This Old House: Pantry

As I have mentioned, things around here need... fixing.  Throughout the process of getting that oven repaired (which, if you were wondering, was a pricey endeavor), I have wrapped my mind around the fact that this is the oldest house we have owned.  We may well need to do repairs and updates on things we have never had to repair/replace/fix/update before.  I just hope those big, major repairs will hold off a little longer... maybe 5 to 10 years.  (A girl can hope, can't she?)

My oven hasn't looked this good for a long time.  The nice repairman showed Bill and me how to clean between the glass in the doors.  I am elated to know that it's possible.  So, although not a new oven, a practically-new-looking (at least from the outside) oven with a new control panel.

Today I decided to tackle cleaning the refrigerator.  Somewhere along the way I got a little side-tracked, and ended up cleaning the pantry.  As I tediously cleared each shelf of it's items and wiped them down, I realized that I can't remember the last time I did that.  Have I ever cleaned the pantry before?  I am an organizer, so I know I have organized that tiny shelved room at least monthly, if not more.  I'm sure I wiped down those shelves when we moved in, 8 1/2 years ago, but have I done it since?  Possibly once.  Regardless, it needed a good scrubbing, and, I concluded, a paint job.  A project for another day, since I do not have any paint on hand (nor a desire to spend today, and possibly tomorrow, doing it).  It would be a great project for a cold, lonely winter's day, don't you think?

Just knowing it's clean feels so good.

And I finally pulled out the labeler so I'm not the only one who knows what's what around here.

I trashed the dried-out long-expired marshmallows and wondered why on earth I buy them.  (Oh yeah, because I happen to love Rice Krispies treats.  But when I purchase Rice Krispies, they get eaten before I can make the treats.  Thus the packages of purposeless marshmallows.)  This is the second time I've thrown out marshmallow creme... I must have a recipe that I run across on occasion that I really want to make, which I purchase the creme for, and then completely forget what I was going to do with it.  I've decided that if I come across that recipe again, I will go to the store that day, purchase the creme, and make the recipe.  Otherwise I am completely wasting my time and money.

I will also be finding a new home for the Costco-size box of this.  My kids won't eat it.  They want Kraft.  Any takers?

I'm ready to move on to the fridge (one of my least favorite jobs of all time).  I know I will probably run across a few food items nearing expiration.  For dinner tonight I think I will try pretending I'm on CHOPPED, and come up with something to impress my judges (family) using the random items presented to me.  I already know I need to include these:

and these:

Maybe a mango-potato mash?