"Best By" dates

I got sick again the other day. This is the third time in about two months that I've had what I consider symptoms of food poisoning. So this got me to thinking about what I have in my cupboard. I have received emails warning of out-dated foods, but never pursued the labels in my cupboard before. Here's a little look at mine, with an admonition that you go look in your own pantry. You might be surprised at what you find!

Here is one of three cans of pineapple tidbits that pass inspection. They expire in January '09. Looks like I need to fix a fruit salad pretty soon!

A can of ripe olives also passes the test - I have another two years to open this one up.

Adrian is safe too - this rice cereal and another box of oatmeal are both safe - thank God.

Notice this one says "better" if used by 14May08. I guess it would have been best if I'd used it at the beginning of '08. Too late now - it's going into the trash!

Here's a real corker. This box of Lipton noodle soup is what I used to make myself a bowl of soup the other night when I was feeling sick! Yikes! It's more than two years out of date! What was I thinking???

Here's one that is particularly troubling. The emails I have read are specific about mixes that contain yeast. Well, doesn't "Hot Roll" mix contain yeast? Maybe there's an individual packet of yeast in the box that could be thrown out and replaced by a fresh one, but who wants to take that chance? And this one expired on my 40th wedding anniversary! That's right, in 2007!

Here's another that is going into the trash. Even though the cookies are already prepared and sealed, I don't want to even taste a two-year old cookie!

This is particularly sad. Each of these bread mixes costs around $4 and two of them have been in my cupboard well over two years. And those were the Cheese-Herb breads! I can't believe I am that absent-minded. I may look inside the '08 box and see if the yeast packet is separate. I have half a mind to make a loaf of that one with some fresh yeast.

Not only is this Minute Rice expired, it is opened! Egads!

Just to show you that Treasure gets equal billing with humans in this household, her Barley Dog nutrients are expired too. This is definitely an equal-opportunity pantry looking for a victim.

I bare my cupboard to you as a way of warning. I found out yesterday that even "fresh" food can grow moldy. I'm going to be much more vigilant from now on. And, yes, tomorrow I'm cleaning out the cupboard!