UPDATE BELOW: Meal planning - paring down to the basics

Okay, so the other morning we decided we would take inventory of our current food supplies. With planning to live full-time in an RV, our fridge, freezer, and pantry space will be MUCH smaller than our current set-up. Current fridge size is 26.8 cubic feet - new fridge will be 8 cubic feet - just to give an idea of space compression! With that in mind, we wanted to see how well we could use much of our current supplies, eventually keeping only about a week's worth of food in-house. Gone are the days of bulk purchasing!

For each food inventory space, we determined what we had and whether the item was a staple (milk, eggs, chicken broth, etc.) or add-on (ranch dressing mix). We then made a plan for 8 meals (to begin with) to work through our current food supply. It was surprisingly easy with only minimal add-on items needed to create robust dishes. We intend to buy only staple items until we get through our current supply of food.

Here is where I am going to put in a little plug about my 3 qt Instant Pot. OMG, this little thing - nicknamed "Lily" - is a powerhouse and so easy to use. For example, I can make meatloaf and mashed potatoes in the single pot! One thing we plan to keep an eye on is how much battery power will be needed to use Lily and plan accordingly during times of boondocking.

Check back soon to see how our meal planning went!

***UPDATE: Well our meal planning has worked out very well! With 8 meals planned and as two-meals-a-day folks, we had plenty of food (with leftovers) while continuing to clear out current inventory. We did hit a bit of a hiccup when our nephew came through to stay for a few days. Was AMAZING to spend time with him...but...we kind of forgot how much young adults can eat! LOL...just kidding! Be prepared for the unexpected, right? I'll keep you posted as we continue to clean out the pantry!!