Pantry Challenge Week

It’s time for a Pantry Challenge this week. What’s in your freezer and pantry? I’ll be headed out the grocery store in a little bit to pick up some milk and a few fresh produce items. It’s so cold I was trying to wait until it warmed up a bit… I’m a wuss and I know it! I’ll post the links to some of the recipes we’ll be using this week below.

Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

Cheddar Muffins

Pumpkin Pancakes

45 minute spaghetti sauce 

Taco Ring

Chili Dog Casserole

Tater Tot Casserole

SWEET AND SOUR MEATBALLS

PEANUT BUTTER CAKE MIX COOKIES

BROILED PARMESAN TILAPIA

Mashed Potatoes

Vegetable Casserole

Grandma’s Mac N Cheese

Cinnamon Toast

Waffles

Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog's avatarPollywog's Place Blog

What is a Pantry Challenge? Well, it is pretty much what it says. A pantry challenge is a technique I haveto use up the food I have in my pantry or freezer.

I set up one week every three to four months as a ‘Pantry Challenge Week’. This forces me to check through my pantry to see what may be hiding in the back. It forces me to check dates on items that I have forgotten about. It also forces me to look in the freezer. Look everywhere in the door, the drawers, and underneath the frozen bags of whatever is lurking in there.

I use coupons and I stock up on many different things. Sometimes these are things that we don’t use very often and I tend to forget about them so setting up this challenge helps me to be less wasteful and forces me to be resourceful. I…

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Holidays and Ideas

Every year has four seasons, and each season has its own set of holidays. While homeschooling I try to take advantage of the holidays to research and teach my children about them. We have the flexibility to take time and study these important dates.

How We Homeschool: 4-Day Sample Schedule

Holidays or special days that were set apart for remembrance started way back in Genesis. We use a lot of biblical references and studies in our homeschooling so it is important to me to that my children learn about the true meanings and origins of these days. As a teacher I can also have some control over what they are exposed to as well.

Our Perpetual Meal Plans are full of special Holiday ideas and Meal Plans!

We don’t generally do an in depth study on any particular date. If the kids are more interested in one holiday then we may do a little extra. We can usually turn these into mini units and work them in with our regular school work. I will also leave out seasonal or holiday themed items for the kids to explore independently.

Ultimate Holiday Planning: A 12 Week Strategy

The key in our house is to keep it simple. We don’t have to decorate for every holiday. We don’t have to go overboard with learning about it. Sometimes just a brief discussion or a couple of YouTube videos is all we do. However there are some holidays that hold more importance here at our house. Christmas and Easter are two of those holidays. I have always wanted to try to do an Advent calendar or study so this year I am attempting to begin one.

I will try my best to keep this page updated and post resources that we are using as well. Please feel free to leave suggestions in the comments too.

Gift Giving Ideas

January Holidays

February Holidays

March Holidays

April Holidays

May Holidays

June Holidays

July Holidays

August Holidays

September Holidays

October Holidays

November Holidays

December Holidays

Others:

This site, A to Z Kids Stuff, has a list of special days and activities that you can check out for more ideas.

105 Unique Holidays to Celebrate with Kids

Earthquake Cake

This is a dessert I’ve had a couple of times since I started square dancing. I love it… I mean it’s full of rich chocolatey goodness and layered on top of coconut and pecans… yum! Don’t plan on bringing home leftovers if you take this to a potluck though.

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Gift Cards: The Ultimate Perfect Gift For Every Occasion

**This post does contain affiliate links to products and/or services that we use. We may earn a teensy-weensy small commission (at NO EXTRA cost to you) if a purchase is made through these links. These links help to support our family, our blog, and our homeschooling mission.

 –Thank you!

Sometimes you have those people who don’t really want or need anything and they can be so hard to buy for… just like me. I always appreciate a gift card, especially when it is for something that I wouldn’t buy for myself or to a store that I normally go to anyway. Here are a few of the interesting cards I’ve found today (many of them can be sent via email to make it easy to reach those far away or if you waited until the last minute):

General: (You can use this anywhere!)

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31 Proverbs To Light Your Path

**Please note this post does contain affiliate links to which I may, possibly, earn a small commission from if you click on and purchase an item. For full disclosure click here.

As many of you know I am always looking for devotionals and such for my morning quiet time. I need something that will inspire, motivate, and encourage me on my daily path. When I need encouragement I often go to the book of Proverbs to find an uplifting verse.

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