Pantry Challenge: Day 4 & The Public School Mom Extra Challenge

Well, I'm sick with a virus. I'm in bed with fever and aches and meds. I'm so thankful Trish brought me canned foods she could not use because times like this usually throw me off a budget for food. I would normally have Rick pick up something for he and the kids. Tonight I had soup for me and beef stew for them. That was nice.

(go here to know what I'm up to with this challenge)

One of the ways this sort of challenge is hard for me is in the fact that everyone but me has to eat a lunch that cannot be warmed up. Therefore, leftovers (which are a frugal way to milk out your food for sure) are not usually an option for us. Knowing that I was taking this challenge I went to the Grocery Discount Store in A-town where I usually stock up on a lunchbox selection for the kids and Rick.

They have these bags there that have granola bars, snack mixes and sometimes fruit snacks. I'm not a big fan of the fruit snacks but it's a fun treat when they can have it. Each bag is usually $3.50 and contains about 24 snacks. I got 50 snacks for $7. When you consider that a box of granola bars on a good sale will run you $2 for just six, this is not bad.

Reporting this challenge I wanted to report what I spent so here is that stops rundown:

2 loaves of sandwich bread, 2 containers of coffee, 2 lemons, juice (for our picnic and more for lunch treats), lunch snacks, 6 red onions, pesto seasoning x2, and something I'm not remembering at the moment that cost $1.75 (they don't tell you what the items are on your receipt). Total cost: $21.19

Day 2 we had leftovers

Day3 We had cereal, a beach picnic (meat, cheese, crackers, carrots, juice, apricots and corn chips)

Day 4 (today) Whole Wheat Pancakes, PB&J packed (I got sick), and thankfully canned soups for dinner

Here is what's up and coming (understand that lunches are what I'm making for them and will be adding a fruit or veggie, a snack and a treat to the lunchbox):

Jan 5: Cream of Wheat and Grapefruit Juice

Pesto bowtie pasta w/ garbanzo beans and chopped tomato

Chicken Tortilla Soup w/ Cornbread (that was supposed to be for tonight)

Jan 6: Banana Muffins w/ milk

Meat and Cheese Sandwich

Albaloo Polow (A Persian Dish for Epiphany...more on that later)

Jan 7: Homemade Granola

Couscous Salad dried fruit and nut salad

Lentil Casserole w/ shredded lettuce salad

Jan 8: Baked Oatmeal

Leftover Lentils and rice

Ham and Cheese Scalloped Casserole w/ Salad

My rule for myself in this challenge is that it's better to buy a few little things to make food with the pantry than to buy normal groceries. However, so far, I have everything to make the above. Next week I hope to make some homemade things for lunches as well to milk out the snacks I purchased for the month.