Pantry Challenge: Final Day

The pantry challenge was interesting. At times it was quite a challenge, trying to plan ahead and make an adequate meal for those eating around my table. Other times it felt like any normal day. I stretched myself during this challenge. I made meals I might have otherwise skipped over. I used things from the freezer that had been there for quite some time and would probably still be there today, and I definitely ate fewer fresh fruits and vegetables.

Day 7 of the challenge was probably the easiest of all. We ate Hardee’s for breakfast like we normally do on Saturday or Sunday. Lunch we normally graze (find a meal for ourselves) and so I had an egg sandwhich. Oh, it was good. Two pieces of bread and one egg. The bread was toasted, the egg was fried and my stomach was full. That night I had to work to put out Sunday’s paper and so my supper was Subway and I think George had some of the leftover chicken.

My freezer is not empty and my cupboards are not bare, but that’s not the point of this challenge. I got rid of things that I had been lying around for too long. It almost felt like spring cleaning. While I went grocery shopping Sunday, I didn’t spend more than I normally would. I stocked up on some of the sides I went through during the past week but skipped almost all the meat – the main thing I was trying to get rid of. And yet my freezer has a little more space than it used to.

A part of the challenge I hadn’t put a lot of thought into turned out to be the most interesting to me: Reading what my co-workers were doing and getting a take on what the pantry challenge meant for them in their homes. It’s amazing at how differently four people in one office cook. Granted we have different lives and family situations, but having a window to look at someone elses table made me take a second glance at my own.

George and I are continuing the challenge, but in a much smaller capacity. We both talked about the fact that there are other things in the freezer that we still need to get rid of. Because of this challenge we may be more apt to run to the freezer to grab that roast beef out for sandwiches instead of running to the store to pick up some more.

Have you set out any cooking challenges for yourself that you have or have not met? Let's dish!