Week 2 Plan- “Eating From the Pantry and Freezer” Month
Welcome to my second week of "Eating from the pantry and freezer"! Despite a few changes in my plans for last week, we ate well with only a minimal grocery shop (just to get fresh produce for the next couple of weeks), and mostly just food from the stash in my pantry and freezer.
Even with an unplanned weekend guest, I was able to pull together some nice meals. I created a wild rice and chicken casserole, which I will have to share the recipe for soon, as we all thought it turned out great! I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make a suitable, impromptu lunch on Saturday (I didn't want to serve our guest leftovers, as we usually eat), but I managed to come up with a hearty tray of nachos and cheese instead, with red peppers and tomatoes on top and some leftover meatloaf on the side. For dinner that night I made my planned stromboli, and paired it with steamed broccoli, for a very yummy meal.
This week threw a couple of wrenches into my previous plans, as I clued in that it is Passover and Easter Sunday. We've never celebrated a Passover/Seder meal, but I am thinking that it would be something really neat to try. Read the post that inspired me, and another post with some great info for those interested in having a Passover dinner.
So, here is the menu plan I've come up with:
Breakfasts
- Oatmeal x2
- Raspberry-banana muffins (supposed to be cranberry, but I used mine up to float in a punch last week 🙂
- Toast and eggs
- Breakfast wraps (scrambled egg, cheese, tomato, potato)
- Coffee cake (leftovers from a snack I'm making)
- Cinnamon Rolls (Easter morning)
- Plus fruit smoothies or green smoothies most mornings
Dinners
- Beef Stir Fry over brown rice
- Spaghetti squash with sauce (bumped from last week)
- Samosas (chicken) with yogurt-cucumber sauce
- Passover Dinner- Jewish Chicken Soup, with some Egg and Onion Matza, plus I'm trying to figure out what to do for bitter herbs and Haroset (without going grocery shopping!)
- Chicken Salad sandwiches with fresh sprouts
- Baked potatoes with broccoli and cheese sauce
- Easter Dinner- Roast Beef, scalloped poatoes, honey glazed carrots, corn, yorkshire puddings and gravy, plus some apple/berry crisp for dessert
How is everyone else faring with their menus while eating from the pantry and freezer, especially with a special meal like Easter dinner coming up? Have any of you celebrated a Christian Passover meal, and do you have any ideas for me as far as bitter herbs or a dessert?
Meun Plan Mondays are hosted by Organizing Junkie!
Do you have any dandelions in your yard? You could use dandelion greens for the bitter herbs. And maybe move the apples from Easter (just do a berry or peach/berry crisp- with your canned peaches), and use the apples for Charoset. If you don’t have nuts, you could use seeds. 🙂
Blessings,
Michele
Oh- and for dessert, I’m doing Macaroons, but Tzimmes could possibly count as a dessert, too. 🙂
I’m buying the produce & fish for this week, but everything else is from the pantry/freezer.
Michele
We have practiced a Christian Sedar for several years and it is wonderful! We use a Haggadah from Friends of Isreal ($4.95 each) and as you go through it, you really can see how Christ is the fulfillment of OT prophecy. If I remember correctly, the Haggadah has some recipe suggestions. (It could be another Haggadah I have).
For bitter herbs, we just use parsley. The adults actually kind of like it, but the kids really think it is bitter! I honestly can’t remember what I’ve made for dessert each year, but I believe a sponge cake is one of the traditional options. We always make sure we have Matzah Ball Soup and Haroset (also spelled Charoset). The adults use wine, but for the kids, we use grape juice. You will need a roasted shank bone from the butcher. I pop my in a freezer bag afterward and reuse it the next year. It seems to work and does not seem unappealing. I will need to replace it at some point, but this makes it easy each year.
Shalom!
I am also eating from the freezer and pantry for the whole month of April. It has been a great challenge for me because I have been following my meal plan and we haven’t eaten out in almost two weeks which is unheard of in our house!
This reminds me: last night I saw a recipe for s’mores made with matza crackers in Martha Stewart Living. That was interesting to say the least.
I am helping out at my church this week to do a Messianic Children’s Seder. I am so excited as it is my very first!
I have done the Haroset before in my Sunday school class and loved it!
🙂
Thanks so much for the link love! Have a blessed Easter.
e-Mom @ Chrysalis
A few traditional bitter herbs include parsley, horseradish and celery. You could also use any type of bitter greens, I believe. Traditionally they are dipped in salt water to represent the bitter, salty tears of enslavement.
We are trying to eat out of the freezer the next couple weeks as well. Things I know I am going to have to buy are cheese, fresh greens, milk, and eggs. Other than that we are getting creative with our meal plans as well. Tonight we are having a potato and onion casserole that has anchovies in it. I’ve been trying to work more fish into our diets and anchovies are so good for you. Hopefully I can make it without the family refusing to eat it.
I’m working on Easter (hazard of having parents that own a restaurant) so I do not have to cook or even attend a big meal this year…just serving up everyone else’s. I’ve already rambled on about that in my last post, though, andcertainly won’t get started again here.
Bitter herb suggestions — romaine lettuce, parsley, celery tops, any leaf lettuce, horseradish… or even dandelions like someone suggested! 🙂
You can make charoset with apples, cinnamon, nuts (I leave them out sometimes) and a little wine or juice. 🙂
Dessert — this is easy and yummy! But not healthy 😉
http://www.tammysrecipes.com/chocolate_caramel_covered_matzos
We’re doing well with our freezer eating. The only thing is that I didn’t notice much of a change financially since most of our budget goes to milk, eggs and fresh produce, which are the things I had to buy. I reduced the bill by some though. It helps that I don’t have to buy meat since its all in the freezer. I am getting a bit sick of peppers though! LOL. I made some yummy pumpkin muffins the other day though that worked great (adjusted a recipe) and will make more as I have tons of frozen pumpkin.