I heart Lock & Lock

I confess: I'm addicted to the Lock & Lock brand of storage containers.

We live in a 40-year-old house which ants of all kinds have decided to call home too, and they used to get into everything—cereal boxes, syrup bottles with the cap screwed on so tightly I had a hard time opening them, dog food, even the uncooked brown rice! We used to place water in cookie trays, put plastic trays on them and keep the foodstuff in the trays. But this awful solution was just that—awful. First, the stale water is just an invitation to mosquitoes to breed. So that meant having to change the water often. Second, have you tried carrying an extremely shallow tray full of water? Third, the trays took up too much counter space. And fourth, the ants learned to swim.

When that last one happened, I decided to go buy a whole bunch of Lock & Locks. I found out about the brand about seven years ago because of my sister, but didn't pay it much mind. Now my kitchen is so full of their products I can actually throw a "Lock & Lock Party." The reason for the heart: they're airtight. As in, you can put water in the container and if you close it properly (there is such a thing as not closing it properly), you can place it in your handbag secure in the knowledge that it won't spill or even leak.

I now keep everything in Lock & Lock containers—at least the ones I want to keep away from ants. And from moisture—this is such a humid country, the containers are perfect for keeping foodstuff dry too. I have tiny ones for spices; small ones for bouillon cubes, salt, pepper; medium ones for powdered milk, ground coffee beans, powdered juice; large ones for sugar, cereals, brown rice, dog food; and one extra large one which serves as a catch-all for oddly shaped items or food we know we'll finish within a day or two. Then we also keep a few small ones as lunch boxes—no more worrying about food with broth or sauces.

The only thing I've discovered so far that Lock & Lock can't handle is onion powder. But I just found out that they've come up with a line of air-free containers. Definitely on my shopping list now.