The Home Edit…Not

I just discovered The Home Edit and I’m kind of obsessed. And that’s not a good thing.

The Home Edit is two charming women who organize celebrities’ stuff by color and everything they do is gorgeous. I could spend hours looking at pictures of their pantries and fridges. You know, those pictures where everything is in a clear container and organized by zone (“like things” together) but everything is also size and color coordinated? Because I have pantry issues, I am particularly susceptible to those pictures.

And then reality sets in. Have you noticed in those pictures, there will be like four tall containers on a shelf and that’s it? A few bottles of oil and vinegar on a Lazy Susan?

Here’s what’s in a normal person who likes to cook’s pantry. Just to take oil and vinegar as an example. I have an everyday olive oil and a nicer olive oil for vinaigrettes. I have a neutral oil, grape seed oil for its high smoke point, and coconut oil. For vinegars, minimum you need red wine, balsamic, rice, apple cider, and white. That doesn’t count other vinegars you might have, like a flavored vinegar. Pomegranate or blood orange vinegar anyone? Then there’s the Asian sauces, like soy sauce, mirin, fish sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar (yeah, I know I already counted that). And who doesn’t have other random sauces in their pantry like Worcestershire or hot sauce?

So no, that’s not all going to fit on a Lazy Susan. Also, the containers The Home Edit ladies use take up space, whereas putting the food directly in the pantry lets you use all the space.

And yet, I have pantry problems. My pantry is deep and dark and it’s hard to see things in the back. I actually do have a few Lazy Susans in there to help out, although it’s hard to see things on the bottom of the Lazy Susan.

Some of my other pantry problems are:

Stackable Tupperwares that hold dry goods like whole wheat flour, brown sugar, corn meal, corn starch, etc. They fit nicely in the pantry but it’s like playing Tetris when I need something that’s on the bottom or in the back.

Half empty bags of various flours and sugar. I keep flour and sugar in canisters on the counter but I bake a lot so I buy 10 lb. bags of King Arthur flour plus I have all kinds of other random flours.

Costco. Multiple boxes of chicken stock, cans of tomatoes, etc. Enough said.

The snacks that live on the counter because there is either no room in the pantry or they would get lost in the deep dark pantry.

Spices. Those aren’t actually in the pantry. They’re in two spice racks on the counter but there are always more spices than fit on the rack, plus I can’t see the spices in the back so I have to rely on making sure I put them back in the same place.

There has to be a pantry (and counter) solution that works for the cook but that is also pleasant to look at and to use. Until then, I’m still going to hate-follow The Home Edit.