I’ll admit that I’m not the neatest person and I have way too much stuff.
In my defense . . I’ve ordered groceries, almost exclusively from Walmart.com except for a few fresh veggies and milk the one time we did curbside pickup.
Walmart has free shipping with a $35 order. Vince doesn’t want to go out again, even for curbside pickup and I don’t blame him so every time I need something, I try to think of everything I’ll need for at least a couple of months and if it’s something that has a long expiration date, I’ll get several and then throw in as much as a I can to get to the free shipping threshhold.
Remember that we haven’t left the house since somewhere around March 8 – 10. I can’t remember the exact date we last went to the store so we’ve used quite a bit of groceries in a month.
Here are a few things I’ve ordered:
Remember when I needed pickle juice but before I knew I could make my own? I ordered 6 jars of pickles. We do eat a lot of pickles because Vince eats sandwiches for snacks. Also in that picture is the Chicago Steak Seasoning. I use that on steaks, roasts . . most any beef. I had one small shaker of it and realized I only had enough for one more use. I was happy to find these larger containers for not much more than what I pay for the small ones. Sweet pickle relish – I use that so much! Tuna salad. Chicken Salad, Deviled Eggs. I opened my last jar of that a few weeks ago, searched for another jar and didn’t see one so I added that to my list.
Mayo! We probably use way too much. It also goes in the tuna and chicken salad and deviled eggs. I make most of our salad dressings. Some start with a yogurt base but a lot of them use mayo. I use Thousand Island dressing for a dipping sauce for a long of things and that starts with mayo. My favorite dipping sauce for chicken is a mix of BBQ sauce and mayo. I have the jar in the fridge, which I just opened and a small jar.
There’s the enchilada sauce that’s about to send Vince over the edge! I don’t think I’ve ever bought enchilada sauce . . EVER! I always made my own but I felt like having it in cans would be easier – especially now that we’re working outside so much.
The problem is . . where do I put all this stuff? If I don’t keep it all together – like all the enchilada sauce together and all the pickles together, if there’s one here and one there and one somewhere else, when I grab one, I’m going to think that’s my last one and buy more. I kept thinking about the cabinet situation to figure out a solution.
I have one cabinet that I really don’t like. It’s in an awkward spot and I have to stand on a stool to reach things. I had my large containers of spices in there but the one I needed was always in the back so I was up on a stool, trying to remove 5 containers to get to the one I needed. I decided to take those out and put them at the back of the cabinet. Not ideal but when I work at that cabinet, I don’t usually work all the way to the back. I detest having things on my countertop but right now, I just don’t have a choice. In the past, I haven’t even wanted a mixer or blender or toaster on the counter.
This will be the backdrop for most of my pictures for the near future. I kinda like them where I can grab what I want when I’m cooking without having to get the stool out, climb up on it, move things around, use it, then get back up on the stool and put it up.
In the cabinet where the spices were, I was able to put everything, one behind the other, so when I grab a jar of mayo, I see that there’s at least one more behind it.
I will be glad when things get back to where it’s safe to go to the grocery store. I’m the worst at seeing a recipe and wanting to make it NOW but not having one or two things I need to make it.
wanda jordan says
Ok here is the deal. At our age we shouldn’t be on ladders looking for anything. A broken hip it the slippery hill. Why not get the kind of shelves that pull out installed. I’m sure VInce could install them. Then you wouldn’t have to get ladder at all.
I know this because I have this issue with this house was built for giants .The shelves are way to high for me. I have to put stuff on top shelf I can reach with a knife, spoon or something and pull off. I’ve had to put a shelf in the room off the kitchen myself. But thinking about pull out shelves on the part I can reach that way I think .Then I/you can get to the back without unloading. I’ve got a 8 foot tall pantry with 3 shelves top one at 6 ft. GIANTS. Yes could use more shelves again thinking pull outs. Think about it for yourself I sure am.Hole Depot I hear you shelving callin my name.
Judy Laquidara says
I’m short and even with pull out shelves, I have to be able to see what’s in there. We have pull out drawers on all bottom cabinets but I’ve never had them on top cabinets.
Deborah Stokes says
You can put an “X” or any symbol on top of every can but one and use the X ones first. that would tell you there are more – somewhere else? But not how many more??? I’m having the same issue.
Judy Laquidara says
My preference is still to have them together so I know I have more and can put the newest in the back so I know I’m using the oldest first.
Susan Nixon says
But that’s a good idea, because I’m likely to put things just anywhere if I don’t immediately see an open spot. If I kept a marker on a string attached to the shelf, I could always mark.
Dottie says
Loved seeing that picture with the Duke’s mayonnaise! My favorite but haven’t been able to get it since we moved 6 years ago.
Judy Laquidara says
Walmart.com!
Liz says
This is something that I thought I would never see you write in a post…”Vince doesn’t want to go out again, even for curbside pickup”.
I redid my spice section a few years ago and put them in small glass jars, labeled the top and put them in a drawer. The next drawer has larger jars for the items I use more of as well as my own mixes of herbs and spices. The excess stuff is in a basket on a high shelf, but I have to be careful to check in there before I buy more spices. That might be a good task today – inventory and make up more mixes.
Judy Laquidara says
I wish I had an extra drawer but I have only 6 drawers in my entire kitchen and three of those are shallow. Chad has his like that – labeled on top and in drawers.
As far as Vince not wanting to go out, he knows we don’t need anything and it’s just too risky to be out wandering around when there’s nothing we really need.
PattiLynn says
On 3 like jars, label the tops 1 of 3, 2 of 3, 3 of 3. Keep 1 of 3 out, store away all extra numbers in one place. When you use up 1 of 3, look for 2 of 3. When you get to 3 of 3, it’s time to reorder.
Sandi B says
I ended up reorganizing our overflow pantry today. It feels good. I may work on the regular pantry tomorrow. I’m about to head down and work on some masks (for family).
Nelle Coursey says
You can buy lazy susans put some of the stuff on them. That way you can turn it around to see what you have. That might save some space on the counter top. They also have the two tiered ones and they just slip together. I have two of the stacking ones for my smaller spices. I don’t use that much except for salt, pepper, seasoned salt, onion powder and garlic powder. I think I need to branch out and try others but Pat has such a sensitive stomach I am afraid to try too much.
Lee says
I have to have things placed in near OCD fashion, with all similar items in the same location. My coat closet size “walk-in” pantry has deep shelves for can/jar goods & I’ve labeled each shelf P1.1 or P1.2 [Pantry1, shelf 1 etc] A 2nd same-size pantry is next to it [it used to house the furnace now on the roof as part of A/C unit] also houses small appliances and is labeled P2.x. In P1, the spices are all alphabetical (except the big containers) on shallow shelves along a side wall. When I say walk in, it’s one person and when in all you can do is turn around! Anyway, all that to say, I keep an Excel inventory, likely way too detailed for every item which includes what shelf, when/where purchased, qty purchased, price, and then how many on hand, expiration date (as if I think those are valid, lol), even UPC code, brand & size. I try to keep it updated as I use an item (easy to do by tearing the UPC code from a can, or box, or writing it on a post-it, or using the grocery receipt – Walmart uses UPC codes as do many other stores but not all. My system developed over many many years and stemmed from when I was planning my menus 30 days in advance, and only shopped at Costco once a month, and grocery once a week. Wanted to know what I had easily rather than pushing cans, jars aside. Clearly this won’t work for everyone, but it does for me. In Excel, I can also highlight a cell in yellow to let me know if an item is at or past its exp. date & to use it first. My refrigerator & freezers are inventoried too
Susan Nixon says
Now that’s organized!