Hi readers,

Me again, for the last time: I've wrapped up the experiment, and the final story was published in today's paper. If you'd like to read it, here's the link:

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/05/and-finally-one-bloggers-cabinets-are-bare

Thank you so much for reading -- I've enjoyed this experiment (as much as one can, eating canned peas) and thank you so much for following along.

Eat well; shop smart,

Diana

As someone who has gone on and on (and on and on) about her cabinets being full of nonperishables, I find it necessary to tell you about a wonderful fundraiser coming up this weekend. Not only can you help the needy, you can use the opportunity to see what "repeat" items you have in your cabinets and determine what you can spare to give away.

One of the biggest food collections of the year -- the National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive -- will take place this Saturday (May 10). Simply place bags filled with nonperishable food items near your mailbox before the mail is picked up Saturday, and a mail carrier will pick them up and deliver the goods to a food bank. If you're unsure whether your carrier will participate, you can call your local post office and ask.

All the details (including a search engine to find your post office's phone number) can be found at www.helpstampouthunger.com

In a time when food donations are down and the need is way up, why not take a moment to see if you can help?

With the final article of this experiment set to print this Sunday -- and with next to nothing in my kitchen -- I set out for Harris Teeter this morning, ready to do some damage.

I was going to shop like I hadn't shopped since 2007. I was going to go down those forbidden aisles, browse the frozen food section, ponder the purchase of a can or two. And I was tickled.

I bought a lot -- and it comfortably fit in my cabinet and freezer when I returned home (I swear I saw my freezer break out into a smile when I filled it with Lean Cuisines, salmon burgers, waffles and more). I spent a bit more than my old weekly bill -- $145 -- but I don't think that will be the norm, as I bought a few basics I had been without for a long time (microwave popcorn! peanut butter! Wheat Thins!).

But you'd be proud to know I was a cautious shopper. I picked up a box of oatmeal and put it down when I remembered my boyfriend's mom had given us a bunch this past weekend. I pondered the soups, but remembered I still have two in my cabinet: Until they're gone, I'm not buying more. I crazily even considered buying more Popsicles! Whaaat? As you may recall, I still have a box left and I never eat them and why would I buy more? It's the lure of the grocery shopping experience, I suppose.

Never more!

The final story updating this experiment will run on Sunday, May 11, in the Gracious Living section.

P.S. I ate my very last packet of oatmeal this morning!

So very sorry for my disappearance.

The experiment is wrapping up, and I will write a final article for May 7th's newspaper. I hope you'll check it out to see what I've learned and how it went. But for those curious, I still have not gone "real" grocery shopping. Soon. Soon. Soon.

Thanks for reading this -- it's been a long journey and you were right there with me (but, man, you didn't have to eat that tuna noodle casserole...)

Two things to report today:

1. Unrelated to the experiment, though of interest to some readers: I bought a Brita water filter today (to go along with my Brita pitcher I bought a decade ago). I am officially going to stop buying bottled water by the case (though don't fault me if I get one at the convenience store on a hot day). That should not only help with my grocery bill but the environment as well. And we all know Norfolk's water is as good as tap gets. I hope my readers are proud -- as the change came about because of them.

I'm still going to buy bottled Propel for now. But I'll experiment with the powdered stuff and get back to you.

2. Another moment of pride (I think I even felt a tear form in my eye) came about today when I took my final box of pasta off the shelf and cooked up some whole wheat spaghetti. (I, alas, only had about a quarter of a jar of spaghetti sauce left though, but at least it's enough to keep it moist...unlike the last dish I made.)

Speaking of that last dish ... I feel awful, but I have to admit that I ended up throwing it out. I've learned many important lessons during this experiment and this one was never to make tuna noodle casserole with such limited ingredients again. (P.S. Not to gross you out, but when I went to throw away the casserole, I was able to scoop it out in one very large chunk. It had all just congealed together. This wasn't good stuff.)

I truly think this week may be it for the experiment. I'm down to bare bones and will be eating many perishables to supplement what's left. Still to eat? That can of Hoppin' John, which I may partner with the instant rice (though ... that rice may be more than five years old. I need to check).

I'll keep you posted.

I looked at the tuna noodle casserole as I was packing my dinner the other day and felt sick. I thought, "Well, I'll skip a day of it and eat something from the cabinet." But all I found were soups and it was nearing 80 degrees outside. There also was a box of whole wheat spaghetti but I didn't have time to cook.

And there was nothing else to eat!

When I mentioned the seven days of tuna noodle casserole to a co-worker (on day 2), he replied, "Do you think it will even be good in seven days?" Good point.

Another co-worker suggested freezing it. But then I'd have MORE food in my freezer!

A third co-worker, upon reading my pathetic first entry, brought me a frozen dinner to work. I was saved!

Saved for now. But I need to evaluate what I've got left and plan out this next -- and possibly last -- week when I go grocery shopping for my perishables. Need bread to finish off the peanut butter. Need fresh tomatoes for the spaghetti. Need zucchini and squash to add to my chicken broth.

Need a tougher stomach to finish off that casserole.

(Sidenote: Many have told me life's too short to eat something you don't like. It's very possible I will have to ditch part of the casserole at some point. It's just not tasty enough to freeze, and I don't think I'd want it next week, either. So I forge on. And never make it with limited ingredients again!)

Five more days of this quasi tuna noodle casserole?

It may be the end of me (or this experiment).

The freezer is finally empty! (With the exception of -- and, come on, can it really be counted? -- one more box of Popsicles that I am trying to dig through, gummy as they are.)

And today I made a "creative" tuna noodle casserole using rice noodles, two cans of tuna and my last can of peas. It's pretty sticky, but I'm hoping it will taste good come dinnertime (and for the next, sigh, six dinners).

I also finally made oatmeal raisin cookies for my co-workers (I know, look at little Betty Crocker here!) and the kitchen cabinet is looking anemic.

And while that thrills me, I also am a little worried now.

My sister was telling me about a story she read where lots of people, fearing catastrophe (hurricane, apocalypse, the effects of an undesirable president getting elected) have been stocking up on canned goods and other nonperishables. One man has a basement filled with food. And here I am, carefee as can be, getting rid of every last morsel.

It's such a Catch-22, isn't it? You want to be prepared, but you don't want to stockpile so much food that it never gets eaten and you waste money. How much is enough of a stockpile? A week's worth? A month's? And at some point, should you EAT that stockpile (a la this experiment) and replace later?

Sigh.

I'll try not to worry yet. After this experiment ends, I'll get myself ready before hurricane season starts (but by "ready" I mean a few items; I now know how long they can last!). Aside from that, I'm only going to buy what I need for the week. If catastrophe strikes, I've got some co-workers I can mooch off of. I mean, come on, I made them oatmeal raisin cookies! They can spare a meal or two!

Over the past two days, I've taken the time to prep some healthy meals for work: salmon and sweet potato and, yesterday, salmon, corn and lima beans.

Thus, I officially have cleared my freezer of salmon! And the frozen corn! And cleared my cabinet of the last can of lima beans!

The corn was scary. I've been scared of it for months and months, which is how it got icier and icier. See photo. Eek, eh?

But I cooked it up, sliced it off the cob (Go ahead, ask why I didn't just buy regular corn. I have no idea.) and had some with my dinner. I was curious why each little half-a-cob was 70 calories. Seemed kind of high. But then, when I bit into it and realized the freezer-burned corn was actually good, it also hit me that it was butter-flavored. Had to be. Too good not to be. Sigh. There went the healthy meal.

But the salmon has made for a really tasty treat these past few days, which then makes me wonder why don't eat it more often.

The freezer is down to four veggie sausages and one box of Popsicles.

The cabinet: a bit more. But I've consolidated the shelves and I'm starting to look like Poor Mother Hubbard.

Yay!