Thursday, February 8, 2018

Ranch Journal ~ February 8, 2018

Waking up without a plan for the day is dangerous for me.
I'm liable to do something rash.
Like move the coffee pot.

I decided it would look better and occupy otherwise wasted space
over there in the corner. Then because the coffee pot moved, the coffee mugs
and the sugar bowl and the coffee filters would have to make the trip as well,
and there went the entire day, heretofore known as the great kitchen purge of 2018.


 For me, the hardest part of any reorganization is deciding what to keep, what to donate
and what to toss. I cannot remember the last time I made a martini. It could have been 1992.
(The glass isn't frosted...that's dust.)
But I cannot bring myself to get rid of my set of martini glasses. 
One never knows when one will crave olives.


I took a more brutal approach in the spice cabinet and finally let go of a few items
long past their expiration date. This container of parsley flakes proved to be the oldest.
Would you care to guess how old and win a prize? Let's have a contest.

Guess the expiration date printed on the top of the parsley flakes and put the mm/dd/yyyy
in the comments. Whomever comes closest will win some goodies for their kitchen.
Be sure to include your name with your guess if you post anonymously.
(The prize is not a box of expired spices. I've been crocheting and that's all I'm saying.)
I'll close the comments Friday evening at 7 p.m. mountain time
and announce the winner on Saturday.


I'll swear I stared at this scene for an hour, paralyzed by the indecision of where to put things.
I finally gave up and just started with the coffee. As long as it ended up next to the coffee pot,
I would be happy.


I also wanted to find a new home for the pots and pans because 
I hate crawling into this stupidly deep and awkward cabinet to find them.


 When the day was done, all was right with the coffee and 
I can spin the pots and pans on the twirly thing to find the right one.

Give me about six months and I might open the right cabinet on the first try.


p.s. They make shelf liners for refrigerators. Who knew?
p.p.s. The novelty of being retired is bound to wear off eventually.



65 comments:

  1. My own spice cabinet offers up a few surprises occasionally also! My guess is 03/18/09.

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  2. Congrats on your retirement! My guess is 08/17/2015

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  3. June 2 1989

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  4. I, too, am purging my kitchen in anticipation of a downsizing move in the next year. So, I will NOT be entering your contest! But it's a brilliant idea. Maybe it's a way to finally get rid of those hard to part with things? :)

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  5. 9/30/2007
    Don’t know why I picked that date ... lol
    I just did the same thing to my kitchen. 3 years ago when we moved in I literally threw stuff in the cabinets to get it out of the way, but the day finally came to organize it. It looks better, but does require some hunting for certain things.

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  6. Keep the martini glasses. Think dessert , like a nice sorbet / pudding :) :)


    You don't have to have a fancy machine for sorbet.
    A shallow container with a good amount of surface area so that as the mixture freezes, you can scrape/stir so that the sorbet doesn't turn into a solid cube.

    As for the parsley contest ... I will take a pass :) .. though how about 1 year after you moved in to 7MSN? You can donate any winnings to the next closest guess (ha ha, I never win anything but the pee-pee lottery so I should be save!).

    M in NC

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  7. That container of parsley flakes is telling me it expired on 11/16/1999. (Steph Soos)

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  8. 7/6/2000
    Lynda in Michigan

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  9. 2000 is my guess for spice expiration date. I have some older than that. ;-)

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  10. Parsley expiration date 8/15/2005
    Dona Abel

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  11. The novel of retirement is replaced with the contentment of retirement, 08/13/2010. Aunt Jean

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  12. Not entering parsley contest but would imagine that the jar moved in with you.

    Congrats on the kitchen reorganization. Fun kind of day. Seriously need to weed out coffee mugs here, again. Always envious of the turntable pots and pans cabinets. But we mostly use the same stuff regularly so they stay close to hand.

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  13. 04/16/10 would be my guess. At least i'm sure mine is probably that old, LOL. Now this makes me want to purge my spices. I bet I get a lot more space.

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  14. Here's to hoping the "retirement novelty" never wears off for you. I'm looking forward to it myself along with some deep cleaning in a few years.

    Best guess: 5/2/2004

    Dee

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  15. 02/06/01 is my guess. Loving your retirement escapades! Wendy

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  16. 3/31/1999

    Kelly H in Oklahoma

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  17. Use the martini glasses to serve a fancy trifle or as ice cream dishes. I'm guessing 03-27-98.

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  18. Looking good, and what a nice sense of accomplishment! If I guess the parsley based on what MY spice cupboard revealed a few weeks ago: 10/31/98. (I had some older too, gahh!) I did this same "organize all the things" a few weeks ago, just from wanting to label my spices. I am STILL opening the "new" utensil drawer to get the napkins, but my brain will adapt, I hope...

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  19. I'm thinking the parsley expiration is 10/25/06.
    betty

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  20. I would guess 08/28/1999

    Thank you for the pictures of your kitchen purge. I now need to do the same to my pantry.

    Laurie in NB, Canada

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  21. I'm looking forward to retiring in July/August this year - woohoo! I'll go with 05/10/2000. Chris in NC

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  22. I need to do that to my cabinets. I'm scared to see how old some of my spices are. I'll guess the parsley is expired on 11/18/2001.

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  23. Michelle from Vancouver2/8/18, 8:55 AM

    That label looks oldish, I'm going to say 1995/Dec/31

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  24. 10/2/1992. My mother had a can of turmeric circa 1950 that she inherited from her mother in 1968. She used it until 1990. The secret for spice shopping is go to the bulk foods section. It saves tons of $ and it is easy to label purchase date.
    Kipper

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  25. A quick glance through my cupboard tells me that I should purge mine too. My guess is 8/28/96

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  26. You have a Safeway! My American cough medicine says 2007 on it. I can't throw it out cuz what if I have a real American cough one day? OK I'll guess: 08-Feb-2008. My fridge is typical Euro style (college dorm) so I cannot "lose" food in it, and the rest of the kitchen is the same. I'm never surprised by items because they're right there looking at me every day. I always say, "This is why I carry such a tiny purse - if it were larger, who knows what I'd be carrying around."

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  27. I've always used tea towels to line my fridge shelves. My guess is 05/20/99.
    Now I feel like I should go clean & reorganize my kitchen...

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  28. If it is anything like some of the spices I find in my cabinet...I'd say 9/10/1987:)

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  29. This post reminds me of my mother who recently moved and packed up every single spice she probably ever owned and I helped her unpack her kitchen. I have no idea why she would not get rid of spices that were so old the spices had disintegrated. LOL. My guess on your parsley flakes is 6/21/2010.

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  30. 06/30/1986.

    Thank you for purging. I do twice yearly purges of all rooms, cabinets, fridge, freezer, etc (I actually purge more than twice a year, but I don't anyone to think I am weird). I loathe clutter. And now you have me wondering what in the world I will do to amuse myself once I am retired...

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  31. 05/15/90

    Shelf lines for your refrigerator!! I love it.

    And that adorable little thing on your counter, next to the X in the first pic. I don't know what you even call it. I just like it.

    KarinP

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    Replies
    1. I call it my tea box because that's what I store in it. It's a Pioneer Woman item: https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Pioneer-Woman-Flea-Market-6-Drawer-Spice-Tea-Box/54267215

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  32. Seriously I don't understand shelf liners for the refrigerator. What is that doing to help you?
    My date I picked by thinking back to when you moved here which I am thinking in 2002 but am only guessing at this point. Since you are such an A personality I would assume that you would have thrown out old spices in the move and purchased new ones for the new house. That is what I do! My date then is 6/15/2003!

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    1. It's easier to toss the liners in the washing machine than it is to clean the shelves.

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  33. Forgot my name, Susan in Helena Montana, 6/15/2003

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  34. 01/12/91 is my guess. ;D Retirement isn't in the cards for me, but I did spend an entire day cleaning out my closet, ruthlessly pruning the wardrobe, and re-arranging what was left by color. The joy it brings me is immeasurable.

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  35. 11-11-2000

    This is Elsewhere from Amsterdam, on a different computer but not wanting to miss my chance on anything home crocheted!

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  36. Oooohhhh! I have one of those stupidly deep awkward cabinets…I hate it so much! It is the biggest storage spot in my kitchen, but it is such a pain in the rear to use.

    Parsley expired 04/12/2005, judging by the Safeway label. LMFAO!! I just remember my grandmother having loads of spices from Safeway when we moved her out of her house in 2004. (Bobby Susemihl)

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  37. Ooh great changes! Pots and pans in perfect spot, I forgot about that cupboard. I keep mine in there but it doesn’t spin.
    Love the liners and of course keep the martini glasses. You could try chocolate or some flavored ones for something different. Of a lemon sorbet like M in NC suggested.
    Parsley the year you moved to NM :-0
    My winnings can go to second place.
    Ethel

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  38. Found in the spam folder:

    From Blueberry's Human:
    06/30/1986. Thank you for purging. I do twice yearly purges of all rooms, cabinets, fridge, freezer, etc (I actually purge more than twice a year, but I don't anyone to think I am weird). I loathe clutter. And now you have me wondering what in the world I will do to amuse myself once I am retired...


    10/2/1992. My mother had a can of turmeric circa 1950 that she inherited from her mother in 1968. She used it until 1990. The secret for spice shopping is go to the bulk foods section. It saves tons of $ and it is easy to label purchase date. Kipper

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  39. karenk in Portland2/8/18, 12:57 PM

    My guess is 03/08/1998. I was compelled to comment by your "I've been crocheting" reference.

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  40. I laughed out loud when you said the martini glass wasn't frosted, it was dust!!
    My guess is 3/24 2004. Pam T from CT

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  41. 6/26/91 but I don't think there really is a day of the month on the jar, so 6/91.

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  42. The styling looks 'old'. I'm guessing September 1986. I purge yearly. One year it's pantry, one year it's the closet. Next year it's the cabinets...

    Emily in NC

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  43. Yay for the newly organized kitchen! Life now has new moments of accomplishmemt.
    7/1/1997. Lisa G in TN

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  44. This made me happy!
    My guess is 7/18/2011

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  45. So funny. Happy that you are enjoying the simple things in life.
    05/01/2005 for the parsley.
    Anna Galentine

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  46. Anonymous Monie here, guessing Dec. 4, 2016

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  47. Still sorta has a greenish tint, so...2/9/2005?
    Janet from VA

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  48. September 3, 2007

    I hate my deep cabinets. I'm guessing if I ever purged, I would find pots and pans that we have forgotten we ever owned!

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  49. Let’s hope yours is not as old as mine. Let guess 5/10/2005!

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  50. somewhere in the past post i have one similar to this and it all started with cleaning the glass in the nook and ended with the whole kitchen out on the counters. i fully get the frozen moment of where to put things. i love your kitchen and approve the placement of the coffee pot. ha ha... expiration date is 11/01/2013

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  51. My guess is 12/21/1987. I used to have a corner base cabinet like yours and hated it. When we moved back home after Dave retired we bought a house we love, but not its kitchen. Dave took everything out of the kitchen and totally rehabbed it, putting in a turntable cabinet in that corner. He had to leave a space between that cabinet and my stove to allow the hinged door to open all the way. Genius that he is, he built and installed a pull-out shelf with matching wood where I store my baking sheets!! The space is about half of what you have to the left of your stove.

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  52. I'm going to guess March 6, 2013, because that's my granddaughter's birthday. Hello to one and all at the 7MSN.

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  53. I'll say 04/14/14. Shame it isn't in a tin can which you could then sell as a collectible. hurricane.gram@suddenlink.com

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  54. Hmmm...my daughter told her friend, "...oh, don't use those spices, mom keeps them forever." Not this time kiddo! I had purged almost all of them. What was unusual was that they had only recently expired. I'll likely lose, since I won a beautiful pillow last time, so I'm gonna guess 08/17/2018 *lol* Keep up the good work! ~Em~

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  55. I will say the parsley is from 18.07.1982!!! it is the kind of stuff we tend to keep foooorever! just playing for fun (maybe I am even too late)

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  56. Diane K. Eastern NC2/9/18, 5:31 PM

    I am going to go with 3/1/2014 just because I think you do this more often than every 20 years. LOL.
    Diane Kennedy

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