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TBYT: An Organized Pantry

This post is part of a series on Taking Back Your Time.  TBYT focuses on the little habits we all can cultivate to spare those extra minutes, seconds, and hours in each day, so that we have more time to do the things we really enjoy… like blogging!

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”
~Mary Poppins

Call me weird, but few things give me more joy than an organized pantry.

And it’s not just that it gives me joy… keeping an organized pantry really does save time.  And money.  Hear me out.  Knowing exactly what is in your pantry means you can open the door and quickly have dinner options laid out for you on a busy weeknight.  It means you won’t waste money buying eight cans of chickpeas when you already have twelve cans at home (I’ve been there).  It means you have the tools in your arsenal to make a fast lunch for yourself or the kids in the morning without digging around looking for the sandwich baggies.  It means you’ll never be surprised by moldy bread (ew).

Trust me, if you put an hour or so into organizing your pantry (and if you commit to putting things back where you found them!), it will pay you back in minutes saved every day.  And those minutes really do add up.

So, wanna know what’s in my pantry?  Okay, here you go…

Top shelf (L to R): My cereals and oats, dried fruit, whole grains (millet, barley, farro), rice and quinoa.

Upper middle shelf (L to R): Whole grain pastas, sauces, mustards, nut butters, sliced bread, nuts.

Lower middle shelf: seasonings, salts, bread crumbs, oils and vinegars.

Bottom shelf (L to R): Dried beans and legumes, sea vegetables and Asian specialty ingredients, canned beans, canned veg (and some meringue cookies thrown in there for good measure).

And here’s the floor:

Winter squash and potatoes, snacks, hubby’s cereals (yes, we shop at Costco… why do you ask?).

I organize like items with like and group things together in baskets or bowls, or on trays.  For instance, I keep winter squash in a basket from Target, seasonings are in a wooden salad bowl I got for my bridal shower (I like keeping it in the pantry because I get to admire it every day!), and oils and vinegars are on a tray with a picture of Switzerland, which I pilfered from my grandmother’s house (okay, she gave it to me).  Having nice baskets and bowls to keep things in makes it easier for me to remember to put things back where they belong.  But if you’re more mature than me (ha!) then don’t bother.  See if I care.

Now, because I know you all want to see it (is that crickets I hear?), here’s my baking pantry:

There’s a method to this madness, too.  From the bottom to the top, the shelves are organized as follows:

Bottom shelf: sugars (granulated, brown, sucanat, confectioner’s, honey, flavored).

Lower middle: flours.

Middle: baking essentials (extracts, liquers, baking powder/soda, salt, measuring cups, etc.)

Upper middle: mixing bowls.

Top: holiday items and cake/cookie decorating.

Keeping these pantries organized saves me hours in the long run, because I know exactly where to find what I’m looking for.  So call me a dork… whatever, I don’t care.  I know where my lentils are.  Do you?

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Lighter Twice-Baked Potatoes

Would you believe that I had never made twice-baked potatoes before?  Shoot, I’ve barely ever even eaten them.  I don’t know why… the few times I’ve had twice-baked potatoes, I liked them.  I liked them very much indeed.  I always make sure to grab the little bite-sized TBPs from buffets when they’re there, but for some reason it never really occurred to me to bake them at home.

Then last spring, hubby and I visited our friends in Texas, and they fed us twice-baked potatoes.  Holy home cookin’ revelation, Batman!  They’re not hard, and they’re always appreciated.  Why not whip some up at home?  Well, time got away from me, as it often does.  But the other night, I found myself looking for a quick side dish to whip up, with a bag of Yukon Golds languishing in the bottom of my freakishly organized pantry.  So I thought I would lighten up the traditional twice-baked potato by mixing it with nonfat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, mayonnaise, or Ranch dressing.  It’s not a complete health food, of course… there’s a bit of cheese in there, if you hadn’t noticed.  Hey, protein, right?  Anyway, the flavor is spot on and the guilt isn’t quite as debilitating.  Go ahead, have one.

Lighter Twice-Baked Potatoes

5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 + 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar-Jack cheese mix
~1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

  • Scrub Yukon Gold potatoes and wrap in two paper towels (one large packet is fine; no need to individually wrap the potatoes).  Place on a microwave-safe plate and microwave 8 minutes, until potatoes are soft.  Remove from microwave and allow to rest a few minutes until potatoes are soft enough to handle.
  • Meanwhile, position a rack a few inches below the top of your oven and preheat the broiler to high.
  • Halve the potatoes.  Using a teaspoon, scoop out the insides of each potato half, making sure to leave enough potato flesh so that the shells retain their structural integrity.  (How’s that for words?  I’m a lawyer!)
  • Place potato flesh in a bowl and combine with yogurt, 1/2 cup cheese, salt and pepper.  Using a fork (or potato masher, if you are fancy like that), mash together the potatoes, yogurt and cheese until they are combined and fluffy, but don’t be too precious about lumps.  We’re going for rustic here.
  • Scoop potato filling back into shells.  Press a pinch of reserved cheese on each potato half.
  • Broil approximately 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly and filling is warmed through.

Makes 10 potato halves.

Source: Covered In Flour

Also, just because I can…

This is Ezra.  He’s my new nephew.  He’s part beagle, part rat terrier, part Doberman, ALL cuteness.  Hi, Ezra!

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Rustic White Beans and Mushrooms

Ohhhhh, yes please.  This is one of those dishes that you can make all year round, but it’s particularly satisfying in fall.  The creamy white bean and the caramelized onions and savory mushrooms come together to create an earthy, heavenly, mish-mosh of flavors and textures.  Paired with some whole-grain bread (or Ezekiel English muffins, as I did here ’cause I’m lazy), it’s a perfect dish to throw together and make you feel like life is worth living even on a rainy Monday.  I promise.  And you know I don’t make promises I can’t keep.

Rustic White Beans and Mushrooms

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large leek, sliced thin
1 package gourmet mix mushrooms (or shiitakes)
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

  • Warm the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add the chopped leeks and saute gently until soft.  Remove from pan and reserve.
  • In the same pan, saute the mushrooms until they are golden and caramelized, 10-12 minutes.  Keep them moving and add more olive oil if necessary (but only if necessary).
  • When the mushrooms are caramelized, add the leeks back and pour in the beans.  Mix well, season with the salt, pepper, and dried herbs, and warm the beans through.  Serve over whole grain bread or pasta.

Source: Adapted from Veganomicon, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero

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Rue Cler, a.k.a. Foodie Paradise

While we were in Paris, hubby and I stayed in a cute hotel off of Rue Cler, which was one of the prettiest, most picturesque corridors in the city.  First and foremost, Paris is a city of neighborhoods – much like D.C.  Hubs and I gave great thought to which neighborhood we wanted to make our home base for our five (awesome!) days in my new favorite city.  Our guidebook (Rick Steves, which I highly recommend) suggested Rue Cler among a few other neighborhoods, and we knew almost instantly it was for us.

Rue Cler is a little street located close to many of the major sights.  It is a neighborhood where locals actually live, and staying there, you can begin to feel what it might be like to be a Parisian.  You stop for your morning cafe creme at Cafe Rousillon…

Pick up some fromage, the smellier the better…

Check out the fresh catch at the seafood market…

Browse for produce (all so fresh, amazing!) at Top Halles corner market, an offshoot of the famous Les Halles superstore…


These strawberries were to die for.  Seriously.  Best strawberries ever.

And finally, you relax with an aperitif (kir royale, anyone?) in one of the little sidewalk cafes.  Tres magnifique!

Rue Cler was the perfect neighborhood for newbies to the Paris scene.  Hubby and I felt like locals, but we were a short walk or a hop, skip and a jump on the Metro away from the major tourist attractions we wanted to hit.  Perhaps the best thing about Rue Cler was that we were just a ten minute walk from the Eiffel Tower!  We made it a ritual to pick up a Rue Cler picnic for breakfast each morning (a fresh baguette from one of the boulangeries, a wedge of Brie from the fromagerie, a pint of strawberries from Les Halles, and cafe creme from Cafe Rousillon) and walk over to the Eiffel Tower to start our days in its shadow.  It was a very, very good way to welcome another morning in Paris.  And all possible thanks to the abundance of Rue Cler.

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Paris: Iconic

Paris.  The city of light, the most romantic place in the world.  Where to begin?


Eating Berthillon ice cream on Ile St. Louis.

Paris was basically everything I dreamed that it would be, and more.  The iconic images of Paris – the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre-Dame – were all even more spectacular in person than in pictures.  The people were warm, friendly and welcoming.  The art was beautiful.  The food was tremendous.  I think I’ll just let this city speak for itself in pictures…

If you haven’t been there, go.  Tell them messybaker sent you.  Bon voyage!

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Burgundy: The Wine Country


Burgundian Vineyards

It’s no secret that I love wine.  I love everything about it – the aromas, the flavors, the adventure of learning about my palate and pairing food with wine… and I especially love visiting the great wine regions of the world.  There’s always something new to experience in the world of wine.  Hubby and I are turning into quite the wine tourists, with last year’s trip to California and this year’s travels in Provence and then Burgundy.


Messy and Hubs testing the merchandise outside Beaune, Burgundy

Burgundy is my favorite wine region in the world.  I’ve known this since I took Introduction to Wines at Cornell and every Burgundy wine was like a religious experience.  Most Burgundy wines are made with either Pinot Noir (red) or Chardonnay (white), although there is a tiny minority of both red and white wines made from other grapes.  Extra credit if you can name them…


Pinot Noir grapes on the vine

Burgundy is divided into several sub-regions, including Chablis (mmmmm!), the Cote de Nuits, the Cote de Beaune, and Macon.  Hubby and I stayed outside of Beaune and spent the bulk of our time in the nearby villages, tasting in Pommard and Puligny-Montrachet.  If you’re a winey, those names are probably familiar to you.  They were to me – and there was much squealing when we rolled into Pommard – but I learned something new about the wines of each village while I was tasting there.


Cave de Pommard – a tasting room we visited


Beautiful tasting space


Caveau de Puligny-Montrachet, a laid-back wine bar with a mischievous cat


Important note-taking going on here

The Burgundian villages and vineyards were gorgeous… and the best way to see them was by bike, of course!  We rented bikes in Beaune and cruised out for a half-day of sightseeing.  I was completely blown away by the incredibly picturesque little villages dotting the countryside.  We rolled by ancient churches and gorgeous castles and through acres of rolling vines.


Biking the Route de Grand Crus, Burgundy

This trip was a pilgrimmage of sorts for me.  I felt like I was at the heart of the wine world, in the place where the magic really happens.  And as much as I look forward to my wine club shipments from California, no wine will ever replace Burgundy for me.  Especially now that I’ve been there and seen the countryside with my own eyes.

I can’t wait to go back.  Until then… drink up!

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I Try Escargots!


Messy and Hubs in Beaune, in the heart of Burgundy.

Escargots… snails… they’re a Burgundian specialty.  So much that, in other parts of France, the menus don’t just say “Escargots,” they say “Escargots du Bourgogne.”  Escargots of Burgundy.  Obviously, we needed to try them.  In Burgundy, you can order Escargots at a restaurant, but you can also buy the shells and the snails in their garlic-herb butter to prepare yourself at home.  We didn’t think our hotel would be too enthusiastic about option 2, so we decided to order them in a restaurant.

Here goes…


They arrive steaming hot, with a frightening apparatus for picking them up by the shell and a tiny fork for fishing them out.


Steeling my nerves…


Don’t let the dramatic face fool you.  I actually liked them.

We discovered another way to eat Escargots – maybe even better – at Caves Madeleine, a tiny communal-table-restaurant-and-wine-shop in Beaune.  There the chef sent out a silky smooth cassoulet of Escargots, potatoes, and a heart-stopping amount of butter.  Not something I normally eat, but dang if it wasn’t satisfying in the moment, especially after a hard day of sightseeing in Burgundy (more on that later).  And after all, when in Burgundy, do what the Burgundians do… right?


Cassoulet d’Escargots

It was an adventure, certainly.  Escargots is one of those foods that, for many people, represents “food that only fancy people eat and I find a little weird.”  But how can you go wrong with garlic and butter?  C’est delicieux!

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The Cotes du Rhone Wine Road


View from the terrace of our B&B in Vaison-la-Romaine, Provence.

Provence has a few standout wine regions, including Chateaunneuf-du-Pape and the Cotes du Rhone.  During our stay in Provence, hubby and I knew we wanted to see the Cotes du Rhone and try some of the region’s wines.  We’re both fans of the reds, and I am a big proponent of rose wines (they’re misunderstood and they need a friend) – and the Rhone does roses particularly well.  As it happens, not only does the Cotes du Rhone produce magnificent wines (at a great value), but it’s also insanely charming.


Vineyards of the Cotes du Rhone.


Seguret.

We tasted some standout Rhone reds at Domaine de Mourchon, a winery that is blending the best new technology with the most delicious traditions.


Grapes ripening on a trellis at Domaine de Mourchon.


Hillside vineyards at Domaine de Mourchon.


A little tipsy from all that fruit of the vine…


More time-standing-still charm in Le Crestet.


Col de la Chaine, a scenic overlook with a view of the Dentelles.


Pristine, peaceful Suzette.


Relaxed Gigondas.

Traveling the Cotes du Rhone wine road was quite an experience!  I’ve always liked the Rhone wines – great drinking wines for a good value – but now that I’ve seen their home terroir, I think I’ll be seeking them out much more.

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Market Day in Provence


Sunny town square in Arles, Provence.

Provence has been on my list of “high priority destinations” for years.  It’s famous for many things – sunflowers and lavender, olive trees, Van Gogh, wines from the Cotes du Rhone and Chateaunneuf-du-Pape, the Avignon papacy… I could go on and on.  In just a few days in Provence, I fell completely in love with the entire region.  Hubby and I stayed in the charming medieval city of Vaison-la-Romaine, and if I ever deal with the hassle of putting my house on the market and moving, it will be to move there.  I loved Vaison-la-Romaine – and all of Provence – just that much.

One thing that Provence is particularly famous for is its market days.  Every Provencal city and town – from the tiniest backwater to Avignon itself – has a market day.  Sure, they’ve gotten a little bit touristy and some of the stalls are better than others, but there’s still no place like a Provencal market to showcase the best the region has to offer, from spices to dried lavender to fresh baskets of veggies and colorful linens.  Hubby and I knew we had to make it to one of the markets, and we heard the Arles market was one of the best.  So, fresh off the plane in Marseille, sleep-deprived to the point of being woozy, we drove straight to Arles for market day.  It was worth it.


First view upon entering the market lanes – charcuterie and crowds.


There were olives everywhere.  I believe this was when I started falling in love.


Fromage?  Oui, sil vous plait.


The market was heady with the fragrance of spices.


Ready for ratatouille!


The produce was some of the freshest and most colorful I’ve ever seen.


Lavender – the pride of Provence.

Visiting a Provencal market was a dream come true for this foodie and farmers market junkie.  And if the sights and aromas weren’t enough, hubby and I had our first bite of France in the Arles market – a sample of pistou (a Provencal tapenade) on fresh bread.  It tasted like briny sunshine… dare I say, like Provence.

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La Belle France

Well, the hubby and I are home from our fabulous trip to France and starting to settle back into our routine again.  We had an amazing time in Provence, Burgundy and Paris, and I have lots of fun posts planned about the food and wine of those regions.  In the meantime, here are a few favorite pictures from the trip:


View of the Dentelles, Provence.


Idyllic Burgundian vineyards.


Eiffel Tower glowing on our first night in the City of Light.

There’s plenty more to come, including a trip to a traditional Provencal market, and me trying Escargot!  Stay tuned!