feeding the family in the wild backyard

Nope, not outdoor dining - just a pantry audit. A very overdue pantry audit, that took a few hours this weekend, and threw up a few interesting observations.

So first - photos. I secretly love looking at photos of other people's houses, especially before and after photos, and sneaking a peek into someone else's pantry is always interesting. This is what I started with:

This is what's missing from the right hand side of the shelf in the photo above:

And this is the revised version:

Top of pantry: Rice bubbles, Mini Wheats

Shelf 1: Salt, Bicarbonate of soda, Sultanas, Icing sugar, Icing mixture, Caster sugar, Brown sugar, Cornflake crumbs, Milk powder, White sugar, Easiyo sachets, Bread improver, Patty pans, Hundreds & thousands, Wedding cake flowers

Shelf 2: Cordials – raspberry, lime, cola, Herbs/spices, Chicken stock cubes, Salt/pepper, Sauces, Cream of tartar, Tartaric acid, Citric acid, Baking powder, Popping corn, Cake decorating supplies, Vanilla, Betty Crocker icing, Corn syrup, Tuna, Salmon, Oysters, Crab pate, Pappadums, Iced coffee mix, Coffee syrups, Tomato juice, Sushi seasoning (bottle)

Shelf 3: Oils – bottles + spray, Alcohol – brandy, sherry, port, cherry brandy, Balsamic vinegar, Apple cider vinegar, White wine vinegar, Ice cream toppings, Coffee whitener, Peach tea cordial, Hot chocolate, Aktavite, Malted milk powder, Coffees, Cooking coffee, Tea – black, green, herbal, Chocolate topping powder, Banana Quik, Sugar, LSA, Wasabi peas, Tahini, Lime juice, Jam, Golden syrup, Honey, Peanut butter – smooth + crunchy, iSnack 2.0, Vegemite, Nutella

Shelf 4: Olive oil (large tin), Biscuits (plain, sweet), Water crackers, Croutons, Sago, Scalloped potatoes packet mix, Cauliflower Supreme packet mix, French onion soup packets x 3, White vinegar, Sauce jars – Mongolian lamb / Curry laksa / pasta sauce, Rice vermicelli, Canned tomatoes, Baked beans, Spaghetti, Cannelloni beans x 5, Soups, Kidney beans, Corn kernels, Canned peaches, Sliced beetroot, Sliced pineapple, Passionfruit in syrup, Tomato paste, Couscous, Fettucine, Sea salt, Nori, Honey x 2, Soy sauce, Fruit chutney, Caesar dressing, Tomato juice, Laksa paste, Oyster sauce, Lemon butter, Mint jelly, Evaporated milk, Condensed milk x 2, UHT cream x 4, Gravy mixes – plain, pepper, chicken, Stock powders – vegetable, chicken, Minced garlic, Hoisin sauce, Berry cocktail

Shelf 5: White rice, Jelly/gelatine/frosting mixes (in large Tupperware), Rolled oats, Coconut, Arborio rice, Sushi rice, Cornflour, Lasagne sheets, Ice cream cones, Plain flour, Self raising flour, Hazelnuts, Dates, Breadcrumbs, Icing sugar mixture, Slivered almonds

Shelf 6: Rice bubbles, Dried kidney beans, Green split peas, Yellow split peas, Wheatgerm, Brown rice, Salt, Breadcrumbs, Pasta, Popping corn, Cocoa, Red lentils, Peanuts (blanched), Custard powder, Cracked wheat, Muesli, Cereals, Grissini, Tomato sauce, Sesame seeds, Rice paper

And what does all this say about me?

1. I had no idea what was lurking in the depths of the pantry. I threw out a lot of out-of-date food, unlabelled food in jars, and some stuff that I had no idea it was there because no-one in the family would touch it. 
2. I have changed in the past few years. I look at some of the items here, and they're things I wouldn't buy any more, for health or ethical reasons, but we will use them up rather than being wasteful, and buy more carefully next time.
3. I would like to use more basic and wholefood ingredients, but convenience wins out far too often. Although a year or two ago, there would have been far more jars of pre-made sauces, so I've improved there. 
4. I have far too much salt! Table salt, sea salt, rock salt, vege salt, and I threw out the use by 2006 flavoured salts (blechhh!).
5. I like the idea of meal planning, but I stuff up by buying odd ingredients that I only use once (if at all).
6. For a family that doesn't use a lot of herbs and spices, we have a rather large variety available, even after I tossed all the ones that were so old they smelled like dirt.
7. We have enough food here to last us quite a while, just adding fresh ingredients (vegetables, fruit, bread, milk, meat). 

The plan now is to work meals around what we already have in stock - a big challenge for me. I've printed out a list of the pantry contents, so I know what's there, and I can cross things off as they're used. And I'll try to avoid shopping without a list, so I don't buy a 6th can of cannellini beans, or a 5th bottle of balsamic vinegar ...