What is for dinner?

Well, with payday not till next week and the budget extra tight I found myself telling my husband we have to eat what is in the cupboard.  Too many times we have thrown away foods because the date had long expired.  Why on earth do we buy some items only to keep shoving and pushing them  until they find their way buried under other foods and way at the back where we almost need a robotic arm or a step ladder to reach?  What do I want for dinner?  Hmm...Wendy's, Olive Garden, even McDonald's.  Not happening!  Bills to pay and bills to pay and bills to pay.  Okay, back to the closet -

What is hiding in there?  A can of Sloppy Joe Mix, a can of carrots (I didn't even know we ate those), rice, mac and cheese (yuck, I only like homemade), a jar of spaghetti sauce, more rice, chicken broth, stale boxes of cereal, a box of crackers (one year out of date), and more rice!  In the freezer there is a package of chicken that is still good, but the refrigerator is looking pretty bare.  Should I just sit down and cry?  What would Aunt Nancy do?

Tonight we ate what was left of a box of rotini with the spaghetti sauce and a bit of shredded cheese we had.  My little boy enjoyed some leftover peas.  No meat for us tonight but that was one meal down.  Seven more to go.  Time to search through the recipes and my all time favorite site allrecipes.com . 

Meal 1 = sloppy joe on rice instead of bread   (I will need to purchase 1 lb. of burger.)
Meal 2  and  3 =  chicken vegetable soup  ( I have everything for this - chicken, broth, bouillon cubes, carrots, and rice.)
Meal 4 = breakfast for dinner ( I have eggs and all of the ingredients I need to make homemade pancakes.)
Meal 5 = hot dogs and oh dear kraft mac and cheese (I think I'll add a bit of that shredded cheese that is left
Meal 6 = Rice and veggies (I will need to purchase a bag of mixed frozen veggies.)
Meal 7 = Baked potatoes with cheese and the leftover veggies from last night or perhaps a peanut butter sandwich on homemade bread. (I have everything I need for these.)

I know, it is not the healthiest!  But when you have to eat and the cupboard is bare and the funds are low, you simply just have to eat.  And I think only having to buy 1 lb of burger and a bag of mixed  vegetables will fit our budget nicely and leave me room for some better food choices the second half of the month.  So, I guess I did Aunt Nancy this.  I pushed up my sleeves and made do with what I had.  We won't go hungry and we won't go in debt.  The bills will all be paid and maybe just a little will be left.  What more can we ask for than that?  Thank you Aunt Nancy!