Use Up Everything Day 1

1. Coffee (the drink):

2. Creamer

3. Bookcases

4. Sweets/chocolate

5. Plastic bags

Usually I would run down to the gas station or fast food joint for coffee. But for the last several years I have been taking home every possible packet of coffee from every hotel I've been in. They are squirreled away in various bags and nooks and crannies. In part I saved these because not only are they good for making coffee and coffee is an expensive luxury when you are cash poor, they are also good for deodorizing nd absorbing spills and pet/human accidents in a pinch.  I put a pod in a mason jar of cold water in the fridge and one hour later: strong cold brew coffee. I drained off half the jar and refilled with more cold water to rebrew.

I did not have creamer or milk. I thought about using yogurt but I am saving that for smoothies. My eyes fell on a large can of powdered milk that we have had for four years plus (it was acquired when we were making bread in the bread machine regularly.) A spoon of that in the coffee... And now I remember it is there.

I had several bookcases and shelving units laying around unassembled for the last six months plus.  A History Channel 'Ancient Aliens' marathon proved just the background patter to help me assemble all six of them. Thank you Phillips screwdriver, borrowed from Mr.X's desk. (I am a classics major: I am terribly fond of observing how the American public interacts with and produces ideas about the ancient world, no matter how wacky.). Each of these came with a helpful cardboard box which I am saving for future shoes and building projects. 

I wanted chocolate or sweets. I had a few caramels left but wanted to save them for days of less time and energy. I have bags of sugar and flour and oats. No butter or eggs. I found and adapted an oatmeal cookie recipe that uses oil. At present the verdict is still out on whether they will dry and stay in the form of cookies, but at worst I will have some chocolate granola to add to yogurt.  It was not labor intensive.

Lastly, I opened the cabinet under the sink and realized with shock there were no more plastic grocery bags there (used to be crammed full). We changed our kitchen trash practice some months ago and this has been the happy effect.  Instead of using a normal kitchen sized can and letting trash build up (and smell, and be accessible to dogs and bugs) over days, we used a small office bathroom trash can and a plastic grocery bag. This is kept up away from dogs and is easy to take out day by day before it smells. It isn't heavy or annoying.  And we have apparently used up our surplus grocery bags this way and freed up a cabinet.