Pantry Raid, "After" pictures

Thank you Loyal and Brave Kathi for linking and joining in the Pantry Raid with me. I don't feel so alone. And, Kathi, I know you are anxious for all the other not as brave people who read this blog to see that your pantry is so much prettier now. So link away now, before you read the rest of this!


And the rest of you? Weeelll, I will give you an opportunity to make it up to me. Next week I will post another linky for Pantry Raid in case anyone else wants to join in with a before or after picture, a picture or description of your dream pantry, pantry organizational tips, what you consider "must haves" in your pantry or any other pantry related fodder. Cuz saying Pantry Raid is just too cool and catchy to only use for two weeks. It's just too much fun to imagine people reading it and thinking it says Panty Raid. And these undies are just way too lovely not to post again. Dontcha think?



My pantry probably won't look that much different to you than it did last week. But I know what has changed. I know how I spent most of my Saturday. Because, as you know, one thing leads to another. Therefore, straightening one's pantry eventually leads to more of the cabinets being cleaned out. And it might take awhile to get it all finished up. In other words, my pantry looks better but,uh, the rest of the kitchen? Well, notsuhmuch (...course it doesn't help that our dishwasher broke last week and won't be repaired until tomorrow). Hopefully by the end of today it all will be cleaned and I will move on to other areas like maybe the room where everything seems to get dumped Laundry Room.

The main thing that changed, which is what took the most time, is getting the silver metal racks with drawers out of the bottom of the pantry to make room for the 2-5 gallon buckets of bulk food items. These were stacked just to the right of the door creating a wall of sorts. Putting them down here really opens it up.



This door stayed the same. It holds spice items we use most frequently such as sea salt, pepper, and vanilla. The door also has a hook for the Pampered Chef Fly Swatter (the best one I have found) and a one page, one year calendar from our area Asian food store. Which is why it says "Year of the Rat". In case you were wondering. Being that it is hanging next to the fly swatter I didn't want you to get the wrong idea and to think we have flies and rats.


I rewrote names of spices that had rubbed off over time from these Costco sized spice containers. I do buy new ones occasionally, but many times I buy refills through one of the co-ops I use.


These glass boxes from World Market have been sitting on the counter. I think they are adorable. But I don't really like counter clutter and still haven't figured out what I am going to store in them permanently. So here they are. At least for now. They fit perfectly in this spot.


This area could hold alot more stuff. But recently I bought a griddle. I decided it helps me enough that it will earn this silly under-use of space. It is so dorky that the manufacturers didn't construct it so it could hang on a wall or something! Maybe in all of my moving things around I will discover a better place for this and free up more space for my flour (see below).


I have run out of huge containers for my bulk flour. The grocery store bakery where I got empty buckets before has now been told by the health department that they cannot let any empty buckets stack up. I can only get them if one happens to be emptied precisely when I go in. Fat chance. So for now these two bags are in one of those humongous Ziplocs, sitting on the floor. At least I have a pantry to set it in, right?


I love Tupperware Modular Mates. Yes, I know they are plastic. Yes, I know many of you are sucking in deep cleansing breaths right now as you look at this because plastic is bad and I am storing food products in it. And I am right there with you. But I decided that since I've been using some of these for 20 years, because I already have them, they look good, and they are not being heated up, I will continue to use them. And look at how effectively their shape uses the space:)

When I was first married they didn't have any color choices I liked much. So I went with blue. Then they stopped making the blue ones. So I bought a few tan ones, thinking they are neutral. But I didn't like those much either. Then Tupperware once again quit making my color. And I sold almost all of my blue seals on eBay and bought dark green ones. I am not going to keep trading out seals for the rest of my life. So now I have mostly green with a few blue and tan. And who knows what other colors they may offer next time I am in need. (Maybe if I find a new home for the griddle...)

(I just want to note that I just bought that gallon of honey two weeks ago. Well, I do use at least 1/2 cup each time I make bread. But geesh. Honey is NOT cheap!)


I did wake up on Saturday wishing I hadn't called this Pantry Raid to begin with. But, all in all, I am glad now that I did. It forced me to get at least that one area a bit more organized. Maybe I will call a Laundry Room Raid, A Kid's Room Raid, a Homeschool Room Raid a .... or maybe I WON'T!!!