Pantry

It’s funny what people inherit from their parents.  Some get the smart gene, the funny gene, the angry gene.  Me? I get the pantry gene. I didn’t invent the idea of pull-out drawers, but I’ll be damned if mine get as out of control as my mother’s.  A display of mutated pantry genetics at work. It’s hard [...]

Healthy skin is something that we all strive for. Millions of dollars are spent every year to find the perfect skin care products. While there are many good commercial products available, many items in your own pantry and refrigerator can be equally effective at giving your skin a much needed boost and cleansing. If you have sensitive skin, natural skin care recipes can work even better

To know me, is to know about my obsession with my pantry.  Remember when my old nanny reorganized it for me?  Since she left (I know it’s been awhile), my pantry hasn’t been quite the same.  It’s grown up over the last year adding to it more toddler sundries, canned food and cereal than I [...]

The Boy Scouts brought in thousands of pounds of food today for the Church Food Pantry!  Thank you to all who put your bags on your porch to be picked up. Thank you to the Boy Scouts, their families and leaders for

Volunteers needed at Church Food Pantry this Saturday, May 3, 2008. The Boy Scout food drive is May 3rd and help is needed at the Church Pantry that day to sort and store the donated food. The Pantry expects to start receiving food around 9:30 am and to be finished by early afternoon. Volunteers are needed for any [...]

When it comes to organizing, a pantry that falls over to greet you when you open the door is not only a mess, it is a time and money waster. Spending time looking for things you think you know are there but can’t find and then buying them only to find the first one is [...]

"Initially it was open from November through March, but because of the economy we've decided to run it year-round," said Chrissy Tomkiewicz, director of A Helping Paw Pet Food Pantry." "The prolonged winter may finally be behind us and many Iowans are starting their spring planting. Iowans who have dogs and cats that spend a lot of time outdoors may want to consider -not- planting certain

At a great timing Brett Arends wrote a great article for the Wall Street Journal which was featured on Yahoo! Finance titled "Load Up the Pantry".She argues that as flour, rice, milk, eggs and more basic food prices sore investing your money in a stocked pantry is wiser than just letting it rot in a bank account maxing at 4%.The article provides additional background and some future predictions (in continuance to my post on the commodity and food prices) and makes for a very interesting and recommended read in my opinion.Another article with real added value was published at CNN Money and reveals "The best kept secrets of antique shoppers". This is a great post on a tightly closed, less familiar market. Apparently there are real bargains out there.This weekend The Personal Financier will f

At a great timing Brett Arends wrote a great article for the Wall Street Journal which was featured on Yahoo! Finance titled "Load Up the Pantry".She argues that as flour, rice, milk, eggs and more basic food prices sore investing your money in a stocked pantry is wiser than just letting it rot in a bank account maxing at 4%.The article provides additional background and some future predictions (i

From KBIS, I have too many fun images of organizational finds for the pantry not to share them with you, so there is more for today. And, if you're like me, I think it's so much fun to discover new ways of organizing (yes, FUN.) Keeps the insides of our cabinets interesting, so that they, oh let's take a stretch here, do their JOB to amuse their pantry masters, right? Not to mention adding efficiency to the mix. Poor pantries, SO much work to do! I think my own pantry definitely needs therapy, it's so mixed up...Here we go again. Would you prefer this for your corner wall cabinet (it pulls out!):              OR THIS....! No contest!              

I had this post all put together day before yesterday. A couple of days prior I downloaded a beta firefox3 that I read was stable, almost ready to be released (well, June) yadayada. Then, I noticed a very slow internet connection. Did I make the connection between the browser and the slow internet? Not until today when I decided to try explorer to see how that ran. Made an appointment with the ISP and everything for this Saturday! Sheesh! So, we're up and running again, nice and fast. Here we go...Let me tell you, I WORKED that show, KBIS! Ok, so I couldn't stop snapping pictures with my new camera, truth be told, BUT, my intentions were noble...and so many things were so inspiring. So, let's look at what's new for inside our kitchen cabinets and pantries. Here's a cool new mechanism thing

"Load up the pantry," says Manu Daftary, one of Wall Street's top investors and the manager of the Quaker Strategic Growth mutual fund. "I think prices are going higher. People are too complacent. They think it isn't going to happen here. But I don't know how the food companies can absorb higher costs." (Full disclosure: I am an investor in Quaker Strategic) Stocking up on food may not replace your long-term investments, but it may make a sensible home for some of your shorter-term cash. Do the math. If you keep your standby cash in a money-market fund you'll be lucky to get a 2.5% interest rate. Even the best one-year certificate of deposit you can find is only going to pay you about 4.1%, according to Bankrate.com. And those yields are before tax. Meanwhile the most recent gov

Have you been taught if a can of food is bulging then it is bad and that is all you know about the safety and quality of food on your shelf? If your milk in your fridge has passed the expiration date do you still drink it until it tastes bad? Do you know if the food on your shelves is still edible? Dates on the packages offer some clues, but these can be confusing because the United States doesn't have a uniform system of food dating. Product dating isn't federally required, except for infant formula and some baby food, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture fact sheet. Also, stores aren't legally required to remove food once a "sell by" date has passed. It is up to us to be informed and make our own decision. If there is a shelf-life date on a package, trust it. However, keep in m

It seems like forever since I put on a Food Fight ... actually, it's been 1 year since I started the food event. I held it for 2 months then took off the summer from food blogging due to work. So, now that I'm back in the saddle, I decided to revitalize the Food Fight and found a few willing souls to expose their pantries and recipes. There may only have been a few of us, but it's the

Katie, of Thyme For Cooking has offered up a great blogging event for our food skeletons to be made public. Now isn’t this going to be fun? We get to offer up all our dark secrets that we love to eat but hate to tell anyone. It’s hard to own up to having such guilty pleasures, like telling someone you love to listen to John Denver, or maybe that you were a huge fan of ‘Melrose Place’ or ‘Baywatch’ (ok….i watched the first, not the second). But this is food! I have no photos, no evidence of such; but one of my most favorite snacks to eat is a peanut butter and green olive sandwich. There is something about the briny olives (only from a jar, and the pimento removed) and the salty peanut butter that really make magic between two pieces of bread. Another is Campbells Beef Barley soup. I could likely make a beefy, barley-esque soup that would knock my socks off, but somehow, this is a must in my pantry. There comes a time when nothing else will do

_________________________________________________________________ Small Talk: Peeps!! Sorry for the lack of updates as I have just returned from Morocco for a business meeting, and will be heading to Hong Kong for holidays in a few hours. The scenery is amazing in Morocco and I will be posting pix of the trips real soon... so stay tuned after Christmas!_________________________________________________________________Labelled as the chic, elegant bistro-dining place essential for ladies (or Tai Tais) to meet, the Marmalade Group opens its 3rd branch (after Palais Renaissance & Hitachi Tower) of Marmalade Pantry at Holland Village. Located right next to Aburiya along Lorong Liput, this outlet features the same modern interior design (in white furnishing this time) as the rest of the othe

WATSON: I say, Holmes.HOLMES: Yes, Watson?WATSON: You haven't, have you?HOLMES: Not yet, but I was thinking about it.WATSON: Shall we?HOLMES: Well, I don't see why not.WATSON: One, two, three...(RIPPING SOUND)WATSON: Toby, you filthy mutt!HOLMES: Abominable hound!WATSON: Whiffy woofer!HOLMES: No more beans for you, my lad.WATSON: Hudders, take him away.HOLMES: Lock him in the pantry and throw away the key.WATSON: Serves him right.HOLMES: Quite.WATSON: I say, Holmes.HOLMES: Yes, Watson?WATSON: I can feel another one coming on.HOLMES: Me too.WATSON: But now there's no Toby to take the flak.HOLMES: Indeed.WATSON: What to do what what what.HOLMES: Open the window quick and get the bellows ready.WATSON: Top hole!HOLMES: Quick, I said!(WINDOW IS FLUNG OPEN, FOLLOWED BY LOUD RIP)HOLMES & WATSON: Ahhhh...WATSON: Merry Christmas, Holmes!HOLMES: Merry Christmas, Watson!WATSON: Ablutions at eleven.HOLMES: Not half!

 (as I recuperate from nasal surgery, which means the inability to taste anything and feeling like I am suffering from the worst cold EVER, feel free to peruse this post I wrote a few weeks back; it’s all relevant to food anyway) There’s a surefire way to spur on a home improvement project such as replacing tile around a fireplace, and that is to smash the old tile to oblivion, there by requiring that the project actually get done to cover the hole in the wall. Mike and I are in the midst of making some color change to our home, and one thing we wanted to do was replace some ugly, boring tile around our fireplace. I came home one day to Mike all covered in dust, my family room in a shambles (which, blessedly, he cleaned all up) and a big gaping hole in our wall where the old tile once resided. We both looked at the spot, looked at one another and said ‘Well, the family is coming on the 24th for Thanksgiving; think we can get it done by then?’ Stay tuned for ph

Hopefully by this time next year, my husband will finally be done with his more than 10 year stint of college and graduate school - Hallelujah! He will be adding a PhD to his two bachelors’ and master’s degrees. Since we only have about a year left in our current apartment, I want to make sure I start utilizing all the food in our pantry because I don’t like having to waste things when we move. No matter how hard I try to stay on top of things, it always seems like there are items in our pantry that were purchased, then never used and now they have long been forgotten. In order to avoid having to throw these things away, every week I am going to base at least one of my meals on a food item I need to use up. This week the item is from the fridge, Feta Cheese. I recently rediscovered this fun pasta salad that requires Feta Cheese. It is really quite tasty. Monday: Feta Cheese and Chicken Pasta Salad and fruit Tuesday: Sweet and Sour Meatballs, rice and veggies We

Well it finally happened.My husband opened his mouth and told me that I had a problem.I constantly go to the grocery store and buy.Anything . Everything.And I bring it home and decide later what I am going to do with it. This week I failed to make a menu plan.And we ate sandwiches all week.The boys are confused,my husband is constantly hungry,and I am agitated beyond belief because I "have nothing to make".My husband pointed out that there is enough food in this house that I can feed all 6 of us through November with what I have here (with the exception of milk,bread and eggs).So, since I will NOT be defeated,I have spent the afternoon taking everything out of cabinets, refrigerators and freezers and made an inventory.And a ongoing meal plan.And guess what?With only using about 1/3 of what I have in the house RIGHT NOW......I have already made 14 days worth of my meal plan.Seriously.Can you believe that?Apparently my husband can.Here is a list of what I have and a list of the meals I h

Doing any job is easier when you have the right tools on hand. One of a cook's best tools -- and secret weapons -- is having a well-stocked kitchen pantry.Cooking is much simpler if you know that you've already got what you need on hand, and aren't going to have to run to the corner market every time you want to fix a meal.Having a well-stocked pantry is also the secret weapon especially when unexpected guests drop by.You'll be able to make every guest feel special and welcome because, whether it is appetizers for four or dinner for ten, you can handle it with style and panache. In fact, your reputation -- and your sanity -- will be assured, because with these things in your pantry, you can put together beautiful and tasty food that is beautifully presented in just minutes, simply and easily.Here is a list of basic ingredients that should be in any well-stocked pantry. (One great way to stock your pantry is to buy one or two things on the list each time you go shopping, rather than

TipJunkie.com is proud to present a 'Great Tip Award' to Brandi over at Brandi Ginn Photography for her Pantry Make Over!I was really inspired by her new system for her kitchen pantry. She did such an amazing job. It's not only functional, easily to keep clean, but beautiful as well.She labeled all of the totes--mostly for the other family members of the house. There are some bonuses for this concept. Since you can't really see everything in the pantry you're less likely to start grabbing the junk! Then of course their CUTE!Here's what's in her totes: Crunchy Stuff (chips, pretzels, etc.) Bread, Lunch Snacks (when she buys stuff for the kids lunches she pre-bags them in snack size baggies for easy grabbing), Sandwich stuff,Hot Chocolate, Pasta, Mixes, Sauces and Mixes, Rice Cooker, Crock Pot, Mixes & Crackers, Cleaning Supplies, Rice & Potatoes, Bulk Snacks & Soy Sauce, Brownies, Cookies, & Bisquick.I want to thank Brandi for letting us feature her amazing kitchen pantry

Today is day four of the Reject Pantry Project, and I went for the can of whole cranberry sauce. I found a recipe for Oatmeal Cranberry Squares on Cooks.com. They are very easy to make, and while I found them right on the edge of cloyingly sweet, everyone else liked them. Bottom line: I used up a WHOLE Reject Pantry Item, and I made something that tasted pretty good. I might be inclined to leave out the pineapple and/or add some orange zest to the filling mixture next time, for a little more complexity. OATMEAL CRANBERRY SQUARES (from Cooks.com) FILLING: 1 (#1) can whole cranberry sauce 1/2 c. crushed pineapple, drained 1/4 tsp. salt Combine all ingredients for filling. TOPPING: 1 1/2 c. quick oatmeal 1 1/2 c. flour 1 c. brown sugar, packed 3/4 c. butter 1/4 tsp. soda 1/8 tsp. salt Crumble remaining ingredients. Place half of crumbs in an 8 x 10 (or similar size) greased pan. Spread with filling and pat on remaining crumbs. Bake 25 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool and cut into bars.

For Day 3 of the Reject Pantry Project, I decided to tackle the jar of prepared horseradish that had languished in obscurity since, perhaps, 2001. It seemed like cheating to mix it with mayonnaise and make a roast beef sandwich, so I found a recipe for a cheese spread (the Food of the Gods for my husband and son) that required a bit of horseradish. It was a hit, and although I still have lots of the stuff left, it has moved to cushier quarters in the refrigerator door and will be used again to recreate the cheese spread. Edited to add: we have subsequently discovered that this spread makes a great sandwich filling. We like it on toasted regular or marble rye, with a little salt and pepper. Its like Deviled Ham that died and went to heaven. Ham and Swiss Cheese Spread Recipe (Adapted from From Dip It! by Rick Rodgers (William Morrow & Co., via About.com) 1 (3 ounces) package cream cheese, at room temperature 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp prepared horseradish 1/2 p

The Pantry Reject challenge continues, and today I used the Mesquite Smoked Maine Sea Salt that started it all. After referring to the Maine Sea Salt Company’s website, I applied about a teaspoon of the salt to a pork tenderloin, and wrapped it tightly to “marinate” for the day. Rob grilled the tenderloin with no further salting or spicing. It was quite tasty, although I tasted more salt than mesquite. Considering that I still have quite a lot left in the jar, I can try again with more. In all fairness, I never said I was going to use all of these things up this week, just that I would use them. To accompany the grilled pork, I prepared Barbara Kafka’s Zucchini Custard, which is basically a crustless quiche. We also had a bowl of very fresh heirloom tomatoes from the farmer’s market, roughly chopped with a bit of kosher salt. They would not have won any beauty contests, those immense, misshapen tomatoes with the odd wormhole and black line, but they are t

I took a trip today to Whole Foods to restock my gluten-free items. I have a bad habit of looking in other people’s carts in Whole Foods to see if they are also buying gluten-free. I always feel compelled to start a conversation about going gluten-free. I never do, but [...]

Yesterday, I vowed to use five ingredients languishing in my pantry, or to die trying. Today, since I had some very ripe bananas, I decided to make banana bread. I made two subsequent decisions that led to the most flavorful, tender example of banana bread I have ever personally tasted. First, I decided to try Mark Bittman’s banana bread recipe from How to Cook Everything. Second, I decided to start my Pantry Reject Challenge by using my Manischewitz Cake Meal instead of regular flour called for in the recipe. This banana bread is, seriously, to die for. It is infinitely better than what I have made using my previously posted recipe. It is tender, flavorful, moist, with a slightly crisp crust, and has a nice complexity from the unsweetened coconut and the nuts. I also like it better with butter instead of oil. The only hitch is that I will have to make it again with regular flour instead of the Cake Meal to see if that made a big difference in the fabulousness of the results. I

Every morning I try to check out what’s new on my personal favorite blogs, and today I was most intrigued by Lydia’s entry about salt in The Perfect Pantry. I have an unopened jar of Mesquite smoked Maine Sea Salt that was lovingly purchased and brought home for me by my parents (from Maine, of course), and I have just never used it. Inspired by the discussion about using flavored salts, I decided that I should break out the Mesquite salt and try it out on some unadorned meat on the grill. Out of curiosity, I further explored my cupboards to see what was lurking in there that I didn’t use, for whatever reason. I’m not talking about a can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup that’s been around since the weather made the idea of hot soup seem appalling; I was interested in the odd and unloved things that couldn’t just be opened and eaten, but would have to be used in some sort of actual recipe, in concert with other (possibly more charming) foods. So I made

(This is the second in a series of many lists of 5 things you can try to make your weight loss and fitness efforts more successful.) 1. Great Condiments - Spend some time and a little money in buying some terrific tasting vinegars, mustards, barbeque sauce, low/no fat salad dressings, Asian sauces (mirin, soy, teriyaki, etc.), salsas, and hot sauces. If you're tired of making chicken the same way, try different barbeque or teriyaki sauces. Even spreading a nice honey Dijon mustard on a chicken breast will make the meal more exciting. But don't overdue it and add on the calories. Moderation is the key when you're dieting and trying to lose weight. On the Extreme Fat Smash diet, you're allowed 1 teaspoon of mustard or ketchup per meal. That should be enough to give a little extra flavor - and satisfaction - to your dining experience. 2. Convenience Food - No I'm not talking about store bought cookies and chips. Instead the kind of healthy food that you can just grab and go. So ma

Wallah its damn hot dance by some unknown Pakistani dancer who danced in bra panty and did not leave any chance to make it a big hit, and her bouncy boobs were more bouncy then then crazzy ball. Such girls could be find in Heera Mandi easily. Am i right??

I took a look at Real Simple's website and found this good, basic, information to Arrange Your Pantry By Activity. Sometimes, I know I need simple, basic, advice. Do this and here's why. Point by point, there is advice that makes sense.                        As a kitchen designer, I typically think through how my clients will use their kitchen, especially the cooking utensils, small appliances, and so on. There are multiple factors which will determine where your pantry items are stored. As Real Simple points out, it is advisable to take inventory of not only where your specialized activities are in the kitchen, but the frequency of use of the items, having a direct relationship to where the items will be stored most effectively, all having to do with accessibility.            In my own kitchen, sometimes

Last Saturday morning I tackled our pantry. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to take a photo of the before. Not that I am ashamed of it (which I should probably be because it was a disaster) but because my husband will give me such a hard time if he sees me taking a picture of our cluttered pantry...In the afternoon, while hubby was in the beach with the kids (I like it when he takes the kids to the bech while I clean our house - such a good hubby and dad, isn't he?) ...I took a snap shot of the organized pantry. I was so happy that we can now find what we need we need without having to shove out everything and shove them back in again.Now the question is how long will this organized pantry last? - LOL! For more Tackle It Tuesday projects, visit 5 Minutes For Mom here.

Now that you have a beautiful crisp and clean new kitchen, it is time to select some new cookware, helpful gadgets, and begin a collection of herbs and spices. We all love to cook in good quality pots and pans and have electrical cookware that will perform some extra special tasks, like boiling or steaming [...]