Kitchen Cupboard Organization

As any business guru will tell you; "if you want to improve it, you have to be able to measure it." But how do you measure kitchen organization? I’ll tell you my method….for me it boils down to how many containers of cayenne spice I have in my cupboard.

Let me explain; I have a go-to recipe for "Spicy Peanut Chicken" that I make about once a month. One of the ingredients that it calls for is ¼ teaspoon of cayenne spice. For those of you who know what cayenne is (extremely spicy red pepper powder) you’ll know that ¼ teaspoon is a lot….but volumetrically speaking…it’s a tiny bit. So small that one little spice container should last for at least two years.

If so…then why do I have 5 bottles worth of it? I’ll tell you why: I couldn’t find a thing in my cupboard. And even thought I check my supplies before heading to the grocery store, I always end up buying another full one. In my defense, I don’t have a super modern kitchen with endless drawers or "lazy Susans." I’ve got one corner cupboard that has to store everything from spices, to rice to measuring cups and as soon as something is pushed to the back…its gone…out of site out of mind.

The solution I found was quite simple (and inexpensive). I bought four of the Rubbermaid turntables. These four simple spinning wheels have revolutionized my little corner. Now with a quick spin I can survey my arsenal of spices and other supplies. It takes a second and has stopped me from double-buying any spices or losing any kitchen items

It always amazes me how a small little adjustment can make a big difference. Does anyone else out there have a similar Kitchen cupboard confession?