Don't Under Estimate the Importance of a Tidy Cupboard, Cambro to the Rescue

How often have you opened up your kitchen cupboards to find a cluttered collection of half-used sugars, three different kinds of flours, bags of chocolate chips and an outdated bag of rice stuck in a corner that you really wanted to try but forgot that you had it? It is discouraging and time consuming, and as busy as we all are, we need every minute we can get in the kitchen- or at least I do. The answer, organize the kitchen.

My kitchen cupboard makeover inspiration came from a favorite blog simplelifelove. After studying my kitchen, taking notes and getting some extra help from Jenny, the creator of simplelifelove, I began the metamorphosis. I had to throw away a bunch of unnecessary things that were cluttering up my space. I had cookbooks and pans that weren't being used and likely never going to be. It was the right time to check the date on every item (including spices) and pitch anything that was old or unsavory and wash the cupboards inside and out. Just doing that much was like losing 10 pounds (and I did this all in just a few hours...too bad real weight loss isn't that easy).

Choosing the right containers is a big deal. It took me several visits to a variety of restaurant supply stores to come up with the right combination of containers to hold the list of regular ingredients that I stock in my pantry. It was worth the research. I chose Cambro square containers, you can go here to see some- I picked mine up at a supply store in town. Jenny suggested these because they are made from the right kind of plastic, with little BPA. That is important to me because this container will be holding food, I want it to keep my ingredients as pure as possible.

I used baskets to group things that are awkward and hard to store. A large basket for chips and pretzels. Small baskets for sauce mixes, dry pasta and soups, fruit cups, and nuts. It is amazing how much milage you can get out of a basket!

Putting it all together was the fun part, and even better is cooking with my kitchen in order. I love it! It did take some time and thought and of course some cash, but the pay off is completely worth it.