Blogging has been good to me.
Friendship. Inspiration. Motivation. Creativity. It’s gotten to a point where it’s hard to imagine my life without it. Unfortunately, with the good comes the bad; and the bad in this case is the fact that blogging has also left me with a pantry that’s become not only cluttered, but cluttered with foods that I’m not quite sure what to do with.
Millet – Amaranth – Polenta – Bulgur
Quinoa flakes – Brown rice flakes – Mighty tasty hot cereal – 7 grain hot cereal
Garbanzo flour – Coconut flour – Carob powder
Almonds – Barney Butter – Sunbutter – Chia seeds – Hemp seeds – Vega smoothie mix
We’ve all been there, right? We see something splashed across the pages of the blog world and then rush out to buy it only to discover that we’re not really all that crazy about it? And there are like 823.9 servings in the bag? Yeah. I’m looking at you, chia seeds *stank eye* So our unfortunate purchase sits forgotten, getting pushed to the back of our pantry while we continue to stock up on more misses, until we eventually find ourselves waist deep in “what-the-heck-do-I-do-with-this”…
I bought that bag of amaranth over 6 months ago and haven’t even opened it yet. I don’t know if I like amaranth or not… all I know is that I heard great things about it (typical) so I picked up a bag only to spend some more time thinking about it and coming to the conclusion that… I’m not sure if I’d like the texture – the individual grains are so tiny! But see, I remember thinking the same thing about steel cut oats before I finally tried them, and they’re now my favorite variety…
But we’ll address amaranth later. I guess I’m just afraid of not liking something and forcing myself to eat it anyways; but really… who would actually enjoy that? I’ve choked down all manner of nasties in the name of health and I’d really prefer not to do it anymore… But you gotta do what you gotta do, and I gotta spring clean my pantry. Since the garbage bin isn’t really an option and I can only pawn off so much of my “new age rabbit food” onto my parents (they’re old-fashioned “meat and potatoes” kind of Europeans), I need to come up with tasty alternatives. So that’s what I’ve been doing…
Normally, I don’t like to mess with breakfast. It’s my favorite meal, a lot is riding on it. I mean, why risk starting out the day on a sour note? Because we’re a clean freak on a mission…
A combination of quick oats and quinoa flakes to make eggy banana oats, topped with homemade applesauce, roasted almond butter, and cinnamon.
I’ll admit to only going 50% on this one – 50% oats and 50% quinoa flakes. Verdict? What quinoa flakes? I honestly couldn’t even tell they were in there. Maybe this won’t be so painful after all. But really, with the right toppings, anything becomes edible.
Snack time. I’ve mentioned before that I’m not the biggest fan of eating nuts on their own – too dry and unsatisfying. Solution? Combine them with tastier things like dates, oats, and chocolate…
Chocolate chip cookie dough bites.
And yes, chocolate is completely acceptable at 9:30 AM. Acceptable and highly recommended. Bonus points for being able to sneak it in to lunch, too…
Into the blender: 1 cup milk, ½ banana, 1 serving Vega choc-a-lot smoothie mix, 1 Tbsp. coconut flour, 1 Tbsp. cocoa, 1 Tbsp. almond butter.
I’ve stopped relying on protein/supplement powders in my daily diet, but I still have a decent collection of them left over from back in the day, and I’ve been trying to sneak them in here and there in an effort to get rid of them. Shakes are a perfect way to do that, in addition to being a great opportunity to get rid of some unloved almond butter…
Barney Butter, I don’t like you – you taste and feel like plastic. You don’t hold a candle to my beloved Maisie Jane’s, and it pains me to realize that I still have a full jar of you sitting in my pantry.
Stank eye, Barney Butter… stank eye.
But a spoonful of sugar blueberry jam makes the medicine Barney Butter go down…
As does chasing it with my beloved coffee…
Dry cappuccino.
Dinners are tricky. Mostly because I’m pretty tired when I get home from work and not really willing to get all that creative with my meals. All I can say is thank goodness for leftovers and pre-cooked batches of grains…
I always forget how much I love bulgur – it has a wonderfully chewy texture accompanied by a wonderfully nutty taste. I paired it with an Italian stuffed chicken breast that I made on the weekend and some steamed green beans covered with a simple alfredo sauce. Delicious. Well, aside from the fact that the beans were a little freezer burnt… but I guess that’s to be expected when you keep them buried in the depths of the freezer for a few months too many. Ahh well… again, nothing a healthy helping of toppings can’t fix.
Last but not least, I’ve been ending my days with a big bowl of mixed cereal and milk…
Kashi Honey Sunshine – Kashi Flakes & Berries – Barbara’s Shredded Spoonfuls.
My cereal collection is getting a little out of hand… I currently have something like 8 open boxes in my pantry, and while I go through my favorites like nobody’s business, the ones I don’t care for end up sitting around and going stale. I’ve been picking away at them slowly but surely, and while they’re not as good as my beloved Cinnamon Harvest or Puffins, cereal is still cereal (read: I can’t complain).
And that, my good friends, is a little glimpse into my pantry cleanup what I’ve been eating lately. Now head on over to Jenn’s to see some more delicious eats, and I’ll see you again tomorrow!
. – . – . – .
What are some blog world inspired misses for you? I have quite a few, but I’m happy to no longer be investing in all of the crazy expensive superfoods and powders I used to buy 😯
What’s one thing sitting in your pantry right now that you don’t know what to do with?
Have you tried bulgur or any of the less popular grains like amaranth, millet, buckwheat, etc?
I KNOW THIS LIFE. What in the world compels me to buy all this crap? I’ve been trying to clean out my pantry as well, and I’m pretty much doing the same things you are. What’s this? I’ll throw it in a smoothie? Hmm…an unopened $8 bag of *insert superfantastic protein packed fairy dusted magical miracle grain here* Well, looks like I’m cooking up a batch of savory and sweet. One for breakfast, the other for throwing loads of veggies in. Love the oat ball idea too! Thanks for sharing and good luck on your quest!
xoxo
Call me crazy, but I don’t really fall prey to the blogging trends. I usually buy new foods I discover while shopping at the store!! ALL of these things you have in your pantry though..are my staples!! I LOVE chia seeds, send them my way! HA. They have no flavor so just mix em with cereal or something!! As long as you can get over the texture! :). Bulgar is amazing, as is farro..I am in love with those grains right now! I’m so jazzed about your ways of using this stuff up because the idea of tossing them makes me shiver!
Not crazy – smart! And it’s pretty much a texture thing for me with chia… I just can’t get past the grainy sliminess 😯
This is so time appropriate, I cannot even tell you! I was staring at boxes of couscous & barley yesterday wondering WTF to do with them. I just need to cook them up & start tossing them together with random things! As for blog inspired “misses”…crossfit! I went once & really tried to like it, I did like it, just didn’t drink the kool-aid…haven’t been back, oops!
I have been on a major quinoa kick lately, which is completely out of the norm for me. I am more of a sweet potato a day (twice a day lol) instead of grains (seeds) like quinoa. But I had it in the pantry and decided to give it another try- I can’t get enough of it lately. I never really cared for it much, I always felt like I could take it or leave it. Now something happened and I am in love. I haven’t tried the other grains in terms of cooking them myself but I have seen Trader Joe’s displaying them on end caps recently so maybe I will pick up a bag.
I feel like the complete opposite happened with me. I really loved quinoa when I first tried it and went through multiple bags, and then something happened and now I haven’t touched it in months. I still have a decent amount of it to use up, too, so I’ll have to look into some good recipes.
Haha I definitely have a few blog inspired foods in my pantry that I haven’t touched since the day I bought them…I have a huge tub of protein powder that I have used one scoop of. Sigh…just not a fan of protein powder, even if it is the tastiest one I have tried. I like this idea of being creative to clean out your pantry – maybe I will jump on board with this!
I am afraid I am slightly jealous (ok a whole lot!) of your collections! Its weird, after I became GF I started hoarding the small collection of foods that I could eat & that I really liked (they were hard to find!) I am afraid my protein powder collection is rather out of control right now. I had to look after reading this post & there are 8 different open containers…..I love Bob’s stuff & have a minor collection (of unopened!) bags of assorted new flours & such. I buy his flax meal, TVP, chia & oats by the giant bags though 🙂 its the blog world of new & cool stuff that sucks me in- love it though!
Agave Nectar. I haven’t really played around with it yet to see what I should use it with, but it’s just chilling in my fridge. I bought coconut oil yesterday and I’m hoping I actually use that too! My reason for buying it was to do a hair treatment…we’ll see.
I love chia seeds! I have actually been really happy with most everything I have tried after seeing on blogs. I love trying new things so I always want to try the fun new foods.
My brother just recommended bulgur to me because it’s one of the closest things to meat a vegetarian can eat for the protein, etc. I’m not really sure HOW to eat it, though. I’ve definitely bought my share of things which ended up sitting over time. One thing I thought would be a flub was nooch which I ended up really liking once I started sprinkling it on everything with paprika. As for the chia seeds, I would just start adding random amounts into baked goods just to get rid of it or even your cereal bowls. There are some things out there I will NEVER try. I get confused by a lot of it.
I will GLADLY take that Barney Butter off of your hands if you want to mail it to me 😉
You can use bulgur pretty much anywhere you would use rice. Except maybe in sushi 😆 Really, though, it’s pretty versatile and also tastes good if you want to go the sweet route. The texture kind of reminds me of oatmeal – sort of sticky – which could be why I love it so much. And seriously… I wouldn’t mind sending you my jar if you want it. Talk more in e-mail 😉
Chocolate is a part of my diet all day….i have a few dark chocolate craisins after breakfast and lunch and dessert after dinner 🙂 i think the biggest blog food fail for me recently waa zevia…not a fan which made me sad. Not a fan of stevia though either so maybe not too surprising 😛 my biggest pet peeve with food from blogs is how expensive a lot of it is…i see something i want to try and then get disappointed when i see the price haha
Personally, I love amaranth in stir fry! Cook it up with some veggies and substitute it for rice. It has a nice, nutty taste!
YES for chocolate at 9:30 am!!! I am on the chocolate trip even earlier, like AT breakfast (7:30) or as my first dessert of the day. CHocolate ALWAYS wins.
And I also dod buy several protein powders which make me sick now by even looking at them. I figuress that baking with them is perfect.
I love buckwheat and still have it in my pantry, thank you for the reminder 🙂
I bought flaxseed a few years ago. Definitely a miss. I can’t believe I forced myself to get through half of it. I don’t mind when flaxseed is already in stuff, but I don’t like mixing it into things. Also, most protein powders.
Right now I have super old oat bran and Kashi oatmeal sitting in my pantry. Oh, and a can of tuna. I like them but just never get around to eating them.
I’ve never tried bulgur or any grains like that because I’m a poor college kid. But I’m pretty sure I’d like them.
Flaxseeds can be a tough one to get rid of. One of my favorite ways to eat them has always been to grind them up until they’re kind of powdery, and then mix them into yogurt with a little bit of cinnamon and honey. They add a really interesting taste, and also help thicken up the yogurt a little.
I’m surprised by your dislike of Barney Butter! I’ve never tried it, but I’ve always heard good things. Good thing I haven’t bought it, because I already have my fair share of HLB-inspired stuff that I have no idea what to do with. I got the black bean flour with Lisa, so I may be asking her what the hell I can do with it. I’ve also got half a bag of almond flour and a big bag of ground flax in my freezer. I’ve only been using coconut flour in smoothies, so I should probably find something else to do with that. I had chia seeds going largely unused for a while, but I’ve been throwing a teaspoon or two into oats while they’re cooking, which I do actually enjoy.
I’m pretty sure the only ‘odd’ grain I’ve tried is quinoa, which I don’t think really counts. I’ve never tried bulgar, buckwheat, amaranth, wheatberries….I’m curious, but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. I’m pretty happy with my oats, rice and quinoa!
After the disastrous peanut flour debacle of 2010, I decided to stick to foods that I knew existed before I started blogging. I ended up having to throw the rest of the bag away, which pained me because, like you, I hate to waste food!
I love alternative grains too. I’m not a big fan of rice, partly because there are so many more interesting, flavorful options (my opinion).
Happy Wednesday!
You know, you may just be the first person I’ve ever heard say they don’t like peanut flour – everyone else seems to rave about it, and I’ll never know what all the fuss is about since I’m allergic 😕
I definitely have some of those same items in my pantry and still haven’t used them up. I think I tend to just stick to the same staples and forget about everything else. I need to work on using stuff up as well!
I snort-laughed when you gave chia seeds the stank eye. I kind of envisioned this showdown in your kitchen with Clint Eastwood-style tumbleweeds and music. I’m thinking perhaps I’ve had a bit too much coffee this morning.
I’m really bad. If I don’t like something I either pawn it off onmy roommate or throw it out. I refuse to eat something I don’t like. I guess that’s the pickiness in me. Sneaking those things into your daily meals though is pretty smart! I guess that’s the one upside to being picky- I rarely have something new in my pantry. Except quinoa, but I gave that to my roommate
I have heard such great things about Barney Butter, but have not purchased it due to the price. Your review of it makes me feel a little better and like I am not missing out on something that I should be eating! 😉
And seriously, I have the same issue with cereal. I can never eat just one kind, which then leaves me with several opened boxes in my pantry. Luckily, I go through it fast enough that it doesn’t get stale :). And yay for the Kashi Honey Sunshine. I seriously think that it tastes like Captain Crunch!
It does! Except it doesn’t leave your mouth feeling like your gums are bleeding. Good old childhood memories 😆
ohhhh man I used to have this problem too!! After realizing I couldn’t eat gluten I went out and bought every GF grain under the sun – rice, quinoa, farro, amaranth, millet, you name it. Turns out I LOOOOVE quinoa, tolerate farro but wouldn’t buy it again, and hate the rest. With nut butters and protein powders I don’t like, I bake them into stuff (ALWAYS with chocolate!) and…..well thank god for all the new-age-health-freaks working at CTS that would always take the stuff I hated. Box of cereal I wasn’t a fan of? Just put it on the break room table and with an office full of hungry cyclists it’ll be gone in 45 minutes lol. I like your efforts to “eat down the inventory” – I’ll admit I often just cop out and toss things haha
I can definitely relate to this. I have so many flours and grains in my pantry that I don’t use very often.
You should try puffed amaranth cereal!
http://www.edibleperspective.com/home/2012/7/23/popped-amaranth-cereal-puffmaranth.html
Ohhh, I remember seeing that a while ago and thinking it was a fantastic idea. Thanks for sharing, Gloria! If I ever end up opening my bag of amaranth, that’s definitely how I’ll be using it.
You have an awesome pantry! I wish I could try those things, but I live in southeast Kansas and I’d have to spend a fortune to buy any of them. Right now I’ve got some nasty chocolate protein powder and a large box of unsweetened grape nuts. Yuck!
There’s been a lot of blogs that have influenced me to buy some delicious tasting things…others, not so tasty;)
There’s been a few things I’ve tried that I’ve hated, but feel like I shouldn’t hate them since others rave about them 😉
I have SO many weird flours, but I truly love them all…amaranth (I’ve had my Mom try it and she doesn’t like it). It’s a very bold flavor (if you ever want to try it be warned of that), quinoa, brown rice, millet, teff, hemp, coconut. Sheesh, I could go on to hah.
I don’t like barney butter either!!! I thought I was the only one. I just bought some and ick, like it’s really bad tasting. Doesn’t even taste like regular almond butter. Sad.
Have a great Wednesday love!
Those cookie dough bites look awesome! And I also loooooove Barney Butter. Mmm.
I have a ton of canned beans and pasta in my pantry. We don’t eat pasta a lot, so boxes tend to pile up because we buy them frequently (despite not eating it often. Weird.)
You are braver than I am. I tend to not buy anything because I fear I will hate it and not like it and then waste it. I am a frugal fanny but you knew that. I actually hate chia seeds. I only like them in that Drink Chia drink but besides that just not a fan.
haha I’m not a fan of Barney Butter either.. too artificial I’m much more of a Maranatha fan 😉 hmm one thing sitting in my pantry that idk what to do with is my coconut butter lol do I heat it, eat it as is, will it clog my arteries? lol these are the questions that haunt me lol
Hehe. I usually heat mine a little bit to get it all melty, and it’s really great on oatmeal or toast. You know the jury keeps going back and forth on which foods are good for us and which ones aren’t, but I figure that as long as you’re not overdoing it, you should be fine 🙂
I try not to buy all of those crazy blogger health foods (coconut flour and psyllium husks both sit forgotten in my pantry). I do sometimes give in, but I mostly stick with my tried and true favorites. Mostly because I’m broke and I can’t afford to purchase something and hate it. College student problems!!
Chia pudding was a huge miss for me! It came out so gross when I made it. YUCK! I like chia seeds just not in glob form! 🙂
The only out side of the box grain I’ve tried and liked is Quinoa. I love it now if I cook it right. I had buckwheat flour once and it was one of the worst things I’ve ever tasted in my life. I’m glad I finally (as in the last two weeks) have come to the conclusion that just because it’s healthy or better for you doesn’t mean I HAVE to eat it.
And I’m getting ready to go to the store and stock up on cereal so I can try the mix bowl thing. I’m thinking it’s a great idea!
😆 Buckwheat flour is actually one of the things that I ended up tossing because there was just NO way to make that stuff taste good. And mixing cereals is great! Especially if you get ones that really vary in texture.
I’ve tried a few protein powders that bloggers raved about, but could never get over the funky aftertaste. I also got very into chia seeds at one point…until I realized that the amount of Omega 3s in a tiny serving of chia seeds is nearly nothing…it wasn’t worth the money OR getting those buggers stuck in my teeth. They don’t taste bad, but the texture was kind of off-putting. I would have put up with it had they been chock full of Omega 3s, but I’d rather just stick with grass-fed met, Omega 3 eggs and salmon
At the moment, I’ve got a few weird grain mixes, like SooFoo (lentils and grains) sitting in my pantry. I almost never cook grains…I’m more of a sweet potato or french fry girl 🙂
I couldn’t help but laugh at your chia seed in teeth comment – that’s pretty much the main reason I don’t like them as well. It helps if you throw them into a blender with a smoothie and shred the heck out of them.
You should see all the weird flours we have in our pantry! I am way too much of an impulse buyer thanks to the blog world. The one thing I DON’T complain about having large amounts of is nut butter. You can never have too much of that!
You can if it’s Barney Butter 😳
That’s quite a giant load of random foods you have there! Love the chocolate chip cookie dough bites. It’s never too early for chocolate! 🙂
One thing sitting in my pantry right now that I don’t know what to do with is cacao powder. Well, I know what to do with it, but you can only eat chocolate chia seed pudding and chocolate overnight oats so many times before you want something else. I should have gotten a smaller bag…it’d be useful occasionally, but not in the gigantic quantity I decided to buy it in!
I have so many random flours and grains that I will probably never eat. I’ve been better lately about not buying things that I will only eat once. My biggest issue as of late has been around guacamole! Every time I go shopping I decide I want to make guac, I always have a few of the ingredients at home, so I just pick up what I need, then I get home to find out what I thought I had is actually moldy at this point. First it was the jalapeno, then the lime, and most recently the avocado. It seems like I’m never going to have everything I need to make it!
I have sooooo many chia seeds! I’m never going to use them all, and I actually like them!
Great eats! Especially those choc chip balls. I made a batch of some that were incredibly similar not long ago, and they really hit the spot.
My pantry is pretty similar to yours with a huge collection of Bob’s Red Mill items from a vendor fair. I’ve been donating it to my church pantry because well I don’t want it to sit up there for 5,000 years.
That’s such a great idea! I’m going to have to look in to donation centers, because I have a fair share of unopened things. Thanks, girl 😀
Uh, I hear you. I have a pack of chia seeds and coconut sugar (why did I buy this?!) and some form of alternate flour that I’m not using. Sad waste of money.
Your breakfast always looks so yum to me! I need to get better at eating breakfast.
Sigh… I wish you lived close enough that I could raid your pantry!!
I wish you lived close enough so I could see you!!
“chocolate is completely acceptable at 9:30 AM. Acceptable and highly recommended.” lol AMEN (takes another bite of choc chip banana bread) This is a great post. I live in a studio, so space is limited and fills up really quickly. I have an entire shelf dedicated to things i dont eat, i should just toss them but i feel so bad throwing out all that food (and $$) i love your sneaky ways of working them into yummy food. Im going to have to give that a shot
OMG are you in my brain- I have a similar post coming up…definitely a case of “great minds”, I’m thinking ;)! There are so many products I’ve bought under the “HLB Influence” and unfortunately not all of them have been a hit. Amazing Grass is one that comes to mind- while it wasn’t awfully unbearable, I definitely don’t feel like I got the best bang for my buck! A HLB recipe that didn’t and probably will never get my approval is “chickpea blondies”–> yuck! It was like eating sweetened chickpeas, or as some people would say “chickpea cookie dough”—> YEAH, NO!! As much as I love nut butter for the most part, I wasn’t a fan of Justin’s Chocolate Nut Butter…whoever says it tastes like Reeses has clearly not eaten the latter in a loong time!
I meant to add that your cookie dough bites, on the other hand, are definitely something I can get on board with 😀
I’ve tried Amazing Grass as well with pretty much the same thoughts – thankfully it was just a single serving sample baggie. And oh man, the bean desserts… I’ve never tried chickpea blondies, but that’s because I had a bad experience with black bean brownies and swore I’d never let a bean within close proximity of my desserts again.
I think I have like 10 boxes of cereal in my pantry too, I keep telling my husband and step son that I will not buy any more until they finish them off, but that never happens! I love your collection of Bobs Red Mill, I love their granola and almond flour!