The skewer that Organized my kitchen!

The original plan for this morning was to bake a very special biscotti for

a new blog friend I've agreed to swap blogs with. However, after grabbing

a baking sheet from the pantry where a long, metal grilling skewer flew
out and stabbed me in the toe, the whole plan for my day changed.

Honestly... I just could not live like this one more minute!

Of all the storage spots in our home, to me, the pantry is the most
important. And yet, despite my considerable (and constant) efforts
to keep it organized, my pantry remains out of control! Although I
have been searching for several years, I cannot seem to find a closet
organizing system I believe will truly work. So once again, I spent a
number of hours today rearranging and eliminating the contents of
my pantry just to get it back into a workable state. And, this is what
my (latest) considerable efforts delivered! I think my favorite part is
that there is finally nothing on the floor. We'll see how long it lasts!

Surely not where I want it to be. However, from this...

Where pulling on one thing caused ten other things to fly

out and possibly land me in the emergency room...

To this... Where organization, albeit destined to be
temporaty without a better solution, reigns supreme!

For a long while today it seemed
no progress was being made!

However, like every other disease... Disorganization
must get worse before the cure can be delivered!

As you can see... The cure came well after dark!

Cleaning out the pantry today inspired me to tackle all of the

drawers and cabinets too. This is my sprinkles and cupcake liner

drawer. I couldn't even take a photo of the disaster this once was, but

trust me... It was major! But look at it now. Everything is beautiful!

I even busted out the label maker, (that I've never used)

to label my containers. Ut-oh! Does this mean I'm one

of those, Crafty girls? Gracious! I sure hope so!

This is one of my other cabinet disaster-zones... I have so many

delicious rubs and spices but I find myself avoiding them

because I can't grab anything without ten other things

tumbling out onto the counter top. Well,... No more!

I have reclaimed this deep cabinet for my

pie plate and mixing bowl collection!

Because hidden away in the dark recesses of my super-

messy pantry they rarely get to play in the kitchen!

Besides... Spices, rubs and baking helpers belong over

the stove where they're easy to reach. Where for some

reason, faux strawberry cake and fruits hogged space!

I mean, really... Who wastes Precious cabinet space storing faux fruits and

strawberry cake? However, when I asked this question of my fun facebook

friends, my sweet friend Beth, of CopperGifts.com said she does! Turns

out, these babies come in quite handy for use in her business. So I will be

popping this one into the mail for her. Along with the faux chocolate

dipped strawberries and all of the fruits I found in the cabinet too!

Awww... I forgot I had these! I bought them years ago for the boys and

haven't seen them since we packed up in California! I wish we had used

them while the boys were little. They are Pottery Barn kids, circa 199-

something, and so cute! I think I have a friend who will love them! She

has two adorable little girlies still in that, our-foods-can't-touch stage!

Roughly half way into my pantry and Kitchen make-over today, FedEx

rolled up with my shipment of new, (Fall/Winter 2010) Pampered Chef

product orders. Oh boy! You should have seen the look on his face when

my sweetie brought the cases into the kitchen! The sear in his glare could

have grilled a steak! I got the, I thought you were cleaning out, not adding

to... comment. So I quickly unpacked this new Spice turn-about to show

him that my Pampered Chef purchases really do help me organize!

And, to solve the problem of stabbed toes from Skewers that once

tumbled out of the Pantry every time I pulled out a baking sheet, I

banged a couple of nails into the door frame to Hang them up!

To solve the problem of the Massive amounts of stuff I decided would

not be returning to the kitchen, I put out a call to friends to hurry over

and pick through it. So now, after just a little over eight hours today...

There is lightness, some-what perfect order, and...

Peace!

Now it's time to relax! Oh, and wrap up my faux

strawberry cake for its trip to Kansas on Monday!

I'm so excited to get back into my Kitchen to bake and cook

again... Now that organization has been added to my recipes!
If I ever do find a closet pantry organizing system I think will
work in my kitchen, I promise, you'll be the very first to know!