Comments on: Organizing a party pantry

By: 5 Online Resources To Help You Unclutter & Decorate your Home | jacobW.com

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:22:42 +0000

[...] categorized into Home Organization and Parties and Celebrations. The article recommends to create a party pantry for spontaneous get togethers and provides a list of items to [...]

By: Rose

Rose — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:55:05 +0000

We lead a simple, fairly uncluttered life – but I still follow this idea. People are often stopping by our house (extended family, friends, childrens’ friends) and there are any number of occasions where we need spur-of-the moment nibbles/treats. The list is a lot of what we keep on hand.
Just this weekend when we were working outdoors all day and neighbors were doing the same, we discovered that we were both watching/cheering for the St Louis Cardinals later that evening. Nice to invite them in to watch the game and have something on hand for refreshments. I would not have enjoyed running somewhere for food – it was enough for a hot shower and game time.

We do replenish (even things kept in the freezer)on a somewhat regular basis, by having one of those nice evenings to ourselves that someone else mentioned (and at least a couple of those evenings have been when I’ve been so happy to have some nice quality nibbles just for the two — or four — or all six of us, along with a plate of fresh fruit. feels like luxury – and yes, we’re enjoying along the way, instead of saving it for the rainy day.)

For our lifestyle, this idea works — and we keep it simple.

By: bernie

bernie — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:54:20 +0000

i absolutely love! this idea. i need a stash away from my husband and kids coz if i buy party type food for just in case, they eat it the moment it hits the pantry! i know because i have tried. i have a drawer under my pantry (that’s currently filled with clutter) that would do the job perfectly (as long as i don’t tell them it’s there!). so i can say to the school mum “sure come over for a cuppa” because i’d have something to give her with it or to friends who phone on the weekend “sure come over” coz we’d have some chips to have with the beer or wine. entertaining stresses me out but i enjoy being social so this idea will go a long way to easing that stress in future. i reckon i could store some jars of salsa, a box of tacos and some beans in there too. now i think about it, pappadams and an extra jar of mango chutney to go with the lentils and rice in the main pantry and the back up bag of frozen veg from the freezer could happily feed a whole bunch of people on the spur of the moment. i’m not very organised with my normal pantry either and am constantly running out of stuff like if only i had a tin of tomatoes i could make such and such or if only i had a tin of chickpeas i could make something else. i might use that drawer as a back up for my main pantry so i’ve always got something to make a nutritious meal with when i’ve got nothing in and i can’t bear the thought of dragging the kids to the shops. really great post…i’m off to declutter that drawer.

By: lola meyer

lola meyer — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:49:27 +0000

Thanks for the tip on the book Erin- I’ll be asking our library to get this. For our lifestyle, this is very useful as we tend to be the ‘social hub’ for many different groups-my son’s friends, my husband’s buddies, and my girlfriends. Sometimes it seems as if we should install a revolving door! But it’s all fun, and I am always interested in ideas for being prepared and efficient.

By: Sue

Sue — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:36:05 +0000

Impromptu gatherings? Can’t say I’ve ever hosted such an event.

All of my gatherings are planned far in advance so I have time to clear my clutter, clean my house, and prepare my menu.

By: Sky

Sky — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:35:27 +0000

Dawn F: I love your picnic basket with your napkins, plates, etc. I have my Mom’s, think I’ll do the same!

As for the party pantry, not my style. Too complicated.

By: Marie

Marie — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:41:58 +0000

Holy nitrates, Batman! That list is a migraine waiting to happen.

We are extremely casual, and any unexpected guests we have know that and go with the flow. (Seriously, we have hippie wanderer friends who live in other countries drop in out of the blue.) We might decide to start grilling salmon at midnight, or make breakfast out of cookie dough. There’s no rhyme or reason to our pantry, I must admit.

By: Karyn

Karyn — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:02:23 +0000

@Rod, et al – I think the idea is that for anyone who finds the idea of a “party pantry” useful, the stuff WON’T be “sitting around a long time.” As I understand it, this suggestion is for people who tend to have guests dropping by on a fairly regular basis, as a way to plan and organize their lives around something that’s an important part of it: company at home.

If that’s not part of your lifestyle, then no problem, just ignore the Not Applicable To Me suggestion, just like the Company-Hosting Crowd would ignore a post on how to better organize one’s life around, say, sitting at home playing World Of Warcraft.

For what it’s worth, I’m pretty much a hermit, albeit not the WOW-playing kind, but even so I find it useful to think in terms of having a few nonperishable items on hand for those times when friends or family drop by on short notice. Of course, I also have a half-dozen independent pizza parlors within delivery range, so often as not my answer is, “Let’s order pizza!”

By: Another Deb

Another Deb — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:40:27 +0000

I would love to hear what people keep on hand for their own impromptu gatherings. Aside from a few bottles of wine, is there anyone who keeps fixins for a last-minute recipe that always works?

It’s like any hobby, and if it serves your purposes, it won’t be clutter. Myself, I am not an entertainer. Anyone who drops by the house looking for a nip and a snack is likely to get a dose of Nyquil and a few outdated vitamins.

By: Beth Frede

Beth Frede — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:02:26 +0000

I think this could actually be a great idea for a young couple, maybe just getting their first place, to help them stock up on some basics (maybe “basics” that are a nicer version than what they’d buy themselves). It might be more useful to include everyday use items as well.

By: susan

susan — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:29:52 +0000

I have to agree with a lot of the others as well. It seems like clutter. Use the nice stuff for yourself not save it for…maybe. Shopping and preparing for a party is part of the fun and fresh homemade is better.
I don’t get it either. Seems like potential waste (space and money) also.

By: Confused

Confused — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:03:34 +0000

I agree with Rod & Jessiejack. A party pantry sounds like clutter to me.

If these aspects are important to you, wouldn’t the items you need already be in your home, stored in an uncluttered, accessible way? Why create a whole new space for them? Or worse yet, go out and buy more things to put somewhere new?

I guess I don’t get it. Sorry.

By: Jessiejack

Jessiejack — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:02:38 +0000

I must agree with Rod & Anita on this one. I think a separate party pantry area is more clutter. My parties are usually scheduled and I enjoy shopping for fresh food,flowers etc. If they are spontaneous, guests are served from whatever crackers, cheese etc is on hand or we make a quick stop at the store. I would never stock snacks on hold for a possible party.

By: Anita

Anita — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:37:18 +0000

I’m with @EM. Don’t wait for an “occasion” to use the good stuff, just enjoy what you have. I never keep things “just in case someone comes over” or “to use only on special occasions”. I just make sure everything I own is nice and that I wouldn’t mind having my guests eat my “regular” food out of my “everyday” plates

If someone shows up unannounced, I usually have some chocolates and/or a tin of good tea biscuits in my pantry, plus my favourite tea blends, good cheese, and maybe a bottle of wine. And if I’m planning a party, making/choosing the food for it is part of the fun. I’d rather take an hour and make fresh cookies/biscotti/scones/biscuits than keep a bunch of generic finger foods on hand.

By: Amandine

Amandine — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:34:57 +0000

This sounds similar to what we keep in my family’s “snack cupboard”: crackers, popcorn, dried fruit, nuts, cookies, etc. It’s simply a designated shelf in the pantry closet. I keep it stocked and my kids know anything on that shelf is fair game for both them & their friends. It’s been a lifesaver when a teenage horde descends on the house unexpectedly. I keep foods we normally eat for snacks, so it doesn’t get stale or spoil.

On a lower shelf I keep a stash of paper goods for serving guests, but I really like the Corelle idea–less waste.