Kitchen Wonders

How are things going in your kitchen, the heart of the home? I am doing the things I write about so I have been decluttering, cleaning and improving my kitchen,too. I have turned up some interesting finds and discoveries.
For instance, cleaning out the pantry, checking expiration dates on cannned goods, I found a can of cranberry sauce that expired in 1995. We also have 4 more cans as every year I buy more at Thanksgiving when I am the only one who will eat it--why do I keep doing this? We also have, for reasons unknown to me, 12 cans of pineapple--crushed,rings and chunks. I don't even use pineapple much.
This leads me to wonder, "What was I thinking, buying so much of some things?" Note to self--just because something is on sale doesn't mean it's a good buy if no one eats it! I'm also wondering how to use all this pineapple!
I got really brave and cleaned out the broom closet, where we store (besides the broom!)cleaning supplies, dust rags, household tools and odds and ends. Some finds turned out to be odder than others, such as a bottle of stuff to take the chlorine out of tap water when cleaning your fishbowl. We haven't had a goldfish in the house since about 1998. From the number of different cleaners I have, you would expect our house to be a whole lot cleaner than it is. I end up using plain old vinegar a lot, but have been lately led astray by all the new aroma-therapy type cleaners. They do make mopping the floor more fun, though probably no more clean. Another note to self--quit buying this stuff when you still have plenty!
I am wondering if any of you want to share any of your unexpected "finds" with us--we'd love to hear from you!


Here's the big "I wonder..., as in I wonder what to have for supper/dinner?"
Cooking is not my favorite thing so I have struggled with this over the years. However, I firmly believe in the importance of family mealtimes and serving healthy food. Some of our best family bonding and just catching up happened at supper. I felt really good about those evenings when I had planned ahead and the food was ready, and not so good when meals were late or not all they could be. Just like with everything else, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Enlist everyone's help and fill out index cards with complete meal ideas starting with the entree, bread, a vegetable, fruit and/or dessert. Each person can plan one or two favorite meals and you can get 14-21 index cards of meals and rotate. Theme meals are my favorites--Mexican, Italian, BBQ, Cajun, Soup and sandwiches,etc.
Each week, pick 7 of your meal cards, then plan your grocery/shopping list. Make your list of needed items, (check your pantry first!) choosing entrees according to what's on sale. Keep an"emergency" meal on hand, such as makings for pancakes, spaghetti, or pizza. Just pull your index card meal for each day and you're good to go. I enjoy using the crockpot as I start supper at 8:oo a.m. and can do something else the rest of the day without having to stop to make suppper later. (Especially if spring ever gets here, as I will be outside gardening and I forget to come in to start supper!)
Adding wonder... since my cooking is so-so, I go for presentation or "style" points. Light candles, use different dishes, put some flowers or other decorative items on the table to make family meals special. A theme night meal with corresponding music is fun--we would replicate a meal we'd had on travels or from a book we'd read. Once we did a "land run" supper after reading a book about the settling of Oklahoma with the land run where people raced to stake out a claim. We ate beans and cornbread off granite wear plates (camping kind) and had used sticks and twine to make "claims" in the backyard. The kids lined up and raced to choose the best "farm" location, tying a bandana around the twig to "claim" it. Our next-door neighbor got in the act by being a "sooner", he tied a bandana to a claim before the "run" started! As you can tell, I enjoy the details surrounding a meal more than the preparation!
Whatever you serve, serve it with love. Remember to give thanks and ask God's blessing for your food. Ask too, for God to help you make your kitchen a fun, productive and welcoming place--and to use family mealtimes to strengthen and encourage your family.
I hope you've been able to add some fun and better function in your kitchen this month. And if you have a good recipe for canned pineapple,let me know!