Pantry Pancakes

Being on a strict $100/week grocery budget oftentimes calls for creativity to make the meals stretch. I think a lot of people automatically assume that when we put "budget" and "food" together it means we're sacrificing on taste, health and all those wonderful qualities we think we're missing. Not true. We aren't eating like pauper's over here, I can assure you that! We have three meals per day (snacks and dessert too!) that are both wholesome and delicious.

These pantry pancakes are perfect for keeping an easy breakfast or breakfast-for-dinner on hand. I like to make a big batch and freeze ours.

So, what exactly are Pantry Pancakes? Well, you throw together a bunch of ingredients that are in your pantry, fridge or freezer and add them to your favorite basic, pancake recipe. I really like this one.

Here's an example of ingredients I used in our last batch of Pantry Pancakes:

After rummaging through my cupboards and freezer I found frozen blueberries from the summer, oats, local rye flour, flaxseeds and wheat germ. I'm not the best at giving exact measurements when it comes to whim-recipes. I spend so much time in the kitchen I just eyeball it! If it's a little to thin, add more flour. If it's too thick, add some liquid. Speaking of, I also had some almond milk in the fridge for my batter.

I freeze our pancakes in between sheets of parchment paper. You'll definitely want to use something, even wax paper, to prevent your pancakes from sticking together.

It's fun and easy to get creative while on a budget. If you have a drop of creativity in your bones, you can stretch your food budget. If not, well, I'm here to help you, my friend! We're here to help each other navigate all the ways to our ultimate goal - a debt-free life! At some point, yes, you can open up your food budget. We will, for sure! For now, it's $100/week for our family, period.