A recycled kitchen

In a previous post titled Spicing Things Up, I wrote about ordering spices over the internet.  Since that time, most of my spices have remained in a big box, since I don’t have a spice rack in which to organize them.  A spice rack is not something I’m willing to buy, mostly because I don’t think it makes sense to buy items like glass jars that come for free with pasta sauces and other foods. 

This weekend I went through my cupboards looking for empty jars and adding homemade labels.  I found this cute one for Star Anise.

I also found empty Patak’s jars that were perfect for storing cinnamon sticks and homemade garam masala.  It was my first time making garam masala. My recipe for garam masala came from 1001 Indian Recipes and is very basic North Indian recipe, including ground cinnamon, black cardamom, green cardamom, black peppercorns, and cloves. 

The chili peppers were perfectly suited to this over-sized pickle jar.

I save all my empty spice jars, which of course work perfectly for loose spices. I also found that re-purposed yeast jars work well.  This one is holding whole brown mustard seed.

I also repurposed these little plastic containers.  They were filled with sweet potatoes when I bought them at the market. They have holes in the bottom, so they are perfect for planting flowers or herbs. 

I also found that they are useful for holding garlic or baking supplies in your cupboard.  

I also decided to take my antique oil & vinegar bottle out of the cupboard and actually use it.  I filled it with a good quality olive oil and added a few chili peppers to make a chili oil, perfect for drizzling over pizza.

I love adding beauty and efficiency to my kitchen at absolutely no cost to me or the environment.  Repurposing is so much fun and, in my opinion, adds a certain unique, rustic charm to your home.

Is there anything around your home that you have repurposed lately?