January has been making me want to do a little nesting. I have been in the mood to clean out and become more organized! I thought it would be fun to do a challenge that I both love and dread all at the same time - raiding our ENTIRE KITCHEN – getting rid of anything that we no longer need, use, or that isn’t serving our health and fitness goals. So let’s get started! Let’s start with the pantry and go through every shelf and toss anything that’s expired, questionable (hey, it happens!), or is overly processed.
Then, we'll move to our kitchen cabinets and drawers and do the same thing. I ordered a new bamboo holder for my silverware and it has been making me so happy every time I open the drawer. It looks so much more organized and cleaner then the old one. I also ordered a new organizer for inside my pantry door that freed up tons of space!
Lastly, put on your determination face, and get busy with your refrigerator and freezer! I have a jump start on you, and I thought I would share some of my finds. If you look close on the third shelf, you'll see some great science experiments! I have no idea how long those cut up limes have been in there - definitely pre-Christmas. And those homemade vinaigrettes? Could be October! The store bought frosting is from my daughter (yes, I promise). Maybe last summer? Sadly, the blackberries went bad in about 2 days so I can blame someone else for that. I like to do each area one at a time, raiding it and then giving each area a little scrub-down as I go. Have a question about how long you should keep foods? Here’s an awesome chart you can download.
Once you’re done cleaning everything out, take a few minutes to assess what’s left and see what you need to restock in your kitchen! This may not sound fun- but I PROMISE when you’re done, you will feel a happy satisfaction. 😀 Feel free to share your before/after pics with me!