Keep It In Your Pantry

Once upon a time, Cookbook cleaned out her pantry. Hilarity and shame ensued. I was inspired, but very lazy. A long time went by.

Yesterday I decided to clean out my pantry, a hot and sweaty process that includes having to watch where I put my feet, because my pantry also holds the cats' litterboxes. My oh my, was this illuminating. I decided to get it in some sort of order and eat out of the pantry for a bit to figure out what I really have and need. Peanut/almond butter? Tea? Dried fruit? Take away my debit card if I've got any of that in my basket.

I ran out of room/motivation when it came time to sort out the dried fruit and nuts and the pasta section. As I finish out some other food, I will have to move items around.

Strange things I found:

Couscous--I have philosophical differences with couscous. It is a pasta product, but pretends to be a grain. Let's not encourage subterfuge on behalf of the refined flour products. Why then, do I have 2 boxes of the Near East Herbed Chicken Couscous, and 16 ounces of unflavored bulk couscous? Why?

One six pack of hefweizen--Since it's over a year old, I have removed it to the bathroom to use as a hair conditioner. What? My grandmother used to do it.

One six pack of San Pellegrino Limonata--This shit is sour. I removed it to the "Cocktail Hour" section of the pantry. Oh yes, I now have a Cocktail Hour section. Clearly, if my fantasy self can't make cocktail parties a reality, I need to throw more with myself and the cats in attendance. I believe Willa is the sort of cat who gets silly on coconut rum, while Cain is a vodka cat. We will eat crackers with cheese and cornichons. Because I have some of those in my pantry too.

Three bags of brown sugar--Of course each is half-used. But strangely, not yet hard as a rock. Hmmm.

Three cans pumpkin in 2 different sizes--Well, we know who will make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.

Cherry balsamic vinegar--Suggestions for its use are greatly appreciated.

3 half pints of the cherry peach bourbon jam I made last summer--Did anyone ever eat that, aside from the Huntress? She thought it was delicious.

A quarter of a bag of apricots that had turned brown and hard--Somethings are just not worth the attempts to resuscitate.


So pretty now!