Pantry Purge | Spring Fever 2019

[@beautyplayground]

I truly love your decluttering videos! Let me get a cup of tea and then watch this one 💕

[@OSheaPunk]

One thing I think that would really help, whenever you reorganize, is to meal-plan. Try it for at least 2-3 weeks. Only buy what you plan to eat that week. I really try and avoid making any food purchases that I don't plan to eat that week. It really helps to cut down on the clutter and more importantly, the waste. I also liked the "eat down" suggestion another commenter made. I really don't think you need so much food on hand at once.

[@TessieDobey]

I am waiting patiently for the mudroom purge!

[@JustCallMeAnnie]

Great video! You kept saying that you needed to remember you had items in the bins. Would it be more helpful to have clear bins, so you can easily see everything? Loved watching the purge!

[@WithWonder]

That's a great idea!

[@huxleyaydin6562]

sorry to be offtopic but does someone know of a tool to get back into an instagram account..? I stupidly lost the login password. I appreciate any assistance you can offer me.

[@korbinfox2878]

@Huxley Aydin Instablaster ;)

[@huxleyaydin6562]

@Korbin Fox thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and im waiting for the hacking stuff now. I see it takes quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@huxleyaydin6562]

@Korbin Fox it worked and I finally got access to my account again. I am so happy:D Thanks so much, you saved my account !

[@elizabethlangheim9460]

Luvin your purge videos. My hubby and I have been in “eat down” mode, short for eat all the food in the pantry and lower the amount we store now, for 3 months now and are almost done Yes, we had way too much food stored. Looks like you might want to focus on eating up the food in your pantry and if you are close to a store maybe carry less food at any one time.

[@dianeandbrad529]

Elizabeth Langheim 👍👍

[@tracymartin1990]

Have you considered doing a pantry challenge? I’m sure you have seen them. The idea is to use up all you have in the pantry before shopping again. Great way to use up what you have already.

[@dianeandbrad529]

I personally couldnt use baskets in my pantry: Im very visual and need to see all my stuff on my shelves otherwise I forget about what is there. I have all clear oxo containers with labels. 1) I would suggest putting the bulk dried goods in a plastic or glass storage container so they dont go bad as soon. 2) why replinish your smores box when it seems that you havent used it since before 2016? Purchase food items as you need them to avoid waste? Thanks for sharing your video!

[@WithWonder]

One day we will s'mores again!

[@eiyiyiyi]

I found out the hard way that sprinkles do go bad, they get stale and nasty!

[@WithWonder]

Hmm...thanks for the head's up, we'll do a quality check

[@amandamlewis44]

My OCD kicked in, I was saying please just get rid of the dried mangos. Lol, love the video.

[@1993caci]

One suggestion - get several of the square or rectangular food storage containers (like the OXO brand I believe?) and put all of your dried goods (beans, nuts/seeds, fruit) in those and then corral them into one of the bins. Use your label maker to label the tops of each. Easy to pull out the bin to get to what you need and neater than keeping the bags everything came in. Makes food last longer too!

[@cecectconnecticut344]

Cindy Freyou Those OXO clear bins are great. I have bought all of mine from TJ Max, Homegoods, and Marshall’s..

[@blonde11584]

Yes chocolate goes bad. Don’t get rid of the lunch containers incase you need them you want have to buy more. The lunch containers can be used for other things besides food.

[@katheriner37]

Jen, that pancake bottle is the best! I use a funnel to put the batter into the larger opening at the bottom. It also makes storing extra batter in the fridge so much easier!

[@HJPeet]

Chocolate goes bad. Sprinkles go bad. And nuts go rancid surprisingly quickly. Flours and grains can get little buggies. Also the SELL by date pertains to a sealed package. Once they’re open the clock starts ticking! You should store all this seldom used kind of baking stuff in a bin in your freezer.

[@WithWonder]

Thanks for the tips!

[@gailcarsten7903]

You inspired me to go through my kitchen and organize it more so thank you. As a suggestion, you could use clear containers instead of the dark baskets to see exactly what you have in your pantry. It's beautiful and big. Great video.

[@1993caci]

I’d put those pie cutter things with your bag of dried beans that you reuse for pie weights! You probably use the “weights” every time you bake pies and then you’d see the cutters to remember you have them. If you’re like me, out of sight out of mind!

[@WithWonder]

Clever!

[@solo_official-ready]

Good job Jen. I purged/organized my pantry this week so it’s good to go post spring break. I really like the OXO pop containers to store snacks etc.

[@MsCandidLife]

Please throw away the chocolate. No one will want to use chocolate that expired in 2017 at your summer parties.

[@WithWonder]

Sounds like a plan 👍

[@ArtJourneyUK]

Jada M ...two year old chocolate will taste rancid. It’s not hermetically sealed

[@ArtJourneyUK]

Jada M ...I see you edited your comment, so its hard to know what you said originally. I don’t recommend eating chocolate two years past its expiry date whether it smells bad or not. I certainly wouldn’t taste it to see if it is foul. Expiry dates are put on food for a reason.

[@michelepace777]

@@ArtJourneyUK Actually the government etc is making companies stop putting such short dates on things like this because it's so wasteful and these things don't expire that soon to begin with. It's a very best buy freshness date. Unless Chocolate has turned a lighter color *due mainly to excessive heat, it IS fine to EAT. I've never had any problem with plain chocolate going bad and none of my friends or family have thrown it out due to a date. Common sense will tell you if will look different and if it doesn't' it's perfectly fine. Good grief some people. Thank God they will be changing that mess up soon.

[@ArtJourneyUK]

Michele Pace wow... this post was 10 months ago, guess this was really important to you eh? Some people 😉 However, actually its really only fruit and vegetables that the government are planning on removing dates from as these can be visually identified when bad. Food that can pose a health risk when eaten after it’s shelf life will continue to be dated. Interestingly my husband used to work for a food testing laboratory which tested the validity of ‘Use By’ and ‘Best Before’ dates. Most dates have an extra amount of time built in for consumer safety and the dates themselves are based on optimum storage conditions for the food in question. Either way, here’s the guideline on chocolate... and two years past the expiration date would be considered excessive www.eatbydate.com/other/sweets/chocolate-shelf-life-expiration-date/

[@PixieDustLane]

I use those exact lunch containers in my girls lunch boxes. I like them because they are easy for them to open on their own.

[@zenobiaaibonez844]

I've been using up sprinkles in pancakes and pancake muffins. Adds a bit of fun to them and they're not sitting around for too long.

[@LisainCalifornia]

Don't keep anything expired. It is a labor of love, because a mother or master of her kitchen knows that people are trusting her or him not to serve expired items. It really is that simple, and is so important in a trustful relationship.

[@melissapersing8255]

Instant coffee is awesome in rice krispy treats. Take a tablespoon coffee, mix in a similar amount of water, then stir it in the melted marshmallow. Nice subtle coffee flavor and not too much caffeine.

[@Ellenllee]

"...I'll try them on the kids,and if the kids don't like them..."...lololol, Jen you are a breath of fresh air and you make me chuckle during every video;thank you for that in this this world. When you mentioned the chicken broth for Winnie it made me miss her little appearances in your videos...gee I am sure that most of us miss a tiny appearance by Winnie and Don when time permits.

[@35tracyw]

The bins you currently have aren't working well. You need to replace them with something that allows you to actually see the food better. That would help to cut down on the waste and confusion.

[@onewithbooks17]

That coffee is great. My coffee at work will cause gut rot so I started looking for instant coffee alternatives as we don't have space for a machine but we have access to hot water. I really liked it. Maybe someone you know who likes coffee would want it.

[@SEASIDE925]

I decided to separate all of my kitchen into zones and it's been working since 2010. If it cuts it goes in one area. Everything that goes with baking in another and coffee tea station have all helped . Everything in it's zone home. And if it overflows the assigned container, it goes out of the house.

[@prernashraff8937]

Time to tackle my pantry this weekend. Thank you for the inspiration!

[@SusanBishop555]

The Tupperware area! My Son played there too in my kitchen. My Daughter did some. It was a tall thin cabinet under the sink to the right. And I kept lots of Tupperware and big spoons in there so my Son could pound on the Tupperware. lol He is a drummer and has been in many bands since being a teen. So I guess that was pre drummer days. LOL

[@jeanspeer4053]

You have inspired me for sure!

[@rondalawson3311]

I use jars with lids for all of my dried beans and pasta. Might try that :)

[@tooktoomuch116]

Maybe in the future you can reconfigure your elfa system to drawers. I replaced my shelves with drawers in my pantry cabinet and it’s a TOTAL game changer! No need for bins cuz the drawer become the “bin”. Loved the vid as always!

[@cynthia6055]

Good job Jen!

[@KatieZebra55]

A good way to know if something is okay past the manufacturers sell by date is anything dried (as a powder or dried fruit), frozen, pickled, smoked, that contains vinegar, sugar (or is candied), salt (i.e. in brine) or alcohol will last a long time as these ingredients etc are natural preservatives/ ways to preserve. Whilst anything with dairy, bread, meat, seafood/ fish, poultry or fresh fruit will go bad far quicker. Beyond this it's best to try it (smell first), remembering that this date is mostly so you as the consumer cannot claim off the seller or producer if you consume something that is bad/ past this date as they have warned you that it may not be edible. Anything with a mixture of a preservative and fresh i.e. fruit in brandy will last much longer than the fruit on its own but it will go bad, just try it before throwing it away, if it smells or tastes horrible or not how you remember it then throw away. As for the sprinkles check if they contain milk (probably as a powder) if they do then they will probably be passed their best if they don't it may just be chocolate flavoring or cocoa powder in which case they may be okay as sprinkles are predominantly sugar and rarely contain chocolate as you think of it (as a bar you can consume straight away). If in doubt try them, just a few won't harm you but you should be able to tell if they're off. I hope this helps you and anyone else who reads, I'm an environmental graduate and we did a lot on food waste, so I hate it when people throw things just because it's past the sell by date. It's so easy to tell if food is bad when past this date, just by looking (colour/ mold/ expanded packaging), smell (will smell horrible or fermented (slightly alcoholic)) or taste, small bites can tell you if it's bad but won't put you (as an adult or teenager) in harm's way. I understand why people, especially those with young children, do stick to these dates strictly but if you are able give something a try before you bin it. Everything goes bad in different ways (clumping together, fermenting, going mouldy, separating) and takes different amounts of time to do so. Jam for example can go mouldy, separate liquids and solids as well as fermenting. If it separates only you could just drain off the excess at it will be fine, depending how mouldy you could take off the bad bits and the rest will be fine (be careful of penicillin allergies though), fermenting is the one where it's probably best to throw it all.

[@WithWonder]

TFS!

[@mrssharp]

Those coconut milk caramels are amazing!

[@sandraboyle2520]

I leave my most used foods in glass jars on my counter❤️xoxo

[@dianeandbrad529]

For a few themes (baking items, dried nuts, etc) it seems you have a couple locations for the same type items - that may be why things are expiring because you dont have all the options all together and things get forgotten? - 🤔🤷‍♀️ (saying as a suggestion , not to be a jerk🌸)

[@ArtJourneyUK]

Take a drink every time Jen says “does xxx go bad?”. The answer is generally “yes” Jen. You probably don’t need quite so much food in “backup” and then 2 year old open items won’t be a thing.

[@shivp22]

Sipping my coffee watching :)

[@Sbrace]

You could play a serious drinking game if you take a shot everytime you ask if something even expires 😆

[@sallyyouna2928]

Love your videos. Thank you for sharing

[@thereaderbug398]

I never thought about using coconut water for smoothies. I only make them on rare occasions so I don't know if it would be worth the money to get coconut water. I will have to think about that!

[@lucyluvz12]

I do think the baskets will become a bigger problem as time goes on,too much out of site

[@WithWonder]

That's a good point

[@bryonywhitelaw7197]

I have the pancake thing. You take the bottom off to get the batter in!

[@FaithMZ]

About the pancake batter dispenser. The bottom unscrews and you put the batter in there.

[@KimberlyWebbdesigns]

Haha....I nearly died when she asked how the batter goes in.

[@BonnyL]

Yes sprinkles and chocolate expire

[@lynnconroy8]

Those made good granola snacks, they’re so good! I got mine at cosco they have 2 flavors in the bag. If you haven’t opened them, you should. I think your daughter would love them!

[@nancyg323]

Love the Made Good products and my kids love them too. I'm sure you'll love the Made Good snack acks you bought at Costco.

[@staceyshaw564]

Yes, chocolate does go bad. I have found it turns a white color when it does.

[@katelyn6039]

Stacey Shaw wait so white chocolate is actually just expired milk chocolate? 😳😳😳😂

[@hollywisniewski7576]

The white on chocolate does not mean it’s bad- or so I read

[@solo_official-ready]

That white powdery coating that appears on chocolate isn’t an indicator of it going bad. It’s normal reaction of chocolate to oxidation. I saw that on some food network show.

[@bridgette712]

Love those Dandies peppermint marshmallows in hot chocolate!

[@sarahsridinglessons859]

My family has always said sprinkles never expire. We still use sprinkles we’ve had for probably 10 years 😂

[@ChantalGrace]

I love your videos Jen! Ignore the negativity from the sad people who clearly don’t have lives

[@beccae6504]

What negativity? Is this a cult? Are people not allowed opinions? Strange comment section.

[@ChantalGrace]

Becca E ever heard the saying if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all? Well people clearly need to remember it. Jen doesn’t need to come see comments attacking her when she is sharing her process of cleaning out parts of her house. She doesn’t need to see people call her wasteful. Those calling her wasteful are acting like they’ve never had to toss something that went bad. Everyone I’m sure has had to toss something out that went bad. People need to stop judging her. If they don’t like her videos and don’t like her process then they need to stop watching her videos instead of posting negative comments

[@UnicornsNeedLove2]

Agree

[@windingstars]

@@ChantalGrace You need to relax. The comment section is mostly polite. There is such a thing as constructive criticism, you know. Criticism gives perspective, sometimes much needed, and should not be taken as a personal attack. You're going to have a difficult time in your career and personal relationships if you're unable to receive criticism impartially.

[@superduper4806]

If you have any Rumpus William Sonoma stuff in your pantry I would love to have it! Thank you!

[@JustCallMeAnnie]

Mighty Miss 😂😂

[@myview6852]

Next time you get cranberries, or any dried fruit, put them in a glass jar and they stay soft. The dried out ones are still good just dried out. You can soak them and add them to baked goods or put them in your smoothies. You can go a step further and keep those jars in the fridge to prolong the freshness . And chocolate actually goes bad after a long time because it has oils in it. Keep your favorites in a ziplock nag in the freezer and bring them out as needed ) straight from the freezer is good too!).

[@my2jedi]

Sprinkles get pretty gross - not in the sense that they would make you sick, but the "candy" type ones start tasting like old plastic after awhile. The colored sugar kind lasts for a very long time. If you haven't used the regular sprinkles in the last year, I would give them a toss. Chocolate gets quite gross, too - sort of chalky, flavorless, and often changes color.

[@WithWonder]

Good to know, I will investigate

[@shivp22]

Love your eyeshadow today :)

[@kjroberts2050]

Could you feed some of the dried fruit and stuff to birds? I find best before dates very confusing!

[@197228sept]

The additives to chocolate go bad so get rid of the chocolate sprinkles you were not sure about :) The bar (if it is 90+% cocoa) I would keep. My advise would be to “eat up” to open up more space :) Btw what is this with the rice in the fridge? Never heard of it and I cannot see any reliable sources confirming that it is better. I have always kept mine in an airtight container in a cupboard and have never had issues...

[@rosies.6436]

Jen-store your nuts and seeds in the fridge in containers- otherwise they go rancid. My uncle who is a chef gave me that tip.

[@WithWonder]

I have most of our nuts and seeds in the fridge actually 👍

[@Jasmine4.44]

Yessss chocolate goes bad, it has dairy in it so of course it goes bad!!!

[@Illumnia548]

Yes! And i think oils in it go also rancid...

[@myview6852]

Dairy free chocolate goes bad too as it has oils in it that go rancid. Though not as fast as those containing dairy

[@cjsaezz]

*warns owl bag* you're on my watchlist lol

[@WithWonder]

😂😂😂

[@Jennifer33333]

Also, high quality chocolate does go bad since it usually doesn't contain a lot of preservatives. I keep mine refrigerated and try to use it up within a month or two of purchase.

[@scrapper900]

Run a little water in the “ice bag/pack” and keep it in the freezer then its ready to go for the next boo boo.

[@shereegarrett9241]

The pancake bottle.. To get batter in it..unscrew the bottom :)

[@mylynnj3792]

Between your reaction to the sound of the marshmallows hitting the floor. To the contraband Koolaid, I had to laugh. You did great! Not much to throw out at all.

[@leezasims1644]

We would survive all month on that lot by adding some fresh produce to the stash. You have done an excellent job storing it all and keeping organised. That makes it much easier to find and use. You are very respectful of your food. That’s a lot of extra stuff. In the U.K. we tend to cook with more fresh ingredients vegetables and meat or vegetarian side options. That’s a lot of stuff to sort . I say use it up quickly over the next month in meals and snacks. Plan your eating around that great stash and start a fresh. It’s nice having space in the cupboard. We mums tend to plan for every eventuality in the kitchen but we must remember we can buy what we need easily. Loved watching this it’s very interesting. Great job taking the time to video this in such detail it helps when I sort my food which I’m going to do today after watching this. 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

[@shelleyconyer9455]

OMG! I’ve been looking for those Pampered Chef icing bottles everywhere!! I would love to buy them if you don’t mind shipping!!

[@sarahsridinglessons859]

Shelley Conyer coming from someone who bakes regularly piping bags and tips work way better. Those bottles are extremely hard to clean and you have more control with the bags. I will say the bottles are good for kids to use if that’s what you’re wanting them for 😊

[@mandyalley125]

Chocolate does goes bad. It will either taste funny or turn a light brown color which is very noticeable. Best rule we follow is not to go past the next holiday (halloween candy eat or throw away by christmas, christmas by Easter, easter by summer)

[@mandyalley125]

Unless it has a date thats isnt near yet

[@OonaghFae]

Make iced coffee with the instant coffee?

[@shereegarrett9241]

U can freeze chocolate instead of keeping n panty.. next time ya buy it.

[@CrysTvsky]

Those Made Good granola bites are so tasty.

[@JavaFirst]

I am allergic to dairy and have not found a way to make good hot chocolate. What do you use to make your hot chocolate? If anyone else has any input I'd love to hear from you.

[@amymerryman9330]

She shared a hot chocolate recipe back in the fall/winter.

[@bandbporter]

Coconut milk!!

[@apfelprincess45]

That bento box @ 24.11 is reveiwed very unfavourably by a ton of people on Amazon who cite it as being non leakproof and that it cracks easily too. You could use it to store opened packets in but maybe return it and get a refund based on what others are saying? I don't know check out the reviews on Amazon.

[@premierpetcaretraining6906]

Wee-hee 1st person to watch this !! :)

[@lesliet7599]

The "see through" containers (glass or plastic) would be a better way to display in your pantry. You are able to see your oats and stuff. We eat with our eyes. if you see the nuts, you may throw it in a salad or make a quick snack for the kids to pick on.

[@labrown8971]

Clear bins would work better- if you can't see it you won't use it

[@lovemyhomelife2152]

Loved this video! Unless the vegan marshmallows are too out-of-date you could make rice crispy treats! I use those marshmallows as well, and they work great. ☺ TFS💗💗💗

[@kaitlinheinz2191]

I use a similar mushroom powder (Freshcap) and mix it into that Pumpkin Spice Tea you showed from Trader Joe's. Also good mixed into oatmeal (with fruit or sweetener).

[@WithWonder]

Thanks for the tips!

[@lucyluvz12]

If family does not want the coffee I would toss as I don’t see you drink that type of coffee and it’s big

[@TheAggie2309]

Most expiration dates can be disregarded, especially if you're dealing with animal products, and even then, some things such as yogurt stay good for another week or so. It's all to make you run out quicker and buy more

[@mariamitchko4441]

Where are the bins from? Love all your videos. Thanks for sharing 😊

[@onewithbooks17]

I've bought some like those at Michaels

[@sandraboyle2520]

🌞 When I shop for recipes I buy tiniest size Available ❤ 💋

[@kloudens]

Sprinkles good for 3 years past sell by date

[@Truenorth747]

Instant coffee makes the best iced coffee. That's all I use.

[@Jennifer33333]

Just wanted to chime in that Cherrios were recently found to have glyphosate (RoundUp weed killer chemical) contamination by EWG testing back in March. I would get the Cascadian Farms or another organic version instead.

[@mrmrsboom7253]

Use your stale Dandies to make Krsipy Treats for your littles!

[@kiraph]

Yes, chocolate goes bad. :) I've eaten chocolate that was right at the end of it's expiry date and it was awful. Bad mouthfeel and just tasted not very nice.

[@apfelprincess45]

Who keeps chocolate long enough for it to go bad? Don't you just buy it and eat it hahaha? We always keep our chocolate in the freezer and it keeps just fine there indefinitely , its too soft if you keep it in the pantry.

[@dianeandbrad529]

You can keep flour in the freezer for 24 hours or so - it will stop meal bugs from growing in it.

[@MsCandidLife]

Months?

[@alexm.2969]

The only food that legally "expires" is baby formula. Everything else is basically for the freshest taste. The best thing to do is the see and smell taste before you eat it.

[@myview6852]

Rice does not need to be refrigerated. In countries where it is the mainstay of their diets like India, Japan, the near and middle east, it is just kept (for years!) in a dry place. Sometimes salt is mixed in, if it is hard to keep humidity away. Dried fruits that get really dry can be rehydrated and used in smoothes or baking. I keep all mine in airtight jars on my fridge to prolong freshness. Think of the dried out ones as “ unprocessed fruit leather”🤣😊

[@silviabesusso8589]

So. Much. Wasted. Stuff. OrganizedLikeJen, really? If you truly were organized as a SAHM, you would be able to keep up with your pantry and keep it organized. Throwing out the occasional expired item is normal, having a 2016-expired chocolate bar is a different thing. You’re not really organized, you just stick categories of items in bins and call it an organizational project.

[@stephanieauker1106]

Truth. Also, I'm wondering why she's keeping things for her daughter. She's 3 years old - how many years will she be holding onto a curling iron and hot rollers?

[@silviabesusso8589]

Stephanie Auker and the combs, girl, let’s not forget the combs 😂 But no second thought when it came to jewelry and purses.

[@stephanieauker1106]

@@silviabesusso8589 lord I did forget the combs. The first couple of videos in this series were really impressive. I mean she was CLEANING. OUT. But when she hit the bathroom she seemed to have lost focus and decided to tidy instead of declutter.

[@silviabesusso8589]

Stephanie Auker 100% agree

[@sierrasb1992]

I feel a lot of judgement in this thread. Instead try suggesting better solutions with explanations of why it’s better. I don’t think there’s one correct approach and progress is a step in the right direction. I appreciate she shares with us and genuinely believe she puts more organizational effort into her home than most. Y’all have some free time on your hands to voice this negativity. I will not respond to any rebuttals. Jen, I know you read these so apologies on their behalf. Thanks for sharing, girl!

[@carla8651]

throw the chocolate away. it’s probably white!