Organizing For Dummies

by Eileen Roth

  Keep a reusable ice pack or two in the freezer for keeping lunches cool or icing down an injury.

  Fast-Track Food Storage

  You can get more out of your groceries when you store them right. Once you set up your system, unpacking groceries and putting away leftovers becomes a snap — and the contents of your kitchen stay organized and fresh.

  Don’t take the word storage too seriously. Most meats and seafood shouldn’t stay in the refrigerator more than a few days or the freezer for more than three to six months. The optimal shelf life on most unopened pantry items is six months to a year. So go do a big purge right now, and then get on a spring and fall cleaning schedule to keep your food supply fresh.

  Cool container solutions

  Clear is the color of choice for food containers, whether plastic bags, glass canisters, or rectangular tubs. The instant visual ID a clear container offers can save you hours, maybe even years over the course of a lifetime. Colored labels and lids can provide aesthetic relief for your eye and a coding system for your mind.

  Containers that go from the freezer to the microwave serve a dual purpose and save transfer time. Remember to go square for the best use of space. Stock a variety of sizes and stack the empties inside each other. If you’re storing more containers than you’re using, that’s a tip to toss, as are any containers without a lid or vice versa. Lid holders help contain everything in its place.

  Opened packages of grain products — including flour, oatmeal, cornmeal, rice, pasta, noodles, bread crumbs, stuffing mix, and dried beans — can be protected from insect invasion by storing them in containers with tightly sealing lids. Simply match the size of the container to the contents of your package, make the transfer, and then — don’t forget this part or you may be sorry later — cut out any preparation instructions from the original package, wipe them clean, and put them right into the container for reference at cooking time. Tape prep instructions on the outside if you prefer, but removing the tape and paper when it’s time to wash the container can be inconvenient.

  You may want to keep a few disposable containers, such as whipped cream or butter tubs, for toting food to other people’s houses or sending care packages to college kids; purge the rest. Likewise, a couple of glass jars are great for storing frying oil to be reused or bacon grease until full to toss, but any more is clutter.

  Some containers come preprinted with codes to match the bottoms to the lids. Use a permanent marker to code the rest with letters of the alphabet. While you’re at it, write your name or initials on any pieces you take to other people’s houses.

  Wrapping center

  A wrap and packaging center can make quick work of leftovers, lunches, and food that you want to freeze in a one-stop spot. Find a drawer or cupboard shelf that can hold all your wraps — plastic wrap, aluminum foil, wax paper, sandwich bags, resealable bags, and lunch bags — and food containers in a variety of sizes. Containers can stack inside each other according to size.

  You may want to slide your wraps into one or two wire racks to keep them easily stackable. These can be a shelf-top model, or designed to mount inside a cabinet door; check out this alternative in Figure 5-6. (Be advised that large-size boxes won’t fit into most racks.)

  If you’re short on drawer or shelf space, store your wrap center under the sink.

  Resealable bags are a perfectionist’s idea of nirvana. Stock all the sizes —snack, sandwich, pint, quart, and gallon — and watch yourself come up with novel ways to use them, from freezing sauces to storing children’s game pieces, toting cosmetics or pencils, and making ice packs for your weekend warriors.

  Once you get your wrap center set up with all of your wrapping stuff, you’re ready to prepare lunches, keep leftovers, and use your freezer to maximum efficiency. Here are some pro tips:

  Wrap foods in freezer paper, aluminum foil, or a double layer of plastic wrap, zip them into resealable plastic freezer bags, or slip them into plastic containers.

  Use a permanent marker or freezer pen to label and date everything as it goes in. Just a date will do on purchased items in their original wrapping. You can skip items you go through fast and use quickly.

  Color-code your labels or container lids according to the section they belong to or your own criteria. For instance, I top beef gravy containers with orange lids and turkey gravy with beige. A quick-reference chart can help you decode your colors later; use the same ones all the time to remember better.

  Figure 5-6: A cabinet door rack can make sense of your wraps.

  Mealtime or Hassletime: The Organized Meal Planner

  Attention take-out addicts: A simple plan turns “I don’t have time to cook” into “I can!” and saves time, money, and stress along the way. You may also be amazed by how much more your house feels like a home and your family like blood relatives when you fill your kitchen with enticing aromas and all sit down to break bread together. For those of you already in the nightly cooking trenches, prepare to discover some powerful secret weapons.

  The first step to master meal planning is to know what you eat. Take a minute to jot down what you ate for dinner each night for the past week. (If this is straining your brain, just keep a log for the next week or two.) Now look for the pattern — maybe pasta on Monday, chicken Tuesday; meetings and school events on Wednesday mean leftovers or frozen entrees as everyone fends for themselves. Thursday is tacos or wraps, Friday dinner is out, Saturday is a slightly gourmet effort with fish or meat, Sunday night is takeout for the day of rest. Looks like you need to plan and shop for four nights. Not so hard, right (especially when you consider that most weeks run pretty much the same)?

  Shop like a jock without dropping

  An organized kitchen begins in the supermarket. If, like most people, you usually hit the store with frayed nerves and a scattered mind and come home with a predictably mixed bags of goods, try these shopping strategies to procure like a pro.

  Shop at the right store.

  Keep a separate list for bulk purchases —paper goods, cleaning supplies, soda, liquor, and nonperishable foods — and shop once a month at a warehouse or club store.

  The supermarket is the place to get your fresh foods and specialty items. Plan to do your main shopping once a week and run in a second time only if you need to pick up perishables.

  Convenience stores are hard on your budget, but oh-so-easy in emergency situations. Just be sure to buy only what the emergency requires — and the first time you find yourself there for toothpaste, add it to your backup list.

  Shop at the right time. Try to resist the urge to shop when you and the rest of the world want to most: just before dinner. You may be competing at the meat counter and standing in line forever — and you’re likely to buy more when you’re hungry. Morning and late evening make great grocery times in today’s 24/7 environment, as does the day after your favorite store stocks its shelves (ask a friendly manager).

  Shop in the right sections. The hot service counter, salad bar, gourmet sauce shelf, and prepared foods section are great when you’re in a hurry, not so good when you’re on a budget.

  Writing your master menu and grocery shopping list

  Write up your typical week of meals, throwing in the lunches and breakfasts eaten at home. Add in any missing favorite and/or frequent meals. This is your master menu list.

  Now use your menu list to create a master shopping list. Remember to account for fruits and veggies, side dishes, snacks, desserts, drinks, and school lunches. Organize your list by supermarket section, and then type it up and make a bunch of copies or enter it on your computer.

  Keep your master lists on the bulletin board or in the office supply drawer in the kitchen. Use the menu list to choose tomorrow’s dinner before going to bed each night (okay, it still works as you walk in the door that evening because you did your shopping in advance — haven’t you?). Pull out a fresh copy of the shopping list each week and use a highlighter to indicate what you need. Add items t
o your current shopping list when they’re halfway down. Stock a backup of anything you go through fast. Do you live in snow, earthquake, hurricane, tornado, or flood country? Keep some nonperishable items on hand for an emergency. Those who live alone can stock some soups and canned foods for days that you’re sick and can’t go to the store.

  Add to and edit your master menu and shopping lists as you make new discoveries and favorites fall out of favor.

  Create your master menu and shopping list in a word processing table or spreadsheet on the computer so you can easily make additions or changes as your choices change.

  Is making a master shopping list more than you can manage? There are two other solutions for you:

  Keep a wipe-off board on the refrigerator door to write down things you need as you think of them during the week. Let kids add their requests but tell them you make no promises. On shopping day, jot the items on the board down on a piece of paper. Look through your pantry and fridge and add whatever’s running low as well as needs for the week’s meals.

  Less customized but better than going listless is a magnetic shopping list with pieces to slide over the items you want to buy. Now that was easy, wasn’t it?

  Cooking in bulk truly saves time — and often money, because you can buy ingredients in value packs, and a well-stocked freezer or fridge can forestall many a stop at a restaurant or take-out place. Roasts, soups, stews, and casseroles are all great candidates for cooking ahead. So break out the big pots and leverage economy of scale. Remember to package the fruits of your labor in serving sizes right for one meal.

  Unloading the goodies

  After grocery shopping, unloading efficiently can save time and stress. Keep a collapsible crate in the trunk of the car to help carry bags into the house. If your garage is already organized, you will have remembered to back the car into the garage for easy unloading (see Chapter 13). If you live in a high-rise building, a folding shopping cart can help you get your groceries upstairs with ease. Just remember to put the heavy items on the bottom, or they’ll squish your vegetables and bread!

  As you unload the groceries, be thinking about how and when each item can be used. Organizing as you unpack items can give you a headstart on busy mornings and harried meal times. For instance, wash and ice the minicarrots for the kids to snack on. Seal pretzels into resealable plastic bags to tuck into lunches. Toss out all those old and spoiled things you come across as you put away the new.

  Are you a victim of grocery bag buildup? Here’s how to keep bags neat until you recycle or reuse: Open one brown grocery bag, close the rest, and slip them lengthwise into the open bag. Plastic grocery bags can be packed inside one open bag too, or purchase a cylindrical container that hangs from the wall to hold them. Unless you only go to the grocery once a year, you shouldn’t need more than a bagful of empty bags on hand for reuse, so recycle the rest.

  Cookbooks and Recipes

  The recipes that tell us what to do for delicious success can be a source of vital sustenance and heritage — when they’re not cluttering the kitchen with information overload. Systematize your cookbooks and recipes into accessible references instead of acres of meaningless paper, and watch your culinary prowess soar.

  Cleaning up your cookbook collection

  How many cookbooks is enough? Everybody needs at least one all-purpose cookbook, so that whether you wonder what to do with the fresh Muscovy duck you just bought or are summoned to provide oatmeal cookies for the school bake sale, you have somewhere to turn. Beyond that, it’s a question of how much you (really, actually) cook. Go through your cookbook collection and purge anything you haven’t consulted or cooked from in a year, even if the book was a gift or a quaint collection from your local junior league. Remember that the library is well stocked with cookbooks for that special occasion when you need an appetizer from Afghanistan. Resist the urge to buy new cookbooks you don’t need. Store cookbooks in the kitchen, where they’re used. You can contain them on a pantry shelf, install a shelf on the wall, or, if your collection is legitimately large, arrange them in a small freestanding bookshelf, grouped by type. If you’re stuck with a wire rack shelf, lay a board or sheet of clear, hard plastic over it so you can slide books in and out easily. Don’t forget bookends to keep everything standing up straight.

  While you cook, slip your cookbook into a clear stand that holds it upright and keeps the book open for easy viewing while screening out the splashes and spatters.

  Healthy eating made easy

  Many of us are trying to eat more healthily, but need some new habits to make healthy eating as easy as it should be. Here are a few ways you can organize your kitchen to help you keep your best resolutions:

  Clear unhealthy foods out of your cupboard. Unopened items can be donated to charity.

  Keep plenty of fruits and vegetables on hand — fresh, frozen, and canned.

  Buy lowfat soups, canned beans, pasta, and marinara sauce for quick throw-together meals.

  Use cooking sprays and chicken or vegetable broth for fat-free sautéing.

  Stock your pantry with fat-free flavor sources: spices, hot sauce, mustards, chilies, horseradish, vinegars, soy sauce, and so on.

  Package desserts and snacks into individual serving sizes as soon as you make or buy them.

  Reducing your recipe burden

  Now, as for all those recipe clippings, that ragged and yellowing pile — yes, you know you have one, so put your guilt aside. Notice how they just sort of fall out all over the place when you have to find a recipe? This calls for some action. Your step-by-step solution is as follows:

  1.Get two three-ring binders and a stack of plastic sheet protectors.

  2.Sort your recipes into two piles: to try and tried and true. Toss out anything you tried and haven’t loved, lost interest in, recipes dated over a year back or those so old the paper the concoction is printed on turned yellow.

  3.Write today’s date on the recipes in the to try pile.

  4.Slip recipes into sheet protectors, fitting in as many as you can see. File the recipes, one pile per binder, according to sections marked with tabbed dividers — appetizers, meats, poultry, seafood, pasta, desserts, and so forth. Label the binder spines so you can distinguish the tried from the new. (See Chapter 16 for more information on setting up binders.)

  Voilà! — now you know just where to go to find your favorite no-cook pasta sauce or the hazelnut-crusted halibut recipe that looks so fabulous for your next dinner party.

  Card files are a hard-work way to store recipes. You have to do amazing feats of origami to get the recipes clipped in a way that they fit on the card, or rewrite the whole thing from scratch. Try the binder approach and spare yourself the extra effort. To maintain your binders, throw away any recipe you try but don’t like, and move those you do into the tried and true binder. Date all new to try recipes as you file them, and toss them after they’ve sat around for a year. Chances are that the dishes don’t really fit your lifestyle, and there are plenty of new ones coming.

  If you collect restaurant reviews, use the same two-binder system to file them and guide your decision when it’s time to go out. Make sections like restaurant guidebooks — business lunch, romantic dinner, family, ethnic cuisines, and the like.

  If you’re a serious cook and computer-savvy, you may want to consider filing your recipes on your computer, in special recipe software that also runs nutritional analyses and generates shopping lists, or in your word processing program. Recipe programs are set up to organize your recipes by section; if you use a word processor, create a different folder for each type of dish. Getting recipes entered takes extra time, but you save storage space and can print a fresh copy whenever you need one.

  Coupons: Turn Clutter into Cash in Hand

  Coupons appeal to our most basic instinct: to get a good deal. Of course, manufacturers wouldn’t offer them if coupons weren’t a good deal for them too, and purveyors love nothing more than consumers b
uying stuff they don’t need or wouldn’t buy otherwise — preferably in the extra-large size stipulated on the coupon — simply to save 50 cents. The first rule for turning coupons into cash in hand is don’t clip anything you don’t need. Because bagel bites are on sale is no reason to introduce bagel bites to your diet; a single person doesn’t need a 2-pound pack of lunch meat; and yes, you can have too many cans of tomatoes.

  However, when coupons are properly clipped, filed, and redeemed, they can be great money-savers, especially for larger families. The trick is to be efficient enough that you don’t spend more time than the money you save is worth. Here’s the plan:

  1.Get a 4-x-6-inch file box (3-x-5 inches is too small for wider coupons).

  2.Add tabbed dividers and label them by five categories: food, household items, paper goods, personal, and other (batteries, camera, office and school supplies). Depending upon your shopping habits, subdivide further for easy retrieval.

  3.Tackle your coupons as soon as they arrive — the Sunday paper is a good source — and clip items you commonly use, know you need, or genuinely want to try. Don’t bother with things that you already stocked up on unless the expiration date is fairly distant.

  4.File your coupons by section, putting the newest ones in back and weeding out those that have expired.