When you flit from cookbook to cookbook the way I do, you end up with a lot of random ingredients in your house. Inevitably, my cabinets become so stuffed that I can’t easily get to the items I do use. Inspired by my frustration and the allure of a new year, I went through them this week. And I can I tell you, there were things in there that I couldn’t identify. Didn’t have a clue what they were.* You don’t believe me?

Consequently, the sheer wastefulness of it all had me making a list of my kitchen’s contents. My hope is that this will clear much-needed space and force me to create new recipes on my own. So, over the course of the next few months, expect to see recipes here made from the following ingredients (I’ve already got two, super easy dishes to share with you. One using the ziti and the other using orzo among other items.):

• Spaghetti
• Saltines
• Macaroni
• Wild rice
• Brown rice
• Whole wheat penne
• Minute brown rice
• Farro
• Dried cannellini beans
• Dried apricots
• Dried cranberries
• Ziti
• Dried cherries
• Green lentils
• Arborio rice
• Walnuts
• Acini de pepe pasta
• Panko bread crumbs
• Dried pineapple
• Regular penne
• Whole wheat elbow macaroni
• Slivered almonds
• Orzo pasta
• Wheat germ
• Pepitas
• Can of chicken broth
• Hoisin sauce
• Israeli couscous
• Chipotle peppers
• Capers
• Coconut milk (2 cans)
• Oatmeal
• Garbanzo beans (canned)
• Black beans (canned)
• Basmati rice
• Can of rotel
• Couscous
• Apple jelly
• Wheat couscous
• Popcorn kernels
• Cornmeal
• Italian bread crumbs
• Corn starch
• Unsweetened applesauce
• Spaghetti sauce (4 jars)
• Sun dried tomato pesto

*I went on a grain kick earlier this year, but never labeled or cooked anything, so what I’ve ended up with is a lot of mystery items.