Let's Get Cookin'

An organized kitchen is a happy kitchen.  I know, that sounds really cheesy, but I really think it’s true.  When you have an organized kitchen, it makes cooking faster and easier because you don’t have to search to find what you need, you can simply go to it and grab it.  If you’re looking for ways to better organize your cabinets and refrigerator, then read on.

Today I am going to share with you how I organize my refrigerator.  Even if you don’t do it exactly like me, I hope that this will get your mind going on how to better organize your kitchen.  Monday, we’ll explore the cabinets. 

A few of the ‘basic rules’ to organizing I follow:

1. Group like things together
2. Group things together that are used for a certain purpose
3. Corral smaller items in baskets or bins
4. Nest smaller bowls, etc inside larger ones to maximize space

So, what my fridge looks like today.  It is a little bit bare b/c it’s about time for a trip to the grocery store, but oh well.

Now, let’s break that down a bit.  In the door we have the following:

In the top little cubby thing, I keep medicines that need to be kept refrigerated.

The next shelf down hold the milk and koolaid jug.

The next one down is empty cuz the little hook thing broke on one side. 

And then we have a shelf for canned goods – cranberry sauce and mixed fruit (we always keep a couple cans of these  in the fridge so they’re always ready).  I also keep the apple butter and yeast for breadmaking here.

The bottom shelf has a bag of bagels and a bottle of antacid (it just doesn’t seem to ‘fit’ anywhere else!)

Let’s dig a little deeper into the fridge, shall we?  The top shelf.  Remember rule #3 – here’s a great example:

I keep pretty much all the things I use for cooking in one basket, so I can just pull it out and grab what I need.  It holds stuff like chicken broth, lemon and lime juice, roasted red peppers, etc.  On the shelf beside that, velveeta-style cheese, butter, and heavy cream.  I also keep cream cheese here…when I’m not out. 

Going south…

Again, I use a basket to contain more bottles.  This one holds all the condiments – ketchup, mustard, salad dressings, chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, taco sauce, soy sauce, etc.  And to the right of that are things in tubs – sour cream, mascarpone cheese, spreadable cream cheese.  A big jar of mayo (that won’t fit in the basket) is hiding behind the tubs.

And moving on down the line…

Although it’s pretty sparse right now, this shelf is typically filled up with diet sodas. 

Going down…

The bottom shelf houses the eggs – you should always keep eggs on the bottom shelf, for safety reasons: if one should break and ooze out, it won’t drip down and contaminate other foods beneath.  I also keep a bowl of fruit here for easy grabbing.  When we have leftovers, they go on this shelf too for quick access.

Now, let’s take a look in my drawers.  Wait!  No!  That’s not what I meant!  I meant…oh…just forget it.

Tortillas and fresh veggies live in the top drawer, as you can see.

The bottom drawer holds meats and cheeses.  The green container normally is filled with cheese sticks for the kidlets…when we’re not out of them. 

So, that’s my fridge.  Let’s bundle up and move over to the freezer section. It’s somewhat sparse because we keep the bulk of our frozen food in a deep freezer in the garage.  Here’s what I keep in the freezer inside:

I’m gonna breeze through the freezer because, well…it’s lunchtime and the kids are bugging me to fix them something to eat.  Geez…

In the door of the freezer, from top to bottom:

-juice concentrate (limeade for my margaritas!) & ice packs for school lunches and boo-boos.

Next shelf is a box of communion bread (we used to do communion with a Bible Study group we were in and we were the ‘keepers of the bread’)

Next down is a tub of cool whip.

Then, the next two hold bags of frozen berries and bananas (to make banana bread with at some point).

The shelves hold:

TOP: Desserts – ice cream mainly, and there’s a roll of cookie dough as well.

MIDDLE:  Meats – Chicken tenders, pork chops, fish fillets

BOTTOM:  A basket of all those partially used bags of frozen veggies, and a bag of frozen roll dough.

BOTTOM DRAWER:  More frozen fruit and berries.

So, that’s my fridge and freezer.  I hope it inspired you to clean out and organize your’s as well…you’ll be a happier cook if you do, I promise.

**Do you have kitchen organization questions?  Leave a comment here and next Friday I’ll be answering YOUR QUESTIONS on organizing!!**

It’s January 1st…a time for resolutions, a time for reminiscing, a time for reorganizing.  That’s right…reorganizing.  If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to get your kitchen organized – you’re in the right place.  Over the next week, I’ll be posting about ways to organize your kitchen to make it more efficient and fun to be in.  To start things off, I thought I’d give you a basic rundown of what’s in my pantry and refrigerator on pretty much any given day.  These are the things that I use all the time.  Of course, you may not use all these things, so just use this as a jumping off point – tweak it to meet your needs.

In The Fridge:

• Fresh Greens – usually Spring Mix or Baby Spinach
• Fresh Carrots
• Butter
• Eggs
• Fresh Fruit – grapes, apples, oranges, whatever’s in season
• Broccoli
• Milk
• Heavy Cream
• Cheeses – Shredded Mozarella & Chedder, and Fresh Parmesan as well as sliced cheese for sandwiches
• Deli Meats for school lunches
• Tortillas
• Bagels
• Ketchup, Mustard, and Mayo
• Salsa
• Juice
• Cream Cheese
• Yogurt
• Bacon
• Soft Drinks
• Jams & Jellies
• Ice Cream Toppings

In The Freezer:

• Ground Beef
• Ground Turkey
• Steaks
• Pork Chops & Pork Loin
• Chicken Tenderloins & Chicken Breasts
• Salmon
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn
• Peas
• Lima Beans
• Chopped Onions (Either purchased at the grocery, or some that I’ve chopped and tossed into freezer bags)
• Chopped Peppers (Same as onions)
• Puff Pastry
• Phyllo Dough
• Assorted Berries and Fruit
• Ice Cream
• Frozen Pizzas – for those nights when I just don’t feel like cooking!

In The Cabinets:

• Dried Herbs & Spices
• Peanut Butter
• Whole Wheat Pasta, assorted shapes
• Chicken Broth
• Beef Broth
• Tomato Sauce,  Tomato Paste & Crushed Tomatoes
• Canned Black Beans
• Canned Baked Beans
• Jams & Jellies (unopened)
• Oatmeal
• Dried Fruits
• Nuts
• Coconut
• Bread Crumbs
• Rice
• Pudding Mixes
• Brownie Mixes
• Cake Mixes
• Cooking Spray
• Table Salt
• Honey
• Baking Soda & Baking Powder
• Cocoa Powder
• Chocolate Chips
• Cereal
• Granola Bars
• Crackers

On The Counter: (I display alot of my frequently used items in glass containers on my counter or in other areas in view)

• Onions
• Potatoes
• Other fresh veggies in season such as peppers, tomatoes, avocado, etc.
• Lemons
• Garlic
• Shallots
• Fresh Fruit that doesn’t need refrigeration – bananas
• Kosher Salt
• Peppermill
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Flour
• Sugar
• Powdered Sugar
• Brown Sugar

So there you have it – that’s what we eat around here.  Tomorrow I’ll share photos of how I store all these items and keep them organized.

Do you have any questions about organizing specific things?  Let me know and I’ll try to answer them before the week’s over!