Hopefully, your greatest gift this holiday was the magic of being surrounded by those you love and tradition you cherish, filling you with joy and delicious food. And may the New Year bring you good health, abundance and contemplation.
We all tend to make resolutions in the New Year, usually ones that change our lives for the better; better habits, better choices and bettering ourselves. At SALINITY, we decided to tackle cleaning and reorganizing our salt and spice supply. It may seem menial but we know having our “tools” neat and tidy provides a more inviting space to be creative, thereby motivating us to do more cooking. And because of the numerous infusions we make, that’s a big task. But we’re resolved!
In our effort to find the perfect solution, we discovered some great resources we’d like to share. We know some of you dedicate whole cupboards and drawers to house your spice stash. These suggestions apply to you, too.
Getting Started:
Remove everything from your spice storage area. Toss out anything that has expired, you don't recognize or, by the looks of it, trust anymore. This should free up a significant amount of space.
Find Your System:
Organize your herbs and spices in a way that works best for you: alphabetically or in order of those you use the most to those you use less frequently. Once you’ve categorized them it is time to move onto the fun part.
Customizing Your Space:
If you are not sure about what options are available to create more space and easy access to all jars, bottles etc., the list is immense. Don't be intimidated. Here are just a few of our favorites:
The Lazy Susan. They come in all sizes and tier options and are a great addition to any cupboard where your herb/spices share shelf space with oils and vinegars. Newer spice carousels and revolving spice racks are a derivation of the traditional Lazy Susan.
Wall Mounted Spice Racks. Metal. Wood. Magnetic. Almost anything you can imagine. If you can’t find one you absolutely love try designing and making your own.
Shelving Racks. There are a number of designs that allow you to double or triple shelving space inside a cupboard or pantry. Everything from stainless steel to adjustable is out there.
Spice Organizing Clips. We just love these handy dandy contraptions! They adhere to the inside of a cupboard door and allow you to hang jars from them. How cool!
Customized Jars. If you are a crafty person (in the creative sense) these are perfect if you want to put in that extra effort. A variety of aluminum to glass jars (including test tubes) are available. You may even have saved our previous Salinity glass bottles. Go ahead and pull out your calligraphy pens and make some customized labels.
Magnetic Counter and Wall Systems. These prefabricated systems come with labels. There are a great way to start your spice repertoire.
Seeking something a little more outside the “spice box?” Check out Pinterest and Amazon or type in a search for spice organizers and you will find a plethora of cool ideas!
No matter how you choose to go about it, even if you do something temporary, just do it! We promise you’ll have more fun playing with your food once these important ingredients are readily at your fingertips. Sprinkle on!
Comments will be approved before showing up.
Discover 5 essential ingredients and flavors we discovered on a recent trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. From smoky cocktails to indulgent sweet treats, you'll find a range of inspiration for every time of day here!
We’re definitely in the heat of summer and that means firing up the grill! If you are looking for some tools to show off your chops (as well as cook them) we found Arctic Monsoon to be a great resource. Whether you are a seasoned grill master or a beginner you’ll want to check out Artic Monsoon’s interview of the number one expert on grilling: his dad.
7 Tips For Grilling Success focuses on questions for the "beginner" but it offers a good review of the basic grilling tips that will make you rock star on the weekends!
More than 6,000 moms took an un-scientific survey on TODAY.com to reveal what moms REALLY want for Mother’s Day. Nearly 70 percent agree they'd prefer two extra hours of sleep over a piece of expensive jewelry.
Laurel Coppock, one of the comedic moms behind YouTube channel The Breakwomb, agrees.
“I would always like two extra hours of sleep,” said Coppock. “Fancy massage? No. Two extra hours of sleep, please. Gift from my husband? Yes, please, as long as it’s two extra hours of sleep. I would also love breakfast in bed, provided that I can sleep through it.”