili tastes best when it sits overnight. I omitted two things from this pot. Onions and a few jalapenos, let me tell you it was hard not to pull out my dehydrated jars of both!! The chili taste's just fine, I did add a little more chili powder than normal to make up the differences in ingredients.
Desert for the next day or two is pineapple upside down cake. The recipe called for 1/3 cup of shortening but I substituted butter in as shortening was not in my challenge pantry. Also you should use a 8 ounce can of whole ring pineapple as well as maraschino cherries. I only had 16 once can of pineapple tidbits, used 1/2 for the cake the other 1/2 I will use later. Worked just fine!!
How yummy does this look, the cherries would have been very pretty on the cake however I would rather use that money from the budget on something with more stick too your ribs type of food! Trust me it is as good as it looks I did a little taste test :)
Here is the 1/2 of a can of pineapple I didn't need today. The other container is a can of tomatoes I accidentally opened instead of tomato sauce, grrrr Mason man and Karsyn were over for a visit when I started the chili. It's not always easy to pull something together with 2 toddlers around. I have plans for the tomato's later in the week so nothing lost (other than my mind)
All the odds and ends recipes are finished. On to the first cookbook that I need to write up recipe's from. BTW if you love cooking this is a fun book!
Kara and her Mommy are  home sick with strep throat today. Time to get my bootie in gear and do some finish up work in the sewing room. It really is not as bad as it looks, most things are just waiting for a turn on the embroidery machine. I figure I should be able to catch it all back up before bed tonight.

The first day of the eating challenge worked out pretty good today. I am plenty full of home made food. I hated having to omit some things from my recipes when they were right there in the family pantry but I am going to do my darnedest to stick with the challenge. Here is a quick peek at our menu for next week

Friday
Lunch - Egg salad sandwich
Supper - Chili

Saturday
Lunch  - Egg Salad sandwich
Supper - Chili with Artisan bread

Sunday FREE DAY, family dinner

Monday
Lunch - SOS (chipped dried beef over toast)
Supper - Roasted chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, Veggie, home made regular bread

Tuesday
Lunch - Grilled cheese
Supper - Hot dogs with sauce, fried potatoes

Wednesday
Lunch - Chili
Supper - Chicken noodle soup with artisan bread

Thursday
Lunch - Chicken noodle soup
Supper - Pork chops, rice and gravy, veggie, biscuits

Friday
Lunch - PBJ
Supper - Veggie Soup

I didn't list breakfast as we will eat what we are in the mood for. We have English muffins, eggs, sausage, ingredients for pancakes, waffles, biscuits, muffins and such.

Off to hoop another item in the embroidery machine. I want all this mess cleared up by tomorrow sew I can start fresh next week with more projects. I hope to be able to give the final amount saved from the Low/No spend challenge tomorrow. BOA's site has been down all day so I haven't been able to do any banking :(

Anyone else in on the food stamp challenge? If so make sure and leave a comment or link up your blog in the comment section

12 comments:

  1. Hi Debby, I am enjoying your posts about this but no, I am not doing this challenge. It was not a period in our life that was easy, but I've already lived this challenge for real, years ago. Maybe I will write about it.

    I am going to take on the recipe challenge. I organized mine not that long ago but they are not in tip-top shape. It should not take me that long.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rhonda, I would love to know how your family made ends meet. I am sure a lot had to do with your great skills in the kitchen

      Delete
  2. Ha ! a parade lined up for the Embroidery machine. Poor girl is going to be busy once that parade gets going. Loved using your Crabby table topper for hubby's Birthday Dinner last night; a perfect occasion to bring it out I thought

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, glad you enjoyed it for your celebration of that sweet Crabby of yours!

      Delete
  3. I am really anxious to see how the challenge works out for you. I look at that and wonder if you are really getting enough to eat.

    Sorry about the strep throat there-that is just miserable- xo Diana

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Nana, I think we will stay fat and happy. It is just going to take me time to remember to make a better grocery list

      Delete
  4. Oh the pineapple upside down cake is sounding so good and I wish I had some right now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, it really is good, sooooo much better than the box stuff!!

      Delete
  5. A bowl of warm chili sounds really good right now...Neither of my kids eat chili (beans) unfortunately :( What are you cooking for your free day?:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What is it about boys and beans? Our SIL's are the same way, I make chili for them without beans, such a pain. We have girl chili and boy chili! Ha Sunday dinner is..are you ready for this Bean soup for us girls!! Jambalya with rice for the boys, not sure about desert and bread yet. Hubby gets to decide on that

      Delete
  6. So far, so good, Debby!! Question: Since you can only use items you're buying, do you have anything that you're worried will go to waste? I think you're going to do great with this challenge!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks Carla. So far one thing I found that would go bad after a month was a 1/4 sleeve of crackers. I ate those last night! Ha Corn meal is another so I bougth a fresh bag to replace the bag I am going to use up thats already opened. Most things we use are vacuumed sealed in food saver bags in the freezer, canned goods that will be fine, and dehydreated foods which will also be OK. I'm sure as I go along I might find other things. I don't plan on letting anything go to waste, if I find something then I will use it up and replace it with a new one bought from my budget. Clear as mud right!!

    ReplyDelete