An Organized Kitchen

I'll admit it: I have a problem with organization and cleanliness.  Being pregnant has brought my OCD to a whole new level.  (OK, I wasn't too bad before, but now I feel the urge to get uber-organized before things become chaotic!)  I am fully aware that I will not be able to, nor will I really want to, keep my house immaculate once baby arrives.   However, if I can at least feel organized and prepared now, at least it gives me a sense of control for what's to come!

I also think an organized kitchen makes me even more motivated to cook and prepare healthy meals at home.  I can easily tell what I have on hand, and I enjoy having quick access to my appliances, cooking tools, and pantry items.  Not surprisingly, I found some gadgets I didn't even remember I owned, and now I'm excited to put them to good use.

This project started two weekends ago and took about 30 hours in total.  I reorganized, cleaned, and pored through literally every drawer, closet, and space in my entire house.  It was exhausting, painful, and set me back a few hundred bucks, but it was so worth it.  (Plus, I found some great stuff to sell, so I might come out on top in the end!)  This was a project that I had put off for a long time, but Baby McNamee's pending arrival (22 weeks away!) gave me just the motivation I needed.

Here's what I started with in my pantry:

 

So much space was taken up by spices, plus there were a lot of things in the pantry that I really didn't use.   I also hated all of the plastic bags and how chintzy they looked.

I stocked up on baskets and stainless steel storage canisters at Home Goods.  I checked out similar baskets at Target yesterday, and they were at least 2-3 times the price.  Places like Marshall's Home Goods, Ross, and TJ Maxx often have great deals on baskets, which tend to be unexpectedly expensive.

My bounty, all spread out:

I also bought door-mounted spice racks and a few other surprises at the Container Store, my new favorite place.  Finally, I bought some spring-loaded tension curtain rods at Bed Bath and Beyond to use in my appliance closet.

After clearing everything out of my pantry, deciding what I truly wanted to keep, and wiping down each shelf, it was time to start organizing.  I mounted the spice racks (2) on the back of the door and organized the spices by brand.

 

I'm pretty sure the spice rack was my favorite part of this entire project.  It makes life so much easier now that I can see every spice I own!  I even combined duplicates to make additional room.

Here are a few "after" shots of the new and improved pantry.  Top shelf pictured: butter and olive oil, baking products, rice cakes/bread crumbs/croutons, and chips/snacks/crackers.  Middle shelf pictured: more baking supplies, beans and canned goods in the middle, and oils, vinegars, sauces, and other cooking products in the far right.  Bottom shelf pictured: flour, sugar, brown sugar, brown rice, and dried beans.

The very top shelf houses dog treats and teeth cleaning products on the left and beverages (champagne, tea, soda water, bottled water) on the right.  The second shelf down has a pail of root veggies (onions, potatoes), little canisters of favorite products (cashews, peanuts, cocoa nibs, and dried fruit) in the middle, a vase full of Lara bars, and Cheerios for Greg to the right.

  

I also reorganized my kitchen gadgets with a new rubber-bottom drawer organizer.  My spatulas, larger spoons, and tongs hang out in an upright cylindrical canister on the counter.

 

I found an extra drawer that was almost empty and filled it with measuring spoons and cups, plus my trusty mallet (great for pounding meat and poultry).

Special scoopers, wine bottle openers, toppers, pour spouts, and bag clips.

While I was at it, I tackled the fridge.  Plastic drawers help keep smaller items organized.

It's amazing how many condiments you can accrue over time.  I tossed what I really don't need (and probably shouldn't have, given how long they had been in there) to make plenty of space for what I really do use regularly.

 

Post-purge, my freezer is strikingly empty.  I really only have some organic turkey burgers, berries, and frozen Ezekiel bread.  Oh, and some homemade raw fudge.  Gotta step up my game in the frozen department.

Not even my supplement cabinet was spared from a thorough cleaning:

Fortunately, all of my pots/pans, glassware, silverware, vases and plates/bowls were up to par and were saved from the crazy cleaning tornado that was, er, me.

I also tackled my "appliance closet," which used to be a mess of tons of kitchen items.  I cleared out what I didn't use often and stored them in the garage cabinets.  What's left is just what I use regularly.  Notice the platters on the first shelf up from the bottom?  They're standing on their sides, which saves space, because I installed some spring-loaded tension curtain rods as dividers.  They were cheap, easy, and didn't require any tools!

  

This shelf, from the Container Store, allowed me to store place mats, cloth napkins and napkin rings without the usual squishing.

In the top center basket I stored extra stand mixer and food processor attachments, plus the parts that create my mandolin.  Baskets make it easy to keep little items together in one (perfectly tidy) place.

Last weekend I finished the upstairs master cleanse.  Since guest room 2 is now nursery central, our other (only) guest room is home to my entertainment platters and other serving ware:

The other side of the guest closet became my "office" storage.  Notice my favorite organizing purchase of all time - the gift wrap caddy!

Check out the other side of this hang-able, yet stand alone caddy.  For $49 from the Container Store, it makes me excited - yes, excited - to gift wrap!

I used the same pantry principles to organize the linen closet:

 

I hope that organizing your home brings you as much satisfaction as my big projects have brought to me.  If you're going to do it, I recommend starting small, picking up some great tools, and getting creative with how you store and display your goods.

Now that I'm all cleaned out, I can't wait to use all of my appliances and gadgets that I can finally access so easily!  I even discovered a brand new, in-the-box Cuisinart double boiler, a wedding present I had no idea I owned.  Did someone say chocolate fondue?

Enjoy! 

*M*

What's in my fridge {crazy busy edition}

I snapped a few pics before I headed off to Mammoth on a whirlwind weekend trip with my best friend. Before I left, I made sure to stock my fridge with a few simple things so that I'd be prepared for the next week without having to make a Monday trip to the grocery store.

I usually bring my lunch to work, so I needed to have some staples for the upcoming week, plus plenty of fruits and veggies for breakfast and snacks. I also had a jam packed week of events and Karve training, so I was only planning to make dinner at home only one night this week. So, these shots show a pretty "bare" fridge for me - but it might help you in knowing what to keep on hand so you can throw some healthy meals together.


We eat a lot of eggs at my house. Whether hard boiled, poached, or sometimes scrambled, we're big fans. I especially love the organic soy-free eggs from Whole Foods or eggs from my local farmer at the North Scottsdale Farmers Market. I like to keep chia seeds around for various recipes and to sprinkle on my meals for an extra dose of omega-3 fats and fiber. You can also see my beloved organic pasture butter below.


I left my husband with a treat before I left - Whole Foods curry chicken salad (which I recreated at home here).

I keep certain supplements (probiotics, fish oil, and multi greens) refrigerated. Cold temps are necessary for the probiotics to stay alive; I just like keeping fish oil in the fridge so the gel caps don't stick together and they have less chance of becoming rancid.


Fruit drawer - I normally also keep bananas on the counter and frozen berries in the freezer.

Oh yeah, there are different types of apples, pears, avocado, lemons, limes, and tangerines in here, plus a tomato (technically it's a fruit, right?). The variety changes weekly.

My veggie drawer was pretty bare this week, but I did have huge containers of organic spinach and organic mesclun greens that didn't fit in the drawer.


I also keep plenty of kombucha, hummus, nut butters, Fig brand bean soups, almond milk, Ezekiel bread/English muffins, organic meats, goat cheese, raw organic cheese, and condiments such as salsa, Cholula, mustard, and various sauces on hand.


So what did all this food translate into this week?

For breakfast, I usually have a raw organic whey protein or rice protein shake with hempseed powder, frozen fruit or banana, almond milk, stevia, and almond butter. I try to mix up the fruit, nut butter, and protein type. I also love salads for breakfast (weird, I know), veggie scrambles, and brown rice cakes topped with almond butter, sliced banana, and chia seeds.

(My husband likes Cheerios and organic milk with a banana or an Ezekiel English muffin with peanut butter and jelly and a hard boiled egg - just in case you were wondering. And yes, he takes probiotics and fish oil daily.)

Lunches are always a salad of some kind with either an entree or topped with protein. I have been chipping away at a big bowl of great northern bean soup I made last week and froze for this week, topping it with chia seeds or avocado slices. I try to get as much variety as possible with my veggies, mixing in kale, tomato, cucumber, carrot, mushroom, squash, onion, and broccoli (among others).

Snacks include sliced cucumbers or baby carrots and hummus, organic hard boiled eggs, Lara bars, pears or apples with nut butters, or raw fudge (in my freezer).

Dinner two nights a week when I do Karve is an Organic Raw Revolution bar. I usually don't like replacing meals with bars, but these are whole food based and perfect for the 5 minutes I have between 1 hour of Karve class and 2 hours of Karve teacher training. Plus, it doesn't sit too heavily on my stomach while I am working out or demonstrating during the training.

Tonight's dinner will be an awesome spiced apple chicken recipe from Eating Well and a Clean Program recipe called Wilted Winter Greens. I'm looking to having my one night this week in the kitchen. I truly miss cooking during these busy teacher training months, but we're already in the home stretch!

What's in YOUR fridge?

*M*

What's In My Pantry?

A very special reader has asked me to post photos of my pantry and make some recommendations as to what non-perishable items to keep on hand. Here are some photos of my pantry, as well as recommendations for how to stock our kitchen so you can make a variety of recipes - or throw something together quickly!

My pantry isn't always fully stocked, but at least you'll get an idea of some healthy staples to have on hand.



On this shelf you'll see the majority of my cooking products, including oils, vinegars, canned goods, spices, and herbs. See below for specific recommendations for stocking your pantry.


When it comes to salt, use only real, dirty sea salt. I like Redmond's brand Real Salt.


Coconut oil can is great to cook with because it has a high smoke point and can be used at higher temperatures without damaging the fat in the oil. Don't be afraid of the saturated fat content. It's important to be more concerned about processed carbohydrates than saturated fats from real, unrefined sources. I like the raw coconut oil from Artisano (Whole Foods).


It's also important to have healthy grains on hand. I always try to have brown rice, quinoa, brown rice cakes, and sometimes whole wheat gnocchi. Other good options are described below. As you can see in this picture, I also keep sweet potatoes and onions in my pantry, since they thrive in cool, dark environments and don't have to be refrigerated.


I always have herbal tea in my pantry. My favorite brand is Yogi because I really like the herbal blends of each flavor and am a sucker for the cute little sayings on the tea bag string papers. Their ginger variety is great after a big meal, as it aids in the digestive process.


This is my baking section. I don't usually use regular sugar or flour, but it's important to have it available in case you want to make baked goods for a special occasion. I also like to have buckwheat, spelt, and other whole grain flours. As you can see in the background, I also make sure to have plenty of stevia in my pantry as well.


Here is a somewhat unorganized way to store bulk goods. (I know, I know...I need to figure out another way to do this!) I like to keep dried beans, grains, nuts, seeds, coconut, and other bulk items available in case they pop up in a recipe. It's much cheaper to buy these items from the bulk bin at Whole Foods or Sprouts than to get them in small, individually packaged quantities.


This is the final shelf. I mainly keep Lara bars, nuts, chia seeds, fiber powder, and protein powder on hand. You can also see my butter dish - choose organic, and opt for butter over margarine any day!

Here is a comprehensive list of items you might want to have regularly available in your pantry, adapted from Eating Well's list.

Oils, Vinegars, and Condiments

First cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and olive oil dressings, such as Bragg's Healthy Vinaigrette
Raw coconut oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, and sesame oil
Organic butter
Real mayonnaise
Vinegars: balsamic, red wine, white wine, rice, and raw apple cider (Bragg's brand)
Asian condiments: organic soy sauce, curry paste, oyster sauce, fish sauce, hoisin sauce
Kalamata and green olives
Mustards: Dijon, whole grain, and yellow
Capers
Organic ketchup
Barbecue sauce
Worcestershire sauce

Flavorings

Coarse and regular dirty sea salt
Black pepper
Onions
Fresh garlic
Fresh ginger
Anchovies or anchovy paste (for pasta sauces, salad dressings)
Lemons, limes, and oranges for zesting (always choose organic if zesting)
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Dark, bittersweet, and semisweet chocolate chips

Spices and Herbs

Allspice
Caraway seeds
Chili powder
Cinnamon (ground and sticks)
Coriander seeds
Cumin seeds
Ground cumin
Curry powder
Ground ginger
Dry mustard
Nutmeg
Paprika
Cayenne pepper
Crushed red pepper
Turmeric
Bay leaves
Dill
Sage
Thyme
Oregano
Tarragon
Italian seasoning
Garlic powder

Sweeteners

Raw honey
Stevia
Real maple syrup
Agave nectar
Raw turbinado sugar
Brown and granulated sugar (to use when you can't use the above options)

Canned and Bottled Items

Canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and marinara sauce (choose organic because tomatoes are highly sprayed with pesticides)
Organic chicken, beef, and/or vegetable broth
Clam juice
Regular or lite coconut milk
Canned beans: cannellini beans, great northern beans, chickpeas, black beans, red kidney beans
Canned lentils
Chunk light tuna, wild salmon, and sardines
Canned or boxed soups to have in a pinch, such as lentil, split pea, or tomato

Grains and Legumes

Quinoa
Brown rice
Pasta: quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat
Pearl barley
Rolled oats
Whole wheat couscous
Bulgur
Dried lentils
Yellow cornmeal
Whole wheat dry breadcrumbs
Flours: whole wheat, spelt, rice, buckwheat, all-purpose
Brown rice cakes

Nuts and Seeds

Walnuts
Pecans
Almonds
Hazelnuts
Dry-roasted peanuts
Pine nuts
Sesame seeds
Organic peanut butter
Almond butter
Cashew butter
Tahini
Dried fruits (apricots, plums, cranberries, dates, raisins)

I hope this helps you get some ideas as to what to keep in your pantry! I don't have all of these items at any given time, but I wanted to give you an all-inclusive list so you can have plenty ideas when you go grocery shopping. Good luck stocking your pantry!

*M*