old mother hubbard

do you ever
try

to run out of groceries?

i have been putting off a shopping trip for a few days,

and making a concerted effort to polish off what we've got

before buying more.

we are out of a few essentials:

whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and salt.

we have one egg, one banana, and one orange.

we have about 3/4 cup of cheerios left.

i like to do this for several reasons:

1. it is
budget-friendly
to make do with what we have,

2. it stimulates my
creativity

"what can i make with 4 carrots, 2 eggs, and 1 can of white beans?",

3. it creates
empty space
in my fridge & pantry

so i can wipe the shelves clean & take inventory.

today, in the midst of the clean-out, ned's lunch was

~ banana houses with peanut butter roofs ~
no bread required!

♥