Category Archives: No Take-Out Month

Feb 27

Well We Almost Made It

We made it to day 25 of the no take-out month, and the family couldn’t take it anymore. I picked up some donuts as a peace offering and ended the month, they were relieved. To be honest, I was surprised that we made it that far, they were pretty much ready to end the project after week one.

The kitchen kept me extra busy, I tried out a lot of new dishes, and made the usual take-out favorites for lunch. The dishes seemed to be never-ending (the next house I’m getting a dishwasher for sure), and I went through two bottles of dish detergent for the month. I also used the crock pot at least three times a week, that really helped out.

The kiddos really wanted take-out, specifically take-out with Uncle Rob. They asked for Pizza 51 and Crayola Cafe a handful of times. We’ll have to go on a road trip to K.C. soon.

James was a really good sport about it, but he was really relieved when I called the project off. I didn’t miss take-out at all, I always crave what isn’t here anyway, but I was really tired of washing all of those dishes.

I did notice a few things though… For the entire month I never had to fuel my van, without the extra trips here and there, I saved on gas money. I didn’t save on the grocery bill at all, I was hoping too, but I had to shop locally only (snowed in) and it adds up fast. On a happier note, even though I made a ton of extra desserts, I lost 5 pounds for the month. I thought that was pretty cool.

I don’t think we will take on this project again, it just wasn’t worth the grumpiness from the family. It was a fun experiment though, and I’m happy to have tackled some of my cooking fears. March will be here soon, so I had better get a menu plan together.

Feb 21

Lunch Menu 2/21-2/28

Alright, let’s finish up this month’s lunches. I have a simple menu planned for the last week of the no take-out month, and I’m ready for a break from the kitchen. So here we go…

  • 2/21/2011: Pot Roast and Potatoes (leftovers from Sunday’s dinner)
  • 2/22/2011: PB & J’s for me just J’s for Dylan and Potato Chips (James is out of town that day, so I have a super simple lunch planned)
  • 2/23/2011: Homemade Pizza (leftovers from Monday’s dinner)
  • 2/24/2011:PB & J’s for me just J’s for Dylan and Potato Chips (James is out of town that day, so I have a super simple lunch planned)
  • 2/25/2011: Chili and Saltines (I froze a big batch of chili for super fast lunches)
  • 2/26/2011: Hot Dogs and Chips (all the guys favorite) I’ll probably make something else for me
  • 2/27/2011: Chicken Chow Mien, Chow Mien Noodles, and Rice ( I always keep the ingredients on hand for this family favorite)
  • 2/28/2011: PB & J’s for us just J’s for Dylan and Potato Chips (I’m slacking it up on this last day)

There you have it. Let’s see if we can make it through one more week, so far so good.

Feb 15

Lunch Menu 2/14-2/20

This week I’m sharing the lunch menu that has been planned around my last grocery shopping trip. I try to shop weekly, but sometimes I forget an item (or two) and have to run back again. I’ve got a pretty tasty menu planned, and I’m using the help from leftovers wherever I can.

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  • 2/14/2011: Ham & Beans and Cornbread ( I made these over the weekend, and they are even tastier the second time around)
  • 2/15/2011: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Black Olives, and Homemade Bread (the homemade bread is from the Valentine’s Day dinner)
  • 2/16/2011: Beef Stew and Homemade Bread (leftovers from Valentine’s Day Dinner)
  • 2/17/2011: PB&J for me and just J for Dylan, chips and dip (James is out of town, so Dylan and I are having a super simple lunch)
  • 2/18/2011: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Chips and Dip (Yay! It’s Friday, time for an easy lunch, and catch up on the kitchen cleaning)
  • 2/19/2010: Pizza Sandwiches (Thade’s very favorite lunch)
  • 2/20/2011: Homemade Pizzas ( Sunday is usually the day that we get take-out, and I’m making a take-out inspired lunch, and we’ll have the leftovers later in the next week)

I’ll post the final menu soon, and we’ll say hello to March. Wonder if I can talk the family into one more month of no take-out…

Feb 14

Half-way There

We are officially half-way  through our month of no take-out. So far we have stuck to it, and I have to say I really haven’t missed take-out meals at all. I’ve been a little more than burned-out on the local restaurants, so cooking everything at home has been super tasty. I have been keeping up with the extra dirty dishes fairly well too, so I haven’t been living in the kitchen 24-7. I have also really enjoyed trying out a lot of new tasty meals for the family too.

There are a few things that I have been tricky this month… The snow kept me from making an Aldi run, so I had to shop locally only, and that is a little pricey. Also I was in need of an ingredient to make some awesome fried chicken, and had to hit up three different local stores, and yep, none of them had what I was looking for. I hope to make a run to K.C. and stock up, or maybe one day just move up there already, and then I won’t complain about shopping as much.

The family has been pretty good about the no take-out month. James has been really happy with the menu, but his co-workers are making things a little tough. They have been bringing in take-out meals non-stop to his office, and I know that bugs him a bit. I’ve made a lot of his favorite dishes, and he has liked the new desserts too. So far his favorites have been the Panko Crusted Fried Chicken and the Mini-Blueberry Pies.

Dylan hasn’t had any complaints. He has been really good about trying the new dishes and likes a few of them too. He happily ate the Cheese Grits at breakfast for dinner night, and he put away the Chicken Couscous.  He is usually the pretty mellow one anyway, but I’ll count it as he is a happy camper and doesn’t mind the homemade-fare.

Thade, on the other hand, isn’t happy about the no take-out experiment at all. He keeps telling me that it is the worst month ever, and he hates February, and he wants Pizza Sandwiches. It cracks me up a bit, Pizza Sandwiches are a homemade dish, not take-out. I’m sure that by the end of the month, he will be a little less grumpy. I’ve been making a lot of his favorites too, and asking him for extra help in the kitchen. Helping out with the cooking seems to cheer him up a bit.  Thade loves Spaghetti night, and Hot Dogs, I’ve served those a couple of times to make the little guys happy.

So far so good, I hope to keep it up for the rest of the month.

Feb 11

Lunch Menu 2/1-2/13

Yesterday I posted about my troubles with lunch, and it’s true. Lunch is the meal where my mind draws a blank, and I’m ready to head to the nearest Wendy’s and hit up the drive-thru. This month the drive-thru isn’t an option, so I’m planning lunches just like I plan my dinner menu. So far it has worked out really well.

If I have a plan in mind, and a little bit of time, I can get a tasty lunch on the table just in time for my hubby’s lunch hour. I am taking a little help from leftovers, and I had some kid-friendly meals on hand to make on the snow days. Here is my lunch menu from February 1st, all the way to the 13th, maybe you’ll spot a few family favorites.

  • 2/1/2011: Pizza Sandwiches (the kids love this meal)
  • 2/2/2011: Beef Stew and Homemade Bread (leftovers made in the Crock Pot)
  • 2/3/2011: Steak and Hominy (I froze leftover cooked steaks for a fast lunch)
  • 2/4/2011: Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, and Black Olives ( pasta is my friend)
  • 2/5/2011: Hot Dogs and Chips for the guy’s, I had Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup
  • 2/6/2011: Tacos, Tortilla Chips and Salsa ( the chips and salsa carried over to Super Bowl dinner)
  • 2/7/2011: Panko Chicken Tenders and Hominy (leftovers from the Super Bowl party)
  • 2/8/2011: Tacos, Pulled Pork Tacos, Bean & Cheese Quesadillas, Tortilla Chips and Salsa ( I raided the fridge and served up all of the leftovers from the week’s tasty Mexican dishes)
  • 2/9/2011: Hot Dogs and Chips for the guy’s, I finished off the Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup
  • 2/10/2011:Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and Black Olives
  • 2/11/2011: Bean & Cheese Quesadillas, Tortilla Chips and Salsa
  • 2/12/2011: Grilled Chicken, Green Beans, and Couscous ( I love couscous, let’s see what the family thinks)
  • 2/13/2011: Chicken Chow Mien, Chow Mien Noodles, and Rice

I’ll be planning and sharing the rest of the menu for the month. So far so good on avoiding the drive-thru, but we still have a few weeks to go.