Spice Cabinet

I have the messiest spices in my cupboard. It’s a good thing the insides are a natural wood color, because my turmeric would have made them yellow either way. My spice & seasoning storage has annoyed me for the last time! I can’t find anything, I have spice redundancies, I tend to use the same three spices over and over, and when I attempt to purchase a new spice it slowly get’s pushed to the back and into oblivion. 

Solutions

I have been eyeing some gorgeous modular containers. They are oh so wonderful, and I can’t afford them. Oh sad longing, maybe one day I will be able to have a few in at least one cabinet or drawer of my house. In the meantime, it’s the inexpensive solutions from Walmart and the Dollar Store that will have to be my best friends. I have been buying one or two container/spice jar every month for the past year, and I am glad to finally have most of my items stored away.

Large Seasoning Storage: There are the seasonings and spices you use for less than a handful of recipes, and then there are the ones you buy by the bagful and use in practically everything! 
While they aren’t modular containers, I like these inexpensive containers from Walmart. You can buy them for $2 and change, and they do the job. They are not dishwasher safe, but then again, how often are you going to have to wash them, spices last a while. I figure I can handle washing them by hand two-three times a year. 
Notice the little yellow scoop in one of the containers? You know those scoops that come in the powdered baby formula you buy? Yeah, I’m glad I never threw any of them away! And they are dishwasher safe.

Medium Spice Storage: Oh happy dollar store day! I love these sugar storage jars, and who can beat them for a dollar? I love that when I need them I can easily grab and shake. Now, there are a couple spices I have stored in these jars that I don’t use daily, and to ensure that they are sealed well for freshness, I cut a small square swatch of clear package tape to neatly seal the pour spout. 

Small Spice Storage: Then there are those spices you use for one or two dishes, or those dishes you have ambitions to try, but haven’t “gotten around” to cooking. You know what I’m talking about, we all have them. I needed some way to store these, and fortunately I discovered that Bed Bath & Beyond has small spice containers for a dollar. Unfortunately I also discovered about 50 other items I wanted much more badly while there, and another fantastic product won out over the spice containers. Sooooo, I pulled out another freebie from my maternity/baby days. 
The hospital gave us several sealed packages of breast milk storage containers which we never used, and I kept sealed for years. Turns out they made the perfect small spice storage! They hold more than the containers I saw at Bed Bath & Beyond, but still had the small stature I needed!

Organizing my spice cabinet is an excellent time to 
enrich & diversify our meals.  
I firmly believe in exposing my kids to worldwide cuisine, why not broaden our family’s horizons? Step one for me in attempting new dishes from various cultures and regions was to enrich my spice drawer, which did translate into some really wonderful new dishes! I was inspired to try my hand at a few Thai curries, some dishes from East India, and even a few Caribbean dishes! Now I have an ever increasing repertoire of deliciousity.
Keep in mind when choosing your spices/seasonings, that while many herbs & spices can have great nutrient value, others may be a stomach irritant. Start slowly and only introduce one or two new spices at a time. See what agrees with you and your family, and avoid those items that fight your system.