How to be a Tidy Cook in the Kitchen …

October 3, 2014

  I do agree, cooking can be a very messy event! And when I hear people say “I hate cooking!” what they often mean is they hate the mess and cleaning that comes with cooking. But to be honest, cooking and cleaning go hand in hand. So here are some of the things I do to help keep my kitchen clean when I’m baking or preparing dinner.   Start with a clean kitchen. Nothing makes a kitchen messier than a kitchen that’s already a disaster before I even start, so I like to start with clean benches. I take a few minutes to put things away and wipe down the … read more

4 Great Ideas for Organising Baking Trays and Racks …

September 27, 2014

Storing the trays, racks and things we use for baking can be a bit of a challenge. Mostly they end up stacked in an uneven pile in a cupboard. It’s difficult to keep tidy because everything is different sizes and it’s frustrating when you want the item on the bottom of the pile. Sound familiar?? So when I renovated my kitchen about 8 years ago, I put a lot of thought into what would be stored in each drawer and cupboard and I definitely wanted a solution for my baking trays, muffin trays, cake tins and oven racks. Ideally, I wanted to stand them up so they could … read more

Caring for Your Kitchen Sponges …

September 19, 2014

Most of us will think long and hard about the things we need to clean around our house and how we are going to do that. We think about the cleaning products we will use and the types of cloths and sponges that are going to give us the best results but do you ever give much thought to the care and maintenance of your kitchen sponges because these little “work horses” are deserving of some love and attention. As well as wiping up mess, spills and cleaning surfaces, kitchen sponges also wipe up germs and bacteria. So when one of my lovely readers asked me recently what … read more

How I Organise my Baking Ingredients (Part 2) …

September 1, 2014

Recently I shared with you my solution for storing most of my baking ingredients, things like flour, sugar, breadcrumbs, bi-carb soda, etc. The photo below shows the final result and if you missed that blog post you can read more about it here. However, that was only part of the story because there are loads of other ingredients that I use and need to whip up muffins, cakes, slices and other yummy treats, so it was definitely time to come up with a fantastic solution for storing those extra things.   This project was a little trickier because (unlike the … read more

20 Great Ideas for Creating More Space in a Small Kitchen …

August 24, 2014

Recently, one of my lovely readers contacted me with the following question: I have a very small kitchen with almost no pantry or cupboard space … help … what do I do? So, today I thought I would share some tips and ideas that may help if you find yourself in the same situation. This is more common than you may think, particularly if you live in a unit or apartment. As I’ve said in a previous post, it’s not always possible to add more cupboards or an extra room so it’s more about making sure we utilise every millimetre of space that’s available so that we have … read more

How I Organise my Plastics/Tupperware Cupboard in 6 Easy Steps …

August 16, 2014

Does this look familiar? More importantly, how does it make you feel? It made me feel frustrated and annoyed! I got sick of the mess and untidiness and was sick of not being able to find what I needed to store leftovers or frozen vegies! I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone in my lifetime who at some stage hasn’t been overwhelmed by their plastics/tupperware cupboard. It’s one of those cupboards that never seems to stay tidy no matter how hard we try so I decided it was time to find a more permanent solution to the problem. The biggest problems I find with storing … read more

How I Keep my Kitchen Sink Clutter Free …

August 14, 2014

The area around the kitchen sink often seems to act like a magnet that attracts all kinds of things. However, I like to keep this area as clear as possible otherwise it contributes to general untidiness in the kitchen. As with other areas of the home, I find the best approach is to declutter first by getting rid of everything you no longer need or use. Then, everything you decide to keep, needs to be given a home or a “place to live”. Most of the products and things that I need to clean in the kitchen, I store neatly in the cupboard underneath the sink and you … read more

How I Organise my Baking Ingredients (Part 1)…

July 31, 2014

As you’ve probably guessed, I love to cook and bake so it’s important to me to have all my baking ingredients well organised. Previously I kept most of these items in plastic containers in the pantry while other things remained in their original packaging. My pantry had become a bit of a jumble and it was sometimes difficult to find ingredients when I needed them and many items expired before being used up. The end result was wasted time and money and frazzled nerves. It was time to come up with a better solution! But before tackling this project, I thought about … read more

Meal Planning … My Top Tips …

July 21, 2014

  Yesterday I shared my thoughts on why meal planning is a great idea, what did you think? Today I thought I would share with you my top tips for creating a Meal Plan: Pick a day of the week and a time that suits you to do your planning. Ideally, you will want to sit down uninterrupted so you can focus on your plan. You might choose a day that coincides with pay day or you might do it on a Friday so you can shop on the weekend and do some cooking and baking … it’s really up to you and what works for your family and your circumstances. Before … read more

Meal Planning and Why it’s a Great Idea …..

July 19, 2014

“What’s for dinner Mum?” Those four words used to send me into an absolute panic because most days I didn’t have a clue! I often used to think about that night’s dinner when I arrived at the supermarket and then I’d race up and down the aisles throwing things in the trolley in the hope I didn’t forget something and trying desperately to remember the ingredients for a particular recipe. Not very organised, was I? For the last couple of years, I’ve worked very hard to change that and one of the best things I now do each week is prepare a Meal Plan, and if that sounds … read more

Show your Tea Towels Some Love …

July 15, 2014

Tea towels are one of those things that don’t really get much thought. However, because they are used in the kitchen for food preparation, they work pretty hard and really do need a little bit of tender loving care. Tea towels sometimes sit scrunched up and wet on the kitchen bench (particularly when you’re cooking) or they sit damp amongst the washing in the laundry waiting to be washed. Unfortunately, either of those things will make your humble tea towel a breeding ground for bacteria because it never gets the chance to dry out properly. So here’s a few things … read more

How to Organise Under the Kitchen Sink …

July 13, 2014

What’s lurking under your kitchen sink? The cupboard under the kitchen sink can end up being one of the messiest in the house … or at least, that’s what it seems like here! Bottles, sprays, sponges and other items are used and tossed back multiple times a day. There’s also the jumble of pipes, hoses and plumbing to contend with, making this a difficult spot to organise. I decided, however, that some decluttering, tidying and sorting of the mess was a job for the last weekend, so here we go! First task was to pull everything out and give the cupboard a good … read more

How to Create Space Where There is None … Say What!?!

June 17, 2014

One of the things I hear often is “My house/apartment is too small … I don’t have enough storage & cupboard space and need a bigger place”. Sound familiar! I’ve even heard myself say the same thing but I’ve also learned, that’s not always possible and instead, I have to make do with the space I have available. So one of my best tips for getting organised is to find and create space where previously there is none. In other words, finding storage solutions for some of the smallest and least obvious places. How is that possible, I hear you ask! Let me give you … read more