JOANNA'S FOOD: family cooking, from scratch, every day


Saturday, April 19, 2008

Spring cleaning the larder


















Guess what I'm doing today? And, just like Sandra, we're going to eat it all up, even if it's past its use-by date. Except for one thing - the box of microwave popcorn which Horatio bought while my back was turned. I'm going to incinerate that, with enormous pleasure. His excuse for buying it? He says that traditional popcorn mixed with real melted butter "doesn't taste buttery" ****?!!???!!

12 comments:

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

What's in the crock Joanna?
Gorn loves his microwave popcorn! I think it's all those chemical that do something to the taste buds.

KJ said...

yes what do you keep in that big clay pot? I love the chance to peek into other people's pantries and fridges. I also dissect the contents of other people's trolleys while waiting at supermarket checkouts. Nosy - I know!!

Joanna said...

That crock ... my mother-in-law used it to keep flour, and I once found a little fieldmouse cowering in the bottom ;) I use it to keep pasta shapes. But I'm about to rework part of the kitchen, so that I have a bread-making area, everything together, and I think i will then use it for keeping loaves of bread - which is what it was designed for

Tanna, v glad to hear it's not just my chaps who like that chemistry set taste. And KJ, yes, I do just the same thing at the checkout ;`0

Joanna

Sandra said...

Go Joanna!!

Cottage Smallholder said...

Oh Joanna, well done!

I finally finished redoing my larder 2 weeks ago and it has had an enormous impact on our shopping. Far less waste now.

I reckon that it took me nearly 16 hours - but I did fit new shelves etc.

Joanna said...

I'm ashamed to say I haven't started yet. But it's only this corner, as, a couple of years ago I reorganised the larder into narrow shelves, so that I can always see exactly what's there and what needs eating up. But if there's a horizontal space in this house, it soon gets covered in stuff ... and this needs dealing with

Fiona, I'm in awe of the shelf-building. And Sandra, love the updates on what you're doing with all the stuff that was in the back of your larder

Joanna

Anonymous said...

I love other people's pantries and larders, just like I love looking in other people's handbags ... that combination of sheer nosieness and relief is exhilarating!

The problem I find with the bread crock is that it is too small for all the various fancy bits of bread that everyone in our family wants. By the time I have the regular bread, the brioche for skinny and fussy DD1, the pittas for emergency lunches plus assorted homemade loaves that only DH and I eat ..... we need a bread larder let alone a crock! We just about manage to keep it in an enamel bread bin, but only just.

We had a bit of a larder clear out just before Easter and whilst we usually consider sell by dates as a challenge rather than a need to dump .... even we found one or two items lurking at the back of the larder that had survived one too many clear outs and we were too scared even to feed to "the dog who has no fear of rancid and decomposing food" LOL!

Hollow Legs said...

What's wrong with microwavable popcorn? I love it!

Joanna said...

Gillie, I'm just the same ... and so is my bread box ... and so are my dogs ;)

Lizzie ... principally, in my case, I am keen to cook everything from scratch if possible, so that we know exactly what we're eating, and so that we cut down on packaging and plastic. I don't like eating things with lists of ingredients that I don't understand or wouldn't keep in my kitchen. My children don't always agree with this, they have a tendency to think I'm crazy (probably right).

With microwave popcorn in particular, there's a problem which I don't think can be ignored, even though I don't understand it, and even though I do not like to react to health scares. Any internet search will give you masses of information on this if you're interested, and here's a link to get you going:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/popcorn-addicts-risk-lethal-lung-condition-doctors-warn-401529.html

Besides, it's FUN making popcorn :)

Joanna

Hollow Legs said...

Blimey! That's news to me. Thanks for the link Joanna - I'll steer clear from inhaling popcorn bag air and try making my own.

Joanna said...

Well, Lizzie, if you work out how to make homemade popcorn taste as buttery as microwave popcorn - well, will you let me know, as my sons will be eternally in your debt ;)

Joanna

PS you'll find it cheaper, as well as more fun

Lauren said...

Just got back from a conference trip to Serbia, where to my delight the streets of Belgrade were populated with fresh popcorn making stands! I love the stuff, but don't like the microwave version and can't trust myself to keep kernels in the house or else I'd munch myself sick. But perfect for a holiday.

Incidentally, the rest of the food was good too.

Oh, and my larder consists of three small cupboards in a communal kitchen, but it also deserves a spring clean. Will tackle it this week.