Pantry Makeover!

I'll be honest, our pantry had become a complete nightmare! For the past few weeks I think we literally would just close our eyes & throw stuff in there. Not kidding. Thanks to some major inspiration from the Blog world & Pinterest, we have a whole "New Pantry!" Can an organized pantry be life-changing?? I'm beginning to think so! I am so happy with the way it turned out & it really didn't take that much time! I hope this inspires you to give your pantry a makeover, too :)

I was so eager to start this project that I didn't take any "before" photos. So you'll just have to enjoy the final result!!...



Some Tips:
*Take everything out of your pantry. Toss what you don’t use or need.
*Place like items together.
*To start just buy a few different baskets/bins (sizes, types, etc) & play around with how they look in your pantry, how big or small of a basket you need for a particular group of items you have. Plan on going back to the store to get more of the sizes that you need.
*Everything needs a "home"... this will help to keep things nice & neat!
*Label, label, label! This way everyone in your house will know where things go, & it will be more likely to stay well-organized!
*Meal plan to cut down on the random buys that end up filling your pantry. A couple of years ago I started making weekly menus for our lunches & dinners. It really helps to keep our weeks running smoothly!

*I already had some of the baskets & storage containers, but needed to buy a few more things...

Plastic Baskets:
Here are the baskets I ended up choosing (In all three sizes: small, medium, large). They can be found in the kitchen section of Target. The largest size was just $4.99!...


3-Drawer Storage Bins...
We already had two of these in our pantry, but I ended up buying another one. They really make good use of the wasted space at the bottom of the pantry. Also found at Target...


Labels:
I found these cute labels for FREE on Pinterest:

I simply typed in all my information, & then took my Flash drive to Office Max. I asked them to print everything on a sheet of card stock & then laminate it! I have the the file saved on my computer in case I need to make new labels/change labels in the future. I attached them using double-sided tape or with ribbon. Email me at travisfamily2008@gmail.com if you would like me to send you an editable version of these labels so you can type your information in!



*Here are all the labels I ended up making:

Baskets:
Boxed Items
Jars/Liquids
Misc. Spices
Lunch Bags
Paper Products (Paper plates, plastic cups, straws, etc)
Food Storage (Ziplock bags, foil, etc)
Baking Supplies
Measuring Cups/Spoons
Snacks (When I buy individually-wrapped snacks... I take everything out of the boxes! So much less clutter!)
Towels
Brita Filters/Extra Utensils

Attached to the Shelves:
Canned Goods
Spices
Cereal

3-Drawer Rolling Cart Bins:
Coupons
Henry & Emma (Our dogs' stuff!)
Bibs/Rice Cereal
Coffee/Tea
Pasta/Rice
Sippy Cups
Baby Food Jars/Bottles/Breast Pump Supplies
Kids' Plates & Bowls

Food Containers:
Oatmeal
Flour, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Powdered Sugar


Thanks to these 2 Blogs for the inspiration!:

Pantry Makeover!

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

I tried my 1st recipe from Pinterest last night & it was yummy! I've been wanting to get more use out of our Crockpot, but really don't have many recipes that I like. Most of the time we just use it to make Pot Roast or Chicken Noodle Soup. I came across this recipe, tried it out, & will definitely make it again! I love the simplicity of using the Crockpot!

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
½ cup chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 can (15 ounce) black beans, rinsed & drained
1 can (14.5 ounce) Rotel diced tomatoes (*I bought the Hot ones, which was a BIG mistake! Next time I think I'll buy Mild or do a 10 oz can of Mild + 4.5 ounces of a Hot can)
1 package (10 oz) frozen corn
½ cup onion, chopped
½ cup bell pepper, diced
1 can (10 oz) Enchilada sauce
2 whole chicken breasts
1 cup shredded Colby-Monterrey Jack cheese

Directions:
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour; keep stirring until smooth & bubbly. Remove from heat & add the chicken broth & ½ cup milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth. Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. In a large bowl, whisk together the enchilada sauce & chicken broth mixture. Gradually whisk in remaining milk until smooth. Set aside.

In a crockpot, combine drained beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, & bell pepper. Place the chicken breasts on top of the mixture. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker. Cover; cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. When you are ready to serve, remove chicken & cut or shred into bite-sized pieces. Add chicken back into the soup, mix together. Add shredded cheese.

Ideas for Toppings: Extra shredded cheese, slices of avocado, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, etc.

Recipe courtesy of this Blog via Pinterest.

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Baked French Toast

3 reasons I love this recipe:
1. It's SIMPLE!
2. You can make it the night before! Which makes it the perfect dish to serve guests for breakfast/brunch.
3. It tastes like a warmed pecan roll :)

Baked French Toast
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1 ½ cups milk
1 cup half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
16 slices cinnamon swirl bread (You will need to buy 2 packages)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter @ room temperature (I take out the night before & leave on counter)
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons syrup
1 cup chopped pecans

The night before:
Cut the 16 slices of bread in half.

Whisk the eggs, milk, half & half, vanilla & cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Dip each bread slice in the egg mixture, & place in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the bread rolls. Chill, covered, for 12 hours or longer.

The next morning:
Combine the butter, brown sugar, & maple syrup in a small bowl & mix well. Stir in the pecans. Spread over the bread. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until golden.

*Recipe courtesy of Patty Mullins.

Baked French Toast

Vanilla French Toast

An easy way to jazz up your French Toast!

Ingredients:
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk (or half & half)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8+ slices of bread
Butter or Pam Cooking Spray

Directions:
1. In a shallow bowl, beat together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, & nutmeg. Dip bread slices into egg mixture, coating both sides.

2. In a very large skillet or on a griddle, melt butter (or use Pam Cooking Spray) over medium heat. Add half of the bread slices & cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until golden, turning once. Repeat with remaining bread slices. Serve with butter, maple syrup, & powdered sugar... and any fruit toppings you prefer (bananas, strawberries, etc)!

*Recipe courtesy of Mary Montes (Recipe.com)

Vanilla French Toast

Turkey Meatloaf with Feta & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

A perfect weeknight dinner! I remember the 1st time I made this. Chris said, "Meatloaf for dinner?? I really don't like Meatloaf." I think my response went something like this... "Just eat it. Be happy I made dinner." (Ha!) Well, he loved it! I've made it several times since then & it is always surprisingly good! Ben loves it, too! :)

Since the recipe calls for ground turkey instead of ground beef it doesn't leave you with that "heavy, greasy feeling" after you're done eating. Serve with some veggies & potatoes on the side & you've got yourself an easy dinner!

Turkey Meatloaf with Feta & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Cooking spray
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped garlic & herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes (or whatever you can find!)
2 cloves garlic, minced/finely chopped
2 eggs, @ room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb ground turkey thigh

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, eggs, milk, feta, salt, & pepper. Add the turkey & gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat.

Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan & bake for about 45-60 minutes. Remove from the oven & let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board & slice.

*Recipe Courtesy of Giada De Laurentis.

Turkey Meatloaf with Feta & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Giveaway #2

It's time for another Giveaway! I'm so curious to see who reads this Blog! I often check the Stats of my Blog & see that sometimes I have people from various countries checking out my recipes?! But really, I would just love to know what recipes people have tried & enjoyed! I also felt that it was time to do another Giveaway, as it motivates me to keep trying new recipes :)

Don't be Shy! Here's what you can win!...

The key to making all your cookies turn out the same size... a cookie scooper! If you are the lucky winner, you will receive the Oxo Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop!

AND... a dozen homemade cookies!

Yes, the Giveaway also includes 1 dozen of my "Favorite Cookies" :)

One winner will be chosen! Here are the different ways you can enter the Giveaway...

1. Become a public follower of my "Kim's Kitchen" Blog (Or leave me a comment telling me you already are!) (1 Entry)

2. Leave a comment on this Post telling me what recipe you've tried from "Kim's Kitchen" & what the occasion was (1 Entry) *Each recipe equals 1 entry, so if you made several of my recipes you can post separate comments to earn more entries! :)

3. Use the "Share" box located towards the bottom of your favorite recipe posting to share a recipe on your Facebook, & leave me a comment to let me know you did this (2 Entries)

This giveaway begins today, November 9th, and will end on November 23rd! Of course, the more entries you have the better your chances are of winning! The winner will be chosen using Random.org. You must respond within 48 hours from the time I post the winner or I'll select another winner at random. Once the winner contacts me, I will mail him/her a cookie scooper & a dozen yummy cookies!

You might be wondering...
*How do I become a public follower of this Blog?
On the left side of the page, click on the "Follow" box & follow the prompts.

*How do I leave a Comment?
Simply click on the 'o Comments' link located at the bottom right of this posting & type away!

*How do I "Share" a recipe using Facebook?
Simply click on the "Share" box located at the bottom of the recipe posting you like, & follow the prompts. Don't forget to also leave me a comment letting me know :)

Good Luck!

travisfamily2008@gmail.com

Giveaway #2

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

One of my new favorites is The Pioneer Woman! She grew up as a "City Girl", fell in love with a Cowboy & now lives on a ranch with him & their four children. She started a Blog a couple of years ago... which resulted in a beautiful cookbook at Barnes & Noble, and as of this past August, her own FoodNetwork show! She can't replace my beloved Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa), but she is a close 2nd!

I had never made anything using "Pumpkin" before, & told myself that this Fall I would. I came across this recipe, gave it a try, & they were seriously SO GOOD! Super, super moist & of course the cream cheese frosting made them even more yummy!

Here is her recipe! Be sure to check out her Blog posting though. She has great step-by-step photos (as she does with almost all of her recipes!).

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

Muffin Ingredients:
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1/2 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1-1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons Butter, cut into pieces
1 cup (heaping) Pumpkin Puree (NOT pumpkin pie puree)
1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
1 whole Egg
1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

Topping:
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

Frosting:
1/4 cup Softened Butter
4 ounces Cream Cheese
1/2 pound Powdered Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

Preparation Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, & salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, & vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Fold gently until mixture is just combined.

Pour into a greased muffin pan. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin.

Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove & allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting.

To make the frosting, mix all ingredients on high until soft & whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins. Store in the fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature.

*Recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman.

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting