Every month at the beginning of the month, we do the majority of our grocery shopping. Lately we have been splitting this big trip between Sam’s Club and our local Kroger. It’s really been a perfect system for us. We fill in throughout the month with fresh produce and dairy items.
However, one of the downfalls of this system is that we actually shop for the month. That means at the end of the month, our supplies start dwindling. We have been working on building up a surplus, but it’s a little hard since we don’t have much extra space in our current home.
This also means that by the beginning of the next month, our grocery trip becomes a necessity. Our grocery money is earmarked from a certain check each month and as soon as that money comes in, we’re all set. But since my husband and I both run our own businesses, those checks don’t always come in with the regular consistency of a weekly paycheck.
So this month, we will be doing our major shopping on Friday the 5th. Fortunately, February was a short month and we are way ahead of the game right now. In fact, we’re starting the month with a 6 pound bag of frozen chicken breasts, some bags of frozen, browned ground beef, lots of pasta and plenty of tomato sauce, frozen homemade waffles and frozen veggies.
The snack department is a little short though. Surprisingly, 4 kids tend to need food more often than just at meal times. As a constant snacker myself, I guess I get where they are coming from.
So when the pantry is almost bare, I like to pull out one of my favorite tricks. I whip up a fun snack using whatever I have available. It’s not the healthiest thing, but it serves it purpose. Plus, it’s just really good!
Empty Pantry Candy
- Peanut butter
- Chocolate chips
- Pretzels
- Marshmallows
- Raisins
1. Melt some peanut butter with some chocolate chips in a 1:2 ratio, depending on how much you have. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine, just until everything is covered. Don’t add too many extra ingredients or you’ll run out of “sauce” for covering it all. Spread onto a greased cookie sheet and refrigerate until firm. Cut into bars.
As you can see, there are no measurements here. Just use what you have in any combination that works for you.
I’ve omitted the peanut butter, subbed chocolate chips for butterscotch chips, used oats instead of pretzels, used just pretzels… Really, the possibilities are endless. It turns out a little different each time, but it’s always good. And it’s a great way to stretch what we have on hand.
Tomorrow, I’ll start getting into our grocery budget and how I prepare for the big shopping trip.
Don’t forget to see what Toni and Jen were up to in their kitchens today.
This post is being linked to:
- Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace
- Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
