Do you ever need to use up food items in your fridge, freezer or pantry? Maybe you are going on a trip, need to make space in the freezer or want to do a thorough cleaning of the refrigerator. Well, this is going to be one of those weeks around here. I am dubbing this week’s menu – “Use It Up”!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Life With Dee!
Dee’s Menu – Use It Up!
I did a survey of food items I have on hand that I want to use this week. I started with refrigerated perishables, then took stock of unrefrigerated perishables (onions, potatoes, bananas). I’m still working on my ongoing “clean out the freezer” project so I added in some items from there, as well. My pantry is packed, too, but I need to do a complete overall of that…another time.
Ingredients I Want to Use:
- ribs
- smoked sausage
- brats
- salmon
- bacon
- eggs
- fresh corn on the cob
- potatoes
- onion
- 1/2 head of cabbage
- apples
- oranges
- bananas
- strawberries
- grapes
- lettuce
- leftover coleslaw
- leftover baked beans
- French bread
After considering my list, here is what I came up with…
Monday
- babyback ribs in slow cooker
- corn on the cob
- baked beans
- coleslaw
Tuesday
- Cabbage, Potatoes and Sausage ~ An Instant Pot Recipe
- toasted French bread
Wednesday
- spaghetti
- salad
- green beans
- garlic bread
Thursday
- grilled brats
- roasted potatoes, peppers, onion and carrots
Friday
- salmon
- rice
- peas
- salad
Saturday
- pancakes
- bacon
- eggs
- orange slices
Sunday
- egg salad sandwiches
- fresh fruit salad
- chips
Stay tuned for a “Use It Up – Pantry Version” menu sometime soon!
~~~~~
The 2017 Ultimate Homemaking eBook Bundle is going to be released this week and I hear there will be over 450 recipes included! I’ll be sharing more about it Wednesday when it is released so keep an eye out. It’s only available for a week, though!
Do you want to eat a healthy, organic, grass fed diet but don’t think you can afford it? My friend, Victoria of A Modern Homestead, explains how they do it on less than $200 a month. Click here to find out how:
I am loving my Instant Pot. Not only is it a pressure cooker but it can also be used as a slow cooker. The best part is that it also has a sauté feature so I can brown meat in it first then switch to slow cooker. That means one less pan to wash…always a good thing!
This post is linked up at I’m an Organizing Junkie. Check it out for lots of great menu ideas!
Miz Helen says
April 24, 2017 at 2:07 pmLooks like you are doing a great job of using it up! Your Use It Up plan for the week looks delicious. I bet your kitchen smells really good today with those ribs in the slow cooker. We love egg sandwiches, I even had one for breakfast the other day. Hope you have a great week and thanks so much for sharing!
Miz Helen
Deanna Piercy says
April 24, 2017 at 2:33 pmI love egg sandwiches but haven’t made any in quite awhile. It’s a great way to use up eggs. Back when I raised chickens I made them all the time!
Thanks for stopping by – have a beautiful week!
Amy @ The Quiet Homemaker says
April 24, 2017 at 2:36 pmThis is such an awesome idea!!! Not sure why I have not done this, my freezer is sooo full! My fridge and pantry are ok, but the freezer….
We LOVE breakfast for dinner!
Hope you have a great week! And thanks for stopping by The Quiet Homemaker.
Oh I tried to pin your menu plan, but it kept saying that it couldn’t fetch the picture? Not sure, but I will try again.
Deanna Piercy says
April 24, 2017 at 6:32 pmThanks for stopping by and thank you for mentioning the pinning issue. It’s been an off and on problem for about a year. I’ve talked to the folks at Pinterest. Guess I need to do so again. Sigh…
Anna of stuffedveggies says
April 24, 2017 at 3:13 pmI love your use up the stuff in the fridge plan! It’s so important to do that once in a while to avoid waste : )
Deanna Piercy says
April 24, 2017 at 6:33 pmIndeed! And sometimes you just need a good, thorough clean-out.
Amber Harrop says
April 24, 2017 at 5:34 pmI always “shop” from my fridge and Freezer first it is a great way to meal plan
Deanna Piercy says
April 24, 2017 at 6:34 pmMe, too!
Tori says
April 25, 2017 at 4:38 amI always check what I have at home before buying new stuff. I suppose it helps that I don’t do a proper grocery store trip now that we can just pop up the road and grab what we need just about any day of the week. Not to mention, we only have a small kitchen, so cupboard/pantry space is seriously limited, and we just have the one fridge-freezer, which isn’t particularly large, and has to cater to two different people’s dietry preferences/requirements (we keep mine and hubby’s stuff seporated, unless it’s something we both eat, like bread and potatoes, and that kind of thing).
By the way, I love your Sunday dinner menu… Egg sandwiches are one of the main reasons I’m a vegetarian rather than a vegan… You just can’t get a good vegan friendly substitute for those around here.
Anyway…
Since I actually have a rough idea of what’s happening this week – yeah, I know, it’s a miracle – I have a tentative menu. So, here it is:
Monday: pizza.
Tuesday: asparagus-mushroom melts, followed by a fruit smoothie.
Wednesday: bagels with cream cheese, followed by fresh fruit.
Thursday: vegetable quiche with boiled new potatoes and green beans.
Friday: leftovers from Thursday.
Saturday: mushroom and onion omlet with hash browns.
Sunday: honey roast parsnips and herby roast potatoes with mixed vegetables.
Deanna Piercy says
April 25, 2017 at 6:40 pmWhat a great menu! I always say I could never be vegan because of cheese. Ha!
Tori says
May 2, 2017 at 6:33 amCheese is the other reason. You just can’t get good egg and cheese substitutes around here. They’re hard to get in the first place, and they just don’t taste the same.