A New Start - Organising the Pantries Part One

WOW it's nearly been a year since I posted. Life on the island is so different to the mainland. There is lots more to do (here I was thinking it would be sleepy and boring). Far from it. Some of the reasons I am so busy might be to do with:

1. Having 19 ducks and 3 chickens to feed and talk to each day
2. Owning our own home for the first time and having lots more land (1acre) to look after
3. First time really owning a proper garden and tending to that as well as planting new edible gardens
4. Commuting to the mainland everyday for work, having to get up a 3.30am to catch the 4.15am ferry then getting back home around 5.15pm. I am really tired and lack energy to do anything on the weekend except what is absolutely necessary like cook meals on the weekends for the weekdays.

Whew I'm tired just writing all that.

Anyway yesterday I spent 9 hours cleaning out and amalgamating 2 pantries into one. I had put off doing that as it was such a daunting task. Once I started it became easier and I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

On my to do list are the following:

1. Renew both our passports that are due within the next 6 months, cant go anywhere without doing that but need to save up the dollars to be able to do it

2. Unpack all boxes from the move that are in every room

3. Plant out seeds ready now that we know the soil in the ground is no good and we lost a lot of edible plants last year.

4. Maintain the house and look out for anything amiss.

I started to ferment grains for the ducks and chickens. The chickens love it but the ducks are fussy, they had a sniff and turned their noses err beaks up.

Sadly I have 19 ducks and they are only giving 2 eggs a day, they are now around 10 months old so should be giving me eggs. Must be too hot to lay, need to get more laying chickens if I want more eggs.

So this is my project for now, the before photos of my pantry, something I've been dying to do for over a year when Rhonda of Down to Earth challenged us to tidy up our pantries HERE and HERE , its taken me awhile to followup as you can see LOL.

So  here are the before photos of both pantries:

 Main pantry - Top shelf from left to right

Main pantry - Second shelves from left to right

Main pantry - Floor level  shelf from left to right

Smaller pantry which will be used to house pots and cooking machines like the top shelf has

I should be finished with the pantries today so hopefully tomorrow 

I should have the after photos for you. 

Does this encourage you to do yours too? 

please share with us your before and after photos