The Speckled Dog: Kitchen Organizing

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Kitchen Organizing - Food

The kitchen gods did not bless my house with a lot of storage space. The few drawers and cabinets there are, are packed with dishes. The sink under the cabinet holds some cleaning supplies, trash bags and dishwasher detergent. The small pantry holds all of my dry foods as well as the dog's food and things like foil and plastic wrap. At least once a year, usually in January, I do a whole kitchen shuffle. I rearrange things, trying to make the space work better. Well, really I just like to watch my family constantly go to the wrong cabinet for a glass or plate.

I don't really do much with the fridge and pantry aside from straightening them up here and there, but man, it sure doesn't take long for them to look like the Tasmanian Devil ran through them! I've done a pantry overhaul a few times, and never thought about taking a photo until I was halfway through it. The last time I did it, I remembered to take pictures before I got started.

Something I did different this time, was to use baskets in both the pantry and the fridge. I've found that this helped keep the fridge pretty organized for longer than normal. So baskets were my "aha" purchase for the fridge.

My "aha" purchase for the pantry was were the Lazy Susans. It's so much easier for me to find what I'm looking for this way! Plus, the double-decker one works so much better than just stacking cans.

I really hate the modular shelving they put into the pantries of houses these days. I'd prefer wood shelves, but I guess it's cheaper and easier to use modular. I've remedied things slipping through the slats by using baskets for corralling small packs of things, and cutting boards that act as a base for the shelves.

I also have an over the door organizer that holds oils, vinegars and other condiments that won't fit in the pantry. It has been a life-saver! My next step is to try and make use of the space of the side walls. Like this...