Freezer Stretch Challenge- Day 1

My freezer and pantry are so full right now and I need to downsize so much. I have been finding it hard to put new stuff in or even find stuff in there to make. I do have my freezer list on the outside telling me but I admit I haven't been that good in updating it as needed.

So i was reading a story the other day about a woman who hasn't bought anything new in five years. I was impressed by how she worked the thrift stores, barters, and finds things. I honestly can't do that myself but I do want to use less, waste less, and stretch things more. So I am setting  a challenge for the next few weeks to empty to the freezer and use the food we have. I am only going to buy staples like milk, and butter as needed. I will still be getting fresh veggies from my co-op every other week which will help with that as well.

So here I am starting out on Day 1 making a pork tenderloin, crockpot cheesy potatoes and some carrots. I like to have the basics with dinner a meat, starch and veggie so this meal had it all. I had  basic pork tenderloin that I seasoned with garlic salt and italian seasoning. These are a stable I use all the time and I buy in the larger containers.

The cheesy potatoes were another super easy thing to make with minimal effort and they turned out great. I used one bag of frozen souther style potatoes which I let thaw for about an hour. I than took one can of cheese soup, mushroom soup, half a can of milk, and about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. I mixed it all together in the crock pot and topped it off with another 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. I set it on low for about six hours. They were awesome and actually better than if I had stuck them in the oven.

I also had a can of carrots in the pantry which my daughter hated. She told me they tasted like olives and that wasn't a taste she wanted with her carrots. I thought they tasted fine and were a name brand but to each their own with preferred tastes.

So let's see how this go and se how long we last on it. I was also hoping to maybe go a month without buying craft items and use what I have on hand. I have lots of projects so I might fidge a little and buy a few things so I can finish some of them but than no buying. We will see how that goes as well.