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Life on two acres of arid dirt, on the edge of the Australian outback.

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Homemaking post: A peek in my pantry

I am lucky to have a nice sized pantry just off my kitchen.



And it has a dirty window. Whoops! I really must get to clean all of my windows soon; it is such a big job with eleven of them to do. I am going to make a nice curtain to go in here too.



The bookshelf contains my recipes books. Very soon these are going to be scaled down to just the ones I use regularly. 
On top of the bookshelf is the microwave. I couldn't find a place in the kitchen for this unless I put it on the bench. I like my benches clear of clutter, so as I don't use a microwave very often, I keep it in my pantry.


Here we are looking to the left as you walk in.
On these shelves starting at the top; 
Our wok and first aid kit in the black box. At the back is a knife set that barely gets used and empty storage containers.
The second shelf contains cereals and health foods, breadcrumbs and bi carb, and the third holds baking requirements.  Also hangs the little fire extinguisher for easy access should I need it. My aprons hang near the doorway, you can just see a glimpse of them in this pic. Eggs to the right J



Looking to the right towards the window, we have our condiments, milk, glad-wrap etc.  And at the top some paper plates for barbeques.



I use Lazy Susan's where possible, these are so handy to spin and find what you are looking for.


Below the shelving we keep our rainwater. We do not have it connected to the house. To do this, the whole house has to be switched over and that is something we don't want to do at the moment. In the drawers I keep excess food that I have stocked up on, and Asian meal ingredients.


Pasta and rice, some stock and bikkies. 


Here is the tin and packet food etc. Using this type of shelving (found at Cheap As Chips) allows me even more room.


The corners can be a bit tricky to organise, so I try and keep them as uncluttered as possible.



The potato/onion box and trusty little stool that allows me to reach things.



I am so happy with these large jars that were gifted to me. I had a big bag of organic wholemeal flour and these were perfect for storing it in. 


I have placed them up on the top shelf.

 The kitchen from the pantry.

The kitchen from the dining room showing the pantry entrance.
(mobile phone pics)

Don't be fooled into thinking my pantry is always this tidy, it  most certainly is not hahaha!

I am at the beginning of my year of living with "less".

Clean out time!
All this lot came from my pantry and kitchen yesterday!

 I know I am blessed to have such a big pantry.  This allows me to stockpile regularly when things are on special, and frees up space in the kitchen.


Tell me, do you stockpile? If so how do you go about storing the excess?



26 comments:

  1. wow you have a very good flourishing pantry! i'm blessed with a walk in pantry too but alas, it's practically empty, have most of my items in a storage box. mine needs work, it only has one usable shelf the other shelf is about 8-9ft high! not sure what they were thinking when the previous owners put it in, it's on my list of things to fix
    well done!

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  2. So, the declutter has started - good on you. I love walk in pantries....if you are preparing food in there via microwave and other appliances you could technically call it a scullery (!).

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  3. Tania, what dirty window? LOL! Those shelves from the $2 shops are great. I bought one when Crazy Clarks closed down and now I wish I had bought a few. You can use up the available space so much better.

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  4. I must have been channelling you this morning as I have started to tidy my pantry which I call The Black Hole. Mine is a corner pantry cupboard which is quite dark to see into the back areas of shelves so things hide quite nicely!

    I threw out some jams and kept the jars and lids. A few cans looked old so out they went too.

    I now plan to eat down the cans of tomatoes and beans before buying more. I am also going to date cans as I buy them so I know the age next time I have a clean out.

    Cheers - Joolz xx

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  5. I have pantry envy. I'd love to have all that space.

    I stockpile and always have to some degree. To store so much in my pantry I stack things up in nice neat rows of the same item and size. Newer items go to the back and the older ones are pushed forward.

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  6. I have pantry envy! Not only walk in but natural light as well! Still, it doesn't have cold store capability like a Tasmanian one, but you can't have everything. I do enjoy a good voyeuristic post on the ordinary everyday living stuff, thanks for sharing some ordinary life with us. Wishing you more rain, T.

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  7. That's it! I want everyone to post pictures of their pantries right now without cleanup so i dont shoot myself in disgust thinking im the only one with a messy pantry. You have a room Tania. Not a cupboard but a whole god damn room! Lucky you. Mine is a walk in cupboard and has lots of dark places. I can only reach about half of it. Oh dear, im going out to the garden.

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  8. I used to have a walk in pantry - alas, not in this house. Now I have an understair cupboard and a freestanding cupboard.

    They're both chockers though... ;)

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  9. You are most fortunate to have such a spacious pantry and separate from your kitchen. I am continually frustrated with our kitchen pantry but manage as best I can. As least I have food to put in it so I can't complain.
    I've been decluttering today too. It feels good.
    Anne xx

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  10. You've seen my kitchen and pantry, mines very small but I'm trying to get organised! Yours looks great, just what I could do with. I've got a few things to build to make mine more organised

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  11. Beautiful panty Tania. And I loved seeing your kitchen too! Now I can imagine you working away in there!
    Those big jars are great. They are so useful.
    You have an awesome amount of space. To be able to buy and store things on the best specials, this alone is a big saving.
    Really a walk in pantry is the best I think.
    This last week I have heard a whole series of things all connected with pantries and situations where a built up pantry is a life saver Once it was a basic. Now I think everyone is realising the need for some storage and preparedness too. Lovely to see this and great post.xxx

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  12. Hi Tania,

    Lovely tour of your pantry. You asked if your readers have pantries and if we stockpile. My answer to both is YES.
    I am very fortunate to have two pantries. My kitchen pantry is quite small when compared to yours. However, I have an additional storage pantry in our cellar that appears to be as large or larger than yours.
    As to stockpiling, I purchase sale items, and only sale items, from the market. The remainder of our food stores are either home grown or harvested. I can or freeze the majority of produce from our 5,700 sq. ft. garden. We also raise our own chicken, rabbits, lamb & goat. This fall our 13 year old son harvested dove, pheasants, and venison for our freezers.
    Again, thanks for sharing your organized pantry with us.

    Blessings,
    Mrs.B

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  13. I only stockpile a few months worth at a time - hate food waste and could easily fall into that trap. What a beautiful pantry!

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  14. Oh wow! Major pantry envy! Two things I have always hankered for in my home are a walk in pantry and a library.

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  15. Love your pantry. I've been tossing ideas around in my head for more space in my house. Once I get then right in my head I'll let hubby know what I have in mind. Then the fun will start lol

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  16. Hi Tania, nice to met you and I like your blog too!

    Yes, I actually have 2 pantries and it was one of the main factors when we bought this home 12 years ago. I keep mostly food in one and non food things like cleaners and appliances in the other.

    Pantries are wonderful, aren't they?

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  17. Wow Tania you are putting me to shame with how tidy and organised your pantry is! I love love love your set up :) I still have my little larder cupboard going with a stockpile but I really need a day to get my kitchen back in order! I feel ya on the windows! We have so many that it takes a good half day or so to get them all done...it's one of those not so fun essentials isn't it?
    How is the heat going over there? we are just starting to crank into the summer heat here in NZ.

    Chat soon, Ruth :)

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  18. You have given me a great idea & the prompt I needed to get into my pantry. I have large pantry with shelves but is quite deep so is a mess. Those stackable wire baskets I now realise would lift things vertically so I could actually see foodstuffs instead of them all sitting behind each other.
    Glad you got some rain last week as well, very hot in Perth lately.

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  19. Harry Flashman said...

    Your pantry is impressive, and you have a large amount of food in there, always a plus.

    I didn't know women still wore aprons. I don't think I have seen one in 15 years!

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  20. Sorry Harry, I accidentally deleted your comment when using my phone, gotta to watch my big fingers next time. So I have reprinted using my name :)

    I know a few women who wear aprons. I wear mine when I am cleaning and cooking, saves my clothes getting stains on them.

    xTania

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  21. Cool Pantry, we're planning to have a walk in one when we get around to making some changes downstairs in the kitchen/family room. I have a bit of dead space that will be perfect for it. I don't stockpile as such, no need really. I do keep us well stocked with the basics, we're pretty self sufficient in fresh veg this time of year and plenty of meat in the freezers.

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  22. That's a good looking pantry Tania and practical too which is most important I guess.
    I do stockpile as much as I can but my storage space is limited. My pantry is a cupboard in the laundry because our kitchen has so little storage.
    I like a clutter free bench too.

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  23. Well in England we are certainly not stockpiling rainwater! However looking around my house my stocks are piled in every available cupboard, corner and surface. In fact that's how my blog started last October. I really must continue my clear out but life has distracted me.

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  24. I have a walk in pantry, it's a unique design with stairs, and I love it. It was a coat closet and the previous owners added some shelving and converted it. It still has the coat hooks, so I use them to hang the broom, aprons, BBQ utensils, etc...

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  25. Love your organising skills Tania. Don't suppose you'd come over here and organise my kitchen ;-)

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Your comments really make my day. Thank you for taking the time and for being so kind.