spring cleaning

i am a hoarder of pantry items. my cupboards are stocked with crap that i keep buying at the grocery store which i never end up cooking with. recently, after cleaning out one cupboard i decided that i'm done buying groceries until i use up what i have in my pantry. thus, i've commenced operation kitchen clean-out.

here are the rules: i am only allowed to cook with the food i have at the house. grocery trips are allowed only for purchasing vegetables, staples (eggs, milk, coffee/tea, cheese -- hey, it's a staple), and if needed, one or two ingredients that will allow me to make a meal out of the ingredients at the house. for example, to use up the flour and other baking goods i have, i can buy a packet of yeast or some brown sugar. but, i'm limited to one or two new ingredients only.

this past two weeks, some sample meals we've prepared include:

• soy "chicken" nuggets and french fries
• spaghetti
• beans and rice with leftover turkey cutlets diced up
• homemade chicken stock using a random chicken carcass i'd frozen months ago
• pizza using homemade dough and sauce (three times in one week)

these may not be odd combinations, but due to the rules i've established, what this means is that it's going to get pretty creative around here meal-wise as the pantry gets empty. i have a lot -- i mean a LOT -- of dry white beans, and the day could come where all we have to eat are white beans. thus, i need to start thinking ahead about the meals so that i don't leave myself stranded with only some crappy beans and some hot sauce in the fridge.

the good news is that yesterday i had a party for some girlfriends, so i bought some new veggies and ingredients for the meal i was making for the party. mickey and i (plus toots, who's joined us this weekend for a slumber party) are loving the leftovers, and are especially happy we've put off one more day of eating white beans!