Depending on how you organize your home, your pantry is either a tidy spot for storing snacks or a dungeon-like display of disorganization. If a walk-through of your current space would give Gordon Ramsay a kitchen nightmare, here are three ways to whip it into shape. Purge and Polish Before you do anything else, empty out the contents of your pantry entirely. You heard that right — everything must go! Move all your items to another room, check all expiration dates, and dispose of everything that’s gone bad. Next, check the quality of your pantry shelves and replace any that could pose a safety risk — or create a colossal mess — if they were to collapse. Next, wipe down and disinfect the entire area before filling it up again with the food items you decide to keep. Decrease and Declutter Now that you’ve determined what stays and what goes, look for ways to rearrange your pantry further. For example, cereal boxes are space-killers, so why not pour their contents into containers that will preserve freshness longer and occupy less space? You’ll create extra room for small kitchen appliances that may get in your way. SECRETS TO A SPOTLESS PANTRY Transform Your Food Zone
Repurpose and Revitalize If you need new ways to store items, look around the rest of your house before spending money at the store. Why purchase new containers when the glass jars you’d otherwise recycle would work just as well? After removing the labels, a good wash and rinse is often all it takes to make them as good as new. Do you have baskets or bins in your home you aren’t using to hold much? Empty and repurpose them to store more goodies at less cost. It’s incredible how often we burn through cash on new items when we already have plenty of things that could serve the same purpose. All you need is a little imagination!
One-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
TAKE A BREAK
Inspired by TasteOfHome.com
Ingredients
• 4 celery ribs, chopped • 4 medium carrots, chopped • 2 bay leaves • 1 tsp dried thyme • 3 cups uncooked egg noodles (about 8 oz) • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley • 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 1/2 lbs skinless,
bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 tsp salt • 1 tsp pepper • 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped • 3 garlic cloves, minced • 10 cups chicken broth
Directions
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In an 8-quart stockpot over medium- high heat, add oil and chicken and cook until golden brown, 3–4 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside. 2. Add onion to drippings; cook over medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Return chicken to pot. Add celery, carrots, bay leaves, and thyme. Reduce heat and cover; simmer until chicken is tender, 25–30 minutes. 3. Turn off heat. Remove chicken to a plate. Add noodles and let stand, covered, until noodles are tender, 20–22 minutes. 4. Shred chicken meat into bite-size pieces, and return to pot. Stir in parsley and lemon juice, and discard bay leaves.
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