Clear out your kitchen cabinets
@bluerubymoon53 (3286)
United States
July 2, 2008 10:39am CST
How often do you clear out your kitchen cabinets? No,not clean them out, but clear them out of outdated canned or boxed foods or foods that you know you won't cook.
I was in the kitchen a little bit ago a cleared out the cabinet of outdated soup and cereal. I also took out the cans of vegetables and spaghetti sauce that I most likely won't use. The reason is that I don't like to cook for only me. Much of what I cook would go to waste anyway because I don't do leftovers all that often.
I will be giving the canned veggies and spaghetti sauce to my sister when she comes for a visit next week. I know it won't be wasted at her house.
If you don't know what to do with your canned and boxed foods that are still good and not out of date, you can give them to your local food bank. The person who receives it will be much appreciative of the person who gave a little bit from their kitchen cabinet. I know because I've been there and done that and I appreciated it, too.
1 person likes this
4 responses
@baileycows (3665)
• United States
2 Jul 08
Well we clear them out every month. I don't believe in grocery shopping. LOL! The truth is I always get to Walmart and end up buying way to much stuff. So usually eat until we just have nothing left and then I am forced to go. My cabinets never look like my parents or grandparents for some reason.
2 people like this
@bluerubymoon53 (3286)
• United States
2 Jul 08
I try to shop for only 2 or 3 days at a time, because if I stock up, I wind up not using a lot of the stuff.
How do your parents' or grandparent' cabinets look? Barebones or filled to the brim?
1 person likes this
@baileycows (3665)
• United States
2 Jul 08
Filled to the brim and no matter what day it is or when you can all always cook up a 5 course meal for 20 people. LOL!
2 people like this
@bluerubymoon53 (3286)
• United States
2 Jul 08
Oh my! Nothing like being prepared for when company comes!
1 person likes this

@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
3 Jul 08
What a lovely suggestion!
I will have to be sure to
buy extra boxes and cans of items
every week, at the grocery store,
so I'll have something
to donate.
We have many women's shelters and
homeless shelters and food banks
in the area that would love the help.
And I do believe, so much, in helping
others.
As for clearing out my cabinets, I have
to do that at least once a month.
Sometimes, I do it more often.
One time, I opened my cabinet and a canned
good fell out on me. It hit the ground next
to my foot.
I wasn't hurt. But it did let
me know that my cabinets were too full,
so I started clearing stuff out right away!
2 people like this
@bluerubymoon53 (3286)
• United States
3 Jul 08
Yes, there are several types of organizations, like the ones you mentioned, that can use a little bit of help. You don't absolutely have to go out of your way to specifically buy something for them. But if you do, I know it would make you feel good about it. Who knows, you may need that kind of assistance in the future...heaven forbid.
1 person likes this
@Annie2 (594)
• United States
3 Jul 08
I never have to do that because we don't buy much at a time and we use up whatever we have. I did, though, this spring go through my very old spices. I mean, decades old!! I threw them all out. I even found one that had weeble bug bodies inside. How can they get inside a tightly closed jar? They must have been in there from the start! YUK! I was so grossed out, I threw out every single spice in that cabinet. I also washed the cabinet out with bleach water.
@bluerubymoon53 (3286)
• United States
3 Jul 08
I have wondered about how bugs get into tightly closed container, too. Seems like it happens in flour quite a bit. I'm going to have to go through my spice, too, and see how old they are. I've had some since I've moved here and that was in October last year.
1 person likes this
@Annie2 (594)
• United States
3 Jul 08
I always put my flour in the freezer when I bring it home from the store. If there's any bugs in it, they will be killed. Unfortunately, we all eat more bugs than we'd ever care to know about! I once worked with a lady who used to work in a Pillbury plant. She said there are lots and lots of bugs in our flour. They sift them out at the plant, but you know, eggs do hatch! Are you all thoroughly grossed out? Good, my deed is done for the day! Ha, ha. Just kidding . . . about the deed part . . . not the bugs. They really are there! Ew, ew, ew!
@ctobler0609 (361)
• United States
3 Jul 08
We rarely run into that problem of expired goods in our house. But the pantry is cleaned out at least once a month of stale chips or cereals. My husbands starts throwing away as I start unloading the groceries and replenishing with the new :)
@bluerubymoon53 (3286)
• United States
3 Jul 08
That is a good habit to have, too. That way the extra stuff isn't there "forever".
1 person likes this





