Menu Plan - Pantry Challenge Week 20

Last week I told you that our menu was going to be part of the Live Below the Line Campaign whereby I would endeavor to feed our family on $4.50 per day.  I was not under any illusion that this would be easy since we are a food eatin' kinda family.  We like food and we like to feed others - that's how we roll.

And yes, we are on week 20 of the self-inflicted pantry challenge as well.  A challenge within a challenge - it's like I am living the movie "Inception!"

What I learned was a.  the actual cost break down of individual foods b.  that we could manage on $1.50 each per day fairly comfortably by relying on the charity of others and our past excesses and c.  without leftovers or charity, it was far more difficult to live below the line.

Here's how it went:

On Monday we went to a potluck charity dinner which also happened to be a book talk given by a local author and good friend of ours.  We took a rice salad which was firmly within both the pantry and the Live Below the Line challenges but had our bellies filled due to the offerings others.  I can see how community factors into the ability to feed a family living below the poverty line. 

Even though meat was not really on the menu plan for the week, we had some Tuesday night.  A hunter and friend of ours gave us some of his venison sausages which was a welcome surprise.

The rest of the week puttered along with a couple of hiccups that culminated in a complete write off on Friday.

Since we started the week with leftovers, lunches were taken care of for all of us. 

Engineer's office supplies the employees with fruit every week so I didn't have to worry about his fruit consumption.  They also had a "Lunch & Learn" one day and his Dad took him out to lunch so he was totally covered for lunch and snacks.

I found a couple of dollar bags of produce at Brookshire's which helped with Diva's and my fruit consumption. 

I am so thankful for a garden.

I was very aware of what we ate and how much it cost all week.  That was a bit stressful thinking down to the penny how much things were costing us and actually telling our daughter no in regards to food.  That was a horrible feeling and one I loathe to repeat.  I cannot imagine having to tell hungry children no on a regular basis.  I cannot imagine and I don't want to even if I could.

This week we are shedding the $1.50 challenge and diving head first back into the pantry challenge.  Diva did ask if we were still doing the challenge and if so, could we maybe make it a $2.00 challenge instead?

Sunday - Spaghetti & Meatballs, Salad, & Garlic Bread (with my parents)

Monday - Turkey Fried Rice and Garlicky Pac Choi

Tuesday - Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup and Collards

Wednesday - Rainbow Chard Omelette and Sweet Potato Hash Browns

Thursday - Big Salad

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - Chicken Stir Fry


This is part of Menu Plan Monday.