OK folks, so you cleaned out that closet and you are ready to clean and restock the kitchen shelves. I always like to do one shelf at a time, from top to bottom, with little labels and a marker close at hand.
I remove all food, take a good all natural cleaning product and wipe down the cupboards. Next I will check all of the grain containers for those pesky little mealy bugs. If I see them, I throw out the whole batch right then and there into the trash in my garage……NOT in the kitchen garbage where they will just make their way back into my food supply. If you have a mealy bug problem too, put a few Bay Leaves on each shelf, as they do not care for the smell. Make sure that you put your flour and grains from the store right into the freezer for several days before putting them into your airtight containers on your recently cleaned shelves.
Next I will set some realistic goals about what I really want to save. As much as I hate to waste money and food, things like cereal, crakers and breads can get stale. Out they go to the neighborhood birds. If I have lots of little containers ( 1/4 – 1/2 a cup) of things like cornmeal, flour, sunflower seeds or quinoa, I see what kind of weird casserole or meal I can pawn off on the family that weekend to get rid of these little leftovers. If the containers need to be labeled, then I label them with the ingredient as well as the date.
When this task is done and I am appropriately satisfied with the cupboards, I move onto putting the spices in alphabetical order. Because I use spices so much in my cooking, I generally have to alphabetize them several times throughout the year. It is worth it when I am in a hurry and need to locate that Turmeric.
I save the worst part for last, and that would be finding all of the lids that match all of the plastic containers I have accumulated over the years. I have never understood why I always have at least 3 or 4 lids with no container, and 4 or 5 containers with lids that don’t match. I guess it’s like those socks that get lost in the dryer too!
When your closets and kitchen are ready to go, then you will be ready to get that body cleansed as well. Stay tuned for Spring Cleaning Part Three.
Your Health Coach, Leslie
growingvitalhealth 