Don't worry, you don't have to go out and buy lingerie for Today's Small Thing. I thought I'd say that right off the bat.
No, Today's Small Thing really has to do with spices. The kind that go into food.
I was scrounging around for bay leaves the other day and came across some cardamon from Christmas 1990. I only use that particular spice once a year, in some Christmas bread that is an old recipe from my mom. Lauren said, "How OLD is some of this stuff?" as she helped me look.
I'm embarrassed to say that some of those spices are older than she is.
It's probably time to say goodbye to them.
Goodbye, Spice Girls.
Today's Small Thing is to straighten up your spices. You don't have to do a major cleaning unless you want to, but you might want to arrange them in order by size, usage or alphabetically. I found that I have three containers of Pumpkin Pie Spice, yet no onion or garlic powder. I've got 3 boxes of corn starch (why?) but no basil. I've got baking items, like baking soda, mixed in with the chicken boullion cubes, and half-used packages of chili-o thrown in there.
In short, it's a disaster.
It's going to feel really great to head into the holiday baking season with my spices all organized. Maybe this year I'll realize that I don't need yet another can of Pumpkin Pie Spice because I've taken stock of what I already have.
What does YOUR spice collection look like?
POINTS: 40 for saying goodbye to spice disorganization
P.S.
Here's a quick shelf-life chart from McCormick seasonings:
Ingredient |
 |
Shelf Life |
|
ground spices |
|
2-3 years |
|
whole spices |
|
3-4 years |
|
seasoning blends |
|
1-2 years |
|
herbs |
|
1-3 years |
|
extracts |
|
4 years, except pure vanilla, which lasts indefinitely |
