Sure, that sounds like a good idea!

Last week I stumbled upon an amazing blog called Want What You Have by a woman named Heather. In one week, reading her blog has changed my way of life. I have learned so many new organizational ideas, recipes, and frugal tips from her I don't know what to do with myself! In the past, I have been absolutely horrible about wasting food, products, and money in general. I dislike leftovers with a passion, my organizational plan was put it off until tomorrow, and I postponed checking my bank account until I was afraid my future purchases might not be covered. I would go to a restaurant, eat half a meal and bring the other half home, only to have it end up in the trash a two weeks later. You get the idea. My other half, Mr. Wonderful, is the exact opposite in everything except the financial situation. Our financial situations are one of things we actually have in common (sadly). Anyway, since I've begun reading all the great ideas from Heather, I've made a conscious effort to change my ways before I drive my new husband crazy. The eating leftovers thing might take me a while, especially left over Macaroni & Cheese (it's 2nd day texture makes me squirm), but I've already got myself a new HMG or Home Management Guide and a new filing system for mail and paperwork! I've still got a long way to go, but I think this is something I might actually complete & stick with. It's very exciting!
There's this thing called The Pantry Challenge which I am really excited to start on, but before I can do that I must take inventory of everything little thing we have. The basic rules are that you may purchase a limited number of staples, you may also purchase anything necessary for family members with special needs, or a medically-prescribed diet, everything else served must come from your pantry, freezer, or refrigerator, no dining out, and you must blog about your experience. You must stick with this challenge until you absolutely can't make a balanced meal with what's left in the cupboards and freezer. It's going to take a while to get the hang of it, but I'm excited. The basic idea is don't waste! So I haven't started the challenge yet, but last night I decided to keep that theme in mind when my stomach began to growl. I only just planned my meals for the week today, so when dinnertime came around yesterday, I asked my husband to trust me when given a bowl of the meal I had made. I decided to go through my pantry and use the ingredients we already had to make a balanced meal that we never had before. I looked at random ingredients and said to myself, sure, that sounds like a good idea! I grabbed some canned tuna we had yet to use, minced garlic, red wine from our wedding stash, a tomato I had thrown in a blender, the other half of a red onion I had used in a previous Quiche Lorraine, and lot of Tony Chachere's Seasoning Salts from back home in Nola. Then I cooked up some Penne and combined the sauce and the pasta for the dinner. I asked my husband to trust me because although it smelled good, it looked pretty bad. He took a bite and survived. Not only did he survive, but he liked it. I was very content with myself. This is just the first step to using what I have in the pantry, but so far, no deaths. I'd say that's a win. Talk to you soon!