Project Organization: Pantry Reveal

Here it is, in its clean and organized glory!  Of course, even when I'm "done" I never feel done, so I'm tacking on my disclaimer that in a perfect world (one in which I have infinite amounts of time, money, patience, and talent) I would have repainted the shelves and stenciled the walls with a beautiful design and the baskets and containers would be pricey and designer gorgeous. You know, like all the beautiful pantries becoming famous on the internet.  But I live in the real world, where kids and budgets and time constraints exist.  So my shelves are a little dirty and the bins are a bit haphazard and I bought them at the dollar store.  But, fantasies aside, this pantry is really beautiful to me, and even more important, it is super functional! 

Okay, I'm going to do as little narration as I can get away with because I'm tired and I really think the pictures are the most interesting part anyway (at least that's what I would want to see the most).   Because it's pretty impossible to get a good picture of the whole pantry since it's in a corner and the lighting and angle are difficult, here's a diagram to show you how all the individual parts fit together.  (You can click on it to enlarge it if you're having a hard time reading all the tiny print and you're dying to know, for example, what that weird-shaped thing in the corner is.) 

So, starting from the top left shelf, moving across and down:

the large items and appliances on the top shelf

paper goods and lunch containers

junk food (up high, out of the kids' immediate reach)

dinner bins 

(the weeks' dinner recipes clipped to the bin containing canned goods, etc. for that dinner)

dinner/breakfast appliances and canisters

the rice cooker in the foreground and yes, that is a waffle iron peeking out from behind

breakfast shelf

 

baking goods

LOVING the lazy susan for the #10 cans

lunch shelf: sandwich/toast station and drink mixes

 

dinner shelf

snack shelf

um, yeah, portioned snacks are frequently running low...these kids are eating us out of house and home!

(among other things)

my awesome sugar and flour buckets

which have gamma lids on them so I can just switch out the buckets from my food storage when they are empty!

onion and potato bins

I seem to be missing the shot of the stool and oil...but I think you'll forgive me, right?  (I mean, really, a stool is a stool, and last time I checked there was nothing exciting about oil.) 

So, to recap, here is a before and after: 

 A few more details, in case you're interested....

The shapes for the labels came from this site, and the font on the labels is MTF Skinny Jeans.  I just played with them in Photoshop to make them the size I needed, then laminated them.  The baskets and the zip ties are from Dollar Tree and the canisters are from Family Dollar.  (Thanks to Leslie for all her research and hard work in finding them!)  The wire shelves, gamma lids, onion and potato bins, and some of the small packet baskets came from Walmart. 

I am loving, loving having an organized pantry!  Thank you again, Leslie! 

Menu Monday: Pizza Factory-like Bread Twists

When I saw this recipe for Pizza Factory bread sticks, I knew I had to try it.  But when I read through it, I was feeling too impatient to wait for the dough to rise that long.  So I used my pizza dough recipe for the dough instead, which turned out perfect because it was just enough dough to make 6 bread twists - one for each of us!  The whole family loved them, they tasted amazing!  (I can't honestly say whether they taste like Pizza Factory's, we don't often go there.  We only really want the bread twists, so that doesn't seem like enough reason to eat there very often.)  So, I wrote everything down as I did it (which I never remember to do, but did this time!), that way I can share it with you.  Here it is. 

Bread Twists

Dough:
3 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp yeast
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup hot water

Mix ingredients in order listed. Use enough flour to make a soft dough that isn't sticky. Knead lightly for 4 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Meanwhile, melt another 1/2 cup butter. 


Divide dough into 6 equal parts (about 4 oz each).  Roll dough into 16-18 inch "snakes."  Moisten the top of your dowel, about one inch from the end and begin wrapping the dough around loosely. Moisten at the end, too. Pinch to secure.  Leave about 5 inches at the end of the dowel.  Hang over the edge of 9x13 pans with all the dough inside the pan.  Brush with a small amount of melted butter.  Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.  Meanwhile, add seasonings to remaining melted butter. 

Seasoning:
(1/2 cup melted butter)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/8 tsp Italian seasoning
1 1/2 tsp grated Parmesan (in the can)

Brush mixture on bread twists after baking and place upright in vase to serve.  

Friday Favorites: Pajama Shirt

I picked up a pajama shirt on the clearance rack at Target a while back, and who knew it would be such a find? I love, love, love it.  As in, I never want to take it off, I do a load of laundry just so I can put it back on again, and I sigh with pleasure when I pull it over my head before going to bed.  Seriously.  The best. fabric. ever.  I will be scouring Target for anything else made of this fabulous, oh-so-soft, comfy fabric....

Menu Monday: March Calendar, and a recap

Here's this month's calendar, ready to print if you're looking for ideas.  As before (but working properly this time, I hope), you can download the PDF and print it, then adjust with a pencil if you need to, or download the Google doc and make adjustments before printing. 

download PDF

download Google Document

Did you wonder about how the new recipes from last month turned out?  Here's a quick recap of the ones I was planning to try out: 

Beef Stew

Baked Pasta with Ham and Cheesy-Creamy Cauliflower Sauce

Pizza Factory Bread Sticks

Avocado Chicken Parmesan 

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

 

I posted about the beef stew, it is totally a new favorite.   

 

The baked pasta was fine, but I think the strong cheese flavor and the texture of the noodles (Adam felt I overcooked them a bit) was a turn-off for the rest of the family.  It didn't make it into the recipe box, and I doubt I'll make it again.  

Instead of making the the bread sticks 100% from the recipe, I used my pizza dough recipe for the dough and tweaked it a bit.  I'll post my modified recipe soon because it was a huge success, and it's back on this month's menu. 

I did wimp out with the avocado chicken parm, but I made a version of this Chicken Parmesan Bake (the one that's floating around Pinterest and all over the internet) instead, and it was a huge success.  Also back on the menu. 

And... I haven't made the chowder yet, but it's on the revised menu for this week, so I'll keep you posted!

The new (to me) recipes for March are: 

Chicken Ranch Tacos (not sure if I will do it as posted or in the slow cooker as suggested in the comments, we'll see...)

Pizza Bites (I've actually made these before, but this time I'm going to write out how I do it so I can post about it)

Sliced Baked Potatoes

Honey Lime Chicken Wings (maybe)

Chicken Pot Pie (this is a new incarnation of an old recipe that I'm pretty excited about)

Honey Mustard Chicken

Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken (I am totally loving this warmer weather...bring on the grill recipes!)

Roasted Garlic Chicken Pesto Pizza (I will probably have to make the kids their own pizza and make this just for us grown-ups, but the picture is so beautiful my mouth waters, I really want to try it)

Okay, if you're still hanging in here, I've got a bonus tip for you!  I figured it out this month while trying to use up stuff from my pantry, but it may not be anything new to anyone but me.  I like a good mix of new recipes and really easy stuff.  So here's something that fits in with my Italian cheater dinners.  Do you like creamy pesto?  Like Pasta Factory creamy pesto?  We do.  So a while ago I bought a pesto packet and thought I'd try to figure out how to make it.  But instead, I just dumped it into a pan with cooked cubed chicken and a jar of Ragu Alfredo sauce and we ate it over bowties.  Yup.  Easy peasy.  And yummy.  Not quite like Pasta Factory.  But still good.

Update/Sneak Peek

Okay, so I've gone MIA for the last couple of weeks, and you know why?  I've been bitten by the spring cleaning bug, and I've been super busy organizing.  Which is so fun, by the way.  In a take-over-your-house-your-brain-and-your-life sorta way.  I'm not really coming up for air yet, but here's a sneak peek at some of the projects I'm halfway done with.  Prepare yourself for some very scary "before" pictures!  I have to really thank Leslie Knowlton, my childhood friend and professional organizer for holding my hand (figuratively) through all of this.  It seriously was causing all kinds of anxiety in my life, but she is so clear-headed and thorough (and fun, sheesh, it was really fun gabbing while doing the pantry!), I can't recommend her enough. 

The pantry, before:

Now, I'm still working on labels, but here's a peek at the snack section of the pantry, after:
 

The food storage room exploding into my laundry room, before:

The pantry, after:

 
Ha, ha!  Just kidding, I got this photo from the Rack 'n Roll website.  But I did get a delivery of these babies yesterday, and I'm so psyched!  No really, just wait, it's going to be awesome. 

I don't have any before pics of the fridge and freezers, but just assume it was bad. Like I found condiments older than we've lived in this house.  And like lots of soaking and scrubbing to clean nastiness off the bottom.  And like meat in the freezer from 2009.  And, yes, I pulled stuff out of the fridge in February that was leftover from Christmas.  Ugh. 

Here's a sneak peek at the snack bin in the fridge, after:

And the craft room (aka, my sprawling takeover of Adam's office), before:
(This is actually on a very clean day.  You can tell from the vacuum lines on the carpet.  Imagine 1,000 times worse on an average day.  Or if you've been to my house, this is the first thing you see, so you don't have to imagine it!)

A few close-ups of the craft room, in progress:

It seriously makes me so happy to be in that room, and it's only half-way there.  I have some big plans for that space, but it may take months before I finish that project. 

And the entryway.  Oh, the entryway.  Here's a shot of the entryway shortly after we moved into the house in 2009, before:

It never looked that cute after that.  I think it took about three broken picture frames before I gave up and left it the desk empty.  I've tried seasonal decor, too, but again, I have to expect it to be broken and scattered across the house almost immediately.  But empty screams, "Everybody pile stuff on me!"  So it was becoming an eyesore.  Plus, now I have two, nearly three, kids in school, so there is a plethora of backpacks, jackets, shoes, homework, fliers, etc. to keep track of and house. 

So....  So.  Adam and I built this.  (Entryway, in progress)

From Martha's plans.  (FYI, measure and calculate twice before having Home Depot cut your boards, because a lot depends on the thickness of your boards and they vary.  And avoid warped boards at all costs!)  Still searching for the perfect baskets/bins.  I know, I know the white is pretty dang boring.  Trust me, I have big plans to spice it up. But as hard as that sucker was to paint, I only want to have to do it once, so white it is, nice and neutral.  I'm thinking I need to pair it with a shoe storage bench.  I've got some ideas percolating, I'll keep you posted. 

Okay, this was supposed to be a quick update, but it's getting loooong....  So, check back for updates.  And a bunch of other fun stuff we've been up to. 

Menu Monday: Beef Stew

Okay, as promised, here is the recipe!  I really love this recipe. If you're a fan of beef stew, or even if you're not, I recommend this one because it is so flavorful and the beef is so tender. 

Beef Stew

based on this recipe found on allrecipes.com
 

2 pounds cubed beef stew meat (I just used a cheap roast and cut it up, worked great)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups beef broth (or bouillon dissolved into water, I have used some of both or whatever I have on hand)
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 potatoes, cubed
4 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped (the original recipe calls for a whole onion)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons cold beef broth (or water)

 

In a large pot or dutch oven, cook beef in oil over medium heat until brown. Add broth. Stir in rosemary, parsley and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour (you can get away with 45-50 minutes if pressed for time, but the full time will yield the most tender meat).  Stir potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion into the pot. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 teaspoons cold water/broth and stir into stew. Cover and simmer 1 hour more. 

 

I served it with these rolls, my new favorite dinner roll recipe.  If I'm pressed for time, I can whip these babies up in 45 minutes!  Even Rhoades rolls have to thaw longer than that, so I love them!   The trick with them is to not add too much flour, they should be really soft and even sticky, more so than with other bread recipes.  And they take longer to bake than the recipe states, in my experience I have to bake them for 15 minutes at least, or they'll be way too doughy.  But they are amazingly light for how short their rise time is. 

This was dinner last night with my parents.  It was the perfect day for beef stew, gray and rainy, and it warmed us up from the inside out.  We may have more soup this week because there is more rain on the forecast....

Wordless Wednesday: Sunday Morning Robes