Frugal's Bugle: THE YEAR-LONG PANTRY CHALLENGE 2016

The freezers and pantries were full and restlessness about meal preparation began to brew within. How to make meal prep more interesting? It was December 5, 2015 when Old Mother Frugal made the commitment to a year-long pantry challenge.

The concept of the “pantry challenge” was to not be wasteful and use what’s on hand, only purchasing those items that were “must have” to the shopping list. Some pantry challenge participants shop weekly, others shop monthly. For Old Mother Frugal, always on the prowl for a great sale, shopping took place more often than weekly.

Items considered by many as “must have” could include perishable items such as fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, bread, milk and orange juice. Some omit bread from the list and bake their own. With an ample supply of canned or frozen vegetables (either homegrown or purchased from the store), participants omit fresh vegetables from their shopping list. As you can see, the “must have” list becomes quite personalized based on a variety of factors. Time and pantry items on hand were two most popular determinates to the challenge.

Reflecting on the year, it has been a series of culinary challenges. Dusting off an old bread machine, a loaf of bread was made for the first time in twenty years. It had flaws but was edible. Homemade flour tortillas made its way into the meal prep rotation. Some delicious homemade burritos came from this culinary pantry challenge. Yet to be conquered… pizza dough, but it’s on the list.

Another component to a pantry challenge was nothing went to waste. All leftovers get used in some capacity, even if that means carrots were pureed and added to waffle batter. A little cinnamon and nutmeg, raisins if desired, and suddenly carrot cake waffles were on the breakfast table!

Old Mother Frugal tried yet again to grow a summer vegetable garden. Results were mixed. Half dozen zucchini were harvested from the little plot of land. Teeny-tiny potatoes, a dozen cherry tomatoes, half dozen mini-eggplant, maybe three edible larger tomatoes. Deer and squirrels were my albatross. Old Mother Frugal could not survive on her home grown garden.

It seems that zucchini flowers, those beautiful large yellow blooms were edible. An online search pulled up a mixture of cheeses that one would use to make stuffed shells. Harvesting five blossoms, they were stuffed and baked for a light yet delicious lunch one summer afternoon.

If Old Mother Frugal thought she was frugal before, the budget just tightened up a bit. Unless food was at rock bottom prices as in “haven’t seen it in years” kind of sale, it was not purchased. Meats were only replaced once there was nearly none left in the freezer or met the criteria of the aforementioned sale. This philosophy carried throughout the entire year. A bonus of this pantry challenge was that the monthly food budget began to shrink.

The monthly budget at the end of 2015 was $160/month for two adults. At the start of the New Year decreased to $148 each month. As months went along, it became evident that the budget could be slashed yet again to an average of a little over $100/month for two adults. Some months were more, some months were less.

It was shortly into the New Year when “ugly” produce and fruits were actively and intentionally added to the grocery cart. That would be those items tagged and bagged for quick sale and heavily discounted in price. They were usually ripe and ready to be used or frozen. For Old Mother Frugal this not only saved money but kept some good food out of landfills. The year didn’t begin with saving food from the landfills but it is a shopping practice that will continue for Old Mother Frugal. Food doesn’t have to look perfect when bought to taste wonderful at the table.

At mid-year “Feeding the Nations” put out a global initiative for another type of pantry challenge. Could one eat rice and beans for one meal Monday thru Friday during a specified week? Money was donated to the organization in the amount of what one would have spent on groceries for that meal by eating rice and beans. Up for the challenge, lunch became the “rice and beans” meal. A few days of soup; a couple days of black bean burgers and before long the week of rice and beans lunches had come to an end.

There is an organization in England called “Love Food, Hate Waste” which has a world-wide community of followers. Their mission is the name of their organization. Nothing more need be said, right? An educational resource of being not wasteful with food, it kept this one person accountable to the task at hand and food out of landfills.

Due to a variety of special dietary considerations, one may read this and think it not possible to eat frugally. If one does not waste the food that one has, one has successfully eaten frugally. Old Mother Frugal looks to the New Year to continue the journey of frugality with food.

With a series of “new to me” cookbooks purchased at local thrift stores, new culinary themes with a frugal bent are in store for next year. And maybe… just maybe… that homemade pizza dough that has eluded Old Mother Frugal will finally be conquered, at long last.

SOUND THE BUGLE! Today’s tip: During this holiday season, save bones from your turkeys, your lambs and your hams to make broth. Ham bones can be used a second time mixed with beans and water for flavor. Before you discard food as trash, give it another look. If you can’t use it now, store in the freezer for use at a later time. Broths freeze well and can be used to make soups or to cook rice or beans for added flavor. Once a week, empty out your refrigerator, place leftovers into a pot of water and simmer it down for a soup. As it cooks along, add salt or pepper as needed. You’ll never eat the same soup twice!

CARROT CAKE WAFFLES