Our Pantry.
Z and I do a monthly sit down to discuss our finances and one of the biggest expenses that we have continuously identified is eating out. We aren’t really big fans of microwaved dinners (trying to cut down on eating processed food) and meal planning/prepping/cleanup is just such a huge burden, so we take the lazy route and do takeout instead. It’s not the most economical and earth-conscious decision (hello, where will all those containers go?) so, something has to change and I thought of cooking the pantry.
Cooking the pantry is basically making meals using with the majority of the ingredients already coming from the pantry/fridge. If you are like me, there are items in your pantry that after one use, never see the light of day. Every year, I do a pantry cleanup and I end up throwing out half full, barely used items in the trash because they are either expired or some organism has decided to grow in them. It’s gross and I feel so much guilt from the money I just wasted and the space that item is going to take up in some landfill.
The goal is to cut down on our grocery and dining out bill by preparing all “cleanse unfriendly” meals out of the pantry until the end of the month (starting November, our bi-annual 21 day cleanse will begin) so wish me luck. To clarify, I will be making meals with the majority of the ingredients coming from our pantry/fridge. I will still stop by the store once in a while to purchase perishable items that I need to complete the meal. And if you’re thinking that it’s a waste of gas, you are mistaken – the store is like a 15 minute walk from my house. It’s definitely a good excuse to get out and stretch out ye old legs.
It’s going to be a lot of work and I will be posting progress in this blog for accountability. Totally crossing our fingers for this to succeed – our budget depends on it.
This is what happens when you don’t check your pantry on a regular basis. You’re stuck with five kinds of mustard. I know that mustard is a versatile condiment, but seriously, five is just way too much.
i think therefore i hodgepodge 