Rita @Newyorkrita, I can send you some Cajun spices from down here for your rices that would rival any Zatarain foods. Slap Yo' Mama is a good one, as is the famous Tony Chachere.

ShadyGreenThumb said:Rita @Newyorkrita, I can send you some Cajun spices from down here for your rices that would rival any Zatarain foods. Slap Yo' Mama is a good one, as is the famous Tony Chachere.

Yes, I know, I have seen those spices. I don't wish to try and make my own. This works for me. Hey, you guys that are better cooks great but I am not such a great cook and not interested in trying to be at this stage in life.

I hear you, Rita. Cooking isn't my favorite thing, either. I spend a heck of a lot of time at it now, but that's to a large extent because of our health needs.

One blessing is that my husband does most of the grocery shopping now. That's a bonus.

Karen

I enjoy cooking but not from recipe..InLOVE to find recipes tho. I read and then never look again but toss together something "based on"' -- I just need ideas because I tend to get in a rut and fix same thing. Now that winter is coming...I will do more hearty crock potty things..stuff chops more, and I will use the oven more. I love to read what you all are serving because it gives me ideas. I need to try more spices..lI definitely tend to use the same ones... even the flavored salts.. I have 20 or more but find I use the same 3 0r 4..and I do not go to trader joes, but have seen some repeat sides here that I want to try.

I love steel cut oats too. I don't fix quinoa but buy salads from my local co-op

I have a lot of herbs and spices stuffed into a tiny cabinet beside my stove. I can never find what I want, and I can only reach the bottom shelf. I live on a folding foot stool.

My kitchen is too small. I can only keep so much stuff.

Karen

I had one small cabinet by the stove filled with spices. I got those riser shelves to help organize it. Then I got a pantry shelf for them.First my husband built shelves on the side of one cabinet, invisible from the room. I used that for mexican spices. Now my husband built shelves on the inside of the pantry door for me. That finally means my spices are organized and I can actually find them. Now I can actually find and use them! I don't have a pic of them, but this is the idea for the door.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/2...

With my floor plan, my pantry is actually around the corner from my kitchen, closer to the powder room. It's just not a convenient spot for stuff like spices that I need at the stove so often.

We do have one of those wire shelves that goes from top to bottom of the pantry door, like this
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D8OYUTM/

Karen

Those are great too, Karen. I had those at a previous home. It really helps to have everything visible. When I was organizing my herbs and spices, I'd find 2 or 3 cans of some things that I purchased thinking I was out of them.

It is very convenient to simply be able to not plan too much ahead and open one package and there are the fixings for dinner.

Yes, I know supposed to stay away from processed foods for totally healthy eating but we do what we can. More power too you all that cook from scratch.

In the summer I do eat most of my meals from the garden. Things need minimum cooking or they can be eaten raw. Always tomatoes. Then I have my summer squash and eggplants. Beans and peppers. Cucumbers. Even home grown cantaloupes. All good and healthy eating.

I am sitting here now drinking down my morning smoothie health food green superfood and protein shake. With it I take my morning suppliment pills. Stuff is really good for me and nutritionally like you ate servings of raw and juiced veggies.

Would I ever buy and make my own fruit and veggie smoothie? Never. Too much work and I hate to ruin the taste of good food. I just eat my fruit and veggies. But I scarf down my smoothie shake each morning.

Shake-
Perfect Food Raw
Garden of Life Raw Meal
Whey Protein
cinnamon for flavor
in Soy or Almond milk.

Yumm delicious!! Okay just kidding on the delicious part but at least it tastes good enough that I can get it down. So good for me!!

kqcrna said:With my floor plan, my pantry is actually around the corner from my kitchen, closer to the powder room. It's just not a convenient spot for stuff like spices that I need at the stove so often.

We do have one of those wire shelves that goes from top to bottom of the pantry door, like this
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D8OYUTM/

Karen

Nothing in my small kitchen is convenient. To compensate, I've made a practice of pulling out everything I need before I start cooking. It certainly makes putting a meal together much more efficient, but there few impulsive, intuitive additions as I go along.

Oh, well. I do like other parts of the house a lot. Since I don't really enjoy cooking, I didn't buy this house for the kitchen ...

My kitchen is small too. And not much storage. I have to keep my canned goods down on a shelf in the basement as there is no other place to put them. My microwave is on a mico wave cabinet which has storage for boxed type pantry items below in a closed cabinet. It is in my office and there is no way I could get it in my kitchen. So yes, you do what you can and I just deal with it. There is no way anything is going to change in my house.

I think I am up to 124 bottles of spices and blends. Cannot imagine using the same thing more than once a week. Had a friend stop by and asked if any of them are good for chicken. Only about 100 I replied. Send me a tree mail if you need suggestions and/or samples. Gene

I am sure you are a great cook!!

I have very few spices. I just don't use them.

I saw a false front door..full sized.. it fastens to the front of the closet's door. ( like a 4 inch deep tall medicine cabinet ) interesting

My spices...maybe 35-45 jars all sit in a deep drawer..I can look down and read the labeled tops. But I truly use 6-8 consistently...not counting the salts

MISSINGROSIE said:I saw a false front door..full sized.. it fastens to the front of the closet's door. ( like a 4 inch deep tall medicine cabinet ) interesting

My spices...maybe 35-45 jars all sit in a deep drawer..I can look down and read the labeled tops. But I truly use 6-8 consistently...not counting the salts

But your a great cook. I am always reading about something extra yummy you have made.

I'm afraid I have hundreds of jars, but I consistently use maybe 10. The others are used infrequently.

Can I guess that the 10 you use are because you know what they are good for and the rest are a question mark? Send me a tree mail with the names of some of the "other" ones and perhaps I can suggest something. Gene

I do know what they're good for, Gene, but thank you for the offer. One of myy favorite places to shop is Penzey's.
https://www.penzeys.com/

Healthy eating. Read labels. That for sure includes spice mixes/blends. I do not buy any mix that contains salt, sugar, dyes, preservatives. Adobo is a great example. Wonderful blend from SW Mexico. Great as a meat rub and many other uses. I found 15 merchants selling an Adobo mix. All 15 of them had salt in them. 6 even had salt as the first ingredient. 60% salt in one mix. I found one blend (the one I use of course) that has salt listed last (Him. Pink salt, a good one.) Teeny Tiny Spice Company of Vermont. Gene

Penzey's does have a salt free adobo seasoning. It's very good, too.
https://www.penzeys.com/online...