The Minimalist Pantry (waste less, cook more)

[@rissbirk7524]

At the beginning of the month, we have a "no food purchases" rule. We can't buy any food except milk for the first 7 days of the month. This forces us to use leftovers, dig through the pantry, deep freeze, and fridge and use what we have on hand.

[@febemeyer4559]

I’ve been doing this with random weeks and it’s made such a difference to our budget!!!! You’re inspiring me to make a set time for this. Thank you!

[@lizharley5723]

I do something similar. Once a month I use up food in fridge/freezer/pantry and have a no buy rule except for milk and bread. Today I took inventory and made vegetarian chili in the crockpot. This involved frozen onions and peppers, a can of tomatoes and tomato sauce, can of kidney beans, can of corn and a package of chili seasoning. Once cooked, it will be topped off with shredded cheese from the freezer. Enough for 3 meals!! Tomorrow will be a cheese and zucchini omelette with hash browns to use up more of the cheese and leftover zucchini before it goes bad, and use up the freezer hash browns. This is a fun challenge.

[@babybobbie1000]

I like this idea. Thank you.

[@nemo7782]

Thumbs up on this! ❤ 👍

[@stowie5790]

I may have posted this on a prior video but thought It was a good repost as it was a great meal planning idea: When my kids were little I made up 21-25 Index cards. On one side I listed the meal idea (Such as hamburgers with fries or chips, Stew, Mac & Cheese with Hotdogs, Chicken with Potatoes & Vegetables, etc.). On the reverse side I would list all the ingredients needed to make the meal. I stayed very basic on the meal ideas because I don’t like to cook so the easier, the better! Every two weeks I would shuffle all the cards and my two kids would each pull 7 cards - for a total of 14 cards. They would then turn the cards over and make their shopping list. We would look to see what was on hand & on sale before heading off to the store. We only shopped at one store and knew the store layout so I did my best to shop in order of the layout. The kids would look for and gather the items on their lists. I taught them how to look for sales, compare prices and look for alternatives if we could not find an item. They would also help me make their meal. For fun we added “kitchen closed/night out” and the reverse side of the card said “your choice” and whoever pulled the card would choose where to eat (w/kids it was usually fast food). Leftovers were usually my lunch for the following day. My kids are now adults and I recently came across the cards (while decluttering) I worked with my grandsons to review the cards and make up new ones. I plan on giving them to their mom/my daughter, in a nice box so she can use it with her boys. (My son is married to a professional chef so I’m not sure if he needs them! 🤣👩‍🍳🤷‍♀️🤣). By the way, my kids favorite meal was Chili, Chips & Cheese (chili, topped with cheese and sour cream. No utensils needed as we used Fritos scoop chips to scoop the mix.)

[@sheilaenglish3293]

Replying to Stowie: What a great idea in so many ways. Your children learned a lot and got to feel a sense of ownership in the choices made.

[@shariteaney1627]

That is a great idea! Thank you for sharing!!

[@leahrenea2709]

I did this when my son was little as part of our homeschool lesson.

[@lenapattersonplans]

Love this idea! I've been starting to implement a weekly rotation where one kiddo picks the meal (from a cookbook) and helps me prepare it. But lately it's been starting to get boring for them 😉 I'm thinking the cards might be a fun game to use instead! Plus, I could pick the meals so it's not any extra work for those random recipes they found anymore 😂. Thanks for sharing!

[@stowie5790]

@@lenapattersonplans I hope the process works for you as well as it worked for my family. I was a single parent, raising two kids who were both in sports activities year-round. A number of the meals were quick and easy as we would not get home until 8pm sometimes. Depending on the meals picked for the week, I would meal prep when I could, such as cooking rice for the entire week. On our late nights, I could open a can of stew, heat it up and serve it over some rice. My kids helped me come up with the meal ideas and this helped to ensure that they would eat it. Wishing you success!

[@happyhiker2665]

This might seem excessive but once a week I will pull everything out of the fridge and do a quick wipe down of the shelves. I tidy up the freezer and do the same for the pantry. It only takes about 7 to 10 minutes to do all three of those since I am doing it weekly. Definitely helps me keep track of the inventory.

[@juliatepe5760]

Great tip, thank!

[@jennybird2770]

I do that too! :) It really helps not to buy what I already have. Also, I put food from the pantry that will expire soon on the counter to remind us all to eat it up. I usually do it the night before trash day. :)

[@veronika2190]

I do that too! Helps me keep on top of our food inventory

[@lifewithlarsandsusie8315]

I usually do this before we go shopping to. Not as good as I would like because we have a lot of kids but I like to tidy before shopping! I hate wasting food

[@deidrecampbell9454]

Great tip and good for hygiene especially the fridge.

[@marysimpson8457]

I keep a basket in my pantry labeled, "Tonight for Dinner'. In the morning, I look at my meal plan and gather all the non perishable items together and place in this basket. This helps make sure I have all the needed ingredients, it's collected in the same location, and all I need to do at dinner time is pull out the basket and get started. It frees up my brain and I worry less about the last minute "oh oh" I used the diced tomatoes earlier for another meal.

[@bethheerten1132]

Great idea, and much neater than my system of putting them on the counter next to the cooktop the night before.

[@lauralynn186]

Love this! Thank you

[@kmg301]

This is a great tip. I’ve been occasionally using brown bags (similar to green chef or other meal kits) but I like the permanence of a basket

[@yolandapadilla7820]

Brilliant! So practical and so simple 🙏🏼.

[@vittlesnskittles]

this is Awesome! i’m going to do this!! today lol

[@Texasmom]

I had never viewed our possessions as inventory that needs to be managed until I started watching your videos. When I started watching you and the idea of managing inventory just started to click. Wish it had clicked years ago. As always your videos inspire me to do better.

[@meganyoung7438]

I agree. Looking at it as inventory made me realize more stuff is just more work.

[@katythriftyunder35homeowne57]

I used to work at a retail store- I stock it like inventory. I know exactly how much of each thing fit in each spot these days.

[@michelleprice5945]

Totally agree!! Too much is just too hard to manage.

[@HannahMitchell-Art]

I’ve just visited an older woman who lives in an enormous house and every wall is covered with a huge fine art collection. She is now at an age where she has to downsize and reduce her collection and it is so hard for her to do. Too much inventory! Learning this lesson now saves the heart ache later.

[@Apledore]

The first time I heard Dawn say this was a magic moment for me, too. I was suddenly okay with getting rid of some guilty clutter my family had bestowed on me.

[@sarahdeason1268]

Yes to the rotating meal plan!!!! I hate meal planing and dreaded it every week, and then I thought, “why reinvent the wheel?” I made 4 weeks and rotate them. I printed all the recipes and put them in a binder and on days I’m completely tired, often my husband will go to the binder and pick a recipe from the week and cook. It’s been amazing and takes so much pressure off!

[@kbkb3358]

I really like the idea of creating a binder for the weeks! I have tried to do a menu rotation before but it never seemed to work well. However, your idea of a binder is a game changer! Thank you!! ❤️

[@debm3716]

I love this idea too of a four week rotation in its own binder! I am in a funk with meal planning and have been trying very hard to get back into it - I think this idea is going to really help me and I’ll include a couple nights during the four weeks as opportunities to try some new recipes. I just bought a new cookbook and slowly working my way through it but got to point of overwhelm 🤣

[@chalktalkwithshari4173]

When my 6 children were young, I used a rotating menu and it was a lifesaver: M-Sunday dinner; T-leftovers; W-pasta; R-casserole; F-pizza; Saturday-sandwiches & soup. Salad, raw veggies with dip, or cooked veggies were always offered. I had 4 recipes for each option so we never got bored. For example, sandwiches could be grilled cheese & tomato soup, build-your-own hoagies, sloppy Joe’s, or grilled hamburgers/hotdogs.

[@bethheerten1132]

I make the week's menu on a large index card and place it in the fridge. Each week I make a new one, but I save them for ideas another week.

[@GR-bo5zt]

@@bethheerten1132 I love that idea of keeping the cards!! 👍🏻

[@allsquaredup9717]

Once in a while we do a “Go with the food we have” challenge. All our meals come from what we have on hand, even the weird stuff. It’s fun and challenging and I’m super glad my husband is not a picky eater! We are plant-based so we never have anything hideously perishable on hand, but still it’s fun to clean out the cupboards, fridge, freezer and fruit table. Currently we are doing a DecemBean! Eating every last bean and legume we have before buying any more. We had a LOT! It’s coming along nicely. 😉😉

[@smallfootprint2961]

Plant based here too, and right now having a great one of those "Go with what we have" meals. Turns out so great. Who knew baked potato, Avocado and a couple nights salad with garbanzo beans and tons of various vegis, would make a great meal salad? Love the order, Dawn, of the pantry, and your discussion of the bowl of fruit. So true for us too. We like our bananas ripe, so we usually wait till they're full of little brown spots. Then they're sweet, but they can go past ripe so fast, that you can lose them. We have a solution for that too. If you see them going too far, you can peel them, break them up, and freeze them. When you want a healthy smoothie or soft serve ice cream like treat, whip them up in a heavy duty blender, and add whatever you like; frozen/fresh berries, etc, and voila... a quick fruity soft serve desert... with nothing more than a piece of fruit.

[@agamble1126]

We're plant based too and feel it helps cut down on food waste too. Although we still have some produce get wilty, it's very rare for anything in my food closet to expire or go bad.

[@kellymhanson]

Plant-based here too, so nice to meet y'all in the comments!

[@momoffour2072]

Since my husband started working from home, something that's helped me with reducing cooking hassle has been to have our dinner in the middle of the day. Since outside activities tend to be in the evening, the "big" meal prep and clean up are done at a time of day when there's more wiggle room.

[@bobbihofacker2706]

Probably better for you as well. More time for large meal to digest.

[@andidavid2062]

Wow! A simple mind shift that makes life easier! Love it!

[@jennprescott2757]

When I lived in various places in Africa we had our big meal at lunch. Made much more sense if everyone is around. Back in Canada now and we do our big meal for dinner so that we can do it with my working husband. But if everyone is there, lunch as a main meal is great.

[@NLY1WAY4U]

Me too! Eating big meal at lunch and eating lighter at supper lends to no indigestion/heartburn at bedtime.

[@antiantipoda]

Welcome to the Brazilian way. Here the main meal - rice, beans, meat and salad is the most traditional - happens around noon.

[@jackierux1345]

If I have to "run" to town for an appointment and I realize I hadn't made a grocery list, I actually take a picture of my pantry so I know what I have! Same with the fridge!

[@nurseraine1059]

That's a brilliant idea!

[@explauren]

And freezer! Me too!

[@barbaracarr17]

Today, I'd like to thank you and Tom for inviting all of us into your lives and adding so much to our well-being through sharing your helpful videos. All the best to you and your family for this Christmas season and in 2022!

[@FilippaSkog]

We’re already cooking at home (eating out/ordering in is insanely expensive in comparison here in Sweden) but I actually tried your two week meal plan rotation idea last month! It went alright but we grew tired of a lot of the meals when having them biweekly. This December I’m doing a monthly meal plan instead, with several favourites making it on there biweekly but some meals just once. However planning it like this helped: Monday: Something with rice Tuesday: Fish Wednesday: Pasta Thursday: Soup Friday: Leftover buffet or tacos Saturday: Favourite meal that doesn’t do well as lunch the day after Sunday: Bake/casserole Then making the meals themselves different each week.

[@username00009]

I love your dinner theme for Saturdays! I agree that a two week meal plan rotation is too repetitive. I’m slowly in the process of trying to create a one year meal plan because my family has a tendency to want the same meal several weeks in a row, which then leads to them not wanting it again for a LONG time. I’m hoping that the longer rotation period will help us repeat our favorites more consistently so we neither burn out on them nor forget them.

[@BusyLizzy_]

Something that has really helped me with pantry inventory is shopping at our 'fill your own container' grocery store. I'm in Canada, and we have a Bulk Barn as well as an independent Zero-Waste refill store (these are becoming more widely available all over the continent). Here's how it helps -- and I think Dana K White would give this a thumbs up, since it is the container concept in action! The containers in the pantry house all my basics. They are not fancy, but all durable jars/tupperware/or cannisters that I have had on hand. When the flour, sugar, raisins, pasta (or whatever) bin is empty, it gets a quick wash and goes into the grocery basket (no need to write a list, since the bin is labeled). At the bulk store, jars are weighed empty, and the weight is written on the container. You whip around the store and fill your jars and then have them weighed at checkout. At home, the jars go straight back in the pantry. Nothing to decant, no wasteful bags to throw away, no partial packages if things to get pushed to the back of a cupboard. I know you are minimalist, not zero-waste, but there are so many ways that a low-waste lifestyle also serves the same purpose to simplify our homes!

[@kelleybishop6275]

There's a really good recipe with canned corn, canned cream corn, jiffy cornbread, green chili's and egg's. It's amazing and everyone loves it!

[@callsign.Noctra]

Corn casserole and it’s amazing 😍

[@KG-wd4id]

Yes! Was just going to say this!

[@tml3982]

I use creamed corn when making shepherds pie and in my corn bread recipe.

[@SimpleLife365]

Kentucky Spoon Bread Recipe: In glass casserole dish melt 1stick melted butter (I use less). Add 1 can cream corn + 1 box Jiffy corn bread mix + 1 C sour cream ( or Greek yogurt) + 1 egg. Mix well and Bake @ 375 until middle is firm set and edges are golden. Cool slightly and cut into squares or spoon onto plates to serve. * Options: add grated cheese, green chilis, finely chopped red peppers, and/or diced ham or chicken. 😋

[@angelacross2216]

It’s absolutely delicious and so easy. As easy as a Bundt cake!!!

[@juliewright1895]

One of the things that I do is I have a bin, similar in size to the one you showed with foods that need to be used up, and it’s for ingredients for meals that I plan to make soon. I Collett the dinner bin. I don’t do the two week rotation like you mentioned so when I do buy ingredients for my meals, it’s helpful to have them in one place. I partially do this so people won’t eat the ingredients, and also to find them easily. So if, for example, I’m going to make spaghetti, chili, and teriyaki chicken that week, then all of the non-perishable ingredients would go into that bin. I shop my shelves before going grocery shopping and any items that I do have, I put straight into the dinner bin. It has simplified things so much!!

[@leoren2685]

That is a great idea.

[@EssentiallyStyled]

Great tip! I too shop my shelves now as I’m notoriously buying things I already have.🤦🏼‍♀️

[@carish1452]

I do self-checkout on my groceries so that I can bag by meal, then just leave all the non-perishables separated by those grocery bags in the floor of the pantry😂 Having stuff in the pantry floor drives hubby crazy a little, but it’s working so far since we downsized by 500ft2 this summer! I’m vegan while my family isn’t, so it also helps keep “Mom food” separate in a different bin. I figured this is how grocery stores do inventory in a way 🤷‍♀️just by aisle instead of by bag or cabinet.

[@jocelynsloan7801]

This idea occurred to me as she was talking about the bin. Like a “we’re using these items THISS WEEK”. Just more intention!

[@luncefordfamily9001]

Sticky post-it notes in the refrigerator really save the day for me! I list one veggie, fruit, perishable item, etc. per small-sized sticky note and post them all on the drawer faces. When I use up an item, I simply remove the sticky note. I've used this same technique for other shelf-stable items that I'm trying to use up (as opposed to your basket idea). These sticky notes are posted inside the door of one of my cupboards. Hope this idea helps someone out there. Dawn, you have rocked my world! Being a sentimentalist all my life (52 years), I'm really trying to commit to changing my ways. It's been a slow process, but you've helped me every step of the way. So thank you from the bottom of my heart! May God bless you abundantly. Brenda in California

[@adrimcdougall9384]

You can use cream corn in a simple shepherds pie! Bottom layer is 1lb cooked ground beef with onions Next is a can of cream corn (the cream acts as gravy Top it with mashed potato Sprinkle paprika Bake til top is lightly browned Serve with veggie or salad!

[@julieseifert8533]

Last week we literally only ate from our freezer and pantry-I only got produce from the store. It was the first time in a long time we saw the bottom of our freezer! But it got it done to a manageable level where now I know what’s there and I’m actually more mindful what I buy. The pantry still has a way to go, so I’m definitely pulling the “weird” stuff out and either using it or donating it, or just tossing it if it’s old.

[@monicaespinoza8325]

Do you throw them out if it's the date is up?

[@julieseifert8533]

@@monicaespinoza8325 depends on what it is. Typically yes. Trying not to let things get to that point.

[@monicaespinoza8325]

@@julieseifert8533 Awesome thanks. I have a walk in pantry and just tossed everything that was expired or used and didn't like. It feels nice to know what exactly u have and use.

[@carolwood4293]

Always keep inventory , and put it on a list , put that list inside the pantry door. Do the same with freezer. Make a list put it on the side of the frig. Check it the day before and use that is available and take it out to thaw. This has saved us so much time and money.

[@jennylhenry78]

Absolutely agree! I keep our overflow pantry in our laundry room. And I shop there first, pulling in the ingredients that I need for the week. Then when I shop I replenish the overflow pantry.

[@bethheerten1132]

Thinking of EVERYTHING in our home being inventory that must be managed has been a game changer for me! Thanks for introducing me to the concept.

[@LindaASJ]

I have a years worth of food. I transformed a closet into a pantry that I call the grocery store. It’s just me and the hubs. I meal plan and rotate. When I need something outside my regular kitchen pantry, I go to the closet and say I’m going to “the store”. Having the majority of my food supply in the other room, gives me piece of mind that we are secure but doesn’t overwhelm me because it’s separate from everything else.

[@staceyhorton5863]

I love the two week meal plan idea thats on repeat. I have been so burned out with coming up with new ideas for cooking that I have stopped cooking every night. I really want to get back into it and I think this idea of things I'm comfortable with and everyone likes will help me get back on track. Thank you.

[@debm3716]

I hear you and totally in same boat. I know so many recipes yet I cannot think of anything to cook because I’ve been at overwhelm with my cooking. Another commenter on here mentioned a four week rotation and putting the recipes in a separate binder - I’m gonna give that a go which is similar to the two week rotation concept. Wishing you all the best on your cooking journey 😁

[@laurarhodes7193]

I made myself a two week meal plan where I cook once every 4 days and most things just need to be combined together on the night (eg salad bowls) or have rice or pasta added (eg curries, chilli, stir frys) or. This frees up time and space in my head for other things and keeps my kitchen cleaner for longer! Its healthy and tasty and saving lots of money.

[@maria_w311]

#7 - I separated my kitchen into 4 sections. (Pantry, fridge, freezer, baking) I inventory and clean 1 section a week.

[@luthergirl106]

Love this!!! Thank you for sharing 😊

[@laurahazel6577]

Kindred spirit! I do the same four sections. And my long term canned goods are "offsite" in an unused walk-in closet.

[@rosettastabile9320]

I am guilty of having too much food inventory, while everyone was stocking up at the beginning of the pandemic I was working on clearing out food inventory. Now I refrain from buying food just because it’s on sale. If I can’t use it up in the same week I don’t buy it. I also try to cook something that will allow me to use up something that had been taking up space in my pantry or freezer for to long. I make less trips to the grocery store and my inventory is finally depleting. Thank you for all your great tips and decluttering inspiration.

[@24carrotgold8]

I used to buy large packages of ground beef, cook all if it and store it in individual serving containers. Now I just buy the 18 pack of 1/3 lb sirloin burgers and use one directly out of the freezer. Eliminates the pre cooking, stores more easily in the freezer and portions are premeasured. I live alone so this works great for me.😋

[@jennybird2770]

Something I do to try not to waste food and see what we really eat that we buy: I put the grocery receipt on the front of the fridge- because it not only reminds me of how much I spent, but it lists everything that was bought. I put a check mark next to the things we ate all of. I put a dot next to the things we have started to eat but aren't finished with yet (a change this to a check when it's eaten up). The things that don't get a mark I know not to buy as we really don't eat them. It's kind of a fun game. :)

[@kathrynbaker5188]

This is such great info. My mom (91 now) used to keep the “stockpile stuff) on shelves in our basement. Occasionally she would ask me (I was maybe 10) to “ go shopping “ for the basics we needed to restock our pantry before she grocery shopped. She taught us to state focused and keep a standard inventory!

[@jennifertompkins7687]

Great ideas as always. I suggest that you store the food in the basement upside down so if rodents run over it they’re not contaminating the tops of the cans.

[@debinnashville2009]

It's a good idea to always rinse can lids before opening them, especially canned drinks like Coke.

[@cornwallsharon81]

One super simple thing I’ve started doing that REALLY helps is my fresh meat goes into the fridge in date order when I first put it away. Takes 10 seconds, but when I open the fridge, I just look at what’s on the very left and I know that needs to be used first. So if it’s chicken, then that’s the meal we have that night. Really cut down on food expiring before I had the chance to use it. Also cuts down on decision making. No more “what shall we have tonight”, just “oh it’s chicken this evening”

[@kristinesharp6286]

Our grandparents used to always have fish of Friday, pasta on Tuesday, meatloaf on Monday. They had a rhythm. They had a left over night they knew there would be enough to use and not waste from the meals before. The age before food allergies and having things year round.

[@FrogeniusW.G.]

For me a tray or basket of fruit or fruit-veggies out on the counter is like fresh flowers to others. I just love the colours and the way it looks in general.. 🍉🍐🍎🍒🍋🍅🍈😄💕

[@kscriv4636]

I love that idea to have a bin with pantry items to use up. I’m pretty good at meal planning to use up perishables but that tip will really help me. I’m a sucker for buying weird things at markets and farm shops but they usually end up forgotten about. I’m going to go rummage now and see what I can use up this week. Thanks as always 💫

[@chandaharkins4418]

Totally agree on keeping the emergency stash out of the regular pantry. It's helpful for a lot of reasons. Thanks for sharing!

[@annyg1757]

"Sometimes having more space isn't always beneficial".......soooo true!🥰

[@maribelquesada5651]

I follow a mom podcast the other day they talked about having a regular dinner meal plan, she said she’s a creature of habit and doesn’t mind having the same meals with tweeks. Makes weekly shopping easy. Monday chicken and veggie Tuesday pasta and meatballs or meat sauce Wednesday Tacos Thursday Burger Night turkey or beef Friday Movie In and Take Out Sat/Sunday left overs or a pre-made casserole or crock pot meal

[@maribelquesada5651]

@Marissa Elle give it try,…tacos could be any protein. I went back to listen to the episode Thursday is grilled burgers, for the winter she will probably switch to a stew, I would do chili. For breakfast she makes a weeks worth of mini frittatas. Lunch is chicken salad, on Monday she makes extra chicken to shred.

[@Kirstie72]

I always put out a veggie tray even when we have frozen pizza so we’re at least getting our veggies. Thanks for the great tips!

[@Hikercat299]

Sorry but can’t find a link in the description to your favourite recipes??? Really enjoy all your videos your efforts to make them and your valuable insights and advice are hugely appreciated. Thank you so much.

[@DRenee-fl3dw]

You took me into the inventory management concept and my home was immediately changed. Now that we have to stock up due to the supply chain issues, I've got too much inventory again. With 4 kids, three of them teenage boys, I can't risk not having enough food (also picky eaters) so I'm now drowning in inventory. It feels awful. I didn't realize how great it felt mentally to have a manageable amount!

[@AWanderingEye]

Re: Bin of Weirdo ingredients, I love this idea. Right now I have several 1/2 pints from dry goods that just need to get used up. I plan to pull them over to the computer and see what dishes I can make to use them up and the staples I have in the fridge. THEN make a note that I won't buy those things. This is also a good idea for those random spices we seem to acquire too.

[@Discovering.jess.]

These tips are insanely well timed. (Thank you Jesus for that) literally been putting off cleaning my pantry for weeks! This is incredibly smart and helpful! Thanks Dawn Also I would love to see a what you eat in a week video to get some ideas for quick easy meals

[@sandiellis8305]

How weird what came up in my feed ..... just watched Jack Canfield- what the universe is telling you.! and THEN this one - my first job on my job list today was .......cleaning through my pantry 🙃 - which I am dreading.- I'm gonna watch your mums pantry video. and then GET ON WITH IT 😁 I am excited to receive the workbook - thank you for everything xxx

[@bonniehafeman9757]

What has been helpful to Me...is to declutteri the outdated stuff. Thanks again. Beautiful person. Amen.

[@amberryellowx2064]

You deserve so much more views likes subscibees your so wholesome and tou actually seem genuine and you can tell that you actually care about the peiple qho watch your videos and I appreciate that.

[@mariaabilock526]

I really enjoy your videos about inventory! Your messages really resonate with me. After shopping for my parents in law for a year when they weren't going into grocery stores during the pandemic, my MIL loves to return the favor by going to Costco every 2 weeks. Not going to Costco and keeping my husband away from Costco has been great for our inventory because then we don't buy bulk sizes of new snack foods that we may or may not like. We stick with just a few staples.

[@artfullyzen233]

Listening to you fills me with so much hope. Thinking about things in terms of inventory is genius. Funnily enough I'm tackling the pantry today.

[@jsears541]

Thank you, Dawn! I NEEDED this...especially for the "basket of weird stuff". Nice to know I'm not the only one who collects random ingredients that then go bad...and even better to know what to do about it! Merry Christmas to you and all of your family! Our family loves and appreciates you!

[@NLY1WAY4U]

Was waiting....thanks for your great ideas!

[@loriw4765]

I began using bins in my pantry after watching you organize your mom's. I have found it super helpful - especially when pantry items that expire are kept front and center in the pantry. Every time I open the door, I immediately see the contents of those two bins and it's really helped me to not waste groceries. Great topic! It's also very timely, because I don't know about anyone else, but I find myself adding sale items for us to eat over the holidays and that can quickly get out of hand!

[@studiogru3649]

Instead of meal planning, I use a "schedule". Like, breakfast is always home-baked flatbread, cheese/dairy, fermented vegetables, fresh fruit, and some tea, and it's almost always exactly the same (because it's morning and I'm sleepy and I want food as quickly and as easily as possible). Lunch is always eggs, cooked whole grains, raw greens, and canned or frozen fruit. Sometimes, the egg is on the greens as a salad and the fruit is stirred into the whole grains as a porridge. Sometimes, the eggs get other veggies thrown in to make an omelet or frittata, and the fruit gets mixed with the greens to form a salad. Sometimes I stir the grains, cooked eggs, greens, and other veggies together to make a fried rice or paella or risotto-type dish. There's a lot of variations one can make with a small number of ingredients. Dinner is always going to be some kind of soup or stew (pasta sauce counts!)--and each day of the week has a different ingredient as the star. So Mondays are black beans, Tuesdays are lentils, Wednesdays are fish/shellfish, Thursdays are white beans, Fridays are red meat, Saturdays are cheese/dairy, and Sundays are chicken. It gives me the flexibility to be creative with how I use that ingredient that particular day, so I don't feel "trapped" in a meal plan. It also means that if today is rainy and cold, I can slow-cook a stew in the oven and help warm the house. But if it's summer and sultry, maybe I need to let beans cook overnight and do something fast at dinnertime like refried bean burritos (not quite soup by dinnertime, I guess!). I alternate between various starches and vegetables with those proteins--meals can range from black bean chili over baked potatoes to my son's favorite "sgetti (pasta with marinara and ground beef) or fancy French gratins. We also eat a cooked green and fresh fruit along with that soup/stew (ish) main course. This also helps streamline our pantry without us getting bored or feeling deprived--we have fewer total different types of items because I can mix and match them each day to meet our specific tastes, but we can then have more total USABLE food stored. This also means our emergency food storage IS our regular food storage, and that makes rotating through our food stores a lot more automatic. I have tried keeping emergency food separate in the past, and I constantly forgot it was there and then if we did need it, it was either out-of-date or wasn't what we were used to eating so we didn't want to eat it even if it was all we had. Since food refusal in emergency situations is a real thing and the more unfamiliar things you have to deal with during an emergency the more stressful it will be for everyone...I decided to figure out a way to integrate it all. And, final two benefits, but maybe the most important ones for us--it means we only have to shop for groceries once a month (which makes it MUCH easier to set a grocery budget), and we also actually spend a lot less on food than is usual for even our little family of two people.

[@campseifer]

Thank you Dawn for being honest about getting overwhelmed easily. It makes me feel less abnormal.

[@eahuebner1]

I bought a two week supply of quality freeze dried food, so I don't have to worry about my preps for 25 years. It gave me piece of mind.

[@l.williams6249]

I’ll let you know what has helped most when my pantry is under control😜 These are great tips! I always thought more options = more possibilities but now I see less options = clear choice =less stress! I’m changing my goal from having an organized (even minimal) pantry to having a pantry that makes me want to cook👩‍🍳.

[@pattichulick2940]

An idea came to my husband years ago. We keep a grocery list on a magnet board in our walk-in pantry. When we open something new or we use a can of something we write it on the grocery list to be replaced. The same applies to the fridge stuff. We have found this really helpful and it helps in the rotation too.

[@AWanderingEye]

Re: Spoilage, I was finding mushrooms just not getting used. I have several Asian markets near me so I am buying dried mushrooms there and then 1 I always have mushrooms on hand 2 since they are dried they do not spoil. Another item that I wasn't getting to were cucumbers and zucchinis. I find that if cucumber salad is prepared I will eat it, raw whole cucumbers just get forgotten. So I 1 do not over buy cucumbers and 2 I make a salad out of them then store that near salad stuff, it is both a salad on its own and a great topping to lettuce (and has the bonus of dressing already prepared so no additional dressing needed). Alternatively you could just make refrigerator pickles (google that for a recipe). I do deseed and peel the cucumber when I make this so that may keep it from spoiling fast (although it is so tasty it disappears ). BONUS RECIPE: My grandmother was German and made this regularly so I I take a page out of her book and make a simple thinly sliced cucumber and onion salad with a sweet/sour/salty dill dressing made from dry dill weed, white vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and either mayo or yogurt. Just shake it up in a jar to mix then add the veggies. It is good for a couple of days stored in the fridge in a jar. Any onion except green onions are used.

[@theresahoward7216]

Winter in the Midwest makes us all stock up. Lol. I agree though. Our extras are in the basement too. 😂...

[@designdoctor247]

This tip helps us... if I have to move something in our pantry to see what is behind it I get uuuuh frustrated, distracted and discouraged Tom adding slide out drawers for your pantry would make a nice home improvement video. They sell the slide out drawers pre made at Lowe’s. They really help us. Now I do not have to move things to see what is in these cabinets. Ours r like yours

[@maria_w311]

#1! I started stocking up when our staples were on sale and my pantry was so stuffed that I had no clue what was in there. I bought a shelf for the basement to hold the extras. Now I can actually see and use the items in the pantry.

[@fromheadtofood]

This! I don't even have a pantry. The supermarket holds our inventory. We can easily keep for a week worth of ingredients in my kitchen cupboards and fridge/freezer. We don't have a need for a pantry or other extra storage. Less to manage! Thank you Dawn, your videos made a hugh change in our life! xx Irma

[@sandyruther2936]

At present, I wouldn't trust the grocery store to hold my inventory. My local Walmart can't fill the shelves now. I've heard Costco is going back to limiting certain items like toilet paper and water. We saw people go crazy last year during the pandemic. With the new covid variants and the supply chain bein disrupted, try to find a place to store some extras. Under the bed totes work wonderfully.

[@fromheadtofood]

@@sandyruther2936 I understand. I live in Europe (Greece) though and we have no worries about the shops.

[@joanneconnor4319]

hi Dawn, I never miss an episode of Minimal Mom. I'm from Australia. An easy peasy meal with creamed corn is Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup. Boil chicken and shred finely. Fry onion and garlic add chicken and broth, can of creamed corn and mix. Get two eggs and beat then drizzle into the soup mixture slowly while on a low boil so it cooks as you drizzle in. salt and pepper to taste. Yummy! You can also add noodles if you want. Love your channel as always! Jo xxx

[@maritdegoede9119]

honestly, the 'get out the weird stuff' tip really helps me! i sometimes have to bring home left over snacks from social activities, which just means my pantry (or two drawers i have as a pantry) fills up super quickly, so i just get those out and eat them asap

[@jessicacook7341]

I dont have a pantry in my house, I used to have a cupboard that I used as a pantry, but it was frustrating because it just didn't fit in my space without cluttering it...so I decided one day, after watching plenty of other videos of yours and a few others, to declutter my kitchen down even more than I already had so that I could use my upper cupboards as my pantry. My inventory is now super low but I find that we have everything we need! At times I get a little flustered trying to fit it all into such a small space, but then I just go through and look at why it's not fitting, usually it's because I either haven't used something that I had planned to the week before (like a cake mix or those taco shells that came in a pack but my son likes wraps so we didnt use them 🤦‍♀️) and so I know I need to either use it or donate like you mentioned in the video! It really is so much easier now, and I can see everything so much better than before!

[@GrandCircleTours]

Thank you so much for validating we are not “bad” moms, we are moms trying our very best and that we were making things more complicated than they need to be. I’m looking forward to taking those baby steps toward redeveloping my cooking at home habit.

[@jennydickerson9706]

As a new wife and mom I love your ideas! I find your suggestions work perfect for me. We keep a tight food budget so I really need to stay on top of not wasting food! You're the best!

[@sarahreinhardt1414]

This is so true! I have switched to a very similar method over the last few years and the food we waste as a family has dropped to almost nothing. Which means we waste less money too.

[@smallfootprint2961]

Great video, Dawn. Best idea about using up the 'strange' foods that we maybe didn't even mean to buy.

[@jillgott6567]

I listened to your video while I folded and put away two loads of clean laundry. I have decided once several items in my house ( including clothing ) are worn out - they will not be replaced. But for now since these items are not new I will continue to use them til they go the way of the rag bin. As to the pantry. I live in an upstairs apartment with luckily a front hall. I use it as my prepping pantry. If I placed items under beds etc I would forget they were there and have spoilage. Instead, this works for me - I use bookcases, an armoire and a baker 's rack for my items -

[@mediumt7741]

I love this concept of inventory management at home. It is really breaking through to me. Thanks!!

[@sidneyswannnn]

I drain a can of whole corn and mix it with a can of cream corn. Everybody in my family loves it that way.

[@ExcitedMum]

Excellent video Dawn 💛

[@DemetriPanici]

Love this! We have been trying to be "pantry" chefs at home and it's been an awesome time!

[@michelleprice5945]

Love this video. Something I started a year ago was to write the dinners on a dry erase board on Sunday so everyone knows what's for dinner and I try my best to stick with it.

[@gerihenry2261]

Awesome video, soo super helpful, thank you Dawn! A couple tips, our trash gets picked up on Wednesdays so on Tuesdays we go through the refrigerator for leftovers past 3 days. We try to keep our leftovers limited to a shelf labeled "leftovers" in our refrigerator. And if we have too much leftovers on any given day, we package them in freezer bags right away and put them in the deep freezer. It's amazing how much can be frozen and used at a later date. :)

[@cj_annie9300]

Great tips! I keep a magnetic dry erase board on my fridge and jot down our meals and snacks as I put my groceries away and wipe each off as it gets used up so I don’t have to remember on my own haha. Helps me keep the inventory

[@LorreneRomanic]

I have a recipe for a corn pudding/casserole which uses kernel corn and creamed corn. lol. I love the idea of having the emergency stockpile somewhere else. My pantry is a large deep-shelf bookcase in my laundry room, but I could do the stockpile in the basement. I usually put my noodles & rice in Tupperware Modular Mates to keep the mice out

[@collarclatch6414]

Lorrene, as soon as she mentioned the creamed corn, I thought of the recipe for corn pudding which is so delish that I am sure her kids would love it, I love it so much I only dare make it once a year.

[@pdfaulkner1517]

My once catch-all hall coat closet is now my food storage pantry. My 12 yo grandson and I made and hung shelves that he painted in the closet and I now have a tidy place to organize my emergency food storage. I love it.

[@lauriefleehart6608]

Dawn, you are talking to me personally, directly, one on one. 😊 Im heading to my pantry when I get home to clear out my weird food. Shall be a very “creative” cooking week!😂

[@gingerstrait836]

Thank you Dawn and John! This video is life-changing! Not only do we not need this stuff, it affects our feeling of safety! Powerful! Since decluttering my home, I have such a feeling of peace. Thank you both! 💕💕💕

[@saviajane]

You made an amazing point -plan for convenience meals. A lot of us have a couple of busy days in the week and instead of planning a simple dinner we plan a meal that needs more effort than we can account for. Thus setting up ourselves for failure. Instead if we plan for hotdogs as dinner or pizza or whatever snack meal we can have continue to stick to the plan instead of failing on the meal plan.

[@cyndywatt6820]

It is so timely to find a video that talks about organization and minimalism in combination with stocking up for hard times

[@madamkiwi1094]

I would put the date I brought things on the items I brought, made me aware of how long it took us to use some things up, Also made me realise how little I actually needed in my emergency food cupboard and it made me realise I needed to rethink this into actual meals not just Inventory , although we don’t get the extremes that you do.

[@janecoder1]

This girl is just so pleasant . I really enjoy listening to her.

[@as5485]

My husband did the same thing with the creamed corn! I caught it after a couple weeks & said "OK we don't eat this but I'll save it for Thanksgiving and then it'll get eaten" ... guess what the only I forgot to bring for Thanksgiving was? 🙃 I even remembered the pot to warm it in! 🤦‍♀️ --Amanda

[@micheledryden1057]

Great tips, Dawn!! I need to reorganize my fridge, freezer, and pantry because I have too much inventory. I like hearing you use the term "bandwidth" because I live in the country and our internet isn't consistent. It's one of your trademark expressions and when I hear others use it I think of you! I also want to thank you for mentoring and encouraging new YTers. 1) It's a brilliant marketing strategy because their subs might become yours; 2) It gives them greater exposure in a short time and can boost their channel; 3) It reinforces your passion about minimalism from different perspectives; 4) It shows how kind and loving you are to others, which makes me love and appreciate you more! Great job!!!

[@sandybergeson4215]

I just viewed this and deleted 3/4 of my Walmart pickup. Ha ha! I am very out of control when it comes to food. I have a ton and I keep buying more. Managing this inventory is all consuming and it has to stop! I recently put together an emergency kit of non perishable meals that live in my basement storage. Now it’s time to use up the rest and stop buying any more until it’s eaten down. I love the idea of the weird food bin! This tends to happen to me when I “abandon” recipes I meant to make. What a great way to deal with it!

[@ashleyt6237]

This video is spot on, as usual. It motivated me to clean out my pantry cupboards a bit while I watched. Thank you ❤️

[@waterfallpeace8057]

If our bananas don’t get eaten before they get too ripe, I peel the bananas & freeze them. They taste great in a smoothie. I enjoy your videos.

[@Justadbmum]

I just love your down to Earth advise, especially to consider your season of life.

[@yorkshirerose146]

Inventory is what has helped me, along with meal planning. In the UK I live in a fairly standard size house, it's 880 square feet, but less kitchen cupboards than most houses. We don't have room to stockpile food 😆

[@maribelquesada5651]

Dawn you are always put together with your makeup. Do you mind a video on your basics, for me it’s lip stick, blush and tinted moisturizer. Also another video suggestion is a day in the life of Dawn.

[@racheltaylor2549]

I also made a meal plan that had Velcro sticky dots on so if I didn't feel like that meal I could swap it round easily and not have to rewrite is or cross it out.

[@Nina.177]

Yes, this video is so helpful! Every time I bring groceries home I know I will have to manage that inventory!

[@lizziemcdougall2767]

Excellent advice! I struggle with managing food and am frustrated when I have to throw out food. These strategies will help a lot in my goal to have much less waste in the kitchen. Many thanks for another great video!

[@carlafriesen8501]

As a single person, I changed to a “buy what I need for this week” grocery list. I decide what I will eat for “ take to work” lunch and supper. Sometimes its the same thing all week. No more stocking up. I throw away so much less food.

[@PPruittToo]

January 1st - I cleaned out my pantry! I have some dishes I never use anymore and other things to donate, several trashed items and a few cans of food to donate. Otherwise, just some general organizing. It feels so nice to be able to go in there and actually see what I have!

[@susangolden7383]

I think it's fun to add things you like to a recipe and as long as YOU like it, that's all that matters! We had a friend bring chili over for us and he added CORN! It was delicious and now I add this to my Chili when I make it! I also copied a Buffet chain restaurant in Georgia which served Chili with corn bread baked on top!!! Delicious!!! This was a fun show! Thank you, Dawn!!!

[@ursulasmedly1572]

For the weird corner cabinet in our kitchen, I bought three lazy susans to deal with pantry items that tend to get lost in the back. They’ve made such a difference!

[@chrisr.1803]

These are great ideas! I also love the idea of just having fewer meals in the rotation. Like a uniform, you don’t have to put as much thought or planning into it!

[@sarahmitchell9366]

I’m so glad you talked about food storage. It is definitely a wise thing to have extra. Your idea to keep it separated is a good one I think. I like your “weird stuff basket” idea. I have themed buns in my pantry, like Asian, Mexican, soups and meats, fruits and vegetables, mixes.

[@deannarosalez4752]

I read a quote that said “give everything in your home a home.” I pondered on that for a long while and became overwhelmed. If everything in my home had a home, there’d be no room for me & my family. I have been so stressed lately and I’m ready for the transition. Pray for me. We are a large family. 🤲🏻