January Pantry Challenge - menu for the month!

Happy New Year!


Here's to a year full of blessings!



Every year in January, I map out a menu for the month.  It's my goal to minimize trips to the grocery store, to use what we have, or to creatively do without.  I'll buy milk, maybe some bread, and perhaps a little fresh produce, but for the most part, we'll eat what we've already purchased.

For the past couple of years, I've joined Jessica at Life As Mom and Good Cheap Eats in this challenge.  It holds me accountable, and gives me a few ideas as I try to use all my creative tricks in staying away from the stores!

So, without further ado, here's January's plan:

Sunday~ Happy New Year!  Ham, blackeyed peas (from our garden), collards (also from the garden), a little rice, and a little beef tenderloin and swiss beans left from our New Year's Eve dinner
Monday~ Spaghetti and stuffed peppers (this is comfort food for us, and our first day back to school is going to require some comforting food!)
Tuesday~ Taco Night! Taco salad, quesadillas (my guys have informed me this should be a weekly tradition)
Wednesday~ Breakfast for dinner: eggs, bacon, grits, biscuits
Thursday~ Chili Mac (use any leftover meat from Taco Night)
Friday~ Roast in the crockpot, mushrooms, egg noodles, green beans
Saturday~ East meets West Chicken, homemade mac'n'cheese, coleslaw


8~ Turkey (from the freezer) & gravy, stuffing, broccoli with cheese OR green beans
9~ Taco Night! (I'm going out of town later this week, so gotta get it in early)
10~ Hubby & ds#3 are attending a dinner together, so Mom's on her own
11~ Leftovers
12 - 14 ~ I could make dinners, but I'm going out of town to a conference, and I know my guys will eat out...so I'm not going to obsess about it.


15~ Pasta Fagioli (already prepped and in the freezer - just add pasta when soup is cooked)
16~ MLK Holiday: Grilled chicken, steak, and burgers
17~ Meatballs w/brown gravy, egg noodles, green beans or salad
18~ Leftovers/Fend For Yourself (Taking girls from school to see a local production of Madame Butterfly)
19~ Taco Night!
20~ BBQ chicken, baked potatoes, collard greens
21~ Marinated flank steak, tossed salad


22~ Ham slices (frozen after Christmas), blackeyed peas, mac'n'cheese or these 5-minute individual potato gratins
23~ Breakfast for dinner
24~ Roast & gravy, French onion soup (which we still haven't had) green beans
25~ Taco Night
26~ Frozen Pizza, salad
27~ Spaghetti and stuffed peppers
28~ Leftovers or something on the grill


29~ Chili
30~ My sister's birthday -probably dinner out with the fam
31~ WHEW - we made it - OUT TO EAT!

As always, I share my menu plans at Laura's Menu Plan Monday, 

and this month I'll be linking up to the Pantry Challenge too.  

Come on in!