Lets explore reorganizing, repurposing, and just plain using what we have! My mission today is to clean and reorganize the refrigerator while also creating a GarBáge soup using bone or veggie broth. The Bone Broth takes a minimum of 24 hours in the slow cooker.
[Foodie Tip: GarBáge (garbage) is a thing that is considered worthless or meaningless–but not here.]
Pull everything out of the refrigerator, one shelf at a time. As you sort and clean, think SOUP! Hopefully you have fresh or frozen chicken pieces or a whole chicken (organic preferably) for broth. Try beef or fish bones if prefered. And don’t forget to discard freezer items that you won’t ever use!For me, each shelf in my refrigerator has a purpose. But, even with the best laid plans things can get mixed up and out of place. On the top shelf, I store foods and drinks used regularly. The second shelf ‘cuddles’ the leftovers. I cook with the intention of creating leftovers because there is nothing better than enjoying a great meal a second time. And my third shelf is for all the flours, grains, and seeds that store best refrigerated. The bottom shelf is for miscellaneous foods like homemade dog food and stuff that doesn’t fit anywhere else. Then I use the two crispers for veggies or meat.
Remember that you are going to make GarBàge soup soon, so tuck away all veggies that might work. Also remember to adjust the distance between shelves as necessary. The small shelves on the doors most likely hold condiments, etc… have they been there for a year or more? Really?!
Wellnessmama.com says, “Broth is very high in the amino acids proline and glycine, which are vital for healthy connective tissue (ligaments, joints, around organs, etc.).”
[Foodie Tip: broth is seasoned, stock is not.]
My daughters will laugh when they see me sharing the “Bone Soup” story. We lived up North and were in the midst of a huge blizzard, not to mention the pending divorce. My children were very young and saw me cooking down a turkey carcass for soup, and one said with a surprised shrill, “Mommmmmmy, why are we eating bone soup?” It has been a family joke since.Even though cleaning isn’t my favorite chore, I find great satisfaction in deep cleaning and reorganizing my kitchen, particularly before cooking for company. I tend to feel inspired and energized after this ‘adventure’ is complete.
Take an inventory of what you have in your drawers, cupboards, and countertops… clean out, clean up, donate. “It’s Neither Here Nor There.” Or at least that’s how it feels when searching for something in my kitchen that wasn’t returned to its place. Having a specific place to store odd kitchen utensils, and especially the often-used ones, will pay off when cooking.
Reassess what gadgets and utensils serve your cooking purposes and get rid of the rest – donate them, give to a friend, recycle, or throw them out. Store the items only used occasionally toward the back and the most used items in front. Whether you use cupboards as a pantry, or have a separate space, it’s important to sort through and discard or repurpose unused pantry items before the mice and bugs do it for you.
[Foodie Tip: Avoid storing potatoes with onions; when close together, they produce gases that spoil both. Does your grocery store know this?]
Recently, a friend needed to find a new home for a piece of furniture called a Pier Cabinet. I was so excited about adopting this piece as my new space-saving Pier Pantry.
I also have a tall bathroom pantry where I keep extra paper products, food supplements, ingredients for personal care items, and soap products.
I personally have a lot stored on my countertops, out of necessity. I find that some things get used more in cold-weather cooking so I like to move the jars that hold the seeds, grains and nuts around to make them more easily accessible during winter months. I have a number of machines and don’t want to continually move one in and out of a space to use it, so I look at convenience.
When reorganizing your kitchen, think about what you use regularly like plates, bowls, silverware, utensils, glassware and cups. Serving dishes can be stored in more out of reach places. I recommend taking a moment to imagine moving around your kitchen during food prep, or when just getting a drink. Are you left or right-handed? Which direction do you generally move? Arrange things in the most convenient places given your habits and your kitchen’s configuration.
Remember to assess the cutting board situation. The reviews say wood and bamboo are best but they require regular care. Glass is easy to clean but dulls your knives terribly. Guilty as charged! I use glass boards much of the time and sharpen my knives a lot too. Plastic is easy but there is the question about cleanliness and bits of plastic ending up in your food. What to do? It’s personal!
[Foodie Tip: Consider using your dishwasher as storage only. There are many health benefits to washing your dishes by hand.]
Good knives are a necessity. I recommend forged steel knives that can be easily sharpened with most sharpening tools rather than stainless steel knives that require special tools. In my opinion, forged steel is more functional in the long-term – stainless steel looks prettier but can’t be sharpened as easily. I have had the same handmade forged steel knife for almost 40 years. Most of us need a chef’s knife, a slicer, a utility knife, and a parer. And I keep a serrated knife for breads.
[Foodie tip: forged steel knives will rust, so no dishwasher or soaking.]
And unless you just love slicing and chopping by hand, a good food processor is great. I used $30 machines for years and they worked just fine.
Also, sort through reused plastic containers and recycle those not needed. I use canning jars a lot and the recycled plastic for freezing and to send leftovers home with friends. I like a good set of stainless steel pots and pans as well as my beloved cast iron pans and griddle.
[Foodie Tip: It’s OK to use soapy water to clean your cast iron but don’t soak it. ‘Seasoning’ cast iron in vegetable oil baked onto the iron at a high temperature creates the natural, easyrelease properties. The more you cook, the better it gets and can last 100 years or more.]Are you feeling inspired to cook already? If you started your bone broth today, you will make soup tomorrow. If you are making veggie broth, get ready to make yummy GarBáge Soup.
And remember to freeze some broth for later.
[Foodie Tip: fresh herbs keep nicely in the refrigerator in jars with stems in a little water – cover tops with thin repurposed plastic bag.]
Once Bone or Veggie Broth is done, strain out veggies or meat and divide broth in containers for freezing or using soon.
As you move through the kitchen, make a list of needed staples like spices, coffee, oils, salt and pepper. I also make a to-do list for making condiments, crackers, biscotti, chocolates, almond butter, nut mix, dog treats, bird food, etc. I try to take one weekend a month (usually after this column has been submitted!) to look at and make my staples, which includes personal care and cleaning items.
[Foodie Tip: cotton balls soaked in peppermint essential oil will deter mice.]
You will love my quirky recycling trick! For about 30 years I saved the metal Altoids boxes, and finally found a use for them. I purchased a magnetic strip typically used for knives, and Velcro strips, then with a permanent marker added the names of dried herbs and spices used regularly. I purchased small zip lock bags for some and lined some cans with parchment paper – all within reach of stove and prep areas. The cans pointing downward are the ones that need replenishing.
When the cleaning and reorganizing is finished and your kitchen shines, the cooking fun begins! Let me know if you feel more inspired to cook after putting everything in it’s place. I love to hear from you!
Sandy McCall’s day job is working as the Broker/Owner of Southern Life Realty. When she’s not being the “mad scientist” in the kitchen or loving-up her cat and dogs, she enjoys being the Food Editor for WNC Woman Magazine and volunteering in the community.
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Sandy McCall
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