Hi Gang, Here is my update for this evening:
did all dishes wiped down counters/stove cleaned out fridge & freezer took everything out of fridge & freezer & decluttered it of old food & such cleaned the freezer & fridge cleared dr table & wiped it down picked up papers over lr & put them in a small box together to go through later cooked dinner That's it for me today! I'll be here tomorrow for a challenge. Sherry in FL On Tue, 19 Feb 2002 22:47:29 -0500 "Vanetta Conn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > An Organized Kitchen > by Wen Zientek > > Being organized can save time, money, waste and stress. Below are a > few, simple ideas that can help keep your schedule sane and > cooking area clean and well-organized. > > > Create a Clean, Organized Work Space > Organize your storage space > Alphabetize your spice cabinet. If that is too much organization for > you, store your spices in groups that are commonly used > together, such as keeping garlic, basil, and oregano close to each > other. Use the same logic with other food staples, such as canned > items or flours and baking goods. > > Create specialized work areas > Even if you have a tiny kitchen, carve out specific areas where you > know you will take care of certain tasks (such as mixing, > cutting and rolling). If you do something more than once a week, set > up a special spot for that area and store all of the things > that you use for that process close by. For example, if you are a > baker, store all of your baking staples and tools near ample > counter space so that you have room to mix and roll your favorite > biscuits. > > Make sure you have the right cooking/baking equipment > Buy two sets of measuring cups and spoons, so you do not have to > stop and wash each item in between measurements. If you are > measuring a dry ingredient and a sticky ingredient in the same cup, > measure the dry ingredient first. If you need to add the sticky > ingredient to the mixture first, place the measured dry ingredient > in the pan that you will be cooking or serving in and just pour > it from that dish into the mixing bowl. Any dry ingredient residue > will not hurt the final product and it saves you from washing an > extra dish. > > Hang a chalkboard or a small white board in your kitchen > Use the board. Really. Get into the habit of marking down grocery > lists, ingredients for recipes, what you are planning to cook/eat > on which day, and what leftovers are available in the refrigerator > or freezer. > > Check all of the food in your refrigerator and freezer before each > shopping trip > Check expiration dates and confirm what staples you need to > re-stock. Toss anything that looks or smells questionable. Make a > list > of items that will spoil within the next few days and make sure to > use them in your meals before they spoil. Date everything that > you place in your freezer. Even butter, fruit juice, frozen meats, > casseroles or frozen vegetables can go bad. Try to use the food > that has been in the freezer for the longest time. > > > Prepare Ahead of Time > Plan your week > Look at your schedule and try to budget how much time you are going > to have for dinner each night. Spend 15 minutes on the weekend > and plan out each dinner, find the recipes, and make sure that you > have everything that you will need. Attach the recipe cards or a > list of meals to the refrigerator to let you and your family know > what you will be eating for the week. > > Prepare batches of cut/diced foods and freeze for use in your > upcoming menus > You will save preparation time during the week if you chop fresh > parsley, onions, peppers and carrots and freeze them in small > freezer bags. (Same for items such as grated cheese, chopped nuts or > breadcrumbs.) Don't forget to label how much is in each bag. > Because they are all small-sized items, they will defrost quickly > when you mix them into dishes. I like mixing together things like > onions, peppers, peas and carrots in bags and just tossing them into > casseroles or pasta dishes for instant flavor. You can do the > same thing with small amounts of leftover vegetables rather than > throwing them out. > > Cook on the weekends if you can and/or double or triple recipes that > freeze well > If you have free time on the weekends, use the opportunity to cook > items that take a long time to prepare or to cook. Even if your > weekends are busy, as long as you will be at home and can > occasionally check on items that require a long cooking time, you > can get > a jump on the week ahead. Cook rice, pasta, or grains to use in > casseroles or other dishes. Rice takes especially long to cook so it > is ideal to cook ahead of time. Roast a turkey or a large piece of > meat. They require little preparation or monitoring but a long > cooking time. The leftovers can be used in all sorts of dishes > including soups, casseroles, salads and sandwiches. > > > Getting Ready to Cook > Make sure your kitchen is clean before beginning to cook > You will save time if you can find the right (and clean) utensils, > and if you have room in the dishwasher or drying rack for items > you use along the way. > > Read your recipe through twice before starting to cook > After reading, take out all ingredients and all equipment. Then plan > your attack: If you are going to need boiling water at some > point in time during the recipe, put it on the stove now. Preheat > the oven if you are baking the dish, or heat up the skillet if you > are frying. Look at where you have time to squeeze in other tasks. > If you are simmering a dish for five minutes, plan on setting the > table or tossing a salad during that time. Plan when you need to > microwave your vegetables or bake the rolls and juggle the times so > that everything is finished at the same time. > > > > The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their > dreams.- Eleanor Roosevelt > > > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.324 / Virus Database: 181 - Release Date: 2/14/02 ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Journey from clutter List Website http://journeyfromclutter.com Members Only Page http://journeyfromclutter.com/MembersOnly/MembersArea.htm Unsubscribe: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word 'unsubscribe' in the 'Subject:' field to be removed from the main list. 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