Today we are organizing our spices. My husband made my spice pantry for me. When we bought
our house there was a doorway from the kitchen into the front room; at one time it was
probably the dining room being as it doesn't have a closet in it; however, we made it into
our 5 year olds bedroom. I really didn't like the idea that she would have access to the
kitchen like that (she had just turned 3 when we moved in) because the kitchen is closed off
from the rest of the house, I found it to be a safety factor.
I used to use an old computer hutch for my spices and baking things, so at first I put it in
the doorway to keep her or anyone else from going through it; soon after though we bought
some sheetrock and put it up on her side of the room, creating a cute little nook on the
kitchen side, so my husband built shelves for me and we painted it my favorite colors, pink
and white and tada!!! There ya have it, my spice pantry! I love it!!!!
There is a lot going on in this picture. I have an extension cord running across the spice
pantry because the cabinet to the right of it is where I use my crock pot and there isn't a
plug over there; laziness on my part is why it isn't put away when I am not using my crock
pot. I also have some hemp rope hanging above the spice shelf for my 'chip' clips my daughter
and I made one night. We covered several clothes pins with pretty craft paper; unfortunately,
most of them have disappeared and all that is left hanging up there is a stack of coffee
filters I 'painted' for a Valentines project last year.
Then there is the chair with the booster seat in it, and the stool with the lid to my large
stock pot sitting on it because I am using my pot while doing this challenge and didn't feel
like climbing back up a ladder to put the lid up, lol. We all know, while it is possible, it
makes for a weird fit when we put a round peg in a square hole - my kitchen and table. I have
a round table in a square kitchen that has a lot going on in it. Because most of the elements
in the kitchen were added years after the kitchen was built, things were just sort of put
here and there, in the best location for the times. My kitchen doubles as a laundry area/room
and the hot water heater is in here as well. I said all of that to say this, when all four
chairs are around the table it makes for a tight squeeze, especially over by the dryer and
fridge, so, when they are not being used, we put one of the chairs in the corner by the
counter, and same thing with the stool, behind it sits a large plant stand which isn't there
in the warm months, so the stool goes back into the corner, but for now I have to have a
place to put my plants.
The top shelf of my spice pantry. This is where I keep the things I don't use very often; I
grouped the spices together by type, like different sauces, and Asian spices. There is also
some art work our granddaughter made for me for Mother's Day displayed up there, a timer that
looks like an alarm clock that doesn't work {it's kept for decoration} and an empty shaker.
The second shelf down. This is where I keep the baking items I use on a regular basis. I also
see some ginger on that shelf, that should go on the top shelf with the Asian spices. Also on
this shelf are some really pretty pink, glass, salt and pepper shakers my mom bought for me;
when we get our dining room set up they will go on the table, and I see the oven thermometer.
The third shelf down. These are the spices I use daily, on most meals. It has gotten a bit
crazy on that shelf as I see three empty shakers, and an empty shaker for pink salt. Time to
make more house seasoning.
The fourth shelf down. Most of the items on this shelf are used daily, and yes I know, these
aren't spices, but because they are used so often, and my other pantry is full, they are
housed here.
So, we have oil. And spray oil. Syrup, and, I'm not even sure what that box is, and some
honey, and again, I am not sure what is in that baggie, looks like some sweet and sour sauce,
that doesn't belong there - I know it's hard to see, but, enough peanut butter to last a
year, and canned fruit.
The fifth shelf. This is such a mess, it isn't supposed to be that way. There is apple cider
vinegar, Karo syrup, salt, chocolate shake stuff, mustard, white beans, popcorn and I'm not
sure what is in the small bottle ...*sigh*
Last, but not least, the bottom shelf. Again, I know these aren't spices, but due to lack of
space in our other pantry ... here they sit. So, it looks like we have two boxes of crackers,
some oats, hot coco, instant cappuccino, and two canisters of coco mix. I don't know what is
in that bag on the far left ... I've got my work cut out for me!!
Woot!Woot!!!! The pantry is empty and C L E A N!!!!!!
All of the items that were on the top shelf!
This shelf wasn't too bad; spices used for Asian foods, bottles of pepper sauce, meat
seasonings, oh, and Apple Cider Vinegar
Items from the second shelf.
Baking odds and ends; corn starch times 2, flavorings, four bottles of cinnamon, baking
powder, all spice nutmeg
My go-to spices, from the third shelf.
Garlic powder, Black pepper, Cayenne, Oregano, Italian seasoning times two, seasoned salt,
Greek seasoning {my sons favorite}, Cumin, two empty shakers and an empty pink salt grinder.
The fourth shelf.
Lots and lots of peanut butter; oil and spray oil; found out that mystery box is oats, honey
and syrup, three cans of cherry pie filling, three cans of oranges, three cans of peaches,
one can of coconut oil, a jar of sweet and sour sauce that should be with the Asian spices,
and that mystery baggie? Salt substitute.
The fifth shelf
More vinegar, dried beans, chocolate fiber stuff, Karo syrup, mustard, salt, and pop corn
And finally the bottom shelf
A gross box of instant coco, two canisters of instant coco, a canister of hard instant
cappuccino, a bag of flour??? {what's that doing there???}, and two boxes of crackers
The top shelf after - the sweet and sour sauce, Karo syrup and honey made it up here with the
spices for making Asian foods, all the pepper sauces and Teriyaki sauce, oh, and garlic sauce
and sesame oil, and all the meat spices {briskets and roasts}
The second shelf reorganized. Still my baking items, but now has baking powder, corn starch,
three cans of cherry pie filling, one can of coconut milk, food flavorings, nutmeg, all
spice, and three bottles of cinnamon
My go-to spices all nice and neat. Black pepper, Garlic powder, Cayenne, a new batch of house
seasoning, Cumin, my son's Greek seasoning, Italian seasoning, two bottles of Oregano and
Chili powder
The fourth shelf looks a whole lot better. We have our oil and spray oil, salt, syrup,
mustard, oranges and peaches.
On the fifth shelf all the vinegar is all together - at last! The peanut butter is resting
there now too, minus one bottle, and the pop corn.
Finally, the bottom shelf. No more nasty instant coco, or hard instant cappuccino. Instead,
two canisters of coco, that chocolate fiber stuff, oats, and two boxes of crackers combined
into one.
So, there ya have it; my new, clean, organized spice pantry!
The REAL challenge will be keeping it this way ;)
Jenn
I used to use an old computer hutch for my spices and baking things, so at first I put it in the doorway to keep her or anyone else from going through it; soon after though we bought some sheetrock and put it up on her side of the room, creating a cute little nook on the kitchen side, so my husband built shelves for me and we painted it my favorite colors, pink and white and tada!!! There ya have it, my spice pantry! I love it!!!!
There is a lot going on in this picture. I have an extension cord running across the spice pantry because the cabinet to the right of it is where I use my crock pot and there isn't a plug over there; laziness on my part is why it isn't put away when I am not using my crock pot. I also have some hemp rope hanging above the spice shelf for my 'chip' clips my daughter and I made one night. We covered several clothes pins with pretty craft paper; unfortunately, most of them have disappeared and all that is left hanging up there is a stack of coffee filters I 'painted' for a Valentines project last year.
Then there is the chair with the booster seat in it, and the stool with the lid to my large stock pot sitting on it because I am using my pot while doing this challenge and didn't feel like climbing back up a ladder to put the lid up, lol. We all know, while it is possible, it makes for a weird fit when we put a round peg in a square hole - my kitchen and table. I have a round table in a square kitchen that has a lot going on in it. Because most of the elements in the kitchen were added years after the kitchen was built, things were just sort of put here and there, in the best location for the times. My kitchen doubles as a laundry area/room and the hot water heater is in here as well. I said all of that to say this, when all four chairs are around the table it makes for a tight squeeze, especially over by the dryer and fridge, so, when they are not being used, we put one of the chairs in the corner by the counter, and same thing with the stool, behind it sits a large plant stand which isn't there in the warm months, so the stool goes back into the corner, but for now I have to have a place to put my plants.
The top shelf of my spice pantry. This is where I keep the things I don't use very often; I grouped the spices together by type, like different sauces, and Asian spices. There is also some art work our granddaughter made for me for Mother's Day displayed up there, a timer that looks like an alarm clock that doesn't work {it's kept for decoration} and an empty shaker.
The second shelf down. This is where I keep the baking items I use on a regular basis. I also see some ginger on that shelf, that should go on the top shelf with the Asian spices. Also on this shelf are some really pretty pink, glass, salt and pepper shakers my mom bought for me; when we get our dining room set up they will go on the table, and I see the oven thermometer.
The third shelf down. These are the spices I use daily, on most meals. It has gotten a bit crazy on that shelf as I see three empty shakers, and an empty shaker for pink salt. Time to make more house seasoning.
The fourth shelf down. Most of the items on this shelf are used daily, and yes I know, these aren't spices, but because they are used so often, and my other pantry is full, they are housed here.
So, we have oil. And spray oil. Syrup, and, I'm not even sure what that box is, and some honey, and again, I am not sure what is in that baggie, looks like some sweet and sour sauce, that doesn't belong there - I know it's hard to see, but, enough peanut butter to last a year, and canned fruit.
The fifth shelf. This is such a mess, it isn't supposed to be that way. There is apple cider vinegar, Karo syrup, salt, chocolate shake stuff, mustard, white beans, popcorn and I'm not sure what is in the small bottle ...*sigh*
Last, but not least, the bottom shelf. Again, I know these aren't spices, but due to lack of space in our other pantry ... here they sit. So, it looks like we have two boxes of crackers, some oats, hot coco, instant cappuccino, and two canisters of coco mix. I don't know what is in that bag on the far left ... I've got my work cut out for me!!
Woot!Woot!!!! The pantry is empty and C L E A N!!!!!!
All of the items that were on the top shelf!
This shelf wasn't too bad; spices used for Asian foods, bottles of pepper sauce, meat seasonings, oh, and Apple Cider Vinegar
Items from the second shelf.
Baking odds and ends; corn starch times 2, flavorings, four bottles of cinnamon, baking powder, all spice nutmeg
My go-to spices, from the third shelf.
Garlic powder, Black pepper, Cayenne, Oregano, Italian seasoning times two, seasoned salt, Greek seasoning {my sons favorite}, Cumin, two empty shakers and an empty pink salt grinder.
The fourth shelf.
Lots and lots of peanut butter; oil and spray oil; found out that mystery box is oats, honey and syrup, three cans of cherry pie filling, three cans of oranges, three cans of peaches, one can of coconut oil, a jar of sweet and sour sauce that should be with the Asian spices, and that mystery baggie? Salt substitute.
The fifth shelf
More vinegar, dried beans, chocolate fiber stuff, Karo syrup, mustard, salt, and pop corn
And finally the bottom shelf
A gross box of instant coco, two canisters of instant coco, a canister of hard instant cappuccino, a bag of flour??? {what's that doing there???}, and two boxes of crackers
The top shelf after - the sweet and sour sauce, Karo syrup and honey made it up here with the spices for making Asian foods, all the pepper sauces and Teriyaki sauce, oh, and garlic sauce and sesame oil, and all the meat spices {briskets and roasts}
The second shelf reorganized. Still my baking items, but now has baking powder, corn starch, three cans of cherry pie filling, one can of coconut milk, food flavorings, nutmeg, all spice, and three bottles of cinnamon
My go-to spices all nice and neat. Black pepper, Garlic powder, Cayenne, a new batch of house seasoning, Cumin, my son's Greek seasoning, Italian seasoning, two bottles of Oregano and Chili powder
The fourth shelf looks a whole lot better. We have our oil and spray oil, salt, syrup, mustard, oranges and peaches.
On the fifth shelf all the vinegar is all together - at last! The peanut butter is resting there now too, minus one bottle, and the pop corn.
Finally, the bottom shelf. No more nasty instant coco, or hard instant cappuccino. Instead,
two canisters of coco, that chocolate fiber stuff, oats, and two boxes of crackers combined
into one.
So, there ya have it; my new, clean, organized spice pantry!
The REAL challenge will be keeping it this way ;)
