the unshopping list

A common problem in our house is buying delicious ingredients, putting them in the fridge, and then forgetting about them until something starts to stink.

I will then search the fridge for the source of the smell, and inevitably locate a hunk of cheese that has turned green or some peaches that have turned putrid. Exclamations of expletives ensue as my expensive produce is tossed in the trash.

Wasting food makes me angry. And sometimes my fridge is like a black hole - it's hard to keep track of what's in there, and if something gets pushed to the back, it's quite likely that by the time we find it again, it will be inedible.

So I started writing an unshopping list - instead of listing what we need, I list what we already have - a reminder of leftovers to be eaten or ingredients to cook with.

Last summer I did a little DIY project and made myself a chalkboard to fit inside my pantry door. To make the chalkboard, I sprayed a wood painting panel with chalkboard paint and hung it using 3M Command mounting strips. I learned that using chalk markers on the board works better than chalk (the chalk rubs off too easily- usually on Larry's shirt - but the chalk markers don't smear).

Now when we open the pantry looking for a snack, we can see a list of food that we already have.



The unshopping list quickly morphed into a menu planning board however - which is still helpful, because then I know what I can make with the ingredients I have, and what leftovers (L.O.s) we have. I also use it to plan our international meals.

Fall meals:

You may have glimpsed the chalkboard in my New Year's Eve post:

February meals:

Sometimes, someone gets in the way of my photo shoot:

Here's what we're eating this month:


Some of our favorite recipes featured on the chalkboard:

• Chile-Rubbed Steak Tacos
• Quesadilla Pie
• Pumpkin Cheese Bread
• Mushroom Lasagna
• Beef and Vegetable Potpie with Cheddar Biscuits
• Creamed Haricot Vert and Corn Casserole
• Snobby Joes