The challenge

So, it's the morning of day two of Project Use What Ya Got (I'll ponder on a catchier name. Suggestions are welcome).

This is the sum total of what I'm dealing with:

Part of my dining table (realistically just "table" - I live in a one bedroom, so this table is technically in the living room and I use it for anything I need space for - cooking, writing, piling crap on). This is where I have a problem with snacks getting slightly out of control. And for people who know me - yes, those really are bananas. I had a weird craving for them. I still don't like how they smell, but I have eaten 3 already.

Part of the shelf in my "hallway." This is where impulse buys go and rarely get used (this includes the soda, the sea salt, and whatever that is in front of the mustard). Note the large number of green "Archer Farm" items. Also, don't judge about the marshmallows - I bought them for a specific recipe that I haven't had a chance to bake yet.

My refrigerator. It's actually not in that bad of shape, since I just cleaned it out on Sunday. I'm working my way through the chicken salad (middle shelf, from Trader Joe's) and the pancake batter (top shelf, looks similar to a whipped cream can).

My Freezer! Packed to the brim with Trader Joe's items, which is definitely the worst place for fun freezer impulse buys. The problem is that you can't even see the layer behind the front, which I'm sure is where all the old stuff is lurking. I just bought the powdered chai on top of the freezer for my sister, who has a recipe she wanted to try last time she visited and we couldn't find it anywhere. I swear I'm going to give it to her.

The cabinet above my sink. Keeper of several lurking items that need to be used up (I'm looking at you, refried beans and applesauce), but for the most part this is actually full of staples for both baking and cooking that I have no guilt about owning.

Part of the cart in my kitchen. These need to be used up or put into cabinets because it is literally the only counter space I have in my entire kitchen, and..well, obviously, I can't use it as it currently stands.

Ok, I actually forgot about this cabinet until I started taking pictures. It's above my stove, and is full of instant mixes and cereal. I used to use the instant mixes quite a lot, but then I actually started baking and now they feel like cheating.

The goal is to empty my table (Picture 1), shelf (Picture 2), counter space (Picture 6), and seriously cut into freezer items (Picture 4). I cleaned out my fridge (Picture 3) on Sunday morning, so everything in it is fresh and yet to be expired. I also have my cabinet (Picture 5), which is full, but I have no delusions of emptying it. Compared to the other locations, the cabinet plays a supporting role - it has a lot of ingredients (flour, beans, rice, sugar, baking supplies) that will hopefully get used up as I wade through my other supplies.

(I just realized the entire above paragraph is written as if I were composing a "Results" section of a peer-reviewed paper. You can take the kitchen out of a scientist, but you can't take the scientist out of the ...well, anyway.)

Oh, and I also have a tea problem:

I actually have a couple more teas stashed elsewhere because nothing else fits in this cabinet. Oops.

Much of the tea I've actually acquired over the summer (I'll pretend that's true), when it's too hot outside to have a mug in the evening or morning. However, I may need to branch out into iced teas in order to make a dent in it before December.

Currently I am busy trying to eat all the fruit and early perishables (blackberries, mango slices) that I have in my refrigerator. As well as eat as many pancakes as possible this morning (the batter that expires August 16 - cutting it close!).

My breakfast - pancake sandwiches with blackberries and a cocoa almond butter (similar to Nutella). So far, eating what I have is pretty tasty.

My milk expires in a couple days, so I may need to set some ground rules about what I am allowed/not allowed to replace. I feel that milk is acceptable. I have yet to decide about items such as yogurt (I usually eat it for breakfast, which could prevent me from using up some other items such as instant oatmeal), or fresh fruit (mainly berries, which are all super delicious, but sometimes I do a poor job of finishing them before they go bad). Any suggestions as to rules I should set for myself? Although even allowing myself into the grocery store for milk could be a dangerous game...