This is the third day of my 31 Days of Living Well & Spending Zero challenge. To read all the posts in order, start with Day One here.
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With a freshly organized freezer and pantry, the load on your shoulders is hopefully just a little bit lighter and you are feeling good about the days to come. When it comes to food at least, you now know what you have; now you just figure out how to use it!
Thus, today’s assignment is to brainstorm as many meal ideas as possible.
First, as fast as you can, make a list of your family’s favorite meals or your favorite recipes. Don’t worry if you have the right ingredients, just start writing things down. If your kids are old enough, they can help you with this task! Keep writing until you can’t think of any more
Read through your inventory lists and try to think of one dish that corresponds to each different food item. For instance, if canned corn is on your list, you could write down “corn chowder” or “corn casserole” or “goulash.” If you are really stumped for an item, keep moving. For items such as ready-to-eat canned soup, it is okay to just jot down “soup”
Print this meal idea worksheet and list your favorite meal ideas from all the brainstorming you’ve just done. Be sure to include exactly where the recipe was found!
{get brainstorming worksheet here}
Finally, get inspired! Look through your favorite cookbooks or magazines or on Pinterest for some new ideas, or check out 2o of my favorite stockpile recipes for inspiration:
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Be sure to a comment below listing at least one easy meal idea or recipe from the list you’ve just made, then be sure to check back to see the ideas that others have provided. You are welcome to post more than one–the idea is to gather as many “stockpile” meal ideas as possible.
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{Go to Day 4}
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Amanda October 3, 2012 at 8:49 am
Oh my gosh Ruth, I am LOVING this challenge! I can’t even explain how invigorated I feel!!! You ROCK! Thank you for inspiring me to do this!
Ruth October 3, 2012 at 5:28 pm
Yay, I’m so glad to hear it is going well for you Amanda! Thanks so much for letting me know!
Claire @ alittleClaireification October 3, 2012 at 11:45 am
Day 2 was our freezers too! I love your menu sheets!
I am so impressed you have your days posted so early. Good grief my Day 3 will post sometime before midnight. lol This is hard work!!
Ruth October 3, 2012 at 6:27 pm
LOL Claire! What is your blog address? I couldn’t find it. To keep myself organized I *try* to keep a rough editorial calendar going with different blog post ideas; that way I can work on several at once. It’s a learning process for sure!
Claire @ alittleClaireification.com October 4, 2012 at 5:54 pm
Boy you ARE organized! Thanks for stopping by the site. I was so excited that you were the first to comment on my new blog.
Dolores Smith October 3, 2012 at 12:33 pm
I’m planning to make a bean salad. I’ll put the recipe here, but I’ll be using various cans of beans I have on hand plus canned corn and frozen green beans.
Here ’tis:
1 Cup vinegar 2 cans Kidney Beans
1/2 Cup oil 1 can chick peas
1/4 Cup sugar 1 can Lima Beans
1/2 tsp paprika 1 can yellow string beans
1 tsp. celery seed 1 can green string beans
1 tsp. dry mustard 1/2 sliced onion
Garlic (few shakes of powder)
Mix it all together and you have a few days of salad.
Ruth October 3, 2012 at 6:29 pm
Oh Ms. Dolores, I have been staring at the same bags of green beans in my freezer and the same cans of chick peas and kidney beans in my pantry for a MONTH just wondering what to make with them! Now we are down to little more than beans and here you are with the perfect recipe. Definitely trying this one! Thanks!
Jenny October 3, 2012 at 2:15 pm
I am so sick of spending over $2 on a tube of pizza crust. I just can’t ever find a good sale. So I bought pizza yeast (with a coupon) and was wondering if anyone had a good pizza crust recipe?
Claire @ alittleClaireification.com October 3, 2012 at 2:19 pm
I know my Husband has a good recipe that I will try to find. I also know it is BOGO at Publix in the Bakery through today at our stores as well so we bought 4 the other day and froze them so that’s another way to have quick dough on hand.
Katie October 3, 2012 at 3:01 pm
I use this one from Annie’s Eats. She is great about offering tips for freezing on many of her recipes. http://www.annies-eats.com/2008/08/15/perfect-pizza-crust/
Ruth October 3, 2012 at 6:31 pm
Hey Jenny, I don’t have my own pizza crust recipe but if you click that grilled pizza (#12) link above, there is a link within the post to a good (and very easy) one I’ve used several times. How’s the challenge going for you guys?
Jenny October 4, 2012 at 10:17 am
Thanks for both recipes. I printed them and will test them out. Ruth, we are actually on month 3 of an actual budget (not necessarily a freeze). But by the third month I was just aching for October 1st so I could have more money again! And we too are saving over $1000 per month. Its so sad how easily we spend money without even thinking about it (until now!)
April October 3, 2012 at 5:44 pm
I can’t say that I took the plunge into no spending, but since reading your challenge, I’ve gone to two places and didn’t spend on food or drink (my vice). I purposely ate before I left, then did not SPEND! I purchased the one item intended, then left. No scoop of ice cream, small bag of candy, Starbucks coffee. After considering Starbucks, I told myself, I have coffee (and plenty of it) at home. I can make there. Thanks for the inspiration!
Ruth October 3, 2012 at 6:30 pm
Yay! Every little bit helps! Thanks so much for sharing this April!
Sharon October 3, 2012 at 6:34 pm
I spent the entire day cleaning closets and cupboards. Had to go to the store for a few staples but only spent 52.00. No side spending!! Thanks for the inspiration and all of your hard work!
Ruth October 4, 2012 at 6:31 am
Awesome Sharon! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Sam October 3, 2012 at 10:09 pm
I am SO EXCITED about this challenge. I have to work on my inventory lists, but have really been chiding myself about not having a meal plan. Were you reading my mind again Ruth?! My plan for the month is to challenge myself to only spending $50 on my weekly shopping (now that I have a decent stockpile) and not buy any food out. That alone should really help our budget. Keep up the awesome work Ruth! I’m IN!
Ruth October 4, 2012 at 6:30 am
LOL Sam, I am not a mind reader but you have NO idea how happy it makes me to hear that you (and others) are enjoying this challenge! Keep me posted on your progress!
Neila October 5, 2012 at 12:50 am
I love chicken spaghetti and everything can be put aside in a pantry. You can make it more economical by canning your own chicken and making your own rotel for the dish. If you’re feeling really ambitious and you have the equipment, you can make the cream of mushroom soup out of bean flour instead of using the cans. Yummy
Cherry October 9, 2012 at 3:11 pm
Visiting from Tasty Tuesday – enjoyed your post! And I will have to look up the links for your 12 recipes – just clicked on the pumpkin muffins (#3) – they look sooo good!