Pantries
Playing Tetris in the Pantry
By: Kelly Goldthorpe
After doing the weekly grocery shopping, it’s always difficult to fit new items into the pantry. Finding a place to put the five cans of soup, three bags of chips, and box of cereal is like playing Tetris – turning and moving each item until it fits.
The first step toward organizing your pantry is to clear out anything that doesn’t belong. Light bulbs don’t need to go in the kitchen, so move those and other items to less high-traffic areas. Think about how often you use the items in your pantry. Has it been three months? Six months? A year? If so, either throw it out or find a new home for it. It is easy to forget about food you don’t use often, like bread crumbs, so check the expiration date and make sure it hasn’t gone bad. No use wasting space on old food!
Once you’ve cleared some space develop a plan for your pantry. The best way to avoid playing this game of Tetris every time you shop is to know where things go. First sort everything into categories, such as canned food items, boxed snacks, and pastas. Then determine what items you use the most. Those should go in the most easily accessible area, usually at chest level. There is no use struggling for the same items every day or reaching to put things away. Remember that heavier items belong at the bottom of the pantry, where you won’t strain yourself to put them up. If you have children consider placing food they like in one area so they don’t dig through the entire pantry to find it.
Consolidate your items. If you buy cereal by the bag it may take up more space than needed. Use plastic containers to store things like flour, sugar, and coffee. Make sure you label them with expiration dates to assure freshness.
To preserve the organization of your pantry make sure you don’t overstock it. Especially when items are on sale it is easy to buy a large quantity of them, but in the time it takes to use five containers of ketchup they will likely go on sale again.
If you keep your pantry cupboard organized you’ll be able to avoid the hassle of arranging items every time you open the door. And remember, a general rule of thumb is to clean out your pantry when daylight savings comes around.
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Pantry Essentials: Must-Have Items for your Kitchen
By: Kelly Goldthorpe
Whether you’re just starting out with your first kitchen or you’re stocking up in preparation for WWIII, there are some dry goods that you should always have on hand. These are commonly used items in the kitchen that you may not realize how much you use them. Nothing is worse than when you go to cook a recipe, assuming you have baking powder, and realize the shelf is empty! Below is a compilation of baking supplies, spices, canned goods, and other items that you shouldn’t be caught without!
- Baking – Flour, sugar (white, brown, and confectioners), baking powder and soda, semi-sweet chocolate chips, vanilla extract, and shortening.
- Spices and Herbs – Cinnamon, poppy seeds, basil, thyme, paprika, garlic, and, of course, salt and pepper.
- Canned Veggies – Corn, tomatoes (sauce, paste, and whole), beans (kidney and black), canned fruits, soups, and ravioli.
- Oils, Sauces, and Such – Vegetable oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Rachel Ray insists!), ketchup, mayonnaise, pasta sauce, honey, and salad dressings.
- Food – Peanut butter, jelly, graham crackers, dry cereal, oatmeal, pasta (lasagna and spaghetti), bread crumbs, cake mix, popcorn, and rice.
This is a very short list, but it’s the essentials. Depending on the type of food you like you might want to include things like tortillas or different types of pasta. The items mentioned above can easily get you through a week and are usually needed in typical recipes. Of course you’ll add to your pantry as you cook and need additional ingredients. Just make sure you clean out your pantry semi-annually to check the freshness of your goods and see what you might need to restock.
