A food challenge....

So, I was going to post about all the crazy baking I did over the holidays. We made goody plates for 25 friends and family - and I went a little bit crazy with my baking! :) I made 10 different kinds of goodies - 7 of which were brand new recipes. My new Kitchen Aid mixer is WELL broken in now after the holiday baking extravaganza! :) But, to be honest, I'm a little sick of sweets right now! I will do that post soon - and let you all witness the madness...I'll just say this much I used 8 pounds (POUNDS!!) of butter in 2 days! :)

So here's another kind of food post instead! Brandon and I were out of town for the holiday weekend, and came home to what seemed like not much food in our house. (except leftovers of those darn sweets!) We went to the grocery store yesterday and got stocked up on some stuff. I did a little meal planning, not too far out - but have a few ideas in mind at least. As I was unloading the groceries and putting them away, I started realizing what seemed like not much food the day before, was in fact actually quite a lot! And just yesterday I had read on another blog, about someone who had been putting off going to the grocery store and decided not to - and just get creative with what they already have!

So, tomorrow is New Year's Eve - and I have a few meals planned for the next couple of days, and I did buy specific ingredients for those yesterday - but my challenge for myself in the new year, is to live off what we have. Now, I don't have a stockpile to last a year or more (anyone else watch Extreme Couponing on TLC last night??) - but I have lots of random stuff! Tons of rice and pasta, freezers full of meats, frozen bananas, applesauce, pumpkin, and stuff I don't even know that's in there I'm sure!! So, I'm going to see how I do. I am challenging myself for the next 3 weeks to a month, to not buy any groceries with the exception of fresh fruits and veggies and dairy products. (Yogurt, milk, cheese and eggs) because those are things I either don't have a lot of at the moment, or I can't buy too far out in advance. I took a few pictures of the contents of my small pantry and two freezers.

The pantry. I have TONS of oatmeal, shortening, and chicken and beef broth. Plus lots of rice, and odds and ends of pasta.

Inside freezer. There's some taco meat, applesauce, frozen bananas and veggies, frozen pumpkin puree, ice cream and other random stuff in there.
The outside freezer: There is chicken, pork chops, most of our beef (we shared a 1/2 beef with my parents and some friends), sausage, a turkey breast, turkey broth, mock apple butter (made from zucchini) and freezer jam out here.

So what do you think....anyone else want to take this challenge with me? Eat from your pantry/freezer for a month? (or so?!?) Any ideas of what I can cook with all this stuff?? :)