In cleaning out the cabinets

One of the tasks I set out for myself was to clean out the cabinets. I could swear I had a Tupperware container filled with raisins but I'll be damned if I can find it. That was enough of an excuse to clean out the cupboards and find out just what exactly was there. Plus, I was looking for the barley to make chicken barley soup and that had been shoved all the way to the back of the cupboard where I wasn't going to find it unless I removed everything in front of it.

So, I found the organic canned pumpkin which will be turned into pumpkin pecan bread. I found the organic cream of chicken soup. I think that's to go over chicken breasts for chicken with rice. I found another half-used bottle of vegetable oil. I just don't use it that much. Oh look! TWO unopened bottles of low-salt soy sauce. One of those can go in the fridge where I'll actually use it. And then I found this, sitting sideways behind the vinegar. 

Nope, I have no clue. I'm not that fond of mandarin oranges but I do have this great salad recipe that uses them. Was I going to make that and if so, when? During the Reagen administration? 


Now Carole will tell you that I save a lot of stuff that quite possibly should be ditched. My spices have some of the oldest "best buy" dates on the planet. But when you need 1/4 tsp of curry powder and you don't have any, there is just no way to go into Whole Foods and buy, say, a tablespoon. What happens if you're trying a new recipe and you're in need of mace? Yes, I have some of that, purchase date probably some time mid-1980's. Why do I still have it? Well, you just never know. 


In the case of the oranges, no question those visited the garbage. And I know cooks tell you to replace your spices every year. But when you're looking at a $170 reinvestment every year, I'm just not inclined to do that. Plus, I'm tossing out what seem to me to be perfectly good food. I do enough of that when it gets accidentally shoved to the back of the fridge. "Well, this is fuzzy. Gonna toss it." 


I have one shelf cleaned out and am starting on a second shelf. What mysteries will it hold? I found the last of my add-water organic hot cocoa mix that Patt sent me for Christmas three years ago. I thought I'd used it up. Nope. That's good. Hot cocoa laced with cinnamon schnapps is a good way to warm up. 


Beverage:  English Teatime


Deb