Reclaiming the kitchen

Despite the malaise of the last post, things really haven't been too horrible. 

I have been whirl wind cleaning on the days that I have energy and am seriously committed to using up all the excess canned and boxed goods taking up all the space in my pantry.

First things first... clear it out, organize and see what is exactly in there...

Now I find myself with no energy to put it back.  Besides, I tell myself, it would be easier to think up ways to use some of this stuff up if I could see it easier, right?  

Yup. 

 That was six days ago.

Yup.  

It is still occupying my kitchen table like a Harvest Festival collection.

I have made two dinners from it so far.

First one used that suddenly salad, something that I never buy and was acquired from a PCSing friend.

  

Combined with mushrooms from the hoard  ham from the freezer and cheese from the fridge I came up with this gorgeous bake.

Oh so brown and bubbly cheesy goodness... okay.. not very low fat, but not horrible either.

Add a little green salad and it was a gorgeous meal, with enough for lunch the following day.

Second dinner utilized the roast chicken left over from the weekend picnic disaster.

From these goodies (along with a can of corn obligingly picked up on the way home by Bubba) I made a sort of tortilla soup.  It looked like soup.  The corn bread looked like cornbread.  It was tasty.  Except for the cornbread which I managed to ruin... even though you only add water.  Don't ask.

Looking back on these photos I'm wondering how I wound up with so much syrup.  

Might have to get Curt to make dutch pancakes over the weekend.

Om nom nom.

My kitchen table still looks like a canned food drive. 

But I'm okay with that.  

Until I'm not.  

Then you can certainly count on either all of it getting chucked back into the pantry, or another flurry of whirlwind cleaning and organization to put it back proper organized.

At least I'm consistent.