Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The Pantry Project



I really should have taken a "before" photo of my pantry -- but I'm just not that smart. But THIS is the finished project!

My pantry has been a major source of frustration since we moved in to this house 12 years ago. The builder chose to use closet shelving instead of pantry shelving. What this means is that there is not a solid place for items to sit. They are constantly tipping and getting caught in the cracks. Finally, I took some time to make it better.

I started a couple of weeks ago with a major kitchen cupboard overhaul! It was at that time that I decided to start keeping things in bins (I have bins in my fridge and freezer, too!) This way, instead of constantly moving items around to see what's behind them  - and causing a domino effect of items tumbling into the cracks of the non-solid shelving, I just pull a bin forward and I can see everything that is in it and quickly locate what I need. For my pantry project, I took it a step further. I have been buying a lot of bulk items lately. I decided to start scavenging for glass jars with tight fitting lids. (Trying to get away from chemically infused plastic containers) Just to make it cute (cause I DO like cute!), I decided to label my bulk jars and my bins with computer generated labels attached to fabric.

 Those cute jars are sitting on 2x4 pieces of wood. You've probably seen those little plastic stair step canned good organizers for $12. Well, not only are those too small for my jars - they are also too expensive! So I went to Home Depot and purchased two - 84 inch long 2x4's and had them cut in thirds, for a total of 6 pieces. When I got home, I stacked three on top of each other and nailed them together. I slid them to the back row. I then took two more and nailed them together and made them my middle row. Finally, I placed the single piece in the front. (The front piece is currently unoccupied, as I need to gather more jars!) The total cost for my personalized jar-stair was $3.98. Seriously! I'm still planning to decorate the fronts of them with a sassy ribbon. :)

Also, I added the extra shelf pieces, found at Home Depot. There was way too much wasted vertical space between the installed shelves. These little additions were intended for sweaters!   But the work great in my pantry!  I'm really pleased with how the project turned out!

On another happy note, I assembled my new juicer this evening and made my first wonderful glass of fresh, organic, vitamin and mineral rich juice. YUM! I wish I had taken a picture of that too! But again... not that smart. Juicing is the best way to quickly and effectively deliver nutrients to your cells. Juicing separates the bulky fiber, allowing the nutrients to rapidly get to your cells. Of course, we NEED fiber in our diets as well! So I don't personally subscribe to the idea that juicing alone is the best plan - unless you are battling cancer or other disease. In that circumstance, I recommend looking into "The Gerson Mirracle". Dr. Gerson developed a holistic therapy in the 40's that was, and continues to be, an amazingly effective treatment for cancer and a myriad of other ailments and disease. If you or someone you love is suffering, I beg you to look into Dr. Gerson's work. I'm attaching a link to a free 90 minute documentary. WORTH YOUR TIME!!

The Gerson Miracle


Because I am not suffering any type of disease (praise God!) I am using juicing as a preventative therapy! Sticking to a plant based diet, which is highly raw, will significantly reduce my chances of dealing with such things. As I type I'm sipping on my... 12th or so glass of water for the day - and nibbling on homemade organic red popcorn, popped in coconut oil and sprinkled with pink salt. Completely great for me and my all time favorite snack!! 

Ahhhh!!

1 comment:

  1. So much character in a tiny space and on a tiny budget. I love it!

    ReplyDelete