Organize + Energize: What's In Your Kitchen?
Kristin MacRae, GoLocalProv Organizing Expert
Organize + Energize: What's In Your Kitchen?
In the past month, I’ve organized a bunch of kitchens. I think people get nervous when the holidays roll around and some want to be as efficient as possible during this time. They truly understand the benefits of having an organized kitchen.
Instead of giving you tips like I normally do, I thought I would tell you what’s going on in people’s kitchens. See? It's not just you.
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I can already hear the moans and groans. So many people have a hard time with containers and lids. I just finished organizing a kitchen and found that once we emptied the cabinet, she had about 20 lids and 2 containers. Where did all the containers go? My favorite containers are Lock N Lock containers. They are stackable and durable.
Expired food.
In every kitchen I organize, we throw out at least 4 garbage bags of expired food. You know what this means? You can’t see what you have in your food pantry and you forgot you had it, and you just threw money out the window!
Random items.
Do tennis balls really belong in the kitchen? How about hair elastics or staple guns? They should have a home in another area of the house, especially if you have a small kitchen.
Food placement.
Mostly everybody is guilty of this. Breakfast food mixed in with canned goods. Snacks mixed in with pasta. Rice on different shelves. I see you nodding your head.
Do you label?
I will tell you a story about what happened to me a few Christmases ago. I was making pizzelles and I grabbed what I thought was the sugar, (it wasn’t labeled) and I proceeded to mix it into the batter. When I went to place a dollop of batter on the machine, it caramelized on the machine. At that moment, I realized I put confectionary sugar instead of regular sugar into the batter. I ruined the machine and needless to say, nobody had pizzelles for dessert that year. I thought I was smart and didn’t need to label the containers. I still don’t have a label on the confectionary sugar, but...do as I say, not as I do.
Food on top of the refrigerator.
Do you do it? It’s an eyesore and the heat will wreak havoc on your food. I will guarantee that once you organize your kitchen, you will no longer need to store anything on top of it. Alternatively, decorative pieces look great on top of the fridge.
Box tops.
Do you struggle with a box top every time you try to get your favorite snack? Rip those tops right off the boxes so you can grab what you need quickly.
Half empty boxes.
One Crystal Lite packet, one oatmeal packet, two granola bars. Take these guys out of their boxes, condense, and store like items together.
Spices.
Oh boy. How many cinnamon spices does one need? Take 5 minutes and make a clean sweep of the spice cabinet. You may be surprised at what you find.
If you have a disorganized kitchen, I know you can relate to all of the above. It’s time to get your kitchen organized so you can save time and money, have less stress and be more efficient and productive in your kitchen. What’s stopping you from getting your kitchen organized?
12 Fall Recipes With Classic Rhode Island Ingredients
Johnnycakes
Roasted red pepper, basil and parmesan johnnycakes
with Kenyon’s Johnny Cake Corn Meal
Our local specialty, johnnycakes (or jonnycakes, or johnny cakes, whichever way you spell them) isn’t just for breakfast, though we can’t deny they’re pretty terrific slathered with butter and local maple syrup. Why not go savory? Serve these Italian-inspired mini cornmeal cakes for an appetizer or halftime snack, with beer or cocktails.
Find the recipe here.
Fritters
Baked clam and corn cake “fritters”
with Iggy’s Chopped Clams, Kenyon’s Clam & Fritter Mix, and Rhode Island Red Hot Sauce
Even though summer’s gone, you can enjoy the taste of the beach in your kitchen year-round. Make these packed-with-clams fritters with canned chopped clams and frozen corn, Kenyon’s Clam Cake & Fritter Mix and a splash of zingy hot sauce.
Find the recipe here.
Nachos
Slow cooker sweet coffee flank steak nachos
with Dave’s All-Natural Coffee Syrup
We know what you’re thinking: my goodness, these look great, but what about the caffeine? We have the answer! Dave’s All-Natural Decaf Coffee Syrup, made right here in Rhode Island, is perfect in the slow cooker. These unusual nachos will wake up your taste buds and delight your friends.
Find the recipe here.
Meatball sandwiches
Rhode Island weiner spice meatball sandwiches (slow cooker)
with Olneyville NY System spice mix
Imagine our glee when we first discovered Olneyville NY System’s “secret” spice mix, packaged and sold in our local supermarket! In Rhode Island Recipes, we made appetizer meatballs dunked in salsa. Here, we used the slow cooker to make turkey meatballs, and topped them with onions and mustard.
Find the recipe here.
Apple cider coffee pork
Sweet and sassy slow cooker apple cider coffee pork
with Dave’s All-Natural Coffee Syrup
Easy enough for every day, fancy enough for company, this pork loin cooks low and slow in your Crock Pot. Coffee syrup is the magic ingredient.
Find the recipe here.
Pulled chicken roll-ups
Slow cooker coffee-chipotle pulled chicken roll-ups
with Dave’s All Natural Coffee Syrup and Rhode Island Red Hot Sauce
There’s a lot of Rhode Island goodness wrapped up in these sandwiches! You can make the chicken ahead (get your kids to help with the “pulling”), then stuff it together with your favorite cole slaw, or sliced apples, or avocado. Pack these roll-ups for tailgating or lunch on the go.
Find the recipe here.
Pot roast stew
Slow cooker root vegetable and beer pot roast stew
with Wicked Natural Caramel Mustard and Newport Storm beer
A cook-all-day recipe, this beef stew combines meat and potatoes, root vegetables and beer. Start this in the morning with just a few minutes of prep, and it will be ready when your pick-up football game ends in the afternoon.
Find the recipe here.
Vegetable lasagna
Triple-herb vegetable lasagna
with patty pan squash and carrots, with Mayor’s Own Marinara Sauce and Narragansett Creamery cheeses
Wednesday might be Prince Spaghetti Day, but any day can be lasagna day. This veggie lasagna, packed with herbs and vegetables and our great local cheeses, uses Buddy Cianci’s marinara sauce, which we love because it’s all-natural. Substitute your own homemade sauce, if you prefer. It’s a stick-to-your-ribs family-friendly pasta dish that won’t weigh you down.
Find the recipe here.
Linguini
with vegetables topped with romaine and feta, with Narragansett Creamery Salty Feta
If pasta is a staple in your kitchen, try this dish of pasta topped with salad. Think of it as your entire meal in one bowl! You can use any vegetables of the season, and a good, fresh feta cheese to add some tang.
Find the recipe here.
White clam chowder
Quick and easy white clam chowder
with Iggy’s clams
White, red, or clear -- where you come from probably determines your loyalty to one chowder or another. So what's a girl who was born in Manhattan (the home of red chowder), lived for decades in Boston (white chowder), and now spends most of her time in Rhode Island (clear chowder) to do? She’d create her own chowder, the quick and easy kind. I'm partial to white chowders, made with the addition of milk or cream. To enjoy this chowder year-round, we've used canned clams (our local favorites, from Iggy's, the clams we used in Rhode Island Recipes), and bottled clam juice.
Find the recipe here.
Maple syrup doughnuts
Maple syrup whole wheat doughnuts
with Chepachet Farms maple syrup
In Apple Valley, where one half of the Rhode Island Recipes team lives, you can smell cider doughnuts baking as you drive from one pick-your-own farm to the next. These baked doughnuts, with apple cider and maple syrup, might just be the best you’ve ever tasted.
Find the recipe here.
RI Hot chocolate
Rhode Island Hot Chocolate
with faux fluff, with Dave’s, Autocrat or Eclipse coffee syrup
After a day of raking leaves, nothing tastes better than hot chocolate. Kick yours up a bit with some (decaf) coffee syrup and homemade marshmallow fluff. Is it healthy? Well, no, not really. But it’s good for the soul.
Find the recipe here.
