05/27/2026
This week I tried to cook from what we already had before we move back to California. Pantry, freezer, fridge - whatever needed to go, got used.
It made for some of the best meals we've had in a while honestly.
Pizza night with gluten free tortillas and whatever toppings were left in the fridge. Air fryer fish fillets with tallow fries (Troy caught the snapper himself). And a no-boil baked ziti from pantry staples that fed us AND our neighbor who just had a baby.
I also broke down exactly how I plan the week; the pantry walkthrough I do before I touch the grocery list, how I use the weekly sale ads to cut $40 to $50 off the bill, and how I schedule meals around our actual nights so nothing feels last minute.
All three recipes plus the full planning breakdown are in this week's Substack:
a real look at how I plan, shop, and cook for my family every week