Menu day! Part 1-Inventory

Last Thursday I took inventory of my freezers. I wanted to have a physical list of what I have on hand. Normally I have my fridge/freezer side-by-side in the kitchen, and my 2 stand up freezers for back stock. Unfortunately one of my stand up freezers is currently out of commission. Which is very sad. The good thing is that we were unable to go hunting this past season, so I didn't actually need the room. And I do have a second fridge/freezer side-by-side that I am using as well right now, so I'm OK on freezer space for the time being.

I was surprised at what I did and did not have.

Now, I'm going to show you my inventory list.. but I warn you- it looks like chicken scratch. I'm only showing it to you to give you an idea of how easy it is to do.

 

The items I put the lines through I used this weekend or decided to throw away. I also picked up a few items while I was out at the store on Friday and added those in (black ink).
Now I'm going to input these into a spread sheet, print that out, and hang it on my freezer doors so that I can keep a constant, accurate inventory of what I have.

Saturday was our Bountiful Baskets day, so I took inventory of the produce I got from there.  I went ahead and did not list the items that I have set aside for juicing, and a portion of the items that I know will get eaten fresh. I also added in the produce that I purchased from the store this past week because it was SUCH a great price I would have been an idiot to pass it up.


Produce Inventory

Spinach x 2 lb
Celery x 7 stalks
Carrots x  10 multicolored
Brussel Sprouts x 4 lbs
Sweet mini peppers x 2 lbs
Grape tomatoes x 2 pints
Avacados x 9
Green bell peppers x 8
Red bell pepper x 1
Lettuce x 1 head
 Onions x 3
Garlic x 1 head
Strawberries x 2 pints
Apples x 20 lbs
Bananas x 10 lbs
Oranges x 2 lbs

I went ahead and added the fruits at the end, after substituting about half of them to be eaten fresh, and juiced, because I may want to make more yogurt or a special dessert or something.

Next up- dry goods!

I really don't have many. It's been a long time since I bought canned veggies.

Canned goods:
Whole Tomatoes 1 family size can
Sweet Peas 1 can
Tuna 2 cans
Beef Consomme 1 can
Broccoli Cheese Soup 1 can
Cream of Chicken soup 1 family size can
Hunts Pasta Sauce, Four Cheese, 2 cans
Chicken Broth 1 box
Sweetened Condensed Milk 4 cans (I have no idea why I have these)
Evaporated Milk 4 cans (also have no idea why I have these)

Pasta:
Penne 1 small bag
Manicotti 1 box
Lasagna 2 boxes
Fetuccini 1 box

Rice and other grains/dry items:
Steel Cut Oats 1.5 jars
Grits 1 jar
Long Grain White .5 lb (eek, I'm almost out!)
Short Grain Sticky >1 lb
Brown Rice >1 lb
Spanish Rice 1 box
Corn Husks 1 bag
Pinto Beans appx 10 lbs

Ground grains:
White Flour 2.5 containers appx 25 lbs
Whole Wheat Flour 1 1/4 bags appx 7 lbs
Corn Meal 1.5 containers appx 7 lbs
Masa 1.5 containers appx 7 lbs
Sugar 1 container appx 9 lbs

Spices: (appx measurements)
Salt 1 can
Pepper 1 can
Ground Cumin .75 jar
Ground Thyme .25 jar
Rosemary appx 4 tbsp
Parsley Flakes appx 3 tbsp
Paprika .75 jar
Caraway Seed 1 jar
Fennel Seed .60 jar
Ground Coriander Seed .30 jar
Mrs. Dash Chipotle appx 1 tsp
Ground Cloves >1 jar (more than I'll use in a lifetime I'm sure)
Whole Cloves >1 jar
Dill Weed 1/2 can
Ground Allspice .30 jar
Ground Mustard appx 2 tbspCurry Powder .75 jar
Crushed Red Pepper .75jar
Chili Powder .5 jar
Ground Cinnamon .25 jar


So many times I've gone to the store, came home, and realized I didn't have certain spices on my list.. oregano, nutmeg, and cream of tartar being 3 main ones that I always forget until I need them. So on the list they go!

I've never inventoried my food like this before. It's quite revealing. And in doing so I now have first hand realization of the importance of doing so. I've always read about other menu makers doing it, and I've just never bothered. I'm very glad I did!!

Next- part 2; Creation of the menu, categories and laying it out