It's time for....

My spices are in the cupboard above my stove*. They're on a lazy susan (which doesn't spin, but that's another story), but up high where I can hardly see them. For the longest time, looking for a spice involved standing on my tip-toes, craning my neck, and praying to St. Anthony to help me find the spice I was tooking for. One day I got annoyed enough that I did the unthinkable: I alphabetized my spices. I'm not gonna lie: it was boring, it wasn't fun. But I'm glad I did it. Not only does it make it easy to find the spice I'm looking for, but I also realized how many double-ups I had.

It would seem that every time a recipe called for a spice, I just assumed I didn't have it. So I had three containers of oregano, two of chili powder, etc... If only there were a quick and easy way to know if I had a spice (and how much of it I had). Then, a lightbulb went on. A list. I typed up a "Spice Invetory" list on the computer (complete with number, in the event that I had more than one container of a spice) and taped it to the inside of a cupboard (not the spice cupboard, because it's too high, but one close to it). Now I see at a glance if I have a spice. Also, I cross out a spice as I finish it up and know if I need to add it to my grocery list.

Someday, I aspire to have a "spice drawer". But for now, I'm pleased with this sytem.

"Real" post to come tonight.

*Yeah, I know, they're not supposed to be store above the stove, because the heat of the stove destroys their flavor. You're supposed to store them in a drawer with a label on each lid. I live in an aparment. I'm lucky to have drawer space for my silverware. My spices taste just fine where they are.