Simple Eating

As I continue the 500 item purge (up to 274 now), I am mining various collections. One of the more enjoyable sessions has involved going through my recipes. Years of collecting recipes from family and magazines had developed into quite an impressive stack. I eliminated about 100 recipes and consolidated the rest into categories (Vegetarian, Ethnic, Meat, Fish, Fast, Sweets, Drinks). The recipe binder is labeled EATS and is organized using 3 holed photo pages. I've tried a number of different systems but this one, so far, keeps me coming back to it - which, to me, is a sign that it works.

I took inventory of the pantry, fridge and freezers and then I created a monthly menu wherein one new recipe is scheduled to be attempted each month. The monthly menu includes "culinary" themes such as: smorgasbord, fondue, ethnic, easy, adventure (variations on a theme), etc. Having a plan is paramount to our eating simply. Knowing what we have and using what we have is integral to the pursuit of simple living for me. Next post: GO TO Foods!