This project has been a long time in the making.
The "Properly Organize Your Baking Cabinet So That It's Not Just Full of Zippie Bags" project has been, anyway.
See, I have this one big cabinet dedicated to baking. It's a corner base cabinet with a double decker lazy susan and it holds a LOT of stuff. And when we redid the kitchen and replaced the Surprise! There's a Chimney Behind this Alleged Wall! with this cabinet, I knew exactly what I'd use it for.
And then I promptly went bulk baking supply shopping and filled that beautiful huge cabinet up with ugly inefficient zippie bags of My Precious. Plus some other things that aren't so My Precious, but somehow ended up there anyway.
Hi Duncan Hines Moist (barf) Deluxe cake mix!
Hello, stupid Yehuda matzo that's 100 years old.
Hello, stupid Yehuda matzo that's 100 years old.
You know, My Precious' like King Arthur flour (not 2 years old - promise), shredded coconut, chocolate chips, flaxseed, corn starch, oat bran, etc.
You know.
And, well, it was a damn shame. That's what I'd say to myself when I went in there for something. Which was often, given the amount of baking I do.
Every time I'd be like, Woman! You can do better than this. You are a shameful loser.
I'm a tough crowd.
Anyway, I finally did something about it. And IT involved many bulk containers sourced from points across the globe (Ikea, my garage, the hardware store, places unknown, one of Bubba's old boxes of crap from his first apartment)...
From left to right: Ikea, OSH, garage (jars), Bubba's bachelor pad (old-timey jars), OSH.
...and my label maker.
Oh sweet label maker. I missed you so.
Even though I had to run out and get you a replacement label cartridge after I'd gotten all into my groove and made 2.5 labels and started cursing your name because sonuvabitch I haven't used you in a year and NOW you decide to run out of labels?!
But still. Wuv you!
Anyway, I think you can all appreciate the work that goes into turning a cabinet from this:
To quote my MiL, "What happened in HERE?"
Oh my yes.
Oh my yes, it was so amazing that I even made a video for once in my Flip Video
having life. What is my problem, again? Oh right, I have no idea.
having life. What is my problem, again? Oh right, I have no idea.And if you think I haven't opened that cabinet just to spin the shelves and admire the wonder of a zippee-bag free baking cabinet, you have no idea where you are on the blogosphere. Read up. THIS IS MY GIG, MAN.
My life is small.
Thanks for choosing this project, Donk. My baking will go on now.
xo
Finny
Oh the wonder that is you. Oh the wild, carefree, jet-set lifestyle. Summers in San Tropez, winters in Closters. And, of course, having the help put your cake flour in an IKEA container. Since I live in dire fear of IKEA (the most terrifying place I've ever been) I cannot emulate you. But I can live in vicarious calm. I do not chafe under the yoke that is my own den of chaos. But I can say that I do know exactly where my vanilla is. (Why does that sound dirty?)
ReplyDeleteI think I laughed my ass off more at this post than any other. I can just imagine Bubba walking in, mid videoing/spinning and slowly backing out like he'd caught you masturbating or something (which, c'mon, you WERE).
ReplyDeleteAs for the Yehuda, I have 4 CASES left at work. I've made matzah buttercrunch more than I have in all the years of being a Jewess and I still have 4 cases left. So if you want to replace your 100 year old matzah with fresh-ish, you know where to ask.
You made a video of your baking cabinet.
ReplyDeleteI think I love you, Finny.
Containers + labels = HEAVEN! I want to be you when I grow up. Wait, that didn't come out right. Ok, I just want to be you.
ReplyDeleteWow! That's awesome! I want one of those kinds of cupboards. And all of that organization. But then I wouldn't be able to find anything...if it was organized.
ReplyDeleteThe video is cool.
My word verification is "rests" I think that is appropriate after all that work you just did.
Awesome, simply awesome! I truly understand the fun cabinet spinning activity as I've been doing something similar with my newly-organized pantry cabinet. Anyone who shows up at my house gets a free demonstration of said activity. So much fun!
ReplyDeleteI love it. And I love you for making a video of it.
ReplyDeleteDecca - "I do not chafe under the yoke that is my own den of chaos."
ReplyDeleteThat is the finest sentence I've read in a long time.
And, with regard to Ikea, the reason that all my containers aren't the same is because the trip to Ikea that brought those containers into my life was so harrowing, I couldn't bring myself to go back for more. So, I compromised on the matchy-matchiness and instead reused what I had around the house.
Recycling or just sparing myself the misery that is Ikea on a Saturday afternoon? Yeah. You know.
;)
Jen -Well, technically, it is "fresh" as it was purchased this year for Passover. However, I think we all know that ALL the matzo in the world was actually baked back when the Jews escaped from Egypt and it has actually lasted THIS long because it's so, you know, *wonderful*, that we all eat our requisite slab on Passover and then move on to other things. Like brisket. And wine.
I should make that buttercrunch thing though. It might use up this last box. Even though it's extra full since my mom stuffed leftover matzo in there *just for me*.
Thanks mom.
Kris - It was one of those "A picture lasts longer" kind of situations. Like, I'd been staring at it so long, the friggen cabinet started getting mouthy ;)
Knittah - You said it, sister. That label maker is SEXY.
Claudia - That cabinet was TOTALLY worth it. The thing cost an arm and a leg compared to the fixed shelf ones but MAN, do I get a lot of use out of it.
Junie - And I'm sure they love you for it because it's so beeyouuuuuuuuuuuuteeful!
Of course, now that I have the My Precious Pantry all organizey, I've turned my mean eye on a few drawers around here. None of them are "Junk" drawers, necessarily, but they now look pretty ragged compared to My Precious.
Ok, I'm going to stop with the LOTR references now. I'm not that big of a fan. ;)
Wendy - Just doing my best to confirm my Crazy for everyone's benefit ;)
Are you kidding - that is totally worth it's own video!!
ReplyDeleteoh my hell. that video was exactly what I needed this afternoon to perk my chubby, tired pregnant self up and get on with my last few hours of workd. Thanks. And, congrats on that beautiful susan!
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness, you have a video of the best pantry in the world. I need a label maker! You genius! This is great.
ReplyDeleteYou're hysterical Finny. You know, it's very lucky for you that your baking center is on a lazy susan -- an action video would never have worked in a cupboard with fixed shelves!
ReplyDeleteI bow before your organizedness... I totally have a lazy susan in my cabinet, and had good intentions of organization, however all of my stuff is *still* crammed on the top shelf... and the lazy susan has nothing but a few sad boxes of pudding mix on it. Alas. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, BTW I would totally IKEA the bejesus out of my kitchen, but being in land-locked Colorado, we lack one. I miss it so much... we used to live in Chicago, the lucky residents of which are a mere hour away from TWO IKEAS. Not fair.
ReplyDeleteWOW, got some extra time? You can come do all my cabinets too !
ReplyDeleteI bow to you queen of organizational skills.
I love my lable maker! Everything in my cabinets is labled and anything that goes in the freezer gets one too. Can you say OCD?
ReplyDeleteYour video is awesome. I totally get opening the cabinet just to look at the prettiness of the organization.
ReplyDelete