My New Pantry! Now My Favorite Little Room In The House

Our pantry has been a thorn in my side since we built this house 16 years ago.  I wasn't paying too much attention to closet shelving, as I wanted to use the money elsewhere in the house for upgrades.  My husband did surprise me with a closet system in our master closet a year after we moved in, but the other closets in the home still had wire shelving which was fine. Except the pantry, this pantry drove me nuts for 16 years!  You put stuff on the shelves, everything falls over, falls behind, got thrown in there never to been seen again, until I would clean it out 2-3 times a year.  I would find so much expired food because you would never find what was put in there!  I even had to have shelving in the garage for canned goods, because you couldn't ever put them on those wire shelves, they never stood upright. 

 Finally, I got the OK from the hubby to hire a contractor to tear this pantry up and out and get the job done right, YAY! The contractor I hired was fabulous, he  not only listened to everything I asked for, but offered some even better ideas on how to improve the space. So together we came up with more space out of this tiny little room. I couldn't have asked for a better guy for the job he was the best, and I am now in love with my new pantry!

So much wasted space and just 4 wire shelves to hold food for what was originally 5 people living in this house, totally not enough room.  All dirty from years of use too.

Shelves out and a new beginning is about to happen.

Fresh coat of a bright extra white to add more light in the space.

WOW, it looks better already.

This pantry sits under my back stairwell, that is why the wall is slanted.

This was all custom made shelving to fit in this space. It's was made sturdy to hold a lot of bottles, cans and boxes.

So I got two more shelves on the original wall, more space! I had the contractor go down a few inches on the width of the shelving, they are not as wide, so things still don't fall behind them. It also made more room in the space so now it's easier to walk all the way in and turn around.

He even beveled that edge on the slanted wall so it looks finished off. Now there is shelving on that empty space wall too, so even more room in the pantry.

Oh yea, it 's filled up already, everything is in there, even the canned goods from the shelves in the garage. And I can see everything that I have, no more falling over and behind other things.

My added feature that I wanted, to use up all the space on the walls, was to attach a shelving unit to the wall for canned goods, and to do the same feature on the door for packaged goods.  The contractor did suggest a heavier solid wood door, which I did get to hold the unit, because it is solid wood so it is very heavy.  Also, all the shelves are removeable and adjustable for height, like I said he thought of everything.

Filling up nicely!

Everything in and I still have a little space left for anything new.

The contractor's attention detail was amazing, he even made plugs for all the screw holes.

The wall and door unit have ledges so nothing slides off.

I now actually love going into the pantry to get something, it's no longer the black hole it used to be.

  It makes me so happy!

 

Tomatoes, Tomatoes, I love Tomatoes! Pappa al Pomodoro Soup

Tomatoes are one of my most loved fruits, yes a fruit, not a vegetable according to botanists.  Either way a fruit or veggie I'll take them, any way they are served I love them.  They are loaded with lycopene a powerful antioxidant, a decent amount of vitamin C and Potassium, Folate and Vitamin K, all so very good for you.  

My favorite tomatoes are Campari, they are smaller than a regular tomato but larger than a cherry tomato and they taste like a Summer tomato all year long.  Plums are my second favorite, they are very meaty and not too juicy so great in sandwiches.

Today I made tasty and hearty Pappa al Pomodoro soup with regular slicing tomatoes.  This soup is thick and full of flavor, and you won't be hungry after eating it because it is so thick. It is a simple food, most ingredients you will have in your pantry.  Considered peasant food back in the day, it is has now earned culinary kudos from renowned chefs all over the world.

These are the ingredients I used in my Pappa al Pomodoro soup. Olive Oil, garlic, onion, fresh tomatoes, I also used a can of petite diced tomatoes for more color, winter tomatoes are not as brightly colored as summer tomatoes.  You could certainly use all canned if you like.  I thought I would try it with fresh ones.  Now, back to the ingredients, crushed red pepper, fennel seed, salt and pepper, fresh basil, tomato paste (in tube) its easier than wasting a 6 oz. can, and garlic paste in the tube for more added flavor. The tubes are great, worth investing in them to have on hand when you only need a teaspoon or tablespoon of paste or garlic, and last, one small loaf of Italian/French bread, a crusty bread a day or two old, even better.

Peel the skins off the tomatoes, slice and scoop out the seeds, only the seeds not the meat of the tomato.

 I would do this over the sink, it can get messy,

Chop them up.

A little crushed red pepper for some heat and crushed fennel for flavor, love the smell of fennel. I used a mortar and pestle to crush the seeds.

Yes, I used a can!  You can use all canned tomatoes if you like.  Garlic and onion cooking up, they smell amazing together!

Ohhhhhh baby, looky here! And that fresh basil, what can I say, I could lay in a room full of that fragrance.

Cubed loaf of bread, reserve a  little to make croutons for the top of your soup.

The bread is added and mashed with a potato masher, it helps to cook it down.

WOW, coming together nicely!

My reserved bread for croutons.

A little olive oil on the baking sheet.

Toss in the cubed bread, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, when cooled, toss with a little parmesan cheese.

Piping hot! It's so good topped with more cheese, the homemade croutons and fresh basil. Delizioso!

Pappa al Pomodoro Soup

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small sweet onion, diced small

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of Amore Garlic Paste in tube

1/4 teaspoon dry crushed red pepper (more if you like heat)

1 teaspoon fennel seeds. crushed

4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or you can use 3- 14.5 oz. cans petite diced tomatoes with juice)

1 14.5 oz. canned regular Petite diced tomatoes with juice

1 1/2 tablespoons of Amore Tomato Paste in tube (or use canned)

2 tablespoons sugar (more if you like it sweeter, taste first)

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 1/2 cups of water

6 large basil leaves, sliced

1 loaf of crusty Italian/French bread, cubed (big enough for 6 -7 cups of bread cubes, reserve 1 cup for croutons)

Parmesan cheese and more fresh sliced basil for serving

Directions

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until just transparent.  Add the garlic, garlic paste, crushed red pepper and fennel seed.  Cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes until all is fragrant, but be careful not to burn the garlic.

Add all the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper.  Let tomatoes cook down, about

10 -15 minutes.  Taste and adjust your seasonings to your liking.

Stir in the bread cubes, don't forget to reserve about 1 cup for your croutons.  Add the 4 1/2 cups of water and the basil.  Bring the pot to a simmer, stir and mash the bread with a potato masher until the soup is really thick.  Add more salt, pepper and basil if you like.

Serve piping hot topped with parmesan cheese, your croutons and fresh sliced basil.  Enjoy!

Note: If using all canned tomatoes just use the 3-14.5 oz. cans of petite diced tomatoes, do not add the other one for use with fresh tomatoes. So a total of 3 cans only.

 

Bedroom Redo

We FINALLY became empty nesters, YAHOOOOOO!  So with that being said, it was time to tear some rooms apart and redo them, they are going to be empty but at least will look nice.

.  I am an OCD driven person and need to have things in my house in order or it drives me crazy and makes me feel unsettled.  I have to have organization in my life.  I did this whole bedroom over by repurposing some things and buying some new so it wasn't at all expensive. New carpet will be coming hopefully this Spring.

I stripped everything old out and cleaned the whole room from top to bottom.  The walls were in really good shape, no marks, scuffs or holes in the walls, so I didn't feel the need to paint.  The color on the walls is Sandstone Cove by Behr.  I loaded everything up on the bed that I was going to use in the room. 

Only two windows in the room, so no big expense on curtains.  The door on the right is the walk-in closet, a nice size for this room.  The doorway on the right, behind the table, is a Jack and Jill bathroom, shared with the other bedroom on the opposite side, same layout as this room.

So here it is!  The bed I had, its an old one from IKEA but in really good shape so no need to replace it or the mattress, no one ever slept on it. The duvet was brand new from IKEA I bought a few years back and never used.  New sheets to match, a few throw pillows, only the tasseled one is new, the blanket at the bottom of the bed is new.  All wall art is new also.

The bureau is 32 years old, it was my oldest sons baby bureau that matched his crib. I painted the bottom so it looks and feels like weathered tin. The mirror I have still has to be hung. Painted the chair and covered the cushion a while back, it was still in really good shape so it fit perfect.  Curtains were purchased new from Home Goods, they have great selections and very reasonably priced for $29.99 a pair. Also got the metal basket at Home Goods for $16.99.

This is the bedroom on the opposite side of the bathroom that was redone last year. The color on the walls is Winter Lake by Behr.  These two rooms are now done.

The Jack and Jill bathroom that these two rooms share will be torn out and redone this Spring, so stay tuned!

This bedroom is still being used occasionally by my daughter when she comes to visit form NY.  It is not complete just yet, I need to find wall art for it to make it more cozy. She picked out the color and we didn't realize it was the same as the above bedroom. This room also has it's own bathroom in the room, she's a lucky girl!  The bed is the same as the other room, for some reason I liked this bed back then, it has served me well.

 

PARMA ROSA PASTA SAUCE

I usually don't use packaged mix for pasta sauce but stumbled on this one and it sure is good!  I was actually shocked by how good it was and the hubby loved it too, even better.  Use any kind of pasta, my all time fav is Farfalle so that is what I used.  I paired it with a simple side salad and warm crusty Italian bread. Buon Appetito!

Start a pot of salted water for your pasta before you start the sauce.

In a medium saucepan, whisk sauce mix and 1 1/4 cups of milk (I used skim and it didn't alter the flavor/consistency at all).  Add 1 tablespoon of butter and bring to a boil, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn.  Reduce heat and simmer stirring occasionally until it thickens, about 4 minutes. Toss with your pasta and don't forget to top with cheese!

NOTE:  If you like it saucy, use 2 packets of mix. Don't forget to increase the milk and butter for the amount of mix.  I did use two packages for 2 people and there was none left, it was that good!

 

MINESTRA - Italian Greens and Beans Soup

Talk about an old fashion Italian soup, well this one is it!  It's hearty, a "sticks to your ribs" kind of soup, a few easy ingredients, some fresh and some canned, and it doesn't take long to make, about half hour. It's a good one if you have to make it when you come home from work.  I had everything on hand but the escarole so I got that the day before I was going to make my soup. Escarole is from the chicory family and has a bit of a bitter taste unless it's cooked.  I also like it in a salad mixed with other greens and  vegetables.  Check it out in your grocery store, if you can't find it or just don't like it you can substitute spinach or arugula. This could also be made vegan/vegetarian by switching out the chicken stock for vegetable stock and omitting the pancetta. ENJOY!

Recipe below.

Simple ingredients for a delicious soup.

Saute onion, garlic and pancetta in olive oil.

Chop up the escarole.

Add to the pan, let it cook down.

Add the cannellini beans

Let it all come together so it tastes really great!

Getting piping hot.

All done and topped with parmesan cheese.  What better way to eat an Italian soup but topping it with cheese!

MINESTRA- Italian Greens and Beans Soup

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

5 cloves of minced garlic, could also use jarred minced garlic

1/2 cup pancetta, chopped

1 large head escarole, cleaned, washed and chopped

2- 14-15 oz cans cannellini beans, do not drain

32 oz. container of chicken stock, I used unsalted

Dash of nutmeg, more if you like, I used fresh ground

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh grated Parmesan or Locatelli cheese

Loaf of crusty warm Italian bread

Directions

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Saute the onion, garlic and pancetta stirring while cooking, until the onions are transparent and pancetta is cooked, be careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the chopped escarole and cook it down until it is wilted.  Add the beans, stock, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Cook for 10-15 minutes.  Serve piping hot with grated cheese on top and warm crusty bread.