Streamlining the spice rack

Getting a pre-packed spice rack always seems like a good idea, especially for someone who is just starting out. I got my spice rack when I moved into my first apartment after college. I didn't have much in the way of cookware or spices and ingredients, so the spice rack was a great solution. Cut to nearly a decade later and there are still some of the spices I have never used. The spice rack came with some very useful ingredients, including basil, oregano, garlic powder, chili flakes, etc. However, the marjoram and cardamon still had the manufacturer's seal on them when I went through my spice rack last week.

While trying to work up the motivation to do one thing, I found the motivation to do something completely different. I spotted my spice rack out of the corner of my eye and thought about all of the additional spice containers I have in my pantry. I am moving soon and I am trying to get rid of junk that I don't need. Junk, meaning marjoram and cardamon. So, I went through the rack and threw out spices that I had rarely used and spices that hadn't been refilled and were old and past their prime. That freed up four bottles and two others that I would put fresher versions of the same spice into. This is where I let my creative skills run amok. I blacked out the silver names of the spices with a sharpie, broke a silver pen so I could dip a paper clip into the ink, and very carefully and delicately wrote the new names of the spices that would occupy the bottles.

My spice holdings are now much lighter and more organized. I felt more productive when the project was over because I could see the difference I made in what I would have to pack up in my kitchen. While I was working on the project I felt as though I found the piddly little project so I could procrastinate.