The Pantry Nightmare - Solved!

Just the other day when I wrote about Frugal Queen's July challenge, I stated that I had no idea how I was going to deal with the pantry inventory side of the challenge, due to the fact that our pantry is bursting at the seams. Well I found a solution! I've mentioned before that I'm always looking for new apps for my mobile phone and tablet. . . . So I did a quick search for a pantry inventory app, and I found "Out of Milk". This free app will allow me to scan the bar codes with my mobile phone to create an inventory of what we have. It will also synchronize across devices, so I can also view the inventory on my tablet or send the inventory to my wife's mobile phone or tablet. So I'm very happy that I've found a solution! It will still take some time to scan it all, but no where near the amount of time it would've taken to type or write it all down. It will also allow me to move items that have been used up, into a shopping list.

I've also had a quick look through the pantry and freezer to see what we have, just so I can start to get some meal ideas going in my mind. In the pantry we have loads of different pulses which can be made into soups, stews, patties, etc. We have tons of dried herbs and spices, so nothing will ever be tasteless! We have rice, pasta, noodles and couscous that can accompany just about anything. We have tinned crushed tomatoes, pulses, soup etc, plus various bottles and jars of sauces and packets of dried fruit.

After raiding the freezer I made a quick note of what was stored inside, we have a whole chicken, cuts of chicken, frozen vegies, bread, tofu puffs, various faux meat products such as quorn and bounty burgers. No seafood, as my wife doesn't eat it, so I don't cook it at home for just myself. Also we're not big red meat eaters, occasionally we'll have something mince based, but not all that often so there isn't any red meat in there. So already, I'm thinking chicken pie, stir fries, curry, soup. . . Something in the slow cooker, the list is endless! As it's currently winter in Australia, you won't see me serving up any salads for a while yet, at the moment it's all about hot food!

After having a peek in the fridge, I find jars of minced garlic, ginger, chilli, and jars of Indian and Asian curry pastes. There is also a number of bottles of sauces and various condiments, which will all come in handy. All the usual fresh vegies are also there, which will be topped up as required. I'm really looking forward to this challenge and so is my wife! The next two weeks can't pass quickly enough for me lol