Pantry Cleanout Challenge

As part of the new year cleanup, I realized my pantry has gotten out of hand lately. I have a walk-in pantry that is 8 feet deep and 4 feet across so there is LOTS of space to store/hide things. And that’s when we get into trouble with losing things that you didn’t realize are still in there. This past week I worked on cleaning out my pantry and I want to give you some tips and tricks I used during this pantry cleanout and challenge you to a Pantry Cleanout Challenge.

We are lucky to have a huge walk-in pantry. When you are limited on pantry space you only fit what you can, right? But when you have so much space or time, there is a saying that goes, “Work expands to the time allotted.” Meaning if you have 2 weeks to finish a paper, you take the 2 weeks to get it done versus taking only a week. The same thing goes for a pantry. If you have the extra space, then you add things that don’t have a home elsewhere.

Lessons learned - I started tossing out stale chips and old cider packets. I found lots of reusable water bottles we no longer used so I started a donate pile. I also found some party favors like party bags that you give at the end of a birthday party. Some of them were still new! But my kids are older now and don't do treat bags so I added them to my donate pile as well.

Zone arranging - I didn't realize I already arranged my pantry by zones but it's a good idea to do this if you haven't already. Corral together the breakfast foods in one area, canned goods, pasta and sauce in another area etc. That way you can see if you are running low on an item.

Baking supplies - My baking supplies are in a cabinet in the kitchen not in the pantry. However, it's also in its own zone but it’s next to the baking supply drawer and another cabinet below with the KitchenAid, mixers, and bowls.

Arrange things that you use daily or weekly at eye level. On the floor should be supplies like toilet paper or paper towels or even seldom-used kitchen appliances like a large pancake griddle. Put the cereals and pasta near eye level.

Weekly meal planner tip - I love this idea from Better Homes & Gardens on a weekly meal planner. Use sturdy mesh bins to store the ingredients for your weekly meal plan and label them for quick dinner ideas. Things like spaghetti and meat sauce or chicken noodle soup can be put in bins ready to go. BHG even suggested putting the recipe in the bin and labeling it for the day of the week you want to use it. You can find the article here if you want to read more. I normally pull out the pantry items in the morning for the dinner meal so I don’t forget, but I also have a weekly meal planner that I create each Sunday when I go food shopping.

Yes, I do a weekly meal planner because if I don’t, I feel lost and end up eating out or it’s a mashup of things that don’t make sense. Each week, I go through my list of recipes and plan out the meals. Then I check the pantry to see if I have everything I need for those recipes. If I don’t, then I add it to the grocery list and pick up everything for that week only. Sometimes I use grocery ads to help me plan something that may be on sale but not always. If I see that chicken is on sale this week, then I will get more than usual and freeze them for the following week etc.

I love my weekly meal planner and it’s a way to avoid hearing the question, "Mom, what’s for dinner?" I write it out, post it on the fridge, and then point to it when needed. Plus it helps remind me why I bought the cheese or ground turkey. You can get my weekly planner in my etsy shop too. I have the dinner ideas list and weekly menu planner in there. FYI, my meal plan for this week...

Mon - Baked Ziti

Tues - Tacos

Wed - Shepherds Pie

Thur - White Chicken Chili

Fri - Bachelor's Beef (seasoned ground turkey, gravy, rice and peppers)

Sat - out or Greek Chicken gyros

Main reason to cleanup my pantry - One of the other reasons I had to clean up my pantry was because our fridge died just before going on Christmas vacation. We had to throw everything into a chest freezer before leaving. When we got back, we had to live out of an ice chest to keep things cold like milk or butter for a few days and replace the ice. I had to rethink and be creative with what to cook for dinner without a fridge using only items that were either frozen or in the pantry. It was quite the challenge!

So we made things like turkey burgers (Bubba’s frozen ones) with fries (also frozen) or defrosted chicken in the microwave before throwing it in the oven with seasoned potatoes. I relied heavily on my pantry to make things for lunch like soup in a can or mac and cheese. These were not my all-time favorite meals but we knew it was only temporary. We did order a fridge and it came 2 days later but I’m so glad we had options other than eating out.

So which one of the ideas will you use to declutter your pantry? Organize into zones, throwing out old stuff, donating things that don’t belong?

DM me on Instagram with your pantry challenge with ZONING, TOSSING, or DONATING or reply back to this email!

Kasia McDaniel Home Stager I am a military veteran after serving the Air Force for almost 10 years. Since the military moved me every 2 years, I mastered the skills needed to sell my homes quickly. I now help homeowners and realtors get your home ready to sell so that buyers fall in love with your home and make an offer. I can also help coordinate colors, furniture layout and décor when moving into a new home or building one. Let me know how I can help! ​

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