Coralling the Spices

You know how sometimes your mind grabs hold of a problem and refuses to let it go until it's solved? This was my mini-obsession this week. I love to cook. I also believe in cooking as much from scratch as possible, since processed foods are so high in fat, carbs, sodium, and chemicals. Therefore, it's been a hassle each trip to try to remember what spices to take since I obviously couldn't take the two large spice racks I have next to my stove at home.

The first step was to identify which ones I use a lot of: chili powder, parsley, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and powdered chicken bouillon. I found these small magnetic tins at Cost Plus World Market for $1.99 each. They're approximately 3 inches in diameter and 2 inches tall. The lid rotates to expose a slot and some holes for sprinkling without having to take off the lid. There is a larger size that is $2.99. [Note: right next door to Cost Plus, the small ones were selling for $2.99 at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Always go to Cost Plus first!] These are going to be hanging on the side of the "hood" above the stove where they'll be immediately handy all the time.





Next, I was experimenting with ways to store and organize the small bottles of spices. (My trailer has a "spice rack" below the sink, which has enough room for 6 or 7 tall bottles.) One good idea was to put them all in one drawer, and to use a label maker to put the names on the tops so you could pull out the drawer and see them. I spent a few minutes one afternoon making the labels and cleared out a drawer in the trailer for them. Within 2 days, all the labels had come off. It seemed I was going to have to rummage through the drawerful of jars to find what I wanted each time.

Then yesterday while I was sewing, I looked up and saw my thread holders:

I bought these at Slumgullion Gift Gallery in Lake City, Colorado. Each one is made with two yardsticks and some "shelves." I moved the thread to a drawer in my desk (where it's much easier to get to from a sitting position while I sew), and filled the little mini-shelves with my small bottles of spices:


The McCormick, Simply Organic, and Penzey's plastic jars fit neatly into each shelf, and won't come out if jostled. The glass Penzey's jars (why did they change?) are almost too wide, but rubber bands hold them nicely in place. Since each one of these "shelves" hangs individually, I'll be able to put them on the wall next to the refrigerator.

Now my mind can go work on something else!

Another Day Closer...