Getting My Flanders On, Part 2: The Pantry

I have several friends gallivanting around France, Italy, Spain, the UK...  And what did I do this week?  Well, among other exciting things, I organised my pantry.  (In the breaks between drooling over their travel/food photos.  You know who you are).  This - the pantry - had been on my To Do list for a few weeks, after an Incident that left the herbs and spices in total disarray.  I knew where the breakfast spices were, but aside from that, mayhem.  And I have been aware for some time that the fruit and nut area was catastrophic.  Usable, in the kind of "I need almonds... I know they're there... Yep, found 'em" type of way, but far from organised, and hiding some items that had been put there and forgotten and then superseded in importance.  I am also aware that the pantry is one area I feel needs to be ordered, and I was quite logical before, but that is possibly a bit too obscure.  When I say, for example, that the sugar goes in the sugar area, I think it's quite obvious from the other sugars in that area.  But not everyone sees that, and admittedly, dried fruit has a high natural sugar content, and chocolate is ... sweet...  Anyway, I organised and cleared out and cleaned my pantry.  And then I stuck little labels on the shelves.  A la Ned Flanders (explained here, if you need it).

I am being brave and showing the mess that was.  You probably can't grasp the UnOrder of the herbs and spices.  Trust me on this.

Ahhhh.....

And in other kitchen news, I bought new bowls for breakfast.  And soup.  And risotto. 

The top one is my favourite.

Getting My Flanders On

Ned Flanders, that is.  You know the scene when the Simpsons arrive at the Flanders' beach house for a Fourth of July holiday, and find post-it notes everywhere with explanations and instructions?  I haven't gone that far - yet.  But my parents often stay, and they have different ideas about logic from me.  I hope I don't have to go to stage 2.

Stage 1 arose from my mum's last visit.  I know she knows which remote works for each device, but when really tired...  I meant to get this done by their next visit, but time just slipped away (and they arrived early for emergency dental work).  And, admittedly, I usually flounder when I'm at other people's places and faced with technology. 

The other issue is with Standby Mode.  I hate it.  And why you would press a button on a remote then get up to turn it off on the set, then when you want to turn it on you have to turn it on at the set and then press a button on the remote - really, what?!  So my policy is to use the switch on the set only.  Now I hope it is clear. 

Today's photo:

These flowers have been brightening my view on an almost-daily basis.  They live near the railway bridge, outside a mega apartment block.