The Prepared Pantry - Part 1

Here is the first of a three part series on creating a Prepared Pantry. First up, Setting up your pantry. Part 2 will focus on Pantry Essentials and Part 3 will be all about Keeping it stocked.

Whenever you are ready to create your Prepared Pantry start two lists – one will be for items from the grocery store you want to add to your pantry, the other will be for organizational and decorative (yes, decorative!) items you’ll need to make/buy.


Setting up your Pantry

The pantry. It can be a cabinet in your kitchen, some additional storage in a small kitchen, or a closet in a whole other room. Mine is a re-purposed linen closet in the hallway! No matter where it is it is the heart of the kitchen. Your pantry is essentially a miniature grocery store. It’s the place you go to when you need inspiration and where you go in desperation.

Your pantry should be set up as just that; a grocery store. Group like items to make everything easy to find in a pinch. Short on space? Have a savory shelf and a sweet shelf. If you have unlimited space then you can afford to be a little more detailed. Designate a lower shelf for all of your paper goods such as paper plates, towels and napkins. No matter what type of set up you have you can’t afford to be disorganized.



Organizing your Pantry

Definitely make use of all the low priced organization and storage mechanisms available. Be creative. A desktop letter/file sorter is a great way to sort those packaged gravies and mixes. Use clear boxes to store those items you don’t use frequently. Consider adding an over the door hanging shelf unit for even more storage. Asses the items you have in there now. Are they expired? Are you just never going to use them? Throw them out. You’ll need the room for things you WILL use. Treat yourself to some large clear canisters. Everything that comes in large space-hogging or ill shaped containers can go in these. It’s also a great way to see how low you are running on rice, sugar or flour.



Another great tip to steal from the grocery store is to rotate items. After your shopping trip be sure to move older items to the front before putting in your new finds. This will ensure that your never stuck with an expired can of soup just as you are making a last minute casserole!

It’s spring, and it’s a perfect time to pull everything out of that cabinet and start over. Trust me, your meal times will go much smoother with a well-stocked and well-organized pantry. It sounds like a little thing but it makes a HUGE difference.


Spicing up your Pantry

Lastly, make your pantry fun! Sound crazy? Think about it, you look in there every day, several times a day. Why not make it fun to look at? Paint the shelves different colors, use cheerful patterned shelf paper or wallpaper on the back wall of the cabinet. Buy packaging that you like the looks of. Organize using different colored boxes. Use your imagination. I've taken a shot of my pantry being decorated. Here I've just used some cute wrapping paper and double sided tape. That's it!



I’d love to see pictures of YOUR prepared pantry. :-)

xoxo
audrey