My No Spend, Eat from the Fridge, Freezer and Pantry Challenge for the month of July has officially ended, and I have never had such a successful attempt at really thinking through all that I already had to use, and actually using those items. With summer here and my garden flourishing with veggie choices, we’ve done a varieties of salads, smoothies, grilled meats and chicken, along with a lot of crock pot recipes. I only went to the grocery store TWO TIMES, yes twice in the whole month, and just for milk, a few perishables, plus a few extra fruits and veggies. I don’t know what my food expenses will end up being for the month, but I bet next to nothing for our family of seven.
For two weeks, we ate from our freezer before leaving for Guatemala, and I really had made a significant dent on it. Little did I know the huge blessing that would be because I got an email while we were gone saying that my freezer had gotten unplugged.
I was devastated, to the point where it was ruining my entire day, and I was MAD, LIVID at the waste, when I was surrounded by those that couldn’t even fathom having a freezer full of food. My sister in law saved some of it, and since most of what I had purchased were at rock bottom prices with coupons, the over all financial output wasn’t overwhelming, but the time and mess were not fun. (Yes, I admit, I delegated the clean up damages to my non-complaining teen son. I knew the smell and waste would be too much for my overly sensitive sense of smell.)
This past week, I had another bulk grilling (C.O.S.T. Cooking) day where I got a lot of items precooked for those days when I just can’t think straight. That hour or two of my time equals a minimum of ten hours of separate cooking times. It gives me such productivity in the meal making department. I love it!
I’m sad that my zucchini and squash plants died while I was gone, but the tomatoes are not out in full force and I tried Tomato Gazpacho for the first time, along with making a lot of “made to order” fresh salsa.
I need to get my act together on the tomatoes because it will be the first time I’ve had more than we can eat on a day to day basis. I think batches of homemade spaghetti sauce is calling my name.
Since eating, exercise, and healthy living kind of go hand in hand, I thought I’d let you know that yesterday we started a 30 Days of Healthy Living Encouragement (Accountability or Challenge), picking whatever aspect on which you need to focus. For those of you taking a closer look at what you are eating, I made up a quick month long printable calendar to track eating and/or exercise.
Since I have been thinking about my eating habits this last week, do you notice a big difference in how you cook and meal plan during the different months?
Chime in. I’d love some tips from all of you.
Do your eating habits change during the seasons?
Now off to be inspired with some more summer recipes. 🙂
Simple Rules for Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods – As always, please link directly to your recipe post and not your blog URL, so that everyone can find your exact recipe months from now. The new image link that I am using will not accept your recipe without a link back here to beautyandbedlam.com.
Also, Please limit the number of posts you link, and do not link up a recipe meme that you have started. Thanks for your understanding.
I am definitely inspired to eat more fresh, homemade foods in the summer. I have tomatoes coming out as well and am always coming up with new uses for them – like the puttanesca recipe I shared here today! 🙂
Our eating habits definitely change with the seasons. I avoid the oven in the summer and we eat a lot more fresh veg and fruit from the garden and the CSA. I find summer menu planning far easier than the rest of the year…and a lot more fun.
I like to eat more fresh food in the summer (especially berries!) and things that can be eaten cold.
I linked up with some Vietnamese Caramel Shrimp and Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon. I hope that’s ok since they go together so well!
I have no idea what i am doing wrong but i cannot link up. i have been trying every known way and nothing works. I still put your button on my post for margarita pie
Every week at least one person has this problem, and I am so sorry. It just needs to have https://beautyandbedlam.com somewhere in your post. Maybe the button didn’t have that in there.
I think as we get farther along in eating real food, my family is eating more in season. We definitely have favorite dishes for certain seasons of the year, like beef stroganoff in the fall and winter. We do more salads in the spring and summer.
I would absolutely devastated if I lost the contents of our 2 freezers right now. I have put so much from the garden in there this year, and I still have lots more to put in.
We eat alot in season since we try really hard to grow most of our veggies. I’m still working on cleaning out our pantry and freezer so meals have been interesting here.
We canned enough salsa for the year and to give some away. I’ve made some spaghetti sauce also. My favorite seasoning for the spaghetti sauce is Tones Garlic and Herb (you can get it at Sam’s.)
Thanks for the link up – I love seeing what others are cooking up each week.
Yes, I definitely eat more veges b/c it’s so convenient. I made freezer pesto for the first time for fall and winter; it was so easy. I’m going to make more to savor summer months. I linked up this sweet local stand (honest pay) and the pesto recipe. Thanks for hosting.
This is a terrible year for tomatoes in my garden in central CA, but most years I am buried in tomatoes and basil by the end of the summer. I make a simple marinara sauce in my 16 qt. stockpot — pounds and pounds of tomatoes, chopped up in the food processor, ditto several heads of garlic and a couple or three big bunches of basil. Saute’ garlic in about 1/4 – 1/2 c. olive oil (sounds like a lot, but remember this will yield several qts of sauce.), then add chopped basil and tomatoes and salt to taste and simmer uncovered for hours, stirring occasionally, until it is reduced by at least a quart or two, thick, and dark red. I cook mine outside on the bbq side burner to avoid heating the house, so I actually semi-cover mine. It’s yummy and very basic. I just freeze it in ziplocs or old sour cream containers for later in the winter. You can always tart it up a bit later with veggies, meat, etc.
Pesto also freezes well. Basil, not so much.
My eating habits change with the seasons because I try to eat as many in season fruits and vegetables as possible. They are less expensive (especially since I garden) and are fresher (because they haven’t travelled thousands of miles). When I want to use produce that is not in season, I tend to use frozen produce ( hopefully frozen from my garden at the peak) or items that I have canned from my garden ( like spaghetti sauce).
Here is an example of how what I cook changes even when eating from the same source: During the summer I tend to eat dishes with raw tomatoes because they are so good. when I use tomatoes in the winter they are usually frozen diced or canned spaghetti. all comes from my garden, but I don’t eat spaghetti in the summer when I can enjoy raw or grilled tomatoes.
Yes, we eat a lot more grilled food in the summer. And, I find it hard to be more creative with my menus in summer because I feel stuck in the mode of throwing on chicken or hamburgers. I also use the crock pot more, instead of the oven.
the summers call for salads! whatever is easy and cold is best for my family and I.
I must be the only one who always gains weight in the summer. Yes, I eat more fruit and salads, but in the winter in New England, dinner is often soup or stew and not much else. Lots of beans and whole grains. In the summer, we socialize a lot more. Walks to the ice cream store, spontaneous gatherings, BBQs, lots of birthdays, summer trips to the beach.. it adds up when it’s more than one night a week.
no, I think that with the kids around all the time, people may eat more produce, but they are also snacking along with the kids. I have GAINED weight this summer because I decompress a little which makes me want to munch,
I too find that I tend to gain weight in the summer. With allergies and heat sensitivity, I find summer to be nearly intolerable at times. Once the cold starts, I always feel so much better, becoming more active, etc. Love the fresh fruit and veggies of summer, but am ready for some cool air. Goodbye heat index! 🙂