The pantry challenge

Every few months or so, I try to inventory my pantry, determine what I have too much of, and make a concerted effort to use up those ingredients. Unfortunately, in our new house, the pantry is poorly laid out. We have plans to modify the shelving, which will help tremendously with the ability to view more of the pantry inventory. For now, things keep just getting overlooked & pushed to the back. Hence the pantry challenge!

I like the challenge of identifying a few ingredients that really need to go, and focusing on using up just those items. So, for this month's pantry challenge, I'd like to use up the following:

• An enormous (25 oz) jar of green olives. Side note: what was I thinking?
• 1/3 or so of a package of chocolate breakfast cereal. This is nothing we would allow the boys for breakfast, but I'm open to using it in something a little more snack like. One of our house guests brought this.
• The end of a bag of pretzel chips.
• Two 1/2 used boxes of lasagna noodles
• A 1/2 bag of pine nuts
• Most of a container of almonds
• Most of a container of cashews . . . see any themes?
• A few bits & bobs of trail mix
• Most of a large bag of sourdough stuffing. 
• An unopened jar of Nutella

A random mix of ingredients, for sure! I would definitely like to make granola, so the nuts will help with that. I have a great Nutella brownie recipe, and I'm thinking lasagna for the lasagna noodles. I know, super creative. I'll have to give some thought to the rest.

What about you? Do you have regular targeted pantry clean outs? Do you enjoy the challenge, or loathe the concept? I'm in the former camp, although usually start to drag after the first few "wins".