Spice Racks Blog

Hi guys!
So, I was watching Julie and Julia the other day. It was a really cute movie, but they didn’t show enough of Julia Child using spices for my liking. I’d give it 3.5 stars out of 5. Afterwards, I found out that the MOVIE was based on a BOOK based on a BLOG!! Have you ever heard of anything like that happening? It sounds good to me, that’s for sure. I think this blog would make a great book or movie, so if anybody in Hollywood wants to make me a star, let me know! Ha ha.
Anyway, I’m not going to get a book deal if I don’t keep you informed of the best new spice racks and kitchen accessories on the market, now am I? 2010 has brought a lot of great things to the market. Let’s take a look at one of my favorites: The Bird Salt and Pepper Set!

Oh my gosh, aren’t these just the cutest? They’re made of glass, and there’s one for the salt and one for the pepper. I think they’re very sweet. In fact, they are very “modern”, because they are birds, and the mascot for “Twitter” is a bird! So, you could use these, and then tweet about them on Twitter to let your friends know that you’re using the most adorable salt and pepper shakers in the world!

What great things have you seen lately? Let me know!

A little geek, and plenty chic! I love the look of this Test Tube Spice Rack. It’s perfect for those mad scientist moods we all get in (right? It’s not just me, is it?). You can use the pre-printed labels, which are pretty extensive. There are also blank labels for your more esoteric spices. Okay - and since the holidays are coming up, this is actually a great gift - with a little personalization!

• If you have a Harry Potter fan in your life, you can fill them with various spices and tinted waters for a Potions Class themed gift! Who couldn’t use some Veritaserum in their lives?
• Or fill it with red food coloring and water, and make a fun vampire themed gift for the True Blood or Twilight fanatic on your shopping list.
• For a more practical tip, if you make a signature dish that your friends love, fill the tubes with the spices you use, and give them this rack along with the recipe.
• Finding a gift for a baker? Fill the tubes with sanding sugars, sprinkles, and other edible decorations!

What else? I feel as if there’s a lot of gifting potential with these babies! Any ideas?

I admit it, I’m kind of clumsy. I go into craft projects with the best of intentions, but if my fingertips don’t end up getting glued together at least once, well - it just hasn’t been a full day! Also, that whole ‘measure twice, cut once’ advice - that one just doesn’t seem to sink in.

And that’s why I love these Hardwood Spice Racks. They’re hand crafted - and my hands had nothing to do with it! They are so simple, and have a timeless charm. They can either sit on a countertop, inside a cabinet, or you can even mount them to a wall. I found these at Stacks And Stacks, and they’re available in two lengths - 16 or 24 inches. So, until I take that remedial wood shop class, I’m going to take pride in these racks!

Plus, there’s something so nice about the natural beauty of hardwood. It seems like there’s a big push these days for chrome, or metal, or stainless steel, or aluminum kitchen accessories. And all of those are nice, but sometimes it’s nice to get back to nature. After all, we’re not robots! Why should we feel like our kitchens should look like some sort of robot emporium? All that metal can be so cold!

I was watching the movie ‘Dune’ the other night, and realized, you know what - they just don’t make enough movies about spices anymore. It seems like there’s a bunch of movies about chocolate. There’s “Like Water For Chocolate”. And “Chocolat”. And I’m sure there’s a bunch of others, but you don’t see any movies called “Allspice” or “Tellicherry Peppers”. Get on it, Hollywood. Anyway, ‘Dune’ is a good science fiction movie that also is about the importance of spices. In fact, in the movie you need Melange (the spice) to extend your life, or travel through space, or just to be powerful. Sting is in the movie, which I thought was kind of strange, but it was the 80s! Anyway, I’m not sure how it ended, because I fell asleep, but it seems like a really interesting movie! I give it four Cinnamon Sticks out of five!

Anyway, though they talk a lot about Spice in the movie, they don’t talk about spice racks very much. As you see, I added a picture of a space age spice rack into the the movie still above. But let’s get a closer look at the rack in question:

Look at that beauty! It’s certainly a great spice rack for Paul Atreides (played by Desperate Housewives star Kyle MacLachlan). This Stainless Steel Carousel Spice Rack is a great spice rack for this, or any other universe. It has a patented auto measure dial dispenser that measures and dispenses spices in precise increments. One click for 1/4 tsp., two clicks for 1/2 tsp., etc. The individual dispensers will accommodate the entire contents of a standard spice bottle, and have large openings to accommodate measuring spoons and volume pouring, as well as shaker tops. Great for your counter, or stash it in your cabinet. Or your spaceship!

Have you ever had to stash your spices away? You know how it is, sometimes you have people with food allergies who come over, and you have to be sure to hide away any possible allergens. Also, you know how some rude people go to other peoples houses and rummage through their medicine cabinets? Well, I’ve had that happen - but instead of my medicine cabinet, people are going through my spice rack! I’m pretty sure my friend Missy sneaked off with a bottle of fennel pollen that I had! Just kidding! (Not really - give it back, Missy!).

Anyway, sometimes you need to be able to secure your spices. One way to do that is to have a spice rack that can go from counter, to drawer, to even under your bed if you need to. That’s why I like combination Drawer/Counter Spice Racks. This 20 Bottle Magnetic Spice Rack is ready for any location!

The versatile design of this wooden spice rack allows you to use it inside a drawer, or standing on the counter!  The spice organizer includes 20 bottles with clear tops for easy viewing, and magnetic backs for sturdiness when standing.  The free standing spice rack converts easily to a slide out spice rack, so you can change it up depending on your kitchen’s needs.  Made from eco-friendly bamboo, the drawer spice rack features a modern steel front for great kitchen aesthetics!

So, as you see - just because you’re feeling paranoid about people getting at your spices, it doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style! What ways do you have to ensure that your secret blends of herbs and spices stay a secret? Let me know in the comments!

So, all the internet seems to be abuzz about some video called “Married To The Eiffel Tower“. It’s about these people that are in love with inanimate objects, like the Eiffel Tower, or the Golden Gate Bridge. Yep, that’s right - people in love with things that just sit there. Sounds like my ex-husband. Just kidding! Not really.

Anyway, the documentary video is pretty interesting. Some people think I love spice racks - but I don’t want to go on a date with a spice rack. But if I did, I would definitely see if the Alder Spice Rack wanted to go get dinner and movie.

This handsome Alder Spice Rack from StacksAndStacks features a smooth lacquer finish, and will accommodate standard sized spice jars and bottles. This spice rack can be either wall mounted, or left on a countertop. It’s sturdy and versatile, the kind of rack that you can take home to mama.

Sometimes though, you don’t want to start a long term relationship with a spice rack. You just want one that will get the job done at the time. Mr Right Now as opposed to Mr Right.That’s why there’s spice racks like the Wall Mounted Wire Spice Rack. This rack isn’t anything flashy or fancy, but if you just want your spices held, it’ll do.

Have you seen any spice racks lately that remind you of an ex? If so, let me know! As soon as I find a spice rack that doesn’t work half the time, and has a wandering eye, I’ll tell you more about my ex-husband.

Sometimes, you crave simplicity. Like the pleasure of freshly washed and ironed cotton sheets. Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudel. Or even brown paper packages tied up with string. Of course, simple things are all the lovelier when they are also useful. So I hope your next brown paper package contains these Unlabeled Spice Bottles.

Plain spice jars are a terrific idea if you’re starting to build your spice collection. You can go to your local store that sells spices in bulk, pick up  a few different ones, and bottle them up at home. If you like your new spice, you can create a label (or just Sharpie the top of the jar!), and add it to your permanent collection. And if you don’t like your new spice (I’m looking at you, chipotle-carraway blend), just wash out the jar and get ready to try a new herb or spice.

Besides storing spices, these unlabeled jars have many other household uses. 

• They’re a perfect way to store glitter for kids art projects. The shaker style tops help to reduce some of the mess from glitter art projects.
• Are you a beader? These jars are terrific for organizing all sorts of beads. From seed beads to hex cuts and faceted beads, these glass jars can keep them sorted. Don’t feel like you’re stranded without a craft organizer - just get some jars.
• These glass jars are also a nice way to display any sort of small collection. I know of people who, during each trip they take, collect a little bit of dirt from the area they’re in. It’s a perfect way to display collections of sand, or small pieces of beach glass. 
• You can also add a little pizazz to your desk by using these jars (with the lids off) to hold small office supplies like paper clips or staples. Sometimes you just need something a little unusual to lift your spirits, and using uncommon items to store common things is a great way to cure the blues.

What would you put in these spice jars? And yes, you could always fill them with spices and put them on your kitchen spice rack!

This is the Mesh Spice Rack. This metal spice rack can be wall mounted, or it can stand on a counter. And you can mount it inside a pantry door. What’s really neat about this spice rack is that because of its basic design - it’s really quite versatile. For instance, you could:

• Mount it on the wall by your stove. Now, I know that keeping spices by the stove isn’t a great idea (the heat makes the quality of the spice degrade faster), but keeping things like salt and pepper, olive oil cruets, and other cooking essentials by the stove is a real time saver. Plus, since this rack has hooks, you can hang your hot pads and oven mitts!
• Running out of bathroom storage? The Mesh Rack is here for you. It’s a great way to supplement the space in your medicine cabinet. You can store vitamins, cosmetics and more! Once again, those little hooks will come in handy for hanging face cloths and wash cloths.
• You can even bring the Mesh Spice Rack to work with you! Mount it on your office wall, and use it as a way to office supplies (notepads, sticky notes, and boxes of paper clips - get them off your desk and on this rack!). Or, another cool idea is to mount this rack in the break room, and fill it with tea (most tea boxes and cans fit on this rack perfectly), hot chocolate packets and other drink necessities. 

And, of course, you can use it for spices in the kitchen, too!

So, we’ve been talking a lot about various spices and spice racks. But there are two seasonings that are universally loved in every kitchen - salt and pepper. 

For the longest time, I would never salt my food. I don’t really know why - maybe it’s because my mom’s cooking was so good, I never felt the need to salt it at the table. Then one day in the college cafeteria, I had a bite of my friend’s scrambled eggs - and they were really good! Amazed, I asked her “whoa! What did you do your eggs?”. She looked at me, in the that ‘are you mental?’ way, and said “Well, I put salt on them”. My life was changed.

Salt and pepper. The wonder twins of the kitchen. Since you use them everyday, it’s best to invest in a nice set of salt and pepper shakers. This here is the Pinata Salt & Pepper Set. This colorful wooden set  has adjustable zinc gears. That lets you control how fine or coarse you want your salt and pepper. Plus - they are very festive! They make me think of laying on the beach in the Riveria Nayarit.

If you’re looking for something a little more high-tech, there’s this Stainless Steel Electric Salt & Pepper Grinder.  This one has push button action - just hit the button and your pepper is freshly ground and sprinkled on your food. Also, this grinder has a light - perfect for romantic evenings with candlelight dinners! 

Have you seen any good salt and pepper sets out there? Let me know!

Here’s a couple of fantastic spice racks I came across at StacksAndStacks.com. These aren’t your traditional carousel spice racks! Not only do they spin around for your convenience, the spice compartments are also dispensers! Here’s the first one. Behold the Spice Dispensing Carousel!

That’s right - you won’t even need your measuring spoons. One click for 1/4 tsp, two clicks for 1/2 tsp and so on. What a great way to reduce the amount of washing up while cooking (which is always a priority for me - I don’t have a dishwasher, and reducing the number of things I have to wash makes me a happy girl).

This spice rack can also be mounted underneath a cabinet. Mounting a spice rack under a cabinet is a great way to preserve both counter and cabinet space. It’s like a whole hidden world of storage opportunities.

Here’s another one I found. It’s a little modern - kinda stylin’. I think it’s because of the steel. Here’s the Stainless Steel Spice Carousel.

Same deal, one click per 1/4 tsp measurement. This would look great on a granite countertop!

So, what do you think? Are you into the self-measuring spice racks? Or are you a traditionalist - devoted to your measuring spoons? Either way, I think we can all agree that there are a lot of great spice racks out there to be found.