Cooking & Preserving #26: using up older pantry products

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Well, that was a productive day! 
✔️ sourdough bread
✔️ pasta salad
✔️ coleslaw preserves 

And - some pantry cleanup 

My goal is to rotate through my pantry stash within a two-year cycle. 
  •  I definitely have stuff that is older than two years and needs to go into the compost.
  • I also have items that are in their second year and need to be on my priority list for upcoming meals 
  • And there are items from this year that will move to the font of the shelf as this year’s harvest gets preserved and added to the back. 
Today - I wanted to get some of the “second year” items out of the pantry and onto the dinner table. 



 A serge of energy

Yesterday, I guess I wasn’t feeling well. I was just tired- too tired to do anything and I think I slept most of the afternoon and evening.

And, then, at 3AM, I woke up feeling renewed and energized!!

So energized, as a matter of fact, that at 4:30, I got and had my shower, made some breakfast, did the dishes, cleaned my oven (don’t judge but that never happens!) and, then, I started my day. 

The to-do list

Back at 3:00 this morning, I decided that I would use up some of the older products in the cupboard, continuing to organize the pantry. 

I decided to use up the Einkorn pasta that I had and a jar of the first veggies that I freeze-dried (from frozen, store-bought). 

We don’t eat a lot of pasta because, well, I don’t like it. But, I hate wasting stuff so, if I cook it, I’ll eat it, even if I don’t really like it. So pasta would be the meal of the day. 

Also, since buying my electric pressure canner, I had wanted to can up some coleslaw, using a recipe that I had used before and that was a big hit. 

And, I wanted to start another loaf of sourdough, as the loaf I had made yesterday was almost all gone, already. 

After breakfast and my whirlwind of energy, I got to work and tackled my list. 
It’s now 2:30 and I’m done for the day! Nice. 

 The end result

✔️ some items out of the pantry
✔️ canning jars organized
✔️ sourdough ready for tomorrow
✔️ pasta salad (see my recipe here)
✔️ 15 half-pints of coleslaw canned (see recipe) plus a quart in the fridge 

I’d say that was a productive day (at least in comparison to my typical day) 
Yah me! 
- Debbie

a simpler life