Sorry....not going to trap me with sweet talk of your own short comings....
Not going to play that game!!!

I wonder if I thought they would quit making enchilada sauce, anyway if they do I have a pretty good stock (and I make most of my enchilada sauce other than for a casserole or two,) so what was I thinking?

I find occasionally I do that with canned goods, just buy them every time I go to the store (and it is usually the ones I don't use regularly.) I guess I just don't want do be without. Now that is another story.

My DIL has referred to my pantry as the "store."

For quite some time, there was a can of French's turkey gravy in my pantry. I have no idea where it came from, as I would never have bought such a thing and my husband disavowed any knowledge of it's origin.

There is also a small stack of sardines in mustard sauce, which are of inferior quality and which I have neither a desire to eat as they are or any idea what else to do with, but it seems wasteful to throw them away.

I haven't cooked a single thing in over a year due to illness, so my mind is rather boggling at the thought of what lurks in my pantry!!

I won't even think about what's in the freezer.

I've used coconut milk in place of milk in muffins. Worked fine. Make pumpkin muffins with the pumpkin.
Jo

Yes, the "I probably need to get mustard" mindset when shopping, Trixie. That's how you end up with 3 jars. Some things just need to be bought everytime I shop...just like milk, eggs, and....Campbell's tomato soup.

Rachelellen, you notice I did not mention the stray can of sardines I found. But I don't think I have ever bought canned turkey gravy.

Jo, thanks for the idea to use up that coconut milk. Never thought of that.

Daisy, my freezer is smaller, thank goodness, so I'm more on top of what is in there.

Teresa

I'm guilty of purchasing something for a specific recipe and then life happens...good intentions and poor execution.

I've got well-ignored coconut milk in my cabinet as well...

-Grainlady

I can't begin to inagine what is in my pantry. I do know that last year when we revealed how many vinegars we had--I counted 32 bottles.

I'm not home to check but I know I have tons of pre-Cooking Forum envelopes of various mixes-including salad dressing mixes and seasoning for fresh greens.

You must be very excited about your pantry. Thoughts about extending my laundry room to a butler's pantry make me happy.

Daisy, I hope you can start digging into your pantry soon.

Another one who has the can of coconut milk. I remember buying it for a Thai shrimp soup that I wanted to try...at least 4 years ago! Maybe longer.
I have wayyyyy too many bottles of vinegars and oils. Half those specialty oils are probably rancid by now. I guess, now that I am temporarily unemployes, maybe today would be a good day to tackle the pantry. Sigh.

What gets me are those bargain bags of potatoes. Why do I fall for those? DH and I can't eat that many potatoes faster than they can start growing in the pantry. I really need to get them out to the compost pile. (Face turning bright red thinking about what I just confessed to!)

I've got a can of coconut milk, too, that I bought to make a lentil soup recipe. I haven't gotten around to making the soup yet, and the weather is quickly turning to non-soup temps. (Supposed to reach 90 degrees tomorrow!) DS found a jar of Tahini in the pantry the other day, and got real excited. I had bought it thinking I'd try to imitate the bottled dressing I like, Annie's Goddess Dressing, which has Tahini in the ingredient list. Unfortunately, I never got around to making it. I told DS to check the date before using it, and of course it was past date. *Sigh* What a waste.

Sally

Actually, I've just redone my pantry. Well, just built it and moved the contents. I had two of this, three of that, all opened and partially used. I figured out that I was out of a lot of things. I thought only old people didn't know what they had so bought duplicates and forgot what they needed! :)

I have a bag of croutons from 2006, and a box of cereal dated 2004. My husband says they are both fine. I'm planning to sneak them into the trash someday when he is not looking. I also have two cans of chicken gumbo. I don't eat gumbo, and I don't remember ever buying gumbo!

That chicken gumbo makes great "spoonburgers" added to a pound of browned ground beef with some catsup and mustard stirred in and simmered until thick.

Now, Rob, don't you start talkin' 'bout old folks on here or you might ruffle some feathers. LOL!

Maybe I'll have to admit, that maybe, just maybe, I might not be the spring chicken I think I am. After all, who is that person staring back at me with wrinkles, greying hair and "extra padding" on her body every day? Where'd she hide that fierce young thang who could eat her weight in ice cream, beef, chocolate? Why is that it that now, all I do is look at a piece of pizza and think, "May as well just slap it on the ol' rear, cause that's where it's going!"?

-Robin who may change her name if she ruffles your feathers!

Teresa,

I know the feeling...I when through my pantry about a month ago. I tossed all kinds of items with old dates. I had some canned goods (coconut milk included) that we had gotten from my MIL's house when she passed away a few years ago. I went to use a can and the date was like 1985.....so I started to look at everything in the pantry and was surprised at the outdated stuff...now I make sure to check the dates and use the items that are the oldest date (but still good) first.

Linda

Ok, I think I can top all this... I've got this tupperware container in the pantry that has a bunch of dried mushrooms in it, and I think possibly a few other similar type items... A little while back I was going to go use some, looked through the tupperware and saw all kinds of weevils in there... Weevils TOTALLY gross me out beyond belief... I couldn't bring myself to open the thing, so I -- **just put it back on the shelf and ignored it**! It is still sitting there today... I really should have my husband empty it out :-)

Emily

I went out to the pantry this morning and stumbled (almost literally, it was on the floor) over a 6 pound, 8 ounce can of "Birria de Res" which had been a hostess gift from my Mexican sister in law a couple of years ago. It's supposedly "ready to serve". I imagine that it is some sort of stew, and a banner across the can says, "estilo Guadalajara", which I assume means that it is "Guadalajara style".

My sister in law's instructions were pretty simple, to eat it with onions, lemon and tortillas, but I'm not sure how my husband and I could possibly get through 6 pounds of the stuff.

You're not going to let a few little weevils get to you...are you "fearless" Emily?
(sorry couldn't help myself)

Hmmmm....guess I'm one of those highly dubious of things in cans that I can't translate and 6 lbs. of it could be daunting, Rachelellen.

Well the guys finally started their "day's" work at 11:00 a.m.!!! I put them on the spot and asked how long they would be working today and if they would be able to get all my little jobs done. The boss assured me they would be finished by the time I got home from work and if they finished early they would cut me a break in their labor cost. He said they would get all 4 jobs done. Call me a skeptic, but I don't see it happening. I listed the jobs in order of priority, so we will see.

Well I'm feeling very sanctimonious there isn't a thing in my pantry that I don't know about and that isn't current.

OK ......so I spent a full day about two weeks ago cleaning out...OY! Was not a pretty sight but at least now I know about the 3 jars of capers , 2 bottles of sesame oil, 6 jars of salsa (no joke!) and a can of palm hearts (????). Next the freezer.....scary!

Rachelellen, don't know if this interests you but I used to make an appetizer a million years ago using canned sardines in sauce, it's a "retro" recipe. surprisingly tasty and they were always gobbled right up.

Cut good quality bacon slices in half. Mash the sardines in their sauce until paste like. Smear each piece of bacon with the sardine mixture. Roll up jelly roll style, secure with a toothpick and bake in a hot oven on a wire backing rack Turn them often and cook until crisp. They really are very good.

You. Don't. Want. To. Know!

Hmmm...fishybaconbites...I wonder if I could get my husband to eat them. He's not crazy about sardines in mustard sauce to start with, and these really weren't very good. I might give it a try, chase. My husband suggested the sardines (and the can of Mexican beef) be donated next time there is a canned food drive, but I feel a bit ashamed to donate that which I wouldn't eat myself!

Mmmm, love sardines, I just had a can of them for lunch a couple of days ago. The really cheap ones too, and packed in mustard sauce!

I did the POOP (Pulled out of Pantry) challenge several months ago, but I still cleaned it out again two nights ago. And yes, I have two cans of coconut milk, LOL. I'm sure I don't know why, but I do.

I also have some Tostitos salsa, and since I make and can my own I have no idea where the heck that stuff came from.

And, since I'm still trying to clean the darned thing out, I'm making CocoKrispie/Peanut Butter treats tonight, getting rid of half a box of cocoa krispies!

Hey, Maybe I'll make little "nests" with jelly beans and turn them into an Easter type treat for the Monkey Princess and Bruvver.....

Annie

Hey I have a can of lite coconut milk from TJ's..bought for some reason..but I don't recall atleast a year later. LOL
Great idea on the muffins!

As far as donating stuff you don't eat...There are all kinds of tastes and some "gourmet" type items could be a wonderful treat to some people. Do it. :o)

OK how come so many of you have coconut milk in the pantry?

My guess is there was a lovely recipe posted here and you all went out and bought some. So what's the recipe?

I don't kow anyone else, but I made a thai soup with chicken that took coconut milk. I bought some more because the boss loved the recipe and I've never made it again because I thought it was too sweet and Ashley thought it was just "too weird". LOL

Annie

I use my pantry as mostly a place to keep emergency foods that we could use in case of an earthquake or other disaster. Living in Ca. and in the mountains I try to keep enough so we would be Ok for a few months. Most of the canned goods we will never eat unless there was an emergency. I date everything when I buy it and about once or twice a year I take it all to the local food pantry and restock.

I watch dates when I shop and try to rotate thing that we use on a regular basis but I still find thing that I wonder why I bought in the first place. I have 6 cans of enchilada sauce! They will be going to the food pantry on my next trip. Since I found this forum I make my own.

My mom passed away 4 years ago and last week I was cleaning her, my dad's pantry, trying to get him organized and hopefully eating better, and I found a bottle of salad dressing from 1989. And how long dose powered sugar last? I found a tupperware container with 2 new packages that must be at least 10, 12 years old. Is it still good?

Don't even ask about the amount of toilet paper I keep on hand. Again if we have a big enough shaker our little town is going to be the last place any emergency help will be coming. I figure it would be a good bartering tool. Each bathroom has a drawer that will hold a full 36 roll pack from Costco.

The only other thing I am always stocked up on is beer, wine and booze. Water I can always get down at the river but Chivas is a must have for emergency.

No coconut milk here
Claudia

I also have 2 cans of coconut milk....
Now where is that recipe that was the inspiration for all of the coconut milk purchases?
Linda C

I noticed that you all had it too, and wondered what it might have been for. I searched and found this (could be it just struck me as I adore a well made creme brulee):

 Posted by doucanoe (My Page) on
Sun, Dec 30, 07 at 23:36

Wow, lots of really good options here. So I may as well add another! LOL

Actually this is in my "to try" file. i haven't made it but plan to.....soon. Start making the day before, they have to chill overnight.

COCONUT CREME BRULEE
1/2 cup plus 6 teaspoons sugar
6 large egg yolks
1 large egg
2 cups whipping cream
2/3 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk*
2/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place six 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins in large roasting pan. Whisk 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks and whole egg in large bowl to blend. Combine cream, coconut milk and coconut in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Whisk into yolk mixture. Pour custard into cups, dividing equally.

Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake until custards are just set in center, about 35 minutes. Remove from water. Cool; chill overnight.

Preheat broiler. Arrange custard cups on baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar evenly over each. Broil until sugar browns, rotating baking sheet for even browning and watching closely, about 2 minutes. Chill custards at least 1 hour before serving. (Can be broiled, then chilled up to 6 hours ahead.)

*Available at Indian, Southeast Asian and Latin American markets and many supermarkets.

Makes 6 servings.
Bon Appétit
January 2000

Linda

Emily, Weevles!? Forget having my husband dump the contents, I would have my husband dump the entire container since I would never be able to use it again. I guess I'm a weevle wuss!

Another one here with mulitple cans of coconut milk. I love Thai Tom Kha soup so I keep it on hand. Duh, I should be using it for desserts too.

Woo hoo! The guys finished up and left about a half hour ago and.....they were able to do everything on my list!!! I now have 4 doors that shut, lots of new pantry shelves that are covered in white melamine (NO painting there), new shelves in the old ironing board space, a piece of wood filling in a space by the cabinets, and new white shoe molding in the kitchen. Yay!!!

And the best thing...he only charged me $10 for supplies. What a deal! What a guy!

I'll be painting this weekend, then I'll take pics.

Teresa

Way to go Teresa! I can't wait to see the pictures!

And ok, you're right, given my moniker, I really need to tackle those weevils myself... I promise to do it.... Tomorrow! :-)

Emily

I'm excited for you! It's the little things that make us happy.

I have Coconut milk [2 or 3]and fish sauce [reminder need more] in my pantry and I use them all the time to make chicken curry and Tom Kha Gai regularly. If you want the recipes just holler. They require other stuff but if you like thai it's worth it. I even made up my own recipe for curry paste if you need it. My grocery stopped carrying it and all I had was the red curry powder.

I have green olives that need a purpose any ideas?

As most of you know, I moved after almost 15 years in the same place. No pantry but a camper and extra cabin with plenty of storage. I found and got rid of a lot of stuff...pantry items included. Three pickup truck loads to be exact. No coconut milk though...lol.

Congrats to you Teresa! I'm sure you will be more than happy with your recent updates and that they got the job done on time. I'm toasting you with a egg sandwich on your Struan Bread (toasted) as I enter this in tonight. Man, I LOVE this bread/recipe!!

David

I always have coconut milk in my pantry. I used a can the other night to make the Malaysian chicken curry. Most of what is in my pantry is current except for a number of cans of smoked oysters. I forgot that I had bought a 6 pack at costco last year and then bought a second one.

Ann

Coconut milk is a pantry essential I thought! So many SE Asian dishes use it.

I would love to see that Malaysian curry recipe.

I always have it on hand, but that's because I cook Thai food. For people who don't, it requires a bit of imagination. I found a website that has an article about coconut milk to help out those of you who have it, but aren't sure what to do with it. :D

Here is a link that might be useful: Six Great Uses for Coconut Milk

Sally,

Just wait a little bit for it to warm up and you can cut up the eyes and sprouts on those potatoes and plant them in the garden. Nothing better than baby potatoes with fresh peas in cream sauce.

Stacie

These are in my pantry.They were gift items and I don't know exactly how to use them:
Mexican Mole Finishing Sauce
Indian Curry Finishing Sauce
Sweet chilli sauce
Raspberry Wasabi dipping mustard
Sesame Ginger Marinade

Re the coconut milk:
Replace just half the water for your basmati rice and it will be wonderfully fragrant and delicious. You can add everything from orange zest, cardamom, pine nuts, saffron, vanilla bean, dates, raisens, spring onions.....
Replace all the water for your Basmati rice with coconut milk or cream and you will end up with a yummy, fragrant rice dish similar to rice pudding in texture. DH loves this.

A jar of preserved banana blossoms. What was I thinking?

I do use (and love) coconut milk, though. I buy the light kind, and it's fine. Besides my favorite peanut soup recipe, it's great in coconut bread pudding (MMMMMmmmm) and all kinds of Asian dishes.

So many good ideas to use those cans of coconut milk!
Thanks to everyone!

I found a bottle of banana catsup. No idea what to do with it. DH got it as a Christmas gift from his sister. Grrr...

Hmmmm.........banana catsup?......hmmmmmmmm.......??????

No coconut milk here but lots of jars of gift preserves but nothing exciting like when I cleaned out my old basement pantry a few years ago & found a live, baby black snake dangling between the shelves. The weird thing - okay, finding a squirming snake in the pantry is weird - we live in the inner city & this is the only snake we've seen in 20 years!

I hear ya! When I lived in the "country" on our farm I once had a big black snake stretched out on the cement brick wall just behind my chest freezer. I politely asked him to leave or he might find himself IN the freezer rather than near it.

I'm intrigued too by the banana catsup.

Isn't banana catsup a Phillipino food? Seems like I remember DH talking about it once.

The house I grew up in had a pantry that was about 6x10...certainly bigger than the bathroom! And it was stocked floor to ceiling. I used to kid my mother about having converted to LDS (I'd heard somewhere they are supposed to have two years supply of food on hand -- don't know if that is really true or not) or having starved in a former life. It was not unusual to find things on the top shelves that were 5+ years out of date. We'd sneak them to the trachcan one at a time.

As for what's in the pantry here...I'm scared to look! The house was empty for nearly a year before I moved here, and I doubt there was much grocery buying going on the two years before that. I cleaned out one section of shelves when I moved in, but there's aother ssection that could have just about anything from any decade. Tackling that section is on my spring cleaning list.

Emily - after my experience some years back with the old chili peppers and moths, I'd just walk that whole container to the trash bin, unopened. You haven't missed that Tupperware bowl this long, you won't miss it going forward. LOL!