Sunday, April 22, 2012

Pantry Challenge Kick Off!

Hey everyone! I'm writing this post feeling very accomplished. I woke up this morning and headed over to Whole Foods (the close one, yay saving on gas!) and picked up produce. My grocery bill for the week? $30!!! That is less than half of what I normally spend. That's awesome :) I got lots of stuff including broccoli, oranges, apples, carrots, zucchini, avocados, spinach and a mango!! Yum!

After I got home I tore it up in the kitchen and now I'm sitting here with a good base for my meals for the week in the fridge and a full belly. So lets check out what I made.


A big ass batch of quinoa! And may I state for the record this is the first successful batch of quinoa I've ever made. I don't know why but I seem to mess it up every time and it is always undercooked. This batch is perfectly fluffy and lovely. I am planning on using it in a few different ways so stay tuned this week to check that out.

The second thing I did was make a big batch of brown rice, most of which I used in...


The Vegg frittata that I saw Bianca make over at Vegan Crunk! I'm glad I checked out the recipe on The Vegg website when I did because it's gone now! I had to make the frittata from memory and I think I did a pretty good job!


Obviously I couldn't wait to tear into it for breakfast so I cut a hearty wedge and enjoyed it with grapes and the other half of my orange that I used making...


Homemade Larabars! I decided to make Orange Coconut flavor.  So good! I'm pretty set on snacks now so that is a huge help and will save a ton of $$ at the store. 

Orange Coconut Larabars

2 cups dates
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup dried shredded coconut
1 tsp vanilla extract (I used alcohol free)
zest from 1 orange
juice from 1/2 orange

Directions:
1. Add almonds to food processor and chop into small pieces.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until well combined and forms a sticky dough. Texture is up to your discretion, I like mine a little smooth but you can leave yours chunky!
3. Take dough from food processor and transfer into a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap.
4. Press dough down until packed very tight. Cover top with plastic wrap overhang.
5. Refrigerate for an hour until it firms up a bit.
6. Remove from loaf pan, uncover and cut into bars. Wrap each bar and store in fridge or freezer.
7. Enjoy!

 I'm going to take some time to plan my meals for the next few days. I'm trying to get more organized because I think that'll also help eliminate food waste.  Then I'm going to relax! I'm exhausted, I haven't stopped at all this weekend so it'll be nice to just be mellow for a bit.

Hope you all had a great weekend! Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY by midnight on Monday, April 23!

17 comments:

  1. Ooh I've never made orange coconut ones! Definitely going to try that. Thanks! And $30 is awesome. My husband and I tend to spend around $100/week which is higher than I'd like! I'm still moving more towards less processed food though.

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    1. Definitely try these, they are so good! The orange zest makes it so bright and fresh tasting! I was so happy that my bill came out to $30 and I'm hoping to continue this way for a few weeks. I always fall off the no processed food wagon but I'm hoping that if I keep seeing a drastic change in my grocery bill that it will stick :)

      I'm hoping to make some of the soy yogurt you've been making recently! Very stoked to try it!

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  2. The fritatta looks fantastic! I really love sliceable savories like that. The quinoa does look perfect too. I'm glad it came out well; it's such a versatile grain. Sorry I haven't been around to comment but I'm stoked for yr pantry cleanout/grocery challenge. They usually lead to some pretty novel meals. Looks like yr doing great already.

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    1. No worries, glad to see you posting! We all get busy :) Thanks!! I like savory things like frittatas and quiches too. I'm glad the quinoa worked out, I have big plans for it and I have a bunch left to cook up too! I'm really stoked also, I can't wait to see what comes together over the week.

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  3. I will have to look for the Vegg. I love Quiche.

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    1. You can find it on Vegan Essentials or Pangea. I ordered mine from Pangea. It's really good! It is crazy though, you mix it up and it smells just like hard boiled egg yolks. Crazy!

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  4. Looks great so far! I always made a big batch of a grain at the beginning of the week- it's so handy! Those homemade larabars look great too- orange and coconut sounds so summery!

    And of course- still way jealous on the Vegg- the way you used it there looks so good. Egg is one of the things I miss most and that just set my mouth watering!

    Gabby @ the veggie nook

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    1. Thanks Gabby! I've heard from everyone that making a big batch makes life a lot easier and now I'm a total believer! The larabars are amazing, I LOVE the orange flavor. It really is like a burst of summer!

      You should order some! I'd love to see what you do with it!

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  5. That's a nice grocery bill! We use quinoa quite a bit, so having a shit ton of it around is always great. The fritatta and larabars look terrific!

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    1. I know I was so happy! Quinoa is really versatile I'm looking forward to experimenting with it. Thanks! Good to see you back, hope you are doing well!

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  6. Not much better than being all ready for the week ahead! I love the low grocery bill - I think I have to step back from WFs for a few weeks, I've been spending too much!

    I love quinoa, and the frittata sounds divine - way to go, making it from memory. Homemade Larabars! Those sound fantastic!! I really need a food processor.

    Glad you have a moment to relax - enjoy!

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    1. I love the feeling of accomplishment and knowing that I can make quick, easy meals during the week. That leaves more time for other things like going to the gym :) The low grocery bill was a much needed revelation! I have a feeling that this pantry challenge is going to be beneficial for my wallet as well as my waistline!

      I don't know if I made it correctly but the frittata came out pretty good :) I couldn't believe it was gone! Note to self - print the recipe when you see it!

      I didn't know you didn't have a food processor! You can probably get one of those pretty cheap. I use it for so many things. I feel like you would get a lot of use out of it.

      Thank you, I did enjoy the day! Hope you had a great weekend!

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  7. Great post. Quinoa is delicious. Sweetie and I both want to try The Vegg, and have put it on our Vegan Essentials shopping list. I think it's great that you made your own Larabars although I think we should call them Vavabars or Sarahbars, right?

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    1. Thanks Rachel! Definitely give the Vegg a try, it's pretty good! I love the sound of Vavabars, so cute!!

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  8. I'd probably faint from shock if I only spent $30 on groceries. My grocery bill is much, much higher. :( I hope I can learn some good tips from you and your pantry challenge.

    I love quinoa. I make it with veggie broth instead of water, and I always use 1/2 cup more liquid than the directions say.

    I agree with Rachel that you should call them Sarahbars!

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    1. Mine is usually much higher too which is why I needed to cut the spending a lot. I was really happy with the bill.

      I was thinking about using veggie broth too but I just used water because I was planning on making breakfast quinoa as well. Ooh using 1/2 cup more is smart!

      :) I like the sound of that!

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  9. the larabars look great. i need to make some for the kids.

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