Wednesdays are my usual "kitchen days," but I actually worked a little on my pantry yesterday. I was looking for the nutmeg (for a soup I was starting in the crockpot), and not only could I not find it, but things just kept falling out or tipping over and then I noticed the oregano had spilled everywhere ...
So I decided it was time to do a little sorting!
First, I took everything out and grouped things in general piles, and then I vacuumed out the cabinet thoroughly. Next, I turned my attention to the piles ...
Old things went out (and oh my goodness there were some very old things), and overstock got moved downstairs the the big pantry. The rest of the stuff I moved back into the cabinet, as neatly as possible. Now this particular cabinet is situated to the left of our stove and it's what I'd call our "main" cabinet, housing the items we use everyday: coffee and tea supplies, baking goods and pasta-related things.
So here's a little tour ...
First up, bottom left shelf - baking goods:
Decorative toppings and chocolate chips, baking soda and powder, cinnamon and other most commonly used spices. The pull-out drawer seen at the very top of this photo holds seasoning packets and decorating supplies like food dye and gels.
Next shelf up, savory spices:
Whole things like nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, and star anise, etc. Then, in back of the savory spices I have all the flavored extracts, save vanilla. The vanilla is up front in the lower right shelf - I use it so often I need it quite handy.
This shelf also holds our salt/pepper, cocoa, instant coffee (for baking), honey and favorite tinned teas. In the roll-out rack just above, there are two containers of frequently used tea (black, regular).
Just above that shelf, we have prepared foods, jarred sauces and pastas ...
As well as the cooking spray and coffee beans.
The top shelves are for less frequently used items ...
Extra pasta, sauce-making things, pickling spices and preserves.
And to the left, bottled things like Worcestershire, sesame oil, rose water, molasses, minced garlic, etc.
And since I was moving all this stuff downstairs, I figured it was a good time to neaten the "big" pantry ... which is really just a hodgepodge of shelving at the bottom of our stairs.
The lighting isn't great, so these photos are dark ...
On top of these cabinets, I have two open bins - one holds energy bars and hot cereal packets and the other contains an assortment of herb teas. These are easy to reach from the steps and so handy when someone needs to grab a power bar or if I have people over and want to offer a variety of tea.
This is just an old bookcase fitted into a space where a freezer used to be. I really want to replace that old freezer and move the shelves just around the corner. If we get a stand up, that is, rather than a chest freezer. (Still debating that point ...)
Collected here are also random kitchen appliances like the bread machine, foodsaver, ice cream maker, etc. And for some reason, a folding tray, lol.
So there you have it! It's not as organized as it should be, but at least now it's a bit neater!
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Well, my friends, I hope you're having a good week! Thanks for stopping by today ... I'll be back here again very soon!
:)
