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.
TastyTuesday200pix Tasty Tuesday: Guess This Food