Adventures in Pantry Cleaning

It's like Mary Poppins always says, "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You must find the fun and (snap) the job's a game." A few weeks ago (actually back in February) I thought to myself, let's play a game of tidy up the pantry. And I did.

We'll start with a before, during, after shot. I don't mind spoiling surprises. It's not a spectacular transformation by any means, but I'll tell you that this was the most fun I have ever had cleaning up the pantry.

I don't clean out the pantry very often. And when I say "not very often" I really mean...just when a moving truck is involved! This EXPIRED 6 short months after we moved in. I'm not even really sure what Bakin' Miracle is or why I ever bought it in the first place. Maybe Jason bought it, hehe!

That was my first "game." I had so much finding my oldest item that I decided to play a few more games. Jason only rolled his eyes (at least) 15 times as I staged our food and photographed it. Not bad.

I'm a big fan of the top ten lists, so here goes...

Top Ten Worst Things Found in My Pantry

1. Cub Scout Popcorn - I'm sure I'm going to incur the wrath of just about everyone I know for this, but I don't care. We've had this popcorn FOREVER. We don't eat popcorn very often, but we feel like we have to buy it to support the Cub Scouts. And I suppose we do. One day our boys will be selling that annoying Cub Scout Popcorn.

2. At least 6 cans of Nacho Cheese - So we may have had a family party once where we ran out of food. So now when we buy for parties...let's just say we don't usually run out anymore. What am I going to do with 6 cans of Nacho Cheese?

3. Gerber Biter Biscuits - They should really be called Gerber Gooey Messy Gross in a Biscuit (not quite the same ring...)

4. Regular Lasagna Noodles - I have since come to know the wonder of no-cook lasagna noodles. Yay.

5. Sugar Free Calorie Free Strawberry Preserves - Too good to be true I think. I never even opened it. I was a little afraid of how it would actually taste and what would happen if I took a bite. Almost like a poisoned apple or something. It went in the trash right after it's 15 seconds of pantry picture fame.

6. Chunk Chicken in a Can - Yuck. I cannot handle the smell of this stuff. I sent this off to the food pantry as it was still within its shelf life.

7. Tuna - Just because it's tuna. Blech.

8. Honey Nut Cheerios Cereal Bars - I'm a big fan of cold cereal. So when I saw cereal bars that were like my favorite bowl on the go, I was very excited. Until I tasted it. Another Yuck.

9. Dole Pineapple Cans - Seriously, Dole? Can't you make your cans so they can stack on top of one another properly? drives. me. crazy.

10. Heinz Ketchup - This is our ketchup of choice. It only made the list because if I had cleaned out the pantry BEFORE I went to the grocery store, I wouldn't have stocked up on more.

And now...

Top Ten Best Things Found in My Pantry

1. Girl Scout Cookies - Those girls have got it right. They don't sell stinky popcorn, they sell cookies. When you see a Girl Scout coming with her order form, you run to her. When you see the Cub Scout, you run away. Just sayin'.

2. Cold Cereal - I've already admitted my love of cold cereal. I'd eat it for every meal if I could.

3. Bisquick - I love this stuff for two reasons - dumplings and pancakes. The Bisquick Melt In Your Mouth Pancakes are sooooo good. And dumplings in Chicken Noodle Soup - nothing can beat that.

4. Gerber Puffs - They might stick to everything under the sun, but give a kid some puffs and you can finally get something done for once!

5. Cookie Monster Treat Jar - No explanation necessary!

6. Bishop's Storehouse Hot Cocoa - If it is one thing that Mormons know it is hot chocolate! The best stuff on earth.

7. Emerald Pecan Pie Pecans - These will rock your sweet potato casserole. Without them, they're just yams. Click here for my recipe.

8. Kraft Cheese and Macaroni - It's the cheesiest. And  best when made with real butter and whole milk. Yum-O!

9. Kikkoman Stir Fry Sauce - We tried a lot of different stir fry sauces before we settled on this one. This is my favorite and makes Stir Fry a SUPER easy and quick meal. Click here for our recipe (and 6 others).

10. Solo Raspberry Pie & Pastry Filling - Without this, there wouldn't be any ice cream kolachky. Forgive my American-ized spelling! Click here for my recipe.

And there you have it...more than you've ever wanted to know about what's in my pantry.

So...what's in your pantry?