Cooking my way through the cupboards

In my efforts to save $/make $, I've been biking a ton, working when I can get work, watching tv instead of going out and am now doing one of my favorite activities---cooking my way through the cupboards!

See the game I'm playing is "Don't go to the grocery store until I have eaten all the random food first".

But it takes a certain amount of creativity and work.  Which I am avoiding by blogging, obviously.

I spent part of the morning pulling down all the random items in my high up cupboard.  Apparently, I've been really really really into:
Herbal Tea (7 boxes)
Honey (4 jars)
Steel Cut oatmeal (3 forms)
Jello (6 boxes)

I've also got a bunch of cashews, turkey bacon, frozen brussel sprouts, fresh mushrooms, and tomato.

So, I broiled the bacon and am going to throw that in with the brussel sprouts in the oven.

I'm going to make some quinoa to have on hand and throw in to salads, or heat up with cheese and other frozen veggies.

Oh! I should make that with broth!  That makes it taste YUMMMY!

I've gotta look at these random root vegetables I bought at the farmer's market and see if I can cook those greens or do something in a smoothie with them.

(For the Pickle fans out there: Pickle has gotten so adept at climbing the 3 little pet stairs that lead to the couch (her back is screwed up), that she used my kitchen stepstool to climb on top of the oven last night.  That's impressive to me!  The other week, she got in to the garbage can.  Which is behind a folding door, two coolers and is 4 time taller than her body.  But, she wanted to get that leftover salmon!  I couldn't be mad because a year ago she couldn't lift her head because her back was so screwed up.  And I really enjoy watching her solve these problems she faces when I only give her dry food.   Currently,  she's dying here as I cook that bacon.  I think the bacon must smell even better than the necrotic rats she likes to find in alleys and sidewalks and take off sprinting like she just stole a jewel from the tower of London: filled with glee, pride and  a "FUCK I'M GONNA GET CAUGHT" look on her face.)

And I THINK i'm gonna make stuffed mushrooms because I LOVE that shit!!!

And here are the random random items that I don't think I will ever actually eat:
A box of Crackling Oat Bran (we used to love that in college, and one time Kristin got busted sneaking a box out of the cafeteria at Miami under her sweatshirt. So I purchased it for sentimental reasons)
Spaetzle, half bag (I made some with beef stroganoff last winter, but now with WW, it's pretty much don't eat noodles or pasta---make everything with vegetables only.  So, there they sit.  But I can't throw them out nor feel it's fair to donate.)

OH HELL YES!  I know what I'm gonna do---broil the mushrooms, boil the spaetzle and then kick that all up in butter in a skillet and add some cream cheese.

And I'm gonna throw all the greens and root vegetable ends in a broth of my own making and it'll taste gross as shit but I'll pretend I love it!

Oh yes YUM!!!

(I need work. Please send leads.)