The Pantry

Neat, tidy, clean, organised (it'll never last....)

 Time for a progress report on that to-do list. December 30th was spent - yes, in its entirety - taking inventory of the food in the freezer and pantry. Many ancient jars and packets found their way to the compost heap and recycling bin, shelves and containers were wiped down, re-arranged and refilled, and the conclusion reached that, certain perishables aside, I probably don't need to shop for most of the month of January.

The list itself ran to about five pages, so I won't be posting it in full, but here are some of the meals I am planning:

• braised lamb with beans.  (had this on Sunday, served with carrot & swede mash & roast potatoes)
  
• pumpkin & artichoke lasagne. 
• lamb kebabs with naan bread (a quick & easy post-inventory supper)
• Jansson's temptation. 
• shepherd's pie. (made with leftover lamb & beans on Monday)
• chicken stew & dumplings. 
• roast chicken & stuffing. (coming up on Sunday when the family are here for lunch)
• seafood linguine. 
• macaroni cheese. (post-ride comfort food on New Year's day. Given the amount of cheese in the house this will be repeated often through the coming weeks!)
• risotto. 
• curry. 
• kofte.
• cheese-stuffed chicken breasts. 
• sausage & black pudding bake. (Tuesday, with the remainder of Sunday's beans)
• lamb chops & polenta. (with sherry-vinegar reduction & some brussels sprouts, a special New Year's eve dinner)
• corned beef hash. 
• nut roast. 
• paella. 
• tagine. 
• pizza. (Tonight. Probably. If I get organised enough to make dough.)

As for The List:

• schedule some bike time  - and how! more to come on this later
  
• catch up on the laundry, take inventory of my wardrobe & look to fill any gaps in the sales
• write a workable chores schedule - and actually use it!
• finish up the final bits of the guest room - frame & hang pictures, make the sheer curtains & swag, buy some new bedlinen - & share the results here.
• sort out & tidy our bedroom, which became the dumping-ground for all the stuff that was in the spare room
• wallpaper the stair risers, make curtains for the hall, hang pictures & buy lampshades. Again, a project to be photographed & shared!
• make the second curtain for the bedroom (I'm ashamed to say that we've had one curtain & a blanket clothes-pegged to the rail for over a year now!)
• tidy away all the Christmas decorations, wrapping paper etc.; find homes for the presents we received & dispose of anything that a new item is replacing
• count the small change in the "penny jar" & bank it
• take inventory of the pantry & freezer, write a shopping list to fill any gaps and plan meals for as far ahead as possible - can I do a month's worth of menus in one go?
• prep for a work project & contact the people I need to speak to about it.