More containers for the pantry

Yesterday during my Home Goods run I also wandered into Target and picked up four cheap containers to help reorganize our pantry.

The thought occurred to me a couple months ago when I used an old plastic shoe box to corral all the small cleaning items thrown around under our kitchen sink.

See, I was getting annoyed with the way all the staples on the top shelf of our pantry were looking.

So I took stock of our current pantry and realized that our top shelf items could be mostly categorized into four groups: oils, vinegars and sauces; breads and spreads; Asian; Italian. Four bins it is! I had to find bins in two different sizes so they would: 1) fit in the space and 2) have various widths to accommodate the different sized objects.

One of the bins had a particularly difficult sticker to remove. Thank goodness for Goo Gone!

Somehow each bin managed to miraculously hold all the items I intended for it (though there were still a few items I couldn't quite categorize that are still hanging out solo in the pantry).

And, I'm happy to report that I finally had an excuse to whip out the labelmaker -- that had up until today only been used in my classroom -- for home use!

 

Because the top shelf of the pantry was by far the most disorganized I didn't really need to touch the rest of the pantry to make a serious impact on its overall look. (Our middle shelf carries mostly snack foods, and our bottom shelf carries bulk products: dog food, extra flour and sugar bags, bulk olive oil and canola oil jugs, a giant box of granola bars and cereal.)

Approximately 45 minutes and $13 later, I am quite pleased with the results. Even though our pantry is relatively modest in size and I can't fit everything together in one neat row, the reason I prefer this new system is I can now move an entire container out onto the counter when I'm trying to reach something in the back instead of having to move several individual items. Check out this easy-to-achieve after shot compared to the before.

In addition to this pantry space and our fabulous new fridge, I should also note that we have another cabinet space with a spice rack where we also store other pantry items, which mostly includes all our baking goods, but that space is already reasonably well organized.

What are your solutions for keeping your pantry organized?

Tip 46: Tupperware organization ideas

Like you, I hate dealing with Tupperware containers. (For the purpose of this blog, I will use Tupperware the way many people use Kleenex or Xerox; I don't actually own any official Tupperware, but I don't see the point in writing "plastic food storage containers" a thousand times.)

They take up a lot of space.

Where's that lid?!

I do not have a magical solution, but I do have a couple ideas.

Tip 46: Using the Tupperware you currently own, use a Sharpie to label matching containers and lids either by number or by color.

If you're like us, you have a bunch of Ziploc-brand containers where several containers appear mostly identical in size, but then they're either a little too wide or a little too narrow to fit the lid you think should go with them. Labeling all containers of one size with a number 1 (or a red Sharpie dot), and then finding all corresponding lids and labeling them with a number 1 (or red Sharpie dot) might save you some time when you're cleaning up from dinner or packing your lunch. Of course, be sure to label on the outside of the containers and not anywhere that food will touch.

As you go through your Tupperware, this may be a good time to recycle any lid-less containers. I know we have a few.

Now I need to get something to organize the lids so they can stay grouped together. Apparently there are lots of choices on Amazon, but I'll see if I can find something in person. If you have a suggestion, leave a comment!

Potential products:
Maybe, though, you are some fortunate enough to just be embarking on the land of Tupperware containers, in which case you can test drive some of these products. I do not own these products, but I've heard and read some positive reviews.

My cousin Melissa says she fell in love with these Sterlite color-coded containers she bought recently. She says, "If the container has a blue rim, the lid to fit is also blue -- it's absolutely genius! I found mine at Walmart -- maybe 20 bucks, but well worth every single penny! You don't have to dig around to find the lid that fits that exact random container... if it's green, you look for green and there you have it :)" Seems like a nice product! Thanks, Melissa!

Rubbermaid also has its line of Easy Find Lids products. I was pleasantly surprised to read that these products, along with many Rubbermaid makes, are BPA free.

Anyone have any more recommendations for specific products? Or do you have a nifty DIY solution?

As you get ready to organize your Tupperware, let me know if you have a lid organization product that you love!

Tip 9: Canisters

It's the end of the week, you've cooked all your meals, and now you have some leftover ingredients.  What do you do?

Tip 9: Invest in some quality canisters!

Today's post is dedicated to my friend Laura, the one who inspired me to fill my house with canisters, and who decided to go ahead and have her first baby yesterday (way to go, Laura!). After seeing Laura's beautifully organized pantry, I knew what I needed...lots and lots of canisters.

But I bought some and they broke. The problem? Plastic latches. Never again! (Apparently, Crate and Barrel no longer sells them, either.)

These ones below from Linens n' Things look nice on the counter, and they hold our most-often used items: flour, sugar, kosher salt, coffee beans. Now that Linens n' Things is out of business, you can find them at Bed Bath and Beyond.

For inside the pantry, I have loved these Oxo Pop Containers that come in both square and rectangular shapes. They are not the prettiest, but they are super heavy duty and will increase the shelf life of your food. We use these more for bulk items: dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, Goldfish crackers (of course), and more coffee beans. Buy these canisters at Bed Bath and Beyond, too, and don't forget your 20 percent off coupons!

Speaking of coffee, I buy my beans from a coffee company called Crop 2 Cup. The owner buys beans directly from the farmers he knows in Uganda and then sells them to us Americans. The beans are great quality, the price is good, and the shipping is always fast. Plus, you feel slightly more connected to your cup o' joe.

That wraps us up for food week, though I am sure there will be more food-inspired posts in the future!

Next up...technology day 1: Internet finances.

Tip 6: Grocery lists and pantry items

First of all, a follow up on yesterday: the French onion soup was a major success! I am so pleased because we tried a different recipe about a year ago and it totally flopped. So, if you have about an hour to make a soup, this is the way to go. It's not an hour of actual labor. The most difficult task is caramelizing the onions, and that just requires some occasional stirring. Thankfully, the recipe calls for few ingredients, some of which I already had on hand because I've learned to follow...

Tip 6: Keep a pantry stocked with staples from several food genres.

We make a decent amount of Asian food, a decent amount of pasta and homemade pizza, and we sometimes make a dessert. So, I've learned to keep the following items on hand so that when I actually make the grocery list, it usually just involves fruits, vegetables, dairy and proteins.

Basic supplies:

• oils: olive, canola
  
• vinegars: balsamic, white wine, red wine, apple cider, white
• flour
• sugars: regular, brown, confectioner's
• salt: table, kosher
• peppercorns
• spices: allspice, ancho chile, basil, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ground coriander seed, crushed red pepper, cumin, curry powder, dill, garlic powder, garlic salt, ground ginger, nutmeg. oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, turmeric
• vanilla
• yeast
• honey
  
• Texas Pete (a staple in our house, at least)
  

Baking items:

• light corn syrup
• cocoa powder
• espresso powder
• baking powder
• corn starch
• semisweet chocolate chips

Asian-inspired items:

• soy sauce
• rice vinegar
• Sriracha hot chili sauce
• fish sauce
• sesame oil
• Asian noodles

Other dry or canned goods:

• a couple types of pasta
• crushed tomatoes
• rice: brown and jasmine
• beans: black, pinto, kidney

In our freezer you'll often find:

• ginger (this is how you make your ginger last for a long time)
• bread (for turning into bread crumbs)
• shrimp
• chicken
• fruit (for smoothies)

And we try to always have these items in our fridge:

• milk
• eggs
• unsalted butter
• lemons/limes
• dijon mustard
• pizza sauce
• cream cheese
• maple syrup
• red onion
• bell peppers (they last so long!)

 By knowing what we have in our freezer, fridge and pantry, we minimize our grocery list.

Speaking of grocery lists....my shopping experiences have been revolutionized since purchasing a Droid phone. I downloaded the free application called OurGroceries (also available for iPhone and iTouch) and now I can make a list and buy all the items on the list in record time. Here are the great things about this program:

1. You cross off items as you go, and they get sent to the bottom of your screen. There's maybe nothing more satisfying than electronically crossing something off.
   
2. You can change the quantities of each items you need. So, type apples, and then increased the number needed to six, and a little 6 appears next to apples.
   
3. You can share it with another phone. So, Matt and I walk around the grocery store and we can both look at the same list AND check off items simultaneously. I was about to get some apples, but looks like Matt just got them. How do you like them apples?
4. It saves your data, so next week when you need to type up a new list and you type A, it brings up all the items you've bought that start with A (and yes, I am type A).
5. You can have multiple lists going at once. So, I'll make my standard Wegmans grocery list, and I'll have a separate one running for Costco or Target or Bed Bath and Beyond....whatever! I even made a "Wish List" of more expensive items I'd like to eventually purchase, and of course Matt has access to that one...hint, hint.

Now I'm inspired to make next week technology week!

But for now....food week!

Next up....organizing your recipes.