Empty Nest = Empty Pantry

'Tis the night before the night before Thanksgiving and I'm already all cooked out!  I did something I never do....I started early.  I don't start early for anything.  Is this the new normal?  Am I going to start being one of those overachieving people who has their Christmas cards ordered before Thanksgiving?  No!  One of those people who makes everything days ahead of time?  Yikes!  A person who does her Christmas shopping before December 20th?  Not yet!  Once a last minute person...always a last minute person.  Except this year.  I'm going to give this "being organized and prepared" thing a try.  Foreign territory here!

Today, as I made the cornbread and the pecan pie bars I realized that my empty nest has also resulted in an empty pantry.  I thought I had everything I needed but when you don't bake or even cook much you lose track of inventory.  I found I was inconveniently out of baking powder this afternoon.  Ten years ago I would have never been out of baking powder... or brown sugar. There was a time in my life that we always had something freshly baked in our house.  I have made many cookies, cakes and brownies in my life but not many in the last 5 to 10 years... except for the holidays. 

Another cooking realization today happened when I looked up at my counter and saw this....

3 generations of recipes.
The handwritten cards, the cookbook and the computer.

 I had to comb through that recipe box to find my mother-in-law's stuffing recipe.  Apparently, the recipe box had been dropped and put back in haphazardly since the cards were upside down and totally disorganized.  Grandson handiwork no doubt.  I took a walk down recipe memory lane reorganizing the box.  So many cookie exchange recipes that I haven't made in years.  I have no idea why I still have most of them.  The chances of me making enchilada casserole from a random card in that box are slim to none.  Pinterest has thousands of them at the click of a mouse.  We have come a long way, baby! 

This year I am thankful for my family, the opportunity to cook for a full house and grandsons who dump out my recipe box!  I hope you all enjoy some good food and some good times this Thanksgiving!