The Start of the Penny Pinching Pantry Raid (formerly $100 Challenge)!

As I mentioned, I will be participating in the Penny Pinching Pantry Raid (formerly $100 Challenge) that is being hosted  by Susan @ She’s Becoming DoughMessTic.  The challenge is to spend only $100 on food for four weeks, starting tomorrow, July 1st!  I decided to participate in the challenge for two reasons. The most obvious reason to participate in the challenge is to save money.  Typically I spend over $100 a week on groceries in addition to going out to eat a few times each week. There’s definitely some room for improvement there!  The second reason I was interested in the challenge was that I knew it would force me to use the food I have been accumulating in my freezer, fridge, and pantry.  I have a bad habit of buying food, putting it away, and forgetting about it.  It’s kind of like looking at a closet full of clothes and having nothing to wear.  I’ve got a kitchen full of food, and I often complain that there’s nothing to eat.

The other nice aspect of this challenge is that I can customize it to my particular situation. Here are my “terms” for the challenge:

• I will be trying to utilize the food in my fridge, freezer, and pantry. Keep reading to see what I’m starting with.
• My goal is to spend only $100 on groceries (food) between July 1st and 28th.  My husband and I recently joined a CSA, receiving our first share on July 1st. The approximate cost of the CSA during the challenge is $55 dollars.  That leaves me with a budget of $45 to buy additional food.
• I have a few special events during the time period of the challenge.  I will not be including the food prepared for the events in the budget for the challenge.
• I am not going to include the cost of eating out in the challenge budget.  I do, however, plan to limit going out to eat to once a week.
• In addition to posting about the food I have prepared as a part of the challenge, I will be posting a budget update each Tuesday from now until the end of the challenge to summarize what I’ve purchased, how much money I have left, and any money saving tips that I may have discovered during the week.

The Kitchen Inventory…

Last evening, I cleaned out my freezer, refrigerator, and pantry.  I threw out the old items that had expired, and took an inventory of all of the food that I had on hand.  It’s something I’ve been meaning to do anyway.  I was amazed to discover how much I already had. It will be good to use up some of the food in the kitchen.  There’s nothing worse than throwing away food that has expired while sitting in the pantry.

In My Freezer…

• Meat – Shrimp, Ground Beef (1/2 pound), Boneless Pork Chops (3), Split Chicken Breast (2), Boneless Chicken Breast (1), Ground Turkey (2 – 1/2 pound), Flank Steak (3/4 pound), Stir Fry Beef (1/2 pound), Mahi Mahi (1/2 pound)
• Fruit & Veggies – Raspberries, Blueberries, Strawberries, Bananas (ripe for baking), Edamame, Snap Peas, Petite Green Beans, Pureed Squash, Chopped Spinach, Sliced Yellow Squash, Sweet Corn, Broccoli Spears, Mixed Vegetables
• Misc – Waffles, Pierogies (3), Ice Cream (2 half-gallons)

In My Fridge…

• Dairy – Butter and Smart Balance, Eggs (1/2 dozen), Milk (1%), Half and Half, Buttermilk, Individual Yogurts (4), Sour Cream (lowfat), Cottage Cheese (1%), Cheese Slices, Light Boursin Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Pepper Jack Cheese, Monterey Jack Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese, Cream Cheese (2 bricks)
• Fruit & Veggies- Grapes, Cilantro, Green Beans, Cucumber (1), Rhubarb, Carrots (1 pound), Celery
• Meat and Cheese – Beef Hot Dogs (4), Chicken Apple Sausages
• Condiments – Ketchup, Mustard, Dijon Mustard, Light Mayo, BBQ Sauce, Honey Mustard, Salsa, Peach Preserves, Strawberry Preserves, Hoisin Sauce, tomato Paste, Thai Garlic Chili Sauce, Sweet Thai Chili Sauce, Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, Worcestershire Sauce, Partially Used Bottled Marinates (2-3), Ranch Dressing, Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Beverages – Coke Zero (8-10 cans), Powerade (4-5 bottles), Diet Root Beer (12 cans), Orange Juice
• Misc – Relish (sweet and dill), Bread and Butter Pickles, Capers, Chipotle Peppers in Adobo, Ragu, Caramel, Roasted Peppers, Homemade Raspberry Cake/Cookie Filling, Homemade Strawberry Jam, Leftover Cooked Chicken Breast, Peanut Chicken Pasta Salad (recipe to come soon…)

In My Pantry…

• Fruit & Veggies – Potatoes, Yams, Garlic, Limes, Tomatoes, Bananas
• Bread/Grains – Whole Wheat Bread (3/4 loaf), Corn Tortillas, Hot Dog Rolls
• Cereal/Snacks – Cereal (3 partial boxes), Oatmeal, Granola Bars, Popcorn Graham Crackers
• Boxed Pasta, Rice, Etc – Barilla Plus Elbows (3), Barilla Plus Spaghetti (1 1/2), Whole Wheat Rigatoni, Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles (1/2 box), Rice Noodles (2), Jumbo Shells, Wacky Mac (2), Egg Noodles, Farfalle, Brown Rice, Long Grain White Rice, Jasmine Rice, Rice Mixes (2-3)
• Canned Items – Chicken Broth, Vegetable Broth, Tomato Sauce (2), Diced Tomatoes (2), Crushed Tomatoes (2), Tomato Paste, Pum Tomatoes, Diced Chiles, Black Beans (2), Garbanzo Beans (2), Cream of Mushroom Soup (2), V8 Soup (3), Healthy Choice Soup (2), Tuna (2), Chicken, Peaches, Pears, Pineapple (2)
• Bottled Items – Salsa (3), Light Mayo, Hawaiian Marinade, Preserves (2), BBQ Sauce, Jalapeño Pepper Sauce, Hot Sauce
• Cooking and Baking – All Purpose Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Self Rising Flour, Rye Flour, Wondra Flour, Oats, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Confectioners Sugar, Chocolate Chips, Sweetened Chocolate Squares, Unsweetened Chocolate Squares, Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, Cocoa Powder, Coconut, Corn Meal, Agave, Honey, Molasses, Olive Oil, Peanut Oil, Canola Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Rice Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar, White Balsamic Vinegar, Sherry, White Wine, Malt Vinegar, Corn Syrup, Crisco, Pam, Pam Baking, Spices, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Extracts, Corn Starch
• Beverages – Assorted Tea, Hot Chocolate, Instant Espresso, Raspberry Drink Mix
• Misc – Panko Bread Crumbs, Plain Bread Crumbs, Grated Parmesan & Romano, Marshmallow Fluff, Peanut Butter, Nutella, Peanuts, Cashews, Sliced Almonds (seasoned – salad topping), Chow Mein Noodles, French Fried Onions, Marshmallows, Raisins, Light Pancake Syrup

Whew!  Hopefully I didn’t miss anything.  After typing all of that, I’m wondering if I could survive the month without buying food at all!  Most likely I will primarily be buying perishable items.  Unless I specified otherwise, assume I have a reasonable amount of each ingredient listed.

Now that you know what’s in my pantry – it’s time to get cooking!  Check back throughout the week for some of the recipes I have made with my pantry items.  I will also be blogging about my first CSA share and my Friday Favorites!  And… don’t forget the budget update next Tuesday!