Purging the Pantry

Last year, MaryAlice made a comment that she was trying to focus on using up those things that tend to accumulate in the pantry over the course of a year. I’m not sure if it is part of her Lenten food plan this year, but I found it to be a great exercise last year and am trying to do it again. It makes me more conscientious about what we are using and wasting and more grateful for the bounty we have!

Last night I threw out several rancid bottles of specialty oils that I rarely use (how long they had been sitting there rancid is a great question) and I will find a way to incorporate half a cup of salted pepitas and 1 C of leftover bulk barley into something this week. I’ll also use some duck and Trader Joe’s satay sauce while my not-Indian-food-loving husband is out of town. It really is amazing what can be pulled together from the shelves of the pantry with a little creativity before it goes to waste. I also went through the freezer so I can use everything up before it succumbs to freezer burn.