Pantry Basics

I organize my pantry with the following categories:
Carb-like items
Beans, pasta, rice and grains. Mac and cheese goes here too.

Baking
Flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, chocolate chips, red hots, chocolate bars, shredded coconut, flavored oils, yeast.
I put all my baking items in a boot box that I covered with paper. When it’s a serious baking day, I just pull my boot box out of the pantry and rummage through until the baking’s through.

Cans and liquids
Canned whole tomatoes, canned beans, soups and aseptic boxes. Jars of artichoke hearts, cans of enchilada sauce, everything juicy goes on this shelf. Also on this shelf is a tray filled with bottled flavoring agents. This rimmed tray holds items like fish sauce, vinegars and hot pepper sauces.

Wine
Not surprisingly, there’s a shelf with our “drink now” wine.
(We keep our sodas in the garage.)

That’s hilarious to me because before I moved to Napa Valley, all of my wine was to drink now.
(Like I said, it’s an embarrassment of riches.)

Cookbooks
I keep my cookbooks in the pantry. I used to keep them on a stand-up bookshelf in the kitchen, but the sun faded the spines and the splattery oil made them sticky and gross. I keep my food magazines in there too. There’s a method to my magazine madness (I, ahem, currently subscribe to 18) so I don’t drown in magazine clutter.

Serving implements
One shelf holds the serving implements. This includes trays, coffee pourers, cake stands, wine carafes and pitchers. Easy to go to for parties and dinner.

Disposable
One shelf holds everything plastic baggies, garbage bags, paper plates, plastic utensils and paper napkins. I also have a fun box on this shelf that’s filled with fun potential cake toppers — this includes birthday candles, little toy cars and whatever else I find about. It’s helpful when kids come over too — a go-to funtime bag.

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