Pantry Roundup

I recently bought a new vacuum-sealed cannister (to justify the $5 shipping for the $2 hose attachment in the same order). Once it arrived, I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to store inside of it. Since I have very little cabinet space, I do keep several canisters lining the back of my (also small) counters. In my evaluation, I figured I'd also clean out my pantry. The tiered lazy susan inside had tipped over and, in order to fix it, it pretty much meant emptying the entire cabinet. While I recognize it's a very good problem to have, especially for the under-employed, it's way too full. Fortunately, it's fully of very healthy options- plenty of dry beans and lentils, polenta, brown rice, whole grain pastas, TVP, etc. I don't have a huge amount of canned goods, but those I do have are mostly beans (whole and veggie refried), tomatoes (boxed Pomi) and a couple cans of tuna.

I've decided to do my best at using up some of these aging dry goods. My goal for the next few weeks is to buy as few pantry items as possible, so I can use what I have on-hand. That means I really should just need to buy fresh items, such as dairy, eggs, and fruit and veggies. I don't eat a huge amount of meat at home, but I also have some turkey meatballs and chicken breast in the freezer. This should all bring the grocery bill down for a while, especially since I can get fruit and veggies from the produce market and fruit vendors, which are very reasonable and good quality, compared to the so-so, pricey produce at the larger grocery stores here. I'm also going to try not going out for dinner (or ordering in) more than once a week. I'm usually pretty good on that front, though, unless someone is visiting or there are celebrations or such.

Tonight, I'm thinking saffron and butternut squash risotto. I just finished a bowl of oatmeal, too. Commence Operation Pantry Roundup!

Oh, and my (fasting) blood sugar was 104 this morning. This was after having cake last night right before bed! (leftover from a belated b'day celebration for yours truly) Hooray for good readings.