Pantry Porn - Sniper style!

[Sniper-T]

I've made reference a couple times about the renovations that I've been doing to my pantry. I thought I'd throw up a few pics for your perusal. I only took a few prior to the start, and then again at completion, as I didn't want to have the camera out in the drywall dust.

I use the term 'Pantry' with a grain of salt. The only thing that makes it a Pantry, is the pile of food that is in there. lol

My house is an open concept design, so there aren't too many rooms, nor closets etc, so I need to make use of all the space I can. My pantry is basically the space under my stairs. which we initially used for brooms/mops/vaccuum, etc. It was just a jumbled mess, That things kept getting shoved into. The access to my crawlspace is in there too, so I have to keep a goodly chunk of floor space open in case I need to get down to my furnace or something.

This reno has been a work in progress, with additional things added as needed. The first thing I did was put up a couple shelves on the right side. Which almost immediately became inundated with stuff, and have looked basically like this for the last 3 years:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP6931.jpg

Since that didn't really do much for enticing my wife into prepping and stocking MORE stuff, I added more shelves. This time I decided to utilive the back of the stair risers themselves. screwed in some angle brackets and put up a series of shelves:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP6936-1.jpg

And that left me with the right wall, where I just put up some hooks for the mops etal, and a little bookshelf which was crammed full of stuff too. Note that the wall behind the mess is drywall, and there is only a few inches of room available for the most part because of the hatch in the floor. So I couldn't put shelves on that side even though I wanted to:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP6933.jpg

Or... could I...

Taking a page from a bookshelf I built upstairs, I ripped the drywall off that right wall, so I had exposed studs and the back of the drywall that was my living room wall. I was stuck with a couple of outlets in the way, as I didn't want to punch new holes in the living room wall, and then have to patch and repaint in there.

So I picked up a bunch of 12" shelves, and ripped them down to just under 6" each, which was the biggest I could go without interfering. I then notched them to fit around the studs, and secure them with angle brackets:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP6935.jpg

The studs actually came in handy, and act as natural dividers for different types of food. This allowed me enough room to empty out my big kitchen cabinet, and dedicate a few shelves in there to drygoods such as pasta and rice.

Here's a shot of it as it sits now, with the exception of the vaccuum that got added in in the back:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP6938.jpg

[GunnerMax]

you need more beer....

otherwise, what an awesome job man!

[Sniper-T]

Here is the right wall again, I currently have the hooks on there so all the brooms etc can hang by the door.. but I am eyeballing that drywall on that side now too, particularly up closer to the front, where that existing shelf is. That is a 6" wall on this side, So Countersunk, I could easily put a 12" set of shelves in there, and utilize that space a bit better too. Or... If I can find a new place to keep the brooms and mops, I could shelve that whole side:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP6937.jpg

I don't have any 'before' shots, but here is the kitchen cabinet as well:
http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP6952.jpg

The Pasta Shelf, with the asian noodles on the right side, in layers to the back. as I empty the boxes, I slide another one foreward, grab one from LTS put it in the back, and but one (or two) to replace the one in LTS.

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP6953.jpg

Below that is the rice/soup shelf, set up the same way. finish a box, slide a new one foreward and replenish from LTS, then replace LTS. All of the Long and short grains are currently in bags near the back, but I think I'm going to start using 2 liter bottles for that:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP6954.jpg

My wife's baking Shelf, I gave it a cursory cleaning and sorting. But It needs additional attention:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP6955.jpg

[Sniper-T]

And since I'm at it, my bulk spices just get tucked into the back of a seldom used cupboard, to be pulled out as needed:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP6948-1.jpg

My Lazy susan contains the bulk of my spices(herbs):

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP6949.jpg

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP6950.jpg

And a drawer right beside the stove holds my favourite and most commonly used day to day spices:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP6951.jpg

[Evolver]

Great job on utilizing all the space in the room. BTW I see the Franks Hot sauce... When you having us over for chicken wings? :p

[Sniper-T]

hmmm... now that's an idea. Was thinking about doing some franks ribs, but maybe I'll do chicken instead. Can you be here for 5:00 tonight?

And the Liquor cabinet isn't pictured, and I don't tend to drink a lot of beer in the winter, so I just keep some in the fridge.

In the summer though, I have a full sized pepsi machine in the garage that'll hold 4 cases of bottled water, 8 doz. Dr. Pepper. 8 doz. Pepsi and 32 dozen beer

:)

[work in progress]

Holy Mother - look at all the spices! That's amazing! Think about all the space you could reclaim on that lazy Susan if you had a few risers to stack them on. But seriously - great job and nice handy work. Now all I can think of is crab dip........

[Evolver]

Can't make it tonight my Tellaporter is acting up... :mad: Theres no telling where we would end up or what we would look like when we did, but thank you for the offer. :)

[Sniper-T]

Dont count yourselves out yet Evolver, I've got my best man working on the problem!

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t125/realityhandbook/jamesdoohan.jpg

[bacpacker]

Franks seems to pop up everywhere. We just had quesadilla's from a roast with a generous amount of Franks. We also had Chili over the weekend loaded up with it.

Sniper that is some nice, well thought out work in the closet. You did good working around what you had to. Nice use of space.

[realist]

Thank goodness the pictures were slow in loading I thought I would be missing out. Don't worry about the beer it just makes you blotted and is lousy snake bite medicine. It is for that reason that I only import the best medicine, Jameson's! That said great job on using your available space.

[LUNCHBOX]

Very nice use of space.

[Sniper-T]

Thanks! next step is going to put some pegboard up on the top two risers, with some hooks, then the things like Liptons noodles and Sauce/Rice, and packages of Soup will have a place to hang.

[mollypup]

Now if everybody prepped like Sniper the world would be a lot safer place! :D

[Grumpy Old Man]

You guys need to get hip to Cholula's chipotle hot sauce! Their habanero is also very good! Seriously Sniper, job well done! If you want to warm up you can come down here; I've got some projects that could use your gentle touch.

[Sniper-T]

^ that is actually my favourite sauce!! I'm just about out of stock though. I got all that Franks for .50 a bottle, so I stocked up. theres a couple cases in LTS

[izzyscout21]

^ that is actually my favourite sauce!! I'm just about out of stock though. I got all that Franks for .50 a bottle, so I stocked up. theres a couple cases in LTS

Grumpy, he has to swing by my place first. There's a couple projects waiting for him to start.

[Sniper-T]

I think you guys will have to wait until I finish my "honey-do" list, or I may have to move in with ya.

For some reason my wife likes to see one project reach conclusion prior to starting the next. And her list, is the highest of the high priorities

[Sniper-T]

Given a discussion in RJ's barrel thread, I thought I'd add a couple other things in here, rather than hi-jack his thread.

Most of my long term storage stuff, is set up in barrels like these, suspended hanging from the ceiling to minimize the footprint on the ground, and let that be used for other things:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP8397.jpg

Since most of the extended family drinks a fair amount of wine, I make a lot of wine. When I moved into this house, this is a wine rack that the previous owners left for us. I had to fill it myself though. lol

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP8399.jpg

When it came time to expand, I looked into getting more tubes, but they were quite expensive, so I went to plan B, and made one myself:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP8395.jpg

Since I had surplus left over, I used tongue and groove cedar, screwed it together double thick, nice and tight together. Then I drilled a grid of 1-3/8" holes on a 12 degree angle downwards. I then screwed this into the beam under the house, and I have a suspended wine rack.

One thing I didn't like, is that in trying to maximize bottles, they got pretty tight together especially in the middle, so in my second rack (on the right in the next pic), I closed them up (tighter together), but drilled the holes alternating up and down, so the bottles would hang on both sides, which almost doubled the capacity, while still opening up the congestion.

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/IMGP8400.jpg

The other one in the pic, is just a store bought one a friend had given me.

[Evolver]

Now thats using your noggin on the double sided rack!

[Katrina]

3ba92db5526eebce8cf56fea773ceb2c
Okay Guys Here they are Pics of my "new" kitchen AND Pantry If you can't see them let me know I am technologically challenged

[Echo2]

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4108/5155515568_2b16616a94.jpg

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4112/5148702996_3b5e3eab92.jpg

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4110/5093095771_f85505a1b5.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5246/5357249065_488695cb42_b.jpg

Don't forget the water....

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4023/5136579062_66f38f3ca5.jpg

I'll got some pics of the #10s and the freeze dried stores somewhere....when I find...I'll post.

[Evolver]

3ba92db5526eebce8cf56fea773ceb2c
Okay Guys Here they are Pics of my "new" kitchen AND Pantry If you can't see them let me know I am technologically challenged

Can't view Kat.:(

[Taz Baby]

So sad :( was wanting to see your new kitchen Kat

[Katrina]

Frick frack I did something wrong I thought I had downloaded correctly. I'll try again and see if I can put them out here.

[Katrina]

This is impossible I have tried everything I know to get the pix on here. Anyone got REAL simple destructions I can use? I'm on Mozilla Fire fox.

[bacpacker]

Are you using Photobucket or ImageShack to do your upload's? You can't load them directly to the site.

[Katrina]

trying image shack I get to the download step, click and it looks like they are downloading but it says no files downloaded. ARRRGH!!
Will have to talk to my tech(son2) and see if DH didn't mess with something that is causing this to happen. Not sure how to use the photobucket.. Will look it up and try that one.
Thanks

[Sniper-T]

doing a garage reno right now, to free up some floor space in there, and free up some closet/pantry space in the house..

whew!

HOT!!!

my air conditioned ass aint used to working outside all day in this shit!

*gasp*

[Grumpy Old Man]

What is it, like 80 there?? we are hitting upper 90s and low100s down here in the desert. But my air conditioned butt doesn't do anything after 8:30 a.m. and before 7:00 p.m. when it's cool enough to work! Good luck with the reno Bro Sniper!

[Sniper-T]

not too far off... it's about 86F, but with 70% humidity. which makes it feel a heavy, oppresive 104F

breathing is heavy!

[Onestep]

Ahh quit yer bitchin Sniper...what do you have, maybe a few days of that.
We get 4 months of that down here.;)
Just messin' with ya.
Hang in there bud, it'll start cooling off soon for you up there.
I didn't even think you needed AC up there.

[Sniper-T]

lol. a little more than a few days! It will be like this now pretty much until the end of August. But it always the first few weeks of it that take some getting used to.

And, no I'm not complaining, just stating facts. I love the heat! And the cold. I just hate rainy days!

[bacpacker]

It's been 102 here the last 2 days and it sounds like that will continue thru Mon/Tue. Tomorrow may hit 105. We haven't been this hot since 2007 when we had 30+ consecutive 100+ days. That sucked badly, I hope that crap don't start again. We've been lucky so far that we've have only had 20% humidity, it's usually closer to 50% or higher.

On top of that, we haven't had a full inch of rain totaled since mid May. I'm watering the garden a couple times a week just to keep it alive. I've lost a few squash plants and my Okra has never came up, but tomatos, and peppers are still producing. The squash, melons, cantaloupe, pumpkins, corn, & cucumbers are starting to run and bloom, so i guess the watering is wroking.

I am ready for fall!

[ladyhk13]

I wish there were a place that was in the mid 80's all the time. Thank God there is water still out on the property. Doesn't look like the drought has had too much of an impact on the springs.

[bacpacker]

That is great lady. I wondered how they were holding out.

[Katrina]

Good news lady I was worried the springs were going dry.

[eagle326]

I wish there were a place that was in the mid 80's all the time. Thank God there is water still out on the property. Doesn't look like the drought has had too much of an impact on the springs.

Seems like we all need to go to Ladyhk13 & River rat's place and do some skinny dipping . Okay maybe not quite that far at our ages. :p

[Sniper-T]

0930 in the moring, 90 deg F, and 80% humidity. equiv of 117 deg F

time to go get a load of rocks. lol

Then time for some swimming! Clothing optional!

[Sniper-T]

Here's what I started with:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0628121014a.jpg

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0628121014b.jpg

First order of business... empty it out/make some room:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0628121107a.jpg

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0628121106a.jpg

enough material to build a couple sheds piled up in there!

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0628121505a.jpg

[Sniper-T]

Then insulate:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0628121215b.jpg

Spray a quick coat of paint on the OSB

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0629121030c.jpg

Sheet:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0628121331a.jpg

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0629121200a.jpg

[Sniper-T]

^ See my screw up? measure twice, cut once!

lol

I managed to snag a few of these from work for a song:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0628121504a.jpg

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0628121504b.jpg

But they were 10 feet tall, and my garage is 8. So a few modifications later:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0629121030a.jpg

and ready to install:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0629121038a.jpg

[Sniper-T]

Installed and re-loaded with the sorted and organized wood:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0630121629a.jpg

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0630121629b.jpg


This week, I'll mod up the other one, tuck it into the corner, and then I can start getting stuff off the floors, and organized. It'll be nice to have one entire rack dedicated to my camping gear.

[Katrina]

Looking good Sniper! How's about coming down and doing my garage? LOL Just kidding, after the deck gets finished we're starting in the garage.

[JustAPrepper]

Wow! Nice work, Sniper!!

[Sniper-T]

Got the next one cut down, assembled and ready for paint:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0708121600a.jpg

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0708121601a.jpg


And I have enough parts to make one more for myself. I also sold the balance to a neighbour, for what I paid for the whole works! He'll get 2 full 10' high shelves, and I get 3 8's.

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/Pantry/0708121601b.jpg

[Sniper-T]

This drives me nuts...

My inlaws come over for a few days, they're retired, but doing fine... yet SHE, goes through my pantry to take stuff home. "well, you got lots of it", "I'm just taking a couple", "what do you need x of that for anyway"

I just want to grab her by the neck and rag doll her! :mad:

Grrrr!!!!!

[JustAPrepper]

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Wow!! Just Wow!!

[mitunnelrat]

I can relate to that feeling, T. My ex wife was particularly good at giving things away soon after I bought them. It drove me nuts

[Katrina]

Da Noive of some people.

[Katrina]

Sorry trying to delete this

[4suchatimeasthis]

Sniper, if your MIL is going through your pantry, it might be time to strategically place a few realistic looking spiders/mice/bugs.

[msomnipotent]

All of my sisters shop in my pantry. They even know to check in the basement for extras. I had a fit when I first found out, but now I plan around them.

[Sniper-T]

As it is, she takes it upon herself to 'organize' my pantry, moving things from here to there. I assume it makes it easier to take things without making it look like they're missing (except for my list). If I put spiders or mice out, she'd empty the whole thing and clean everything, and good luck to me trying to find where she put anything again.

I've since been calling her 'clepto', which she doesn't like very much; It seems to have curbed her enthusiasm. Before they come over on the weekend I am going to put up a sign like in a store... "Shoplifters will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law".

:)

[AlphaTea]

Sniper, looks like you have a pretty nice pantry there. I am proud to know you.
Well rounded stock. Looks like you have put some thought into it.
However, if it was mine, I would remove from that area anything not concidered food (those paint cans and anything with batteries).
Also I would containerize or seal up the bulk items like the flour and sugar.
I see you have a foodsaver. Good. If you have just one bad (put item of choice here) it could cause others to be compromised. I seal everything not in a glass or metal container.
Flour does not have a good shelf life, depending on where you live.
From experience, i place all glass items on the bottom shelf and put a cheap rug in front of shelves.

[Sniper-T]

Thanks Alpha!

Keep in mind, that this is my 'ongoing' rotation of stuff. the easy access stuff that we would use day to day, week to week. The bulk of my stuff is put away in LTS, and rotated through here as this needs to be refilled. The bags of flour/sugar, came out of vacu-sealed plastic bags, in sealed steel drums. They will only be in an open stage like that for a few months until they are used up, and replace by others.

I will be tearing that right wall apart sson, and shelving it like I did with the left. Then I want to get some 3 gallon tupperwares for the dry-goods, things like the flours and sugar

One additional reno project in mind for this winter to better utilize some of the dead space in my laundry room, and create a storage place in there for paints and stains. Being that my garage isn't heated, anything I leave out there will freeze and separate over the winter, and need to be thrown away.

Other projects are:
Add Another 3-4 shelves to my reference library wall, with a top rail and a rolling ladder to access the top shelves (16' high)
Add a couple more barrels to my LTS
Add a set of shelves in my crawlspace, to get things off the pallets, and organized. and provide more room for LTS.

[Sniper-T]

I forgot to take pics, so here is a teaser...
I cooked up one goose breast last night, which is about the size and shape of a turkey breast.

first I gave it a dry rub of Montreal chicken spice, cajun, garlic, and onion, and let that sit for about 3 hours.

Then I fried up 4 slices of bacon, until they were just past the droopy stage.
I sliced the breast open from the side and laid the bacon strips inside with a smear of the sauce.

I seared both sides in the bacon pan for a little colour and to lock in the juices.

baked in the oven for 15 minutes per side, then added the rest of the sauce for an addition 10 per side.

My wife isn't a big fan of goose, but she loved this!

Sauce:
Red wine reduction, with homemade deer bullion, the standard green herbs, and 1/2 a can of smooshed tomatoes. Simmer til thick, salt and pepper to taste.


Next time I make it, I'm going to drop the heat from 350 to about 200, and slow cook it for about 2 hours.

[Taz Baby]

http://ts4.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4964347243594239&id=5041695dabc6393672a32adba935d593


I LOVE goose, better than duck

[4suchatimeasthis]

Damn, I didn't realize I was hungry till I read Snipers post.....

[bacpacker]

Sniper has a way of doing that to you! Happens to me all the time.

[Sniper-T]

Dang... I didn't even realize, I put this in the wrong thread :(

it should be in the dinner porn thread. Maybe some passing mod will be so kind to move it and the comments to where they belong.

Sorry about that.

And thanks guys. It was really wonderful. I think for the next go, I'm going to feather off a bunch of thin slices and use them to roll something up with (Rouladen style)

[Sniper-T]

SCORE!!!

Stopped by the gas station/car wash on my way home today, just when the guy was taking delivery of a barrel of soap. Naturally, I had to ask him what he does with the old ones, to which he replies: "Sell them, $2.00 each"

I flip him a toonie, an head home with this bad boy:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/0411131521b_zps9c5cec75.jpg (http://s605.photobucket.com/user/Sniper-T/media/0411131521b_zps9c5cec75.jpg.html)

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/0411131521a_zpsec0c70a8.jpg (http://s605.photobucket.com/user/Sniper-T/media/0411131521a_zpsec0c70a8.jpg.html)

and since I frequent there, he's going to save me some. I should be able to get one or two a week. I'm not sure about putting food in them, but there is always a need for secure storage for things like paper plates, TP, etc.

Plus, they look about perfect size to hold my tent, cots, sleeping bags, Things that I don't normally like to keep in the garage due to the mice, but wont mind in these things!

15" diameter, 2' tall!

:) <-- happy sniper!

[Taz Baby]

SCORE!!!

Stopped by the gas station/car wash on my way home today, just when the guy was taking delivery of a barrel of soap. Naturally, I had to ask him what he does with the old ones, to which he replies: "Sell them, $2.00 each"

I flip him a toonie, an head home with this bad boy:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/0411131521b_zps9c5cec75.jpg (http://s605.photobucket.com/user/Sniper-T/media/0411131521b_zps9c5cec75.jpg.html)

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/0411131521a_zpsec0c70a8.jpg (http://s605.photobucket.com/user/Sniper-T/media/0411131521a_zpsec0c70a8.jpg.html)

and since I frequent there, he's going to save me some. I should be able to get one or two a week. I'm not sure about putting food in them, but there is always a need for secure storage for things like paper plates, TP, etc.

Plus, they look about perfect size to hold my tent, cots, sleeping bags, Things that I don't normally like to keep in the garage due to the mice, but wont mind in these things!

15" diameter, 2' tall!

:) <-- happy sniper!


Sniper you been nippin the bottle AGAIN, :cool: This doesn't look like pantry stuff. any hoo nice score. You could even bury it somewhere with your campsite stuff in it.

[Sniper-T]

If it can take a heap of paper plates out of my currnt pantry, and stow them in a secure manner (say hanging from the joists below my pantry... Then they are an extension of my Pantry!

[Taz Baby]

Wow that is a great idea.

[Sniper-T]

Taz, go back to page 2 of this thread, look at post 19. They work great!

[Sniper-T]

Picked up another barrel today:
http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/0416131508b_zpsfa3ce393.jpg (http://s605.photobucket.com/user/Sniper-T/media/0416131508b_zpsfa3ce393.jpg.html)

And 4 of these...
http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/0416131508a_zps2e4d5a28.jpg (http://s605.photobucket.com/user/Sniper-T/media/0416131508a_zps2e4d5a28.jpg.html)

5 gallon jugs, had enviro friendly soap in them.

Not sure what to do with them, but at $1.00 ea, I couldn't say no.

[bacpacker]

Those are great for hauling water for animals, Garden, etc. I got one from my dad and use it all the time.