Soapbox

    Yesterday I started going through my cupboard, looking for a few more items to put in a box of donations to the local food pantry. And I kept pulling out things that were past their expiration date. Which got me to thinking, so I went down to the pantry and found more cans and boxes that had expired.
A lot of them
OK, most of them.

     I really don’t cook much any more, and when I do I guess I tend to use and replace the same few items upstairs. Also, what with changing diets and children who aren’t eating at home any more, I don’t use the same kinds of foods I used to: vegetable broth, purchased to try to alter some of my standard recipes for Katie when she became vegetarian, pastaroni, puddingmix… when was the last time I made pudding for the kids? Best not to look at that box and find out. Cans of cream of chicken soup from the days when I  used to make my chicken, rice and broccoli casserole,  jello, laid in the last time someone had the stomach flu and couldn't eat solid food.
    I found a can of cream of asparagus soup that expired in 2004. Wow. How could it be that long ago already? I actually  remember buying that thing, thinking “Oh yeah, I”ll eat asparagus soup some cold, blustery day. It’ll be great”. Fail. And now it has been 6 years!

    I dragged all the boxes and cans over to the sink and started opening them, dumping the box contents into the trash and the can contents into the disposer. At least that way I could recycle the containers and not have every bit be a total waste.

   Except the really really old cans, and the ones that had chunky, gooey contents. (That asparagus soup fit both categories) Those I just tossed in the trash bag.

    Sorry world! I regret the waste of resources, but there it is. Some remnants of the past are better left unopened, am I right?