Cooking From Your Pantry

With the prices of many things going up, one way to save is to use what you already have. Before you go to the grocery store again, take a look in your cupboards, freezer and pantry and see if there are meals you could make with items you already have. Many of us continue buying groceries when we have all kinds of items already in our cupboards.

There are some blogs that have ideas for cooking from your pantry. Jessica from Life As Mom usually does a month long pantry challenge at the beginning of the year and this year also did one in July. She plans meals from items she already has and only buys milk, produce and items she may need to use up something else she already has.

Another idea is using substitutions with items you already have. The other day I had a tomato to finish up and had bacon in the freezer. I thought of BLT but I didn't have lettuce. So instead I used thinly sliced cucumbers and had a BCT instead.

This year I have been getting vegetables through a CSA from Bluebird Gardens. From the vegetables I receive each week and the items I had on hand, I haven't had to spend very much on groceries this summer.

So before you head to the store again, take a look in your cupboards.