Frugal Pantry Challenge: Week 1

This week I made the following dishes out of my pantry, freezer, and refrigerator:

• Lemony Grilled Sardines (1 serving)
• Carrot Soup (8 servings -- still eating this!)
• River Trout with Dill-Butter Sauce (2 servings--didn't make the sauce, bought with trout)
• Banana Bread
• Blueberry Muffins 

More frugal news:

• I ended up spending the money saved on groceries on a "lunch out," so no joy there. In fact, it has been very hard not to eat out this week, after last week's enforced snow-in. Pure temptation and poor planning. I have lunch materials in house... and yet!
• For my birthday I was awarded a free Starbuck's drink (coupon), free yoga class (coupon), discounted dry cleaning (coupon), and invitations to all sorts of ridiculous things like auto shows (huh?). I will be using the coupons, but not the invitations.
• I am still hoarding the Starbucks' ground coffee bags that enable you to get a tall coffee for free. I love it! Walk in, hand over the bag, and get a free tall brewed coffee (my drink) for free. I've turned this into a treat for myself.
• I have successfully negotiated my new lease and will be moving as of 3.1, overlapping with the old lease. By April, Jack and I should be in the new apartment. This move will require decluttering, selling certain items (on craigslist, I think), and donating others. Although there is more space in the new apartment (by 50%), I don't want to move all the same stuff (again) with no thought involved.
• For my birithday, my folks sent me cash. Put it in savings or spend it on a nice dinner out? (Do you see a theme?)