WIAW: The “Clean Out the Pantry” Edition

Over the last week or so, I’ve realized something…

I have TOO MUCH food!
Yeah, I’m shaking my head as I type this…#firstworldproblems

I can’t help it…I blame my self-diagnosed ADD…but whenever I’m out shopping and I spy something new and different, I just HAVE to buy it! And then, months later, I open my pantry and see…

Seven packages of dried fruit.

Eight jars of mustard.

Ten jugs of protein powder.

Twelve containers of different grains and pasta.

And we won’t even talk about how many protein and snack bars there are!

I decided it was time for a change.

Last weekend, I went through each and every shelf and tossed anything that was expired or that I didn’t really like (hello why am I holding onto peanut butter that I’ll never eat!) and tried my best to organize the chaos that remained.

Now I’m making a commitment…

NO MORE PANTRY SHOPPING FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR!

And you guys are gonna hold me to it, right?

Please? πŸ˜‰

So for today’s edition of What I Ate Wednesday, we have…

Be sure to head over to Peas & Crayons and show Jenn a little love for hosting our weekly fun food fest!

I have to say, only one day into it and I already made a good dent in my stash!

BREAKFAST:
Blueberry waffle topped with Greek yogurt, thawed frozen blueberries, andΒ coconut peanut butter

Yeah, don’t get too excited…I STILL haven’t had any success in the waffle making department, but thanks to Kodiak Cakes pancake mix, I now have perfectly fluffy waffles…and a lowered self esteem.

I hear ya Willie…it’s not you…it’s ME! πŸ™

And well, we’ll just pretend the mix didn’t expire almost five months ago! πŸ˜‰

LUNCH:
Peanut flour stir fry (peanut flour mixed with water, sriracha, and Braggs aminos) with Miracle Noodles, spaghetti squash, edamame, and practically every other vegetable I had in my fridge at the time.

Hmm, looks like the pantry cleaning is giving me motivation in other ways too! πŸ˜‰

DINNER:
Grilled Pork Chops with Thyme-Roasted Grapes & Onions over TJ’s harvest grain blend.

Seriously you guys, IN LOVE with this grain mix…so soft, chewy, and nutty and it only takes 10 minutes to cook! Definitely going to miss it when I have to start making a dent in the brown rice!

And finally, what’s a day without a little…

SNACKAGE:
Tuna straight from the can (with a little mustard), 1/2 Quest Cravings Chocolate Crunch bar with a side of Buddy Fruit, 1/2 a cherry torte Lara bar (WHY did it take me so long to try this bar? DEEEElicious!), a handful of black grapes, cottage cheese with banana and cinnamon, and lastly, a grahamful bar.

And something that I found lurking in the very back of the pantry?

How did I forget that I bought this?!Β 

Almost finished with the box….one down, EIGHT to go!
Yeah, I have problems!

Do you tend to get a little “over zealous” when it comes to new-to-you foods?

Any suggestions on what I should do with wheat berries?
I have a TON!

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78 Responses to WIAW: The “Clean Out the Pantry” Edition

  1. Morgs @ Crazy4Oats says:

    Oh my gosh, your pantry is so pretty/organized! It’s a foodie’s dream!
    And, I hear ya about wanting to buy every new and interesting looking food!! Luckily, or rather unluckily, my broke college student status has helped reel that in a bit haha. But, I’ve already seen a couple things I want to try while I am home over Thanksgiving break [aka when my mom’s paying the bill πŸ™‚ ].
    As for the wheat berries, PB Fingers has a great recipe for a mock risotto using wheat berries!!
    http://www.pbfingers.com/2011/10/20/butternut-squash-wheatberry-mock-risotto/

  2. Jessie says:

    Honey do you realize it’s not Wednesday yet? Ha Ha! However I’m completely drooling over all of your meals… especially your breakfast. I don’t think it’d be possible for a breakfast to look/sound any more delicious! How’d you like the grahamful bar? I had mine last week. Let’s just say I almost had to hold tears back on my last bite πŸ™ πŸ™

    p.s. you have a very organized pantry my dear!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      I know! I always post my WIAW on Tuesday night…it used to make more sense when the linkup started at 11pm my time, but whatevs! πŸ˜‰

      I am in LOVE with the grahamfuls! I can understand the tears COMPLETELY! Lol

      And thanks! I better…it took over an hour to get it to look like that! Haha!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Ok, so it JUST dawned on me that I posted on MONDAY night instead of Tuesday…gah, there goes my zombie brain!! Shoot me please! lol

  3. Too weird…I just did a post on cleaning out my fridge, which is as neat as your pantry. I applaud your OCD skills, I love your labels and how everything is facing forward. That kind of crazy takes works. Welcome to the club.

    On another note, I nominated you for the Inspiring Blogger Award because you rock, your food rocks, and basically you crack me up. All the time. Even now.
    http://cleaneatsfastfeets.com/?p=2695

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Aww, I was reading your post about the fridge mishap this morning before I got off work, but I didn’t get to finish it…I did start to tear up though when I heard about the unfortunate demise of your cheese collection…sad day indeed! And yes, I’m OCD to the MAX…labels MUST face forward at ALL times! Lol

      Thanks for the nomination…you are TOO sweet! Off to check out the deets now! πŸ˜€

  4. You may have a lot of food but it’s some damn organized food! I wish my cupboards looked even remotely like your pantry!

    I’m all about the foodie finds! When I go to Chicago next week, I’m setting aside a bag just for grocery store purchases – Whole Foods and Trader Joes, here I come! :-p

  5. katie says:

    I just got really confused and thought it was Wednesday! Haha! Love you!

    I actually organized and cleaned my pantry yesterday!

    Happy day to you love!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Yeah I just realized that I got my days confused…guess that’s what happens when you’re only working on 5 hours of sleep! Lol

      Doesn’t it feel so much better when everything is all nice and organized?

      Hope you’re having a great TUESDAY! πŸ˜‰

  6. Allie says:

    Woah, you may think you have an overflowing pantry–but that is the TIDIEST, most organized pantry I’ve ever seen! And yeah, I go a little crazy stocking up–especially if Manager’s Specials are involved ;D I may also be cleaning out the fridge this week by eating Greek yogurt that expired at the beginning of last month. Hey, that just means it’s extra-cultured, right? Nothing wrong with going a little past the expiration date, as far as I’m concerned. And you’ve just reminded me that TJ’s candy cane green tea will be back out soon–won’t lie, bought twelve boxes of it last year. Yup, twelve. It’s seasonal–you have to stock up when it’s in season!

  7. I’ve always wondered what you did with all those food products you’re always buying and posting about! I thought you just ate them all really quickly! But now I know your secret haha! πŸ˜‰

    I used to be really bad about buying way too many new food products, but I’ve reigned it in a lot recently and try to only buy what I truly want. That’s mostly because I don’t have a lot of storage space in my apartment! If I had a big pantry like that, I would probably be buying a lot more!!

  8. Food hoarders unite!

    Amen, sister. You know I feel your pain. I need to make a dent in my stash as well…last year, before I moved back from Austin, I ended up just randomly sending packages of assorted food items to other friends and bloggers just so some stuff wouldn’t go to waste. I called it Random Snacks of Kindness, and it did help eliminate a huge chunk of food. I still ended up bringing a whole lot of stuff with me in the car to Virginia, though…

  9. You’re freaking adorable and I totally had to do a double take of what day it was. πŸ˜‰

    But I totally get it – moving required me to use most of my pantry so I wouldn’t have to move it with me.

  10. kris says:

    I think you almost fooled a majority of us, for a sec or two, that it was Wednesday! hahah
    i lovee kodiak cake mix. perfectly delish waffles everytime!
    I’m totally over-zealous in the pantry foods department. I’m always, like – oh i’ll totally eat this allll the time! Its so great for a quick snack or breakfast. – and proceed to buy a whole bunch. Than it just sits and sits and sits in my pantry. oops πŸ˜‰
    Btw, I wish my pantry looked half as organized as yours! I need to work on mine a bit…

  11. I see Casein in there!! Where do you buy yours?

  12. Lizzi says:

    Totally guilty of this… my pantry is STUFFED full of jams, nut butters, spice blends, interesting flavours of tea, trail mixes, protein powder, crackers, chips, honey, cereal, snack bars, packet soup… even stuff I’ve now tried and don’t like, I hang on to, because I HATE wasting food (if I’m going to have a first world problem like ‘too much food’, i’m not gonna make it any worse but throwing any out!).

    … I totally shouldn’t mention that I still have a few things in a box with your name on it, that I haven’t got around to sending, should I? I’d only be making things so much worse for you… πŸ˜‰

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      I would GLADLY suffer through the trouble of squeeeeeeeeeezing in a few more items…especially coming from the land down unda! πŸ˜‰ Oh the cross I bear to accommodate rare international food. Lol

      I’m so glad I’m not the only one who still holds onto foods I don’t even like. But I AM trying to get better about that. I hate wasting food, but really, is it worth the money I’m saving to be eating something that I don’t enjoy?

  13. Julie says:

    I put myself on a budget and have started to empty out my pantry! I have 4 containers of protein here!

  14. I want to live in your pantry!! It is so pretty! lol!

  15. jenna k says:

    i am the queen of tiny remnants of food that i won’t throw out but don’t seem worth the effort to prepare. or that i will never eat, like my half-eaten larabars…
    i’ve really been making a solid effort lately to clean out the random food i have, like the cans of pumpkin (not huge on it) and green beans.

    that tea looks really good. but i have so much tea in my pantry haha. womp womp.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Feel free to send that pumpkin my way…I’ll be sure to put it to good use! πŸ˜‰ I’m totally with you on the half-eaten bars. Ugh, I have SO many! And you don’t even want to KNOW how many boxes of tea I have right now! Haha!

  16. I have this problem too…I buy every new food item that looks interesting to me and then stick it in the back of my cramped pantry. I am pretty sure I am up to about 10 bags of dried fruit and I can’t even keep track of the bars because I have had to get creative with were I put them to make space haha! Also, love the cherry torte Lara flavor!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Hahaha! Omg, thank you Gina for making me feel normal! I have “overflow” starting to make its way into other parts of my kitchen for the exact same reason! Just the other day, I opened up a drawer and was like, “What are protein bars doing in THERE?” Lol And I used to be the QUEEN of dried fruits, but then I started to loose interest…now it seems I’ve shifted to protein powder! Just trading one addiction for another I guess!

  17. I’m prepping for a move, so I’m also clearing out my pantries & found a great find lurking in the recesses of my cupboards – some delicious Roasted Garlic Caesar Almond Slivers. OMG – where have these been all my life!?!? (Apparently right in my pantry! ;)) I’m sure I’ll have no problem polishing these babies off before the move!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Mmm, those sound DELISH! Gotta love “shopping” in the pantry and finding treasures like that! Ugh, we foodies have some real problems don’t we? Lol

  18. Hahahaha dang girl! And I thought I had a lot of food!!! πŸ˜‰ I’ve been trying to use up some of the food in my pantry but it’s hard to go through it all! And my food tastes change so often I need to stop buying so much stuff!!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      EXACTLY! I used to be HUGE on dried fruit so I’d go out and buy all kinds of different varieties…now I have bag upon bag and I don’t even like it much anymore! I just seem to get totally fixated on a certain food for a period of time and go crazy with it…hence the reason why I now have a million tubs of protein powder! lol

  19. I love that you posted this! I have recently been feeling the same way…I have too much food! I was honestly thinking of foregoing the grocery shopping trip this week, minus stopping to pick up a few staples! Even though you shopped from your pantry…your meals look delish!! πŸ™‚ PS…you may want to check out yesterday afternoon’s post on my blog πŸ˜‰

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      I’ve decided to do that exact thing…just until I start to make a good enough sized dent in the items I currently have. I think it will be a good challenge…help me think outside the box a bit and stop me from getting too repetitive.

      Looks like you had a great time on the Earth Fare tour…totally jealous of that fro-yo machine!

  20. I’m guilty for wanting to buy and try new things, but your pantry would be heavenly to me haha. I hope you figure out what to use the wheatberries for because I have a bunch too! I use them for cold salads usually so I need some new inspiration as well!!! Happy pantry cleaning out πŸ˜‰

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Haha, thanks! I’ve definitely been doing some brainstorming with the wheatberries…they are SO good…I’d hate for them to go to waste!

  21. I get sucked in when I see new or unique foods, so I’m right there with you, Heather. I should do a clean out too. I’ve been working on that with my freezer. Many things are hiding in there!! Everything looks tasty though! I just found Kodiak cakes for the first time at Target. I didn’t buy them yet, but I’m going to now that I know where to find them. Have a great day!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      I LOVE the Kodiak mix! It’s sad, but I’ve actually had this box for over a year! Proud of myself for finally finishing it up this week…and it’s definitely helping my motivation for this clean out challenge! πŸ™‚

  22. Khushboo says:

    Hahaha NOW this is the kinda problem I would like to have! I feel you on food hoarding though! Whenever I travel abroad, I always stock up on snack bars like I’m preparing for a famine! That “just in case” or “you won’t be able to buy in Mumbai” always linger in the back of my mind and MAKE me buy it! I opened my cupboard last week and apparently my stash is bigger than I thought. Especially as I am planning another trip next month, my mission is to eat through them asap…at least the ones which have a 2012 expiry date!

  23. Carli says:

    Your waffle looks so goood. You may have a lot of food but I love how organized everything is.

    I’m not adventerous enough with food. I tend to eat the same things over and over. So when I get something new I try to make it like my other stuff. Working on it!

  24. Wow! I just thought I had a lot of food. All of your eats look so yummy, especially that big waffle. Kodiak cakes are the best {even if they are expired}. Have you ever tried adding pumpkin puree to the mix? It’s pretty darn good!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      You know, I was like THISCLOSE to adding pumpkin when I made them the other day, but I didn’t have a can open at the time…and now I’m all out! Figures! Lol

  25. Now that’s a commitment for sure! I’ve actually been pondering this, too, but … it didn’t work so far. New items don’t get me as much as stocking up on my standard items when they’re on offer. Looking at you, five packages of hazelnut milk, ahem …

    Wheatberries are great! Try adding them to oatmeal/oat bran for great texture. Also nice cooked in almond/nut milk with dried apples, cinnamon and raisins. Not to forget about wheatberry salads or simply anywhere you’d use rice/other grains. What are your ideas?

  26. That waffle looks AH-MAZING! I love how you used the shoe rack pocket thingy on your door, so organized. Can you come organizer my pantry closet?? I Need help!

  27. Ha! I’m the opposite. Hubs always complains we have too little food in the house. I guess that’s what sticking to a list and a budget can do to a person… or a pantry. πŸ™‚

    My grocery store just started carrying that cottage cheese. I’m eager to try it!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Good for you for sticking with a budget! I’ve tried it a few times, but it never lasts long. Lol!

      Best cottage cheese ever! I’ve been buying it for months now and I’d never switch to another brand!

  28. I love your pantry. So organised.

    Oh my does your breakfast waffle look delish. I love the sound of your lunch as well. And that tea…mmm that sounds lovely.

    P.s I love the name of your blog.

  29. Okay I’m definitely coming over to your place if there’s a threat of some kind of natural disaster – I’m pretty sure all your food would last us for many solid months πŸ˜€ BUT your pantry is crazy organized, so I guess that makes all the extra food a little more acceptable? I’ve actually gotten pretty good at narrowing al my supplies down and not buying a lot of stuff that I don’t need. I used to want to try all the latest powders and flours and superfoods, but I guess I just got tired of buying things and having them clutter up my shelves? I’m a neat freak more than I am a foodie, so I guess that helped. Then again, we don’t get as big of a variety of stuff up here in Canada, so that could be why too.

  30. Marie-Sophie says:

    That’s the good thing about living in an apartment with a kitchen the size of a shoe box (yes, not only NY apartments habe this … Frankfurt in Germany is also a good place to look for those charming little places)! I simply cannot store many things (tiny fridge, tiniest freezer, almost no storage space) so I am regularly facing periods of “eat everything from the pantry first, wanted or not before more shopping can happen”. My boyfriend definetely loves our limited storage space πŸ˜‰

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Oh gosh, I’d go insane! The kitchen in my last house was a bit smaller and I didn’t have a pantry so I used to be better about going out and buying EVERYTHING. Guess it just goes to show you learn to use the space you have…for the good or the bad! Lol

  31. Oh my god that is one well stocked pantry!!! And it’s so organised! Come and organise my kitchen for me please!

  32. Kat says:

    Good heavens your pantry are what my dreams are made of! Please come and organize mine?? πŸ™‚
    And that tea…I need to find it!!

  33. This post is like my “anti-husband.” He is very much into keeping a large stash of food on hand in case of emergencies (like Sandy) where it’s not easy or possible to get to a grocery store. So I can’t hold you to not buying any more pantry staples. But I can give you my address and have you come organize my pantry! We just moved and it’s a hot mess. Seriously. Boxes of food on the floor and even in the guest room. Love the shoe organizers on the door. That is a GREAT idea.

  34. Can I have your pantry, please? πŸ™‚

  35. Oh, you had me at that waffle….it looked divine!! I need to clean out my pantry and fridge as well…. you’ve inspired me πŸ™‚

  36. Oh my goodness, Heather…I am the EXACT same way! I actually like to consider myself a product tester (self-appointed of course…). I have been thinking of doing a pantry clean out as well. Love the idea of using shoe organizers. Makes things easy to find and nicely tucked away. Looking forward to trying that.

    Anyways…everything looks absolutely delicious. I am going to have to try and find that tea a TJs. My husband would love it! He’s a lover of all things vanilla. And that grahamful bar? I need it…now!

    I love grapes and have never thought about cooking them. But both grapes, onions and porks happen to be favorites of my hubby. So I can’t wait to get busy in the kitchen with this recipe. I think I might have a bag of that Harvest Blend in my pantry too πŸ˜‰

    Lastly, homemade waffles? I die!!! Looks like I need a waffle maker…Christmas?

    Happy WIAW!!!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Yay! I feel so…normal now! Lol! And the shoe organizer makes things SO easy to find. I’ve been using it for a few months now and it definitely beats digging through shelves trying to find that ONE chocolate bar I’m craving!

      And actually, I’m pretty sure if you make the pork dish for the hubby, you would most definitely go straight to the top of the “good girl” list! πŸ˜€

  37. There are SO many things you can do with wheat berries! πŸ™‚ Wheat berry salads, wheat berry porridge… and Angela’s Protein Power Goddess Bowl from Oh She Glows is one of our favourites! πŸ™‚

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Awesome! I’ve tried plenty of wheat berry salads from the Whole Foods bar, but I’ve never actually made one of my own. I’ll definitely be looking up Angela’s recipe soon! Thanks girls!

  38. haha! I love your pantry! Especially your protein bar stock! Amazing! I’m obsessed with Quest bars right now. I like to eat their crunch bar crumbled over greek yogurt. Yum! Have you tried their peanut butter cup crave? Their good but a little dry. Good when added to hot oatmeal though πŸ™‚ I tend to go overboard with a new product I love. A few years ago at Chrismas I fell in love with TJ’s Candy Cane Green Tea. When it was gone, I was so sad so I stocked up the following year. I’ve still got 4 boxes left!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      I did the SAME thing with Celestial Seasonings sugar cookie tea! And I have four boxes too! Lol

      I LOVE the crunch bar on yogurt! I had it on black cherry yogurt last week and it was like black forrest cake! And I’m totally in love with the pb cups…even though they are a bit dry. Have you tried the reformulated one? They just sent me some the other day and they are supposed to be creamier, but I haven’t tasted them yet?

  39. Whoa, your pantry is so organized! I love the idea of the hanger on the door!!

  40. janetha says:

    you are legit the most organized person ever in the history of ever. love that door pantry bar stash.

  41. Amanda says:

    I have the same shoe, uh I mean goodie organizer hanging in my pantry πŸ˜‰
    That peanut flour stir fry looks devine!!

  42. Farrah says:

    wow, that is a lot of food! Don’t worry, I’m the same way. I want to try out every new product there is. I’ve never had greek yogurt on my waffle. Must try it soon!!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Oh it’s so good…especially with the warmed fruit! I do it on pancakes too, but I normally thin it out so it’s more of a sauce.

      Good to know you share my lack of willpower when it comes to new foodie goodies! πŸ˜‰

  43. Jennifer says:

    Happy WIAW! I try to clean my pantry out at least twice a year. I guess I love to shop for groceries and I also end up with items I forgot I bought. All of your meals are beautiful. πŸ™‚

  44. Susan says:

    I love your idea of how to use door space! You should try Joy of Cooking’s waffle recipe – it never fails. πŸ™‚ Also, I often go crazy and buy way too much of one thing. :/

  45. ok what? can we get a little recipe love for the peanut flour stir fry? pleeeeeese.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Haha, sure! Of course, it wasn’t really much of a recipe. I just sauteed my veggies in a bit of sesame oil, added some Bragg’s aminos after they were soft and then stirred 1/4 cup of peanut flour in…easy peasy…and full of protein! πŸ˜‰

  46. I love pantry shopping! Sometimes we’ll just have a week where my mom says… Okay. We are only buying meat this week. Gotta use up all that produce and stuff in the pantry!

    SO. MANY. DUPLICATES. πŸ˜€

  47. Now that is one amazing looking pantry. And that waffle looks delicious! I have never tried coconut PB before. Definitely looks yummy, especially on that waffle πŸ˜‰

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