Part Three - It’s That Time…

…to get rid of:

Unused appliances/special pans

At one time, I probably had at least one of every type of kitchen “thing” there was. As time went by I realized that several of these “things” were just collecting dust and I admitted to myself that I was never going to use them again. So…out went the Fry Daddy, out went the Rosette cookie things, Bundt pans, cupcake tins, spring form pans, loaf pans.

Excess mugs

I LOVE special mugs, especially if they’re cat themed. Or funny. I have one with my name on it. I have lovely ones that have been gifts. The other day at a yard sale, I bought a Starbucks mug. I’d always wanted a Starbucks mug! And I use them fairly regularly too. And of course, over time they get chipped or broken and I grieve as I throw out the pieces, but I still have plenty left. If I get a new mug and there isn’t room in the cupboard, then I will find one that I can part with and it goes in the Salvation Army bag.  

EVERYTHING IN THE FRIDGE/FREEZER!

No science projects! Every once in a while that fridge and/or freezer needs to be cleared out completely. I am a real stickler about leftovers that don’t get eaten up quickly. I refuse to entertain food poisoning. Sometimes I will know that what is left over won’t get eaten quickly enough and I will freeze small portions to thaw and eat later. And if those frozen portions don’t get eaten in a reasonable amount of time, out they go

Condiment packets

There is no need to keep a year’s supply of catsup, mustard, mayo etc around in those little packets. After a while they leak! Trust me on this! The only thing I keep on hand in quantities are the packets of Taco Bell sauce. Those get used up very quickly. I also have a tendency to stash a few packets of raw sugar every time I go to Starbucks.

Old spices (not the after shave)

Again, when I first got married I thought a good housewife needed to have ALL the seasonings and spices on hand in a nice little rack. After 40+ years, I pretty much know what I need to have and what I don’t. They don’t last forever. If I do have to get something for a special recipe, fine. If it’s still in the cupboard a year later, out it goes.