Merry Christmas Y’all!
As the new year approaches, I think of the 2024 pantry challenge I will be participating in. January and February (and maybe even March) I will challenge myself to eat foods that I have “put up” for winter. I will eat from the fridge, freezer, and pantry for two months. Now I do have a few rules and exceptions for myself this year to ensure a healthy intake of nutrition.
Before January officially starts, I will take inventory of the fridge, freezer, and pantry to be sure I will have enough of the staples. Now, this isn’t the time to go to the store to purchase chips or candy but instead be sure to stock up on things that will last for two months.
I will make sure to stock up on dried goods such as flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Rice, pasta, legumes, oats, nuts and seeds. These are all basic ingrediencies to make bread, soups, and side dishes with. Recipes don’t always have to be complicated or difficult to be delicious, sometimes it’s the most basic recipes that turn out to be the best.
I have canned veggies I bought in bulk from stores that need to be eaten. Items like chickpeas and red roasted Bel peppers would make a delicious homemade hummus. Canned fruit will be a real treat on dark days when I need a bit of sunshine.
Apple sauce could help with the cost of eggs in baked goods. I have a bag of dried lavender in the back of the pantry, I’ve been saving for a vegan scone recipe. Dried cranberries and raisins can be used in muffins, sweet breads or homemade granola.
Frozen fruit will be used in smoothies on days when I feel like a light snack. Frozen pizza dough will be especially good on Fridays (even if it ends up being just a cheese pizza). The bags of veggie scraps that were put in the freezer will be made into veggie stock, just in time for soup season. And any frozen meals taking up space in the freezer will be brought out and enjoyed on lazy days.
This year I intend to make bread products from scratch at home. What better time to start a sour dough starter than during a pantry challenge? This is a time to practice the art of bread. Sour dough, bagels, English muffins…. the list is endless. Making bread is a skill I would love to own and what better time to practice.
What goes well with fresh bread? Butter, of course! The way I see it, why go through all the trouble of making bread if not to spread it with fresh butter. Butter is something I would love to try making at least once, but I get the feeling that once I start, I won’t want to stop.
Before the challenge starts, I would like to stock up on different cheeses. Chedder, mozzarella, Swiss, and gouda (my favorite!). I usually buy the bigger blocks of cheese and take the time to shred them at home. I fill a quarter size freezer bag with the shredded cheese and stick them in the freezer. I find this works well in keeping the freshness and the texture doesn’t change, I find it a better bang for my buck.
These next two months I will be getting creative with what I have. Chickens won’t be laying as many eggs in the wintertime so I will be having warm oatmeal bakes and homemade biscuits and gravy. These months I will also try making cereals and pop tarts from scratch.
Soups and stews will play a big part in the next two months. There are a number of soup recipes I look forward to making this winter and I’m sure I will have to get creative and make the occasional everything but the kitchen sink soup. Soups and stews are a great way to use up veggies and starches.
I would like to try some vegetarian recipes as well, such as “meat” loaf, pot pie and savory hand pies. This challenge is going to let me explore and get creative in the kitchen. Some days I can stick to the tried-and-true recipes I know and love, and other days I can try things that are out of my comfort zone.
I intend to try to eat at home as much as possible for the next two months, but I will allow myself a monthly allowance of $50. I intend to use my allowance for fresh seasonal veggies from the local farmer’s market.
The exceptions I have for myself are birthdays and special occasions. A few family members have birthdays in January and February, and if they would like to go out to eat or have a dinner at their home, then I will gladly make the exception and join them.
My goal is to eat all of the old items out of the pantry and freezer to make room for the new. I don’t expect to be perfect during this challenge, but the important part is to try and stick to the challenge as much as possible (without endangering my health). I’m looking forward to the next two months being in the kitchen and learning new ways to work with food.
During the challenge, I will try to be more social on my Instagram (@maggies_place_23) to share the foods I will be eating. I will be open and honest about the ups and downs of this year’s challenge. I hope this inspires you to look in your pantry and get creative with what you find.