Organize Your Plastic Food Storage Containers

Do you have a kitchen drawer full of unmatched plastic storage containers and lids of various sizes? Does it drive you crazy when you can't find a lid that fits? Take just a few minutes during your day (some time today) and organize it. It doesn't take long and it's so great when it's done. 

Start by emptying the entire drawer and place like with like. Then match up as many lids with their mates as you can. Toss or recycle any containers that don't have mates, that are old and yucky, damaged, or that you have too many of. Take the lids off the ones you want to keep and store them vertically inside a gallon size Ziploc bag (unzipped). In the drawer, stack any containers you want to keep inside one another by size. Place the larger containers on the bottom of the drawer and in the back. The smaller ones go in the front and on top where they're easy to see.  

If you don't want to mess with any of this and you'd rather start fresh (especially if your containers are old and stained), go out and purchase a new set of matching plastic containers with just the right number and size of containers you think you might use. If you end up getting too many, no problem. Just find other ways to use them in your home. They're great for storing many things.

A "Cool" Storage Idea for Ice Cube Trays

Tired of unused marinara, pesto, or fettuccine sauce going bad in your refrigerator? Try storing it in ice cube trays! Ice cube trays are not just for ice anymore. For awhile I actually stopped making spaghetti because the extra marinara sauce always ended up going bad in my refrigerator before I could use it up. I only cook for two and the standard 32 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce was more than I needed. Storing and freezing the extra sauce in ice cube trays is the perfect solution! Now I can make spaghetti all the time without feeling guilty anymore about wasting sauce. And, you don't have to stop there... ice cube trays are also great for storing and freezing leftover coffee (for iced coffee), baby food, gravy, and so much more. Use ice cube trays with lids for food protection and greater stackability.

Store Wine Bottles Properly

Store your wine bottles properly to make sure your wine is always tasting its best. The ideal place to store wine is in a cool, dark place away from heat and direct sunlight. When wine is exposed to light and high temperatures (especially for long periods of time) it will significantly affect its flavor, making it taste really bad.  

There are many wine storage refrigerators or cabinets on the market, however, storing wine in your basement or in a cool closet will work just fine. If storing for more than a few weeks, be sure to rest the bottles on their sides. Just like heat and light, oxygen will also cause wine to spoil. By storing the bottles on their sides, it'll keep the cork in contact with the wine, causing the cork to expand forming an airtight seal. Here's to great tasting wine... Cheers!

Excellent Food Storage Containers!

Looking for a great way to maximize food storage and keep your dry foods fresher longer? Try using these airtight containers with pop-up button lids by Oxo Good Grips. I just started using these in my own kitchen and I absolutely love them! I can easily see what kinds of food I have and how much. My favorite way to use them is to put them right on top of my kitchen counter for storing bulk snack foods like nuts and dried fruit that are eaten daily. No more plastic bulk food baggies everywhere! They come in many different sizes to suit your needs and they are BPA free. Buy them as a set or individually at your local Bed, Bath, and Beyond store or visit BedBathAndBeyond.com.

PS: They're a bit pricey, however,  I've found the investment to be worth it. Don't have the budget to purchase a full set right now? Buy only 2 or 3 as budget allows. Before buying, make sure to take inventory of the quantity as well as the kinds of dry foods in your cupboards/pantry to help gauge what sizes to get.

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Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this blog are used personally by Always Organizing and no payment is received to promote. I'm just happy to share products that I know work well for simplifying life. Enjoy!

Organize Your Refrigerator

Save yourself time and money in the kitchen by having a well organized refrigerator. Group similar items together and find a place in your fridge where they will fit, either in a clear bin or drawer. Do you make a lot of sandwiches? Designate a bin for storing all of your sandwich makings. Instead of having to grab five things, you'll only need to grab just one. Store leftovers in the front in clear containers to remind yourself to eat them. Using a black sharpie, label things like eggs, yogurt, and milk with the date of purchase. This will help you know how long they've been in your fridge. Always store meat on the lowest shelf or bottom drawer and make sure to give your fridge a good wipe down now and then to keep things sanitary and sparkling clean.

Binder Clips in the Kitchen

Need a quick and easy way to keep food organized and tidy in the kitchen? Keep a few of these binder clips handy. They're great for closing up bags of chips, rice, flour, and bulk food items like almonds. Food stays fresher, longer and stays put rather than spilling all over your countertops or in your cupboards. I store them right in my utensil drawer where I can easily take them in and out as needed. Binder clips are not just for the office any more.

A Natural Alternative to Your Every Day Kitchen Sponge

To stay organized in the kitchen requires a lot of cleaning (before things can be put back in their place). Did you know the typical yellow and blue sponges found in grocery stores are often loaded with chemicals for fighting bacteria? Yuck! Try a chemical-free natural alternative: the Loofah Sponge by Twist. It's made from all natural products with a tan scrubby loofah on one side and an unbleached, undyed white cellulose on the other. It's great for washing freshly used dishes as well as dishes with dried stuck-on grime. It lasts much longer than your typical sponge and it's100% biodegradable and can be composted rather than end up in a landfill!

Did you know that the kitchen sponge is the #1 source of germs and bacteria in the entire kitchen? Gross! Therefore, regular sponge sanitizing is definitely in order (no matter what kind of sponge you use). What's the best way to sanitize a sponge? Throw it in the dishwasher at the end of the day. In the morning, toss it in the microwave for 1 minute and it's good to go. Don't have a microwave or dishwasher? Boiling it on the stove will work, too.

10 Tips for Storing Spices

1. Store spices in a cool, dark place away from sunlight (light will fade spices with naturally bright colors, such as paprika, chili powder, and red pepper).
2. Store in airtight containers. I recommend purchasing a set of these glass jars from Amazon.com and transferring your spices into them.
3. Label the jars using a label maker or printed labels from your computer for a nice clean look.
4. Date all spices with the date of purchase using a black sharpie. If using glass jars, place a small sticker on the bottom for dating.
5. Toss spices after one or two years (typically this is when they're at their best)
6. Store spices somewhere near the cooking area (in a cupboard or drawer), but not right next to or above the stove (heat will rapidly cause your spices to lose their freshness and potency).
7. Consider using a 3-tier shelf in the cupboard or a spice drawer insert in a drawer for your spice storage needs.
8. Alphabetize your spices to make it easy to find what you need.
9. Have a lot of spices? Consider having two storage locations - one for the spices you use most often and the other for the spices you use only sometimes.
10. If you do choose to purchase a spice storage rack (there are many on the market), give it some thought first to make sure it will suit your needs and fit in the space you have.

Organizing Recipes Clipped from Magazines

What to do with all of those great recipes you've collected from magazines? It's difficult to actually use them when they're accumulating in piles or in files. The solution? Create a Recipe Binder! It's simple and fast. You'll need a 3-ring binder, sheet protectors, and file tabs (I recommend Durable Filing Tabs by Post-it). Create categories customized to suit your needs and use a label maker or black pen to make labels. (Sample Categories: Appetizers, Main Entrees, Sides, and Desserts or Beef, Chicken, Salmon, Shrimp, Rice, Pasta, Salads, and Soups). It's helpful to have a section for "Notes", too. Slip each recipe into a sheet protector and place in the appropriate binder category.

When cooking, take the recipe out of the sheet protector and tape to a cupboard door near your food prep area for quick viewing. Return the recipe to the binder when finished. This works great for recipes printed off of the Internet, too. Have new recipes you'd like to try, but haven't gotten around to it yet? Store them in the binder's inside front pocket until you're ready to use them. If they're a big hit... add them to the binder. Happy Cooking!

Bed, Bath, and Beyond - Great Resource!

In need of a great place to shop for organizing products for your home? Visit your local Bed, Bath, & Beyond store (if you haven't already). It's one of my favorite places to shop for myself as well as for my clients.They have a fantastic selection of organizing products for the home, especially for the kitchen and closets. And the best part... they honor all original Bed, Bath, & Beyond coupons (expired or not) and you can use more than one coupon per visit! How cool is that?

Organizing Dry Food

Having trouble keeping your dry food fresh? Need a way to contain your dry food to maximize space? Try using glass jars with airtight lids or better yet, find some clear airtight containers (preferably BPA free) for storing and organizing your food. They often come in various sizes to suit all your needs and can be stacked on top of one another to free up space in your cupboards, pantry, and countertops. They'll save you time by allowing you to quickly see what food you have (and how much) and they'll save you money by keeping your food fresher longer. Give it a try. This little investment can last a lifetime!

Simple Meal Planning

I'm reading a great book right now called 'ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life' by Judith Kolberg & Kathleen Nadeau, PH.D. This is a really good book for helping anyone organize their life (even if you don't have ADD).

Anyways, there's a wonderful idea in here for simplifying meal planning that I'd like to share with you. I think we could ALL use help with this!

It suggests creating a weekday meal rotation (Monday through Thursday). With input from your children and/or spouse, make a list of eight simple meals (with no more than 3 ingredients).

Sample Menus

Week One
Spaghetti
Grilled cheese sandwiches and soup
Chicken and Broccoli
Turkey hot dogs with beans

Week Two
Hamburgers
Tuna sandwiches and soup
Chicken stir fry and rice
Macaroni and cheese

With each meal, serve a simple salad (prepackaged is fine) or veggies (frozen is fine). Fridays are pizza or burrito nights. Saturdays and Sundays can be take-out, cooking on the grill, eating out, leftovers, or a more elaborate sit-down dinner
when possible.

The meals repeat every two weeks. There's enough variety so you won't tire of them and they're easy and quick to prepare. Not only will this system save you time and energy, but will also make grocery shopping a breeze!

A Great Product

• Do you have trouble seeing food items at the back of your kitchen cabinets?
• Do you wish there was a better way to organize your kitchen cabinets so you can easily access everything you need?
• Does your kitchen have oddly shaped corner cabinets that you're not sure what to do with?

I have a great product for you... it's called a Lazy Susan.

You've probably heard of a Lazy Susan. You've probably even seen them on dining room tables for holding things like salt & pepper shakers, napkins, and condiments. But did you know they can also be used for organizing your kitchen cabinets, pantries, and even your countertops?

They come in all shapes & sizes such as, full circular, half moon, pie-cut, D-shape, and Kidney and can be two-tiered to five-tiered depending on your needs. They are also made out of many different materials such as, wood, polymer, stone, metal, and bamboo. They vary in price, as well.

You can find them at www.lazysusans.com. A great website!

Use Lazy Susans to combine all of your cooking oils & vinegars, to store canned items in your pantry, to hold baking supplies in your cabinet, or even use them to store condiments in your refrigerator. They have unlimited uses to make your life easier!

No more having to pull items out of your cabinets or pantries just to see what's hidden behind. A perfect organizing solution for you!

Check them out and let me know what you think.