Green Kitchen Tips

June 30, 2011 by Julie Seibert  
Filed under Blog

Small ways you can be green in the kitchen!
•Buy spices and grains from bulk bins
•Use green cleaners
•Use BPA free plastics
•Get a water purifier and ditch plastic bottles
•Bring Your Own Shopping Bags.  Keep in your car.
•Reuse paper or plastic bags
•Avoid excess packaging. Buy large bottles of juice instead of boxes; get large sizes rather than individually wrapped ones (portion in reusable containers); and buy items in bulk.
•When you find yourself with boxes and plastic trays, recycle (if your recycler accepts).
•Avoid cans that cannot be recycled/reused: pressurized whipped cream and cooking-spray. Whip up cream fresh with your mixer, or use a product that comes in a recyclable container. Get some refillable metal or plastic oil sprayers from Misto or Pampered Chef.

Organizing Recipes

June 27, 2011 by Julie Seibert  
Filed under Blog

Recipes within Cookbooks
Mark the page with a Book Dart. Color-code  recipes you have tried from those you haven’t; by category; or for favorites. Whatever makes the most sense to you!

Make an index. Write the name you’re likely to remember; book/magazine it’s in; and  page number. File  alphabetically in a recipe box, dividing it into sections.

Single Recipes

Create a filing system. Sort recipes in labeled folders and keep in a file drawer or in an open-sided storage box . Or set up a three-ring binder with tab dividers and plastic page protectors.  Every time you add a recipe, eliminate one you have yet to try.

Buy a ready-made system like the Williams-Sonoma Recipe & Entertaining Journal (williams-sonoma.com).

Use recycled/green recipe cards;

Organizing Your Cookbooks

June 23, 2011 by Julie Seibert  
Filed under Blog

Create a reading area/nook. Personalize a kitchen with cookbooks on a shelf with a chair nearby. Don’t place near stove/refrigerator. Don’t forget bookends!  Add a steel shelf with hooks to stretch space with a pot rack.
Organize books by your logic. Maybe by author, course, theme, geography?  Whatever works for you.
Consider keeping recipes; and donating books. Do you use only a handful of recipes? Scan favorites and file electronically? Or photocopy and file. Give books to a food-loving friend, or donate  to a thrift shop or  library.

Make an online cookbook. Use the Internet to find & store recipes. You can search recipes by ingredient, course, or occasion. Consider recipe-keeping software that offers additional features.

GO GREEN:

•Buy printed on recycled paper
•Use a recipe electronic gadget

Stretching Space in the Kitchen

June 20, 2011 by Julie Seibert  
Filed under Blog

Here are a few suggestions to help create space in your kitchen to get organized.
•Racks, hooks, shelves inside of cupboard doors or back of kitchen door
•Adjust shelving to eliminate wasted air space
•Move holiday & special dishes to dining room; panty extras to garage/basement
•Hang aprons, pot holders, and dish towels on pegs (mount away from the stove)

The Joy of Sacks

June 16, 2011 by Julie Seibert  
Filed under Blog

Just in time for Summer camp!

It is estimated that Americans use more than 20 million plastic sandwich bags–DAILY!  Three smart moms created LunchSkins, bright, reusable dishwasher-safe sandwich and snack sacks.  Save yourself money by investing in these bright sacks.

Help keep yourself organized by coordinating colors with your BPA free water bottle and for each child.

Check out here:

http://www.lunchskins.com/home.php

Quick Tips for Organizing Your Kitchen

June 13, 2011 by Julie Seibert  
Filed under Blog

Not a lot of time?  Here are some quick suggestions to get you on the road to organization & better health!

  • Contain messes by housing sticky items on an easy-to-clean lazy Susan.
  • Keep plastic bags, wrapping, BPA free containers together near the refrigerator to quickly store leftovers.
  • Sliding shelf organizers make easier to access items.
  • Drawer organizers keep cutlery neatly separated, so you never have to rummage around for what you need.

Losing Weight & Organization

June 6, 2011 by Julie Seibert  
Filed under Blog

1 in 10 U.S. workers report increased snacking during the day because of concerns over the current economic situation. 43% say they have gained weight in their current job.

If your kitchen doesn’t support a healthy lifestyle (no room to cook meals so frozen food or takeout are the best options, etc.) you might be sabotaging yourself. A disorganized environment could be making you console yourself with food; most often sugar, fat, chemical and processed foods.

So, if losing weight and better health is a priority,   getting organized is a step in the right direction!

A Disorganized Kitchen & Your Health

June 2, 2011 by Julie Seibert  
Filed under Blog

Experts in organization and mental health agree that getting organized enhances all levels of health.
People don’t eat well because their kitchen isn’t functional.  If you can’t cook, you are probably going to rely on frozen food, take out and junk food filled with sugar, fat, and chemicals.
Organizing you kitchen is a step in the right direction for better health.