Where did it all come from?! Did it procreate in the boxes on the way over the ocean?! I wonder sometimes if I was homeless and starving in another life. I have, seriously, 7 cans of green enchilada sauce, ten packages of whole wheat lasagna noodles 8 bottles of chili garlic sauce and enough salad dressing to keep a small third world country happy to eat salads for a decade or more. I have to be honest and admit though, that I am not sure that even a homeless person could get by on that many pureed green chilies, spicy garlic sauce and fiber-filled pasta. Talk about tummy issues….but that’s another story.
Why is it that I felt that I had to ship all of the above stuff- and more, (you have no idea) over the ocean-blue and back into the land of everything? I suppose the last six years were a lesson in survival of the fittest with concern to grocery shopping. I can’t even begin to count how many times I drove all the way to the American grocery store on base, only to arrive and find that 40% of the things on my list were either not available or discontinued. I learned really quickly that if I wanted something either now, or if I thought I might possibly need it in the future, I’d have to grab it while I could. Another reason is that I had NO storage in my kitchen overseas. What I did have however was a vast and large basement. We called it: The Catacombs. Yes- it was that
Hence, the overabundance of canned goods and condiments in my pantry now- none of which is entirely edible on its own and all for which I have no immediate plan for. I suppose the process of systematically going through every room with Jemi will eventually mean that the pantry won’t escape scrutiny and it also means, of course, that I’d better start coming up with some creative ways to use this overabundance of sauces, condiments and pasta in my meals from now