Pantry Organization!

     So the normal choice after the freezer redos would of course be the pantry. Unfortunately no preview of before, but here is a shot of after. This was actually done at a previous time, when a rouge mouse decided to run rampant and cause issues. Lucky for me it has been fairly easy to keep this system in check, and only needed a short clean up and wipe down to get things back in order.

   
     This is the drink and spice section. I had gotten tired of all of the boxes of tea and wanted something easily put onto the counter when guests were wanting some. Hence I came up with the large, lidded jar in the back. It holds something like 30 boxes of mixed tea bags. Love that everyone can find something they like in there, and nice that I had already had the jar - was one I purchased long ago for a terrarium project, though had yet to get all of the supplies to make it. The spices are just as easily found, reusing organizational pieces I already had to make things found in a snap.

Beverages and Spices

     I do love to cook, so more spices on the next shelf down (much of these are stock I keep to make my own home-made dry mixes and such), keeping them corralled in a wire basket that didn't have a more exciting task at the moment. Easy to pull out and sort through when I need, or just pull out to wipe the shelves down. I rarely purchase any type of premade dry mixes, but the rubbermaid container helps to keep them tidy and safe from mice. For the few box products I do use, another rubber maid basket keeps them handy, allowing me to easily reach the shelves for cleaning. I also like to keep my cookbooks in here, as it keeps them easily found, clean and off the counters. Having such a small kitchen, there really isn't a good place to keep them lately, so this works. I also keep a stack of bread recipe books stacked on one of the stools. I like the way it looks and keeps those (ones used most) closer to hand.

More spices, boxes, overstock and cookbooks.

    So my son got lucky and they had an insane sale on a couple of cereals that he really likes, so picked them up. The other containers house instant pancake mix, rice, dehydrated potato flakes, more cereal (usually added to breads), and general breakfast stuff. I ended up finding the glass containers at a yard sale for $1 each (later found out they are from IKEA, though at a much steeper price), and absolutely adore them! Usually look for glass storage containers any time I may be at a thrift store, have a nice assortment now!  Too, not quite sure how we ended up with so much peanut butter (granted there is an almond butter and sunflower seed butter in there too!), so looks like home made dog treats will be in order this week. Not to mention, we have run low and she sure loves them!

Cereals, dry storage goods, overstock, and some canned goods.

   
     Last, but not least, the canned veggies and fruits. I rarely use canned veggies, preferring frozen much better, but I do use them on occasion. Nice to have, but will only pick up when there is an insane sale on them. Thinking I paid $.30 per can - something great to have on hand in case of emergencies too. The storage below is for pastas, popcorn, etc. Anything to deter the mice in their venture. Luckily, we haven't seen any evidence for awhile, so thinking they were finally caught and dealt with! Woot! Overstock items (stuff I use regularly will be purchased when half price off or more, and stored up) are usually kept to the back, keeping items I need easily found. By putting things into containers and boxes I found not being used otherwise, it makes for an easy removal to reach things in the back or for a quick wipe down of the shelving. Little extra tip - grab a sharpie and write the date of purchase on the top of your cans (or can expiration date), that way you can easily rotate stock and make sure that nothing goes to waste! Best when everything can be seen and found easily!

Canned veggies and fruits, more dry storage.

       
     So that's about it for the pantry. Glad to have it done and behind me now. Yesterday was also spent cleaning the bathrooms and returning my floors to a pristine white (Grout cleaner recipe can be found in a previous blog post), clearing out and finishing up on organizing areas of my basement for habitation purposes, and stocking up on most of my mixes. In a few short hours, I now have instant panacke mix, instant peppermint hot coco mix, instant vanilla cappuccino mix, cream of anything soup mix, and my most favorite Chai tea! So for a bit of my time, using materials I already hand on hand, I was able to save around $60 worth of items from the store!  Not bad at all! Happy to have everything stocked up and ready to go for the next month of use! Also, most of the recipes should be listed here in this blog site, or just drop me a line, happy to pass them along!

     Time to get moving today. Biscuits and Bread making are on the list today, making a few batches to freeze down. Great to have in case of unexpected company for dinner, and always great when the day has not gone according to plan. Absolutely adore the smell of the house during bread days! Nom!!

Freezer Organization Complete!

     I love when I can have productive days! With the unseasonable warmth this weekend, I am hoping to catch up on a few more outdoor chores that I never got to before the snow fell as well. Have to see how it goes!

     Yesterday I ended up spending a few hours on emptying all of the freezers, organizing and replacing everything back in them, rotating the older stuff to the top, and making sure to thoroughly clean all the surfaces in-between. It amazes me just how much crud can get spilled in there! So here is the new and improved system.

     Much better! I can find everything easily, see most everything at a glance, and even made it teen friendly by labeling the drawers - no home is complete without Sharpies! No more endless, non-productive, freezer digging! Typically, I purchase meats when on sale - usually looking for half off kind - and stock up a month's worth of meat for that price (or what ever my meager budget will allow). I have found some great help here with Reynolds' new Perfect Portions Freezer wrappers, as I usually don't cook very many meals where meat is the "main course" on its' own, though like to add bits of meat into various recipes to make it last as long as possible. So, when I pick up a pack of chicken breasts, I usually try for the largest size as it has the biggest discount for purchasing in bulk (same with beef and pork). These allow me to portion down before freezing, so I only take out what I need and also allows me to save money by reusing my expensive freezer bags by keeping them rotating with individual servings. I can use multiple times, since I never really take the main bag out of the freezer. Always a win-win! 

 

                

Chicken breast portions - singles

     Here is what it looks like with my portions already frozen. I get the heavy duty (quality) freezer bags, as they do much better and hold up much better than the cheap guys. I think I paid all of $3 for 75 ct of the portions bags and so much cheaper to toss a bag that costs only $.04 than one that costs $.20! Also great, as I can load them without directly touching the meat and avoiding a larger mess or washing my hands 30 times while packing it all down! I have my beef and pork the same way, often in 1lb portions. Then I just label the bag with dates (have I mentioned I love sharpies!), and rotate the older stock into the inside freezer as needed. Each type of meat is further separated into the chest freezer into stack-able baskets for easy searching (and easier on the back!).  Keeps everything fresh and easily found with little hassle or having items lost in the abyss of the chest freezer.

     I have always extremely disliked food waste, and take as many steps to prevent it as possible. After breaking down the freezer yesterday, I was shocked to see just how many little frozen veggie bits had fallen to their death at the bottom of the freezer - they are now fodder for the compost bin, so not a huge loss. Just a waste of money if meant to be eaten. So ended up switching them all into quart freezer zip lock bags. Figure there is no need to label, as it is easy to see just what veggies are where, and the quart bags are perfect for holding one regular size bag of veggies (also as I replace the veggies I do stock, they can go into the same bag - no waste!) No more half-used, crap bags; digging through to see just what I do have, or having rogue veggie bits meandering all over the freezer at whim. Everything is neat and tidy! Woot! 

Easy to find veggies now!

     With cooking for just my son and I, we never ended up needing the whole bag of veggies at a time, and I adore having frozen veggies on hand to toss into casseroles, soups, stews, etc. Also, many of the fresh produce items I purchase get processed (cleaned, diced, etc) then sent into the freezer so they are on hand when I want them. Creates much less waste, especially with the bell peppers, onions, summer squash, seasonal fruits not canned, etc. Usually though I will dice or chop them, throw them on a cookie sheet in one layer, then place into the chest freeze for a couple of hours until frozen and then straight into a freezer zip lock bag - that way, you have frozen bits for ease of use, rather than one solid clump. So much cheaper to purchase fresh and freeze yourself, also save quite a bit when produce runs on sale!

     So hopefully this may help a few out there wanting to get control of their food storage issues, or perhaps give others a few ideas to make life a little easier and dinner prep a little quicker. I am always happier to dice, chop and create when I have a little time, rather than trying to be rushed to get a dinner on the table and something in the belly before 9 pm ends up rolling around. Life can get hectic, time can get away from us all, and just remember - life happens. Just try and make the best of it. I am usually pretty worn out with just going to the grocery, and will often toss everything that needs to be dealt with in the extra fridge in the garage for an hour or so (couple of times even overnight) until I was better prepared to get it all packaged down and where it needed to be. Works great for me, but perhaps not for some. Just have to find what works for you!

YEA! Here's to the New Year!

     Well, here's hoping that all is right and well with the Blogger site again! Has been quite some time since I have been able to get on here (site was not functioning correctly). Trying to keep busy as usual, though find it is hard with the slowing down for winter. Did finish another gift for a friend's wife - a beret hat and finger-less mitts set. Very happy that they are so happy with the end product. I really enjoyed making them! Will warn you in advance, this is a VERY labor intensive pattern! Works up beautifully though! (Pattern can be accessed through the link below) For the mitts, any basic pattern would work - I never really used a pattern for them.

Pattern for Autumn Vines Hat

     

     So of course with the new year, comes plans (hopes at least) of creating a more organized home. Getting rid of the old and unused - finding good homes or recycling what I can, and trying to find a bit more peace and simplicity in my life. My children are now 16 &17 years of age, and I still find baby socks on occasion. I think they end up breeding like rabbits as soon as you are no longer in need of them - but heaven forbid you ever find a matching set when they fit!

     So this year, I am taking one space at a time - sifting through and finding what can be re-purposed or reused elsewhere, and making it happen. Figure also on starting a bit early on the Spring cleaning, as it will go hand in hand with the organization, and leave me much more time for Gardening and enjoying my time elsewhere. For today, I have slotted getting my ransacked freezer in order (three of them actually), but the worst seems to be my side by side - the one the teen boy likes to pick through the most. It is pretty bad - brace yourselves!  LOL Still unsure of how such a small space can end up that bad...two words: Teen Boy!

For shame, for shame.

     The goal will be to combine what veggies and food stuffs that I can, get everything cleaned up and organized, get rid of anything that will never be used (the raccoon family love anything I toss over the fence), and get generally more organized to save time and space. I will hopefully have a better photo to show tomorrow of my exploits, along with tips and pointers as I went. The other goal is to clear out the top freezer of the outdoor fridge for a friends' use (they needed a bit of space), as a full chest freezer and my side by side should handle everything I need. Luckily, there is only a few things left in the upright freezer.

     On another note, as the days are growing longer and dreams of gardening enter my mind, I ended up on Amazon with a gift card from Christmas, trying to decide just what I may need. Low and behold, I found this pair of awesome gardening shoes from Muck Boots - and for just $25! Not the normal $100! So exciting to come across something like this! I know they will last forever, and they are most comfortable for outdoor chores! Woot! What a find! Really looking forward to gardening season and spend a good portion of my day laying out grid plans and making other plans of projects to build this year and seeds to purchase! Hoping the weather cooperates this year! I would really love some incredible tomatoes!

Muckin' it up in style this year!

     So in the interest of getting something done today, I will end this for now. Looks like car repair will be in my future this weekend (distributor is on it's way to a violent death), so will really appreciate the beautiful weather for that! Spent yesterday adjusting the points and timing on her and running a bit better. Replaced the rotor and spent a couple of hours getting the grime and muck from the streets off her. At least the salt damage shouldn't be so bad, just need to make sure I stay on top of the maintenance. Thinking it took a full three hours to regain feeling in my fingers afterward!