Congratulations on surviving week 1, now we're ready for week 2 and it's about to get very tough. Today will be somewhat simple to complete, just a few minutes out of your day to get a good list going.
Task 1 - Take 10 minutes in your kitchen and take stock in what you like to use, what you need to use, and what can go. This is a good time to have handy your donation box from the living room, if you come across something you are wishy-washy about throw it in and see just how well you need it when it's out of sight. if you have time figure out a better flow pattern to your kitchen, do you use counter top appliances a lot or are you more of a traditionalist and like working without hands and simple tools? How many of your counter appliance do you use every day? Are they sitting there gathering dust? Make a list that includes these as well.
Task 2 - Take 10 minutes on each step in your pantry/food cupboards. For this job you'll need a new list for shopping/items to keep, a garbage can, and a separate donation box.
- First step is to toss out all the expired foods. Make a note of what you are throwing out, was it something you got on sale and forgot about but now want to use? An items you use regularly but didn't realize it had expired? Many an item in my pantry was bought for a specific reason and then I never used it. Now that it's expired I find myself having a need for it again. By making this list I can narrow down what I need to buy for a recipe when I want the recipe made.
- Second step is to donate all foods you don't need/want/have too much to possibly eat. In this economy that sounds easier said than done right. There is no way you can have too much food for your family! Let me tell you a little story about my kids. For the last 3 years every Friday during the school year my kids would bring home a weekend food bag, now it wasn't something we needed but every student in their school got one no matter what. For the first and second year it was 3 a week, third year 2 a week. each of those bags had breakfast, lunch, dinners, drinks, and snacks for 2 days. We chose to stock them for days when Mom was too tired to cook, or quick meals when we were in a hurry. I had so many of those bags that they took over 3 shelves in my pantry, I did the rough math, it came out to being 624 of just one item in 3
years. 3,120 items that were stored in intervals in my pantry. The kids and hubby ate them all summer long for 3 years, eating so much in fact that my children refuse to eat oatmeal or single serve bowls of cereal, can't stand food that goes from a can to a pan, and if they hear the words chicken and rice together they run. Amazingly they love the drink boxes and snacks. Now we're on to year four, where thankfully it's only one a week. But instead of stocking up we donate it to the local shelters where it's needed more. Stocking up is great when needed but remember it can quickly get out of hand. Sometimes your family needs less than someone else.
- third step is to take stock of what is left. Do you need special items for holiday cooking? Have you created your weekly grocery list yet? If you had to menu plan your whole month just with what you have on hand no shopping could you do it? I shop weekly for things like cereal, milk, and snacks while saving my major shopping for great sales. As such my pantry and freezer had been stocked for over 8 months. My areas are now bare and it's time to stock up on things we like and pass on things that are still sitting around unused. Right now I couldn't make a menu plan for a week without having to run to the store for something. Most of which are convenience items like pancake mix or cream of chicken soup. My goal for this overhaul is to stop relying on them so much and find plenty of D.I.Y recipes out there.
Once you've given your kitchen and pantry a thorough look through you can start planning your routine in these areas to suit your needs.
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