WIS, WWA | $55

Sat - Dine out Mexican Sun - shrimp cocktail (part of bag purchased at butcher shop), chicken wings, quesadilla made from Mexican dine out leftovers. 1.5 pound of cooked shelled shrimp for $20. Mon - brats, HM egg roll, beans with leftover rice Tue - hickory smoked pork chop, gifted wild rice enhanced with mushroom, onions, peppers, asparagus Wed - spinach cheese tortelloni w/sauce, mushrooms, red peppers, onions, and shrimp, covered with cheese. Thu - grilled cheeseburgers, baked potato, and chicken chili (new recipe, pretty tasty) Fri - tilapia, orange rough, rest of leftover baked potato and pasta

My pantry challenge was thrown out the window this week. I had been trying to spend only $5-$10 a week on produce or ingredients to round out a recipe. But . . .

I had family over for dinner on Saturday. I did use up some things from the freezer but also spent $20 on fresh produce and some other things because I wasn't going to serve freezer-burned green beans for a side to my guests. On Sunday I was invited to a super bowl party and spend $15 on snacks to bring. On Monday, I spent about $90 on food at costco because I only go 3 or 4 times a year and I wanted to get some of the non-food things they had on sale. Naturally, I stocked up on a few Costco staples while I was there. Finally, at the end of the week, I got sick and splurged on a door dash run to pick up cold medicine and a few more things from the grocery store. With tip, that was $50. So, not a very frugal week at all.

Saturday - Spinach Artichoke dip with crackers, homemade chicken pot pie, roasted asparagus.

Sunday - Football food.

Monday - I got a hot dog on the way out of Costco

Tuesday - I had to return an item to Costco. Ugh. So since I was there I picked up a rotisserie chicken and had it with asparagus and strawberries.

Wednesday - Snowed and rained all day so grilled cheese with tomato soup seemed like a good idea.

Thursday - leftover rotisserie chicken and green beans. Strawberries for dessert.

Friday - I have been grazing - more chicken, olives, cheese. Randomness.

Next week its back to the pantry clean out!

I must admit when I read your post yesterday, I wanted to belt out … “You’ve gotta have heart, miles and miles and miles of heart!”

WIS: $47.18 at Grocery Outlet (it did included some non-food items) plus duck eggs from a friend. WWA: Continuing freezer/pantry challenge version

*Leftover chicken stir fry w/rice, oranges *Duck egg, crustless quiche, rolls *Stuffed winter squash (filling from the freezer) *Brats, fried potatoes, red cabbage *Tonight - steak, baked potatoes, broccoli (at home Valentine’s dinner) … maybe, mug cakes *Saturday - brats, potatoes, red cabbage repeat *Ham, sweet potatoes, green beans, apple crisp I also made gluten-free muffins using leftover short-grain brown rice & raisins and some gluten-free scones using a banana and sunbutter.

$40 at Aldi

A lot of freezer/leftovers food! Although on Wednesday, I made salads, and on Thursday, shrimp, mixed veg, rice, & some spices in the rice cooker. So easy it feels like cheating but it's tasty. And possibly ingredients are already in your house!

2 scoops white rice, add water to proper line 1/4 C diced onion 1/8 t garlic powder 1 T olive oil 2 C mixed veg ~1/2 lb peeled uncooked shrimp (remove heads) Put all in rice cooker, stir, cook on white rice setting.

in separate small bowl: mix 1/4 C soy sauce & 2 T brown sugar.

When finished cooking, scoop into large serving bowl, and stir in soy sauce mixture.

Salmon pinwheels, jasmine rice, kale and broccoli salad. Potato /egg frittata with fresh salsa. and spinach salad Spaghetti and meatballs. greek salad Saurkraut in crock pot with small amt of a leftover pork roast to flavor it/protein. Stuffed peppers (3 colors!!) in crock pot, on top of leftover spaghetti and some homemade applesauce for valentines dinner at home with hubby.