When the menu plan goes out the window....

 After reviewing my menu plans for July to see what was left to pick from this week, I realized most of the menus were left. I hardly stuck to that plan at all this month. At yet what I cooked at home was made with items I'd either had on hand or bought for those recipe ideas. While I am a firm beleiver in menu planning and its benefits to saving time and money, I also love when having a fully stocked pantry hands the ability to go 'offline' if I chose to without it costing me more money.
Tonight was a perfect example. I took chicken out of the freezer, decided that I really didn't want the chicken marsala on the menu and got to thinking what I did have a taste for. The answer was a tried and true recipe for Honey Glazed Chicken. I had all the ingredients on hand (and discovered that I'd best add honey to that short grocery list for August since the honey pot is dangerously low) so off  I went. I added simple steamed basmati rice (for sopping up all the lovely 'gravy' this dish creates) and steamed peas seasoned with savory.
Teen daughter and adult son both never made it home for the meal so I have two nice chicken breasts in the refrigerator ready to turn into chicken salad for lunch tomorrow as well as a nice baggie of steamed basmati rice (I'm thinking the addition of milk, truvia, and cinnamon and a few minutes in the microwave will make this tomorrow's breakfast). Youngest son and I finished off the peas.
Without spending an extra cent I went off plan and managed to put a delicious meal on the table!