My Pantry

      My kitchen cabinets are probably the biggest conversation piece in my home.   They are organized in a way that I can easily see and access everything I have.  So that this post doesn't end up taking you 9 years to read, I'll just start with my pantry.   
     A few years back I started selling Tupperware (which I don't do anymore)  and I fell in love with their dry food storage containers.  I decided to redo my pantry with their modular mates.  These are things like my baking ingredients, dry goods like rice and elbow macaroni, boxed mixes and oil salt and pepper.  This cabinet is to the right of my stove for easy access while cooking or baking.

          I know it probably seems ridiculous to transfer things like baking soda, cocoa or baking powder into another container when they already come in a sturdy one, but when kept in their original containers these things don't stack well.  And don't even get me started on my fear of a weevle infestation! Anyway, most people don't utilize their vertical space in their cabinets.  Containers allow you to stack items on top of one another to make the most of cabinet space.  Then I use a label maker to label the container with their contents.  Containers also keep your items fresher for longer.  You can avoid having a brick of brown sugar if it is put in a container. (And by the way, if that ever happens, you can give the sugar a quick zap in the microwave or place a slice of white bread in a ziploc with the sugar.  Either way will soften it up again!)
     You don't need to buy fancy Tupperware to organize your pantry.  I have seen some great containers at the dollar store that could serve the same purpose.  Clear sided containers work the best because you don't have to open the box or move anything when you want to check how much is left.   Also, before buying containers, don't forget to look through the ones you already own.  I bet most of us already have a bunch that we never use and they just get tossed around the cabinet when we are looking for our favorite container's lid.  Re-purpose the ones you barely ever use for a pantry item. 

Here is my spice cabinet which is to the left of my stove:

I have 2 lazy susans - 1 for my spices and the other is for random items like toothpicks, food coloring and extracts.  The top shelf is Jimmies and my husband's HUGE container of Old Bay seasoning...which I have no idea why we need.

Here is how I store the other food items that can't be put in containers.  They are on shelves next to the basement stairs:

   

     I have the shelves labeled so I can easily tell what we are out of and so that my husband can find

his tuna without making a mess or asking for my help. 

     When you can open your cabinets or closet and, at a glance, see if you need or already have something, you avoid over buying products which saves you money.  How many times have you bought brown sugar or some other baking ingredient and brought it home only to realize that you had an opened box of that item hidden in the back of the cabinet?  That doesn't happen when everything has a place.  Before the shopping trip, you are able to open your cabinets and see at a glance whether or not the item is needed.  Also, you don't have to buy as many items each week for your planned recipes or impromptu meals.  I always have enough on hand to throw a side dish together and I usually have almost all of the items I need for my tried and true recipes. Every week I take a peek in the pantry to see if anything needs replenishing and add it to my shopping list.      

     Happy organizing!