Dear Friends,

Going shopping every two weeks and spending a big chunk of money may seem daunting but I can help you to have the funds to do this. All you have to do is take inventory of what is in your freezer, refrigerator, and pantry. Then plan your next two weeks menus around the food that you have on hand. This will save you big bucks.

This is a good habit to get into each month. It helps you to use up what you have before it gets freezer burned, slimy in the crisper drawer, or expired in the pantry.  My grandmother taught me that any food that you throw in the trash is like tossing dollar bills in the garbage.

I plan for leftovers. In the last ten days I have put several items in the freezer in single portion and 2 person packages. The pot of chili could have become a science project but I was determined to get ready for cold weather. Now we have three 2-Cup packages. I did the same thing with the pot of soup I made last Wednesday with my leftover pot roast. On Friday I made stuffed catfish with garlic cheese grits and lobster sauce. I vacuumed sealed the leftovers into two meals for two people and 2 single serving packages. On Saturday night, we made homemade pizza. We had a small amount of sauce, dough, pineapple, pepperoni and cheese left over. It was not enough for a two person pizza but it was just right for an individual pizza. I put it all together into a Pizza Kit for Robert to use when I am out of town.

Here is my secret for using this amazing food. I have a day each week that I plan a meal around my frozen entrees.

Sunday – Comfort Food

Monday – Ethnic Day  (Chinese, Cajun, Mexican, German, Indian, Greek, Italian)

Tuesday – Pasta

Wednesday – Clean out the fridge and make something from Leftovers: Soup, Casserole, surprise chicken.

Thursday –  Encore presentation (FlyLady P says this) This is the frozen entrees or soup from the freezer with a sandwich.

Friday – Fish day or Date Night

Saturday – Pizza Night

With this basic weekly plan for our meals, we are saving money and being wise stewards of what God has given us. My grandmother would be so proud!

FlyLady