Why I Gave Up Cooking

Before

Some of you may have noticed that I haven't published any new recipes on my blog in quite some time. Maybe you thought I got too busy, maybe you thought I got bored with it, or maybe you were just thankful I found better things to do with my time. But the truth is, I stopped posting new recipes and content because I gave up cooking.

Yes, every time I went to make something I had an overwhelming feeling of defeat and couldn't figure out what to cook. So we have been eating a lot of Pei Wei, pizza, and foods from "tweener" restaurants. You know, the kind where there is no drive through, but you don't have to pay extra for a server either. Just good food fast.

Then last night it hit me, I wasn't cooking not because I didn't want to, but because I couldn't find what I needed when I needed it, and my pantry was the main culprit. How could I possibly come up with things to make when I didn't even know what I had? Something had to be done.

So last night, with the help of Eden who stacked everything I gave her into the tallest towers she could make, I pulled everything out, threw out the bad, and put back the good. The result is an organized, workable pantry that easily shows me what I have to work with. It took me a little over two hours, and thankfully I didn't have much that was expired, but I got rid of a lot of unnecessary packaging and piles of grocery bags!

After
 

My pantry is still overloaded with too much food, but at least I have a better handle on what I have. Last night brought about three new resolutions for me. First, I am finally going to put to use the stack of reusable grocery bags I have in my closet. It will both help the environment and keep my pantry in order. I removed a completely full grocery back full of plastic bags from the pantry, plus another giant paper bag full of them and never know what to do with them once I have them.

Second, I am challenging myself to see how long I can go off of my pantry before I have to purchase more food from the store. I will reserve the ability to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, along with perishable items like milk and eggs, but other than that, I am going to cook with what I have until I get my pantry to an even more pleasant organized space.

Finally, I am going to post more regularly, at least once per week and twice per week if I can. So be prepared for some recipes based off of non-perishable items I have in my pantry for the next several weeks. It is going to be a fun, cost-saving challenge.