Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Kitchen Tip Tuesdays



So I am in the middle of using my pantry stockpile challenge and while in my pantry yesterday, I noticed that I am actually decreasing my stockpile quite well! I also noticed an unopened box of Bisquick on my shelf. I look at the "best if used by date" to find that it had a Sept. 5, 2007 date on it!! Now what to do with it??!! Do I use it or do I dump it??

This morning, I posted over on the Prairie Homemaker forum asking the ladies there about what I should do about my mix. My friend, Karyn, pointed me to this website...Food Expiration Dates. It actually is pretty neat! It has a list of different foods and when to use them by.

Did you know that Bisquick or Pancake Mix can end up with a mold on it that can be toxic? It can!

Did you know that canned seafood can last in your pantry unopened for FIVE years? It can!

Did you know that unopened cans of baking cocoa can last in your pantry for 2 years? It can!

Do you have an opened bottle of mayo or bbq sauce in your fridge?? If it has been there for over 2 months opened you need to dump it and get a new one!

Those eggs in your fridge can last 2 weeks past the date stamped on the carton! Which means I have six eggs in my fridge that I need to bake with this week!!

So my tip for the day....check those dates on your goods in your pantry and fridge! You need to make sure that you are using safe food for your family. Also using the items before they become unsafe to use is using your money spent on them wisely. Which we all know we need to do these days with the rising costs of food!

For other kitchen tips and/or recipes, head over to Tammy's Recipes!

8 comments:

Lynn said...

That is a great website about expiration dates. I am going to bookmark it. It is also very timely. My pantry has way to much stuff in it. I tend to really stock up when there is a sale. Sometimes that does not save money though. Like the other day when my husband was looking for some salad dressing. I have been making my own but have not had a chance so he found a bottle of salad dressing in the back of a shelf in the pantry. He thought it smelled a little strange when he opened it, he looked at the date and it expired 2 years ago. I think that bottle had been buried in the back for while. We threw the bottle out, which ended up being a waste of money. So we all have things like this happen I guess. Thanks for the post.

CC said...

This is good to know. I have tons of stuff I should probably toss.

Anonymous said...

Anyone have any idea what "Canned bread" is? I see it's in the wiki.

Sonshine said...

Canned bread is bread that has been baked in a can. :) It is very delicious too! My mom used to save the empty big cans of baked beans so that she could make some "boston brown bread" or canned bread. Here is an article about canned bread.

Anonymous said...

Great tips! With 8 people in our family things don't last very long, but it is always good to know. Thanks for the info!
Toni
http://thehappyhousewife.com

Anonymous said...

Have you tried making your own pancake mix? It's so easy, tastes and tastes better, I think! You can even premix the dry ingredients and put in baggies to give yourself a head start.

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 T sugar
1/4 t salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 T oil

Mix dry ingredients together. Beat egg and mix with milk and oil. Add to dry ingredients and mix until just blended. I like to add a little vanilla, too. Of course, with a family your size, you'll probably need to make this x3 or 4.

Tara

Sonshine said...

Tara,

Thanks for the recipe! :) I made up pancakes today with my own mix. :) Here is the recipe that I used.

Anonymous said...

Great tips! I've often wondered whether or not something in my kitchen was okay to use, I'll be sure to check the website next time.