Hello foodies! I figured while I’m working my tush off today lifting furniture and moving boxes, I’d leave you with this pre-written post on the deets of my Clean Out the Kitchen Challenge from the last few weeks all the way up to move day! All just in time for…
What I Ate During the Challenge: (previously un-posted eats)
Blueberry coconut overnight oats (with frozen bloobs)
Spinach salad topped with tomatoes, bell peps, red onion, canned salmon, and baked beans
Tropical Pumpkin Parfait: Pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, pineapple, and coconut with a few chia seeds and a bit of crunchy granola
Cinna apples and pb on whole wheat sourdough toast with a side of cottage cheese, honey, and raisins
Pizza Salad: Green leaf lettuce topped with homemade marinara sauce, blanched broccoli, shredded chicken, black olives, parmesan cheese, and Garlic Gold
Stuffed French Toast: TJ’s whole wheat sourdough bread, Valencia crunchy PB, pomegranate/raspberry jam, and carob chips
Oatbran topped with steamed broccoli, fried egg, and Vegan Broccoli ‘n Cheese Sauce
Chili I made for Birthday Potluck that had just about half the kitchen in it!
No recipe…just handfuls of this and that…turned out to be the best chili I’ve ever made!
Tostada Thingy: Whole wheat tortilla topped with salsa, chickpeas, crumbled TJ’s Veggie Masala Burg, Daiya, and cilantro and popped under the broiler for a few minutes.
Extra lean beef burger on a bagel thin with salsa, avocado, and nooch sauce
and sweet potato fries with a drizzle of thinned sunbutter
Savory oatmeal topped with a fried egg, salsa, and cheddar cheese
TJ’s Veggie Masala Burg topped with Double Spinach Ravioli filling
and roasted red peppers
Pumpkin Protein Oats: Pumpkin puree, PB flour, vanilla protein powder, and oats
topped with coconut and raisins
Dry roasted edamame with raisin mix
Almond butter cookie fail turned amazingness! More on this later!
Now, I know you guys have already seen the pumpkin pudding, but I feel like it has to be in this post since I must’ve eaten it like half a dozen times! Good stuff!
So how did I do? I’ll let you decide!
BEFORE:
AFTER:
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AFTER:
Not too shabby, eh?
Now that the challenge is over, I’ve realized that I have plenty of dried beans and grains to keep me busy for a while. I’m seeing future breakfasts featuring more oat groats and buckwheat, and more dinners using up my huge supply of bulgur that I was so excited about when I purchased months ago, but which I have only used once.
I enjoyed the way this challenge forced me to think a bit outside the box with my meals…combining fresh foods with prepackaged ones and coming up with new uses for sauces and spreads. Not to mention the my latest obsession with homemade hummus!
There’s something about moving into a brand new house, that makes me want to keep this “spring cleaning” in the kitchen going for a while. I do plan on replenishing my produce supply (I have been craving a banana for a week) and my precious almond milk, but I think I have at least a few more weeks months before I’d have to worry about going hungry! 😉
What’s something in your pantry/cupboard that’s been collecting dust?
holy COW, all of these eats look fabulous! YUM!
I told Jason just this morning that I was going to clean out our pantry… again. it really doesn’t take long to get out of hand and unorganized. needs some attention. you did a great job!!
hope you’re having fun today!!
My bag of quinoa! I really need to make some flour out of it! 😉
Congrats on your challenge! You did such a great job, and I loved reading about all of the things you came up with! 😀
Hmm, that’s a great idea! Wonder if my little magic bullet could handle it?
1) all of that food looks WAY too good
2) i’m super jealous over your amazing organization of your cupboards and fridge-mine is a hot mess that I literally whip things into!
Haha! Yeah, I’m a bit OCD sometimes when it comes to organization! I hate not being able to find anything…which is kinda driving me nuts right now with all the boxes everywhere! :-/
Yiour beef burger and french toast look amazing!! I need to try PB AND J stuffed french toast!! Lovin the fresh salads with baked beans too! You did so good on cleaning out! Eveything looks wonderful! I love the feeling of eating up some stuff to make it look nicer and more clean!
CAN’T WAITTT FOR THE ALMOND BUTTER COOKIE RECIPE! I have fell head over heels with almond butter!
um, your clean out your pantry and WIAW totally beats my weeks worth of meals. I just love your creativity heather. And I kinda wish I had it, haha.
Dang, now I’m hungry! Everything looks incredible. Great job on cleaning things out! Oh and I too have the bulgar that’s been sitting there FOREVER. Guess I need to work on that! I hope the move is going well!
organization station!!!
WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW im bookmarking this post just because you gave me SO MUCH inspiration for new eats!!
Awww, yay! That makes me happy!
wow you are STOCKED! I like it. I love your big bin of nooch! And love your amazing food combos. I am officially craving savory oats…
Oh yeah, I’ve definitely been on a savory oats kick!
Hmmmmmmmmmmm – your eats look SO amazing!
Such beautiful pictures, too – you’re talented, girl 🙂
I did a similar clean-out at it was so cathartic!
I know! LOVE that feeling!
You did awesome! Not only did you use up a lot of your food, you did it in amazingly delicious ways 🙂 You’ve inspired me to look inside my own cabinets. I’m sure I have a lot in there I could be using!
I have way too much stuff in my pantry collecting dust. I buy too much fresh stuff then don’t eat the stuff hiding away in the cabinets. Sort of doing a pantry challenge… I need to do better though, like you!
I do the EXACT SAME thing! That’s how I ended up with so much stuff!
I love cleaning out my kitchen food supply. I feel so accomplished when I finish a box of something!
I bought a bulk bag of CousCous on sale a while ago and I have gotten so sick of eating it that it is collecting dust in my pantry. Need to find a good CousCous recipe to finish off the bag!
Meeee toooo! Of course, I’m that way with just about everything…I finish up a bottle of lotion and I do a little happy dance! Haha
Ohh, how about a sweet couscous recipe…something with apples and raisins or something?!
I have a huuge bag of bulgur that I bought during my first trip to whole foods. I was like “oh I’ve never tried this before, lets filll the entire bag!” haha. Now I’m getting kind of sick of it.
I’m trying to go 2 weeks without grocery shopping. It’s tough, but I have a tons of stuff I need to clean out the fridge with so I’m going to get creative like you.
This post made me incredibly hungry, so much yummy food 🙂
Haha! That sounds so much like me it’s not even funny! That’s how I ended up with my bulgar! I def still have a long ways to go before my supply of grains runs out!
O_O Can I come over for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? 😀
You bring the fresh produce (since I’m still out) and I’ll handle the rest love!
I did this before my last move! I looooove all your meals! You are much more creative than I was! <3 goooooooooooooo healther! can't wait to see photos of the new digs! <#
Wow, the change is amazing! You’ve really inspired me to do a clean out the kitchen challenge, too. What a wonderful (and yummy!) way to do spring cleaning. I love all the variety in your meals as well. Pizza salad and pumpkin pudding sound especially delicious. (And of course I can’t wait to hear about those cookies!)
Have a lovely day!
xox
Thank you! Can’t wait to hear about what all you come up with! It definitely helps stir up the creativity! Good luck!
You did great!
I saw that can of green enchilada sauce. 🙂 I knew I liked you!
Haha! I have this go-to pampered chef recipe called Tamale Skillet Verde (or something like that): chicken, chorizo, corn tortillas, corn, bell peppers, and enchilada sauce that is AMAZING! It’s what first helped me discovered my love of the green stuff! 😉
Grrr; WHY didn’t I take before and after pictures, too?! haha. I’m currently doing a similar challenge as yours after realizing if I didn’t make myself eat my less-favorite grains, I was just going to let them keep sitting. Like you, I’ve sort of enjoyed how it’s encouraged me to pair different things. I’m loving this challenge! Didn’t feel like I was missing anything at all. (except dates…I miss dates…) Your meals look way better than mine, though 😛
No way! That blueberry chickpea dish you have looks INCREDIBLE! I can’t wait to try it…Lord knows, I have plenty of chickpeas! 😉
im having a food-gasm, like holy crap!! kk definitely trying out baked beans with salmon, what a fabulous combo! your oatbran with egg looks so perfect, that would have been sad having to ruin the artwork of it haha. WOW stuffed french toast with carob chips dropped ontop!! my gosh girl, this challenge to clean out the kitchen was a major success!!! <3 best photos ive seen in a long time, seriously <3
Aww, you are too sweet Kelsey! Thank you! And yes, it always breaks my heart a little to “pop” the egg in my beautiful savory oats…but then I take a bite and forget all about it! 😉
i’m working on eating up my pantry too because i’m moving in two weeks. i have so many bulk grains in jars just WAITING to be eaten! i have quinoa, millet, couscous, brown rice, wheatberries, farro…..ah. so much!
I’ve never had farro before. I’ve seen it on Ashley’s blog a lot and really want to try it…maybe I’ll wait till the bulgar is gone first…one thing at a time! Haha!
Ohmygoodness.
Your eats. Look. So. Damn. Good.
Enough said. Story ended. I thought my meals were the definition of ‘foodgasmic’, but I guess I was entirely wrong. I give you that award, friend! You sure did get creative with your meals– WAY creative. I didn’t even realize you were cleaning out your pantry; your meals still seemed so yummy! And not to mentioned organized. Wanna come to my casa and organize my pantry? K, thanks 🙂
Like you, I have one too many dried beans and grains in my pantry. Not to mention my 5 lb. bag of costco size steel cut oats 🙂
Wow, 5 pounds, huh?! That’ll keep you busy for a while!
Girl, you are too sweet! You so have me grinning from ear to ear right now!
Your pantry photos make me squeal with joy. What fun we’d have together if roommates… 🙂
I love the idea of topping oatbran with an egg! Nice job cleaning out your kitchen. Those almond butter cookies look delish; I can’t wait to hear more about them.
PS. I recently found your blog and I’m in love! I love your creativity and recipes/meals. Your photos are very pleasing to the eyes (composition, lighting, etc) and stomach. 🙂
Thank you so much! I love the name of your blog! On my way to check it out now!
Oh my goodness.. everything looks amazing! I just had breakfast, but am now super hungry again after looking at all these photos. The pizza salad is callin’ my name!
I love peeking into your cabinets & fridge! You did awesome at cleaning it out!
WOW! Look at you go with all that organization and great eats! 🙂
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I have tried to do this–clean out my kitchen but I NEVER do this well! Congrats!
I am totally drawing inspiration from this that I can use when we get ready to move in a few months. You are amazing, my dear!
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