Guess what today is? It is National “Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day.” And the timing couldn’t be more perfect, with Thanksgiving right around the corner. If you are hosting the Thanksgiving meal, you want to make sure everything is spotless. And you definitely want to make room for the food, so why not take advantage of this National event? Personally, I will be saving this job for the weekend. If you can do it today, go for it. But remember, this isn’t just about taking out the stuff that’s growing mold (oh, I hope that isn’t happening in your fridge—talk … Continue reading →

I don’t like cleaning my stove or refrigerator. But there is another appliance in my home that I dislike cleaning even more…the microwave. I guess that’s because I don’t have to clean the stove or fridge on a regular basis. However, the microwave gets a lot of use out of it so cleaning is much more frequent. What I especially don’t like is the awful smell of popcorn inside (even though I love popcorn). But what’s worse is when my children have warmed up cans of Spaghetti O’s. Not only do I want to gag at the smell but the … Continue reading →

I do a pretty good job keeping up with my schedule in which I deep clean the appliances in my kitchen. Most of us tend to think about the stove and refrigerator. But if you have a dishwasher, this should be added to your list of deep cleaning every three or six months. Think about it this way. It’s an appliance used every day. It cleans dirty dishes. Still not getting the picture? That’s probably because you assume since it is an appliance that cleans, it doesn’t require cleaning. Not true. You might compare it to your teeth. You can … Continue reading →

How is your pantry looking? I don’t have one but no matter where you store your cans and boxes, you might be looking at nothing more than a hot mess. The other day I blogged about organizing your spices so they are easily accessible. I mentioned how I had duplicates and sometimes several containers of the same spice. Well the same thing can happen with your non-perishables if you don’t have a good organizational system in place. You may be wasting money on items that you already have. Let’s start with your cans. It’s best to organize them by category. … Continue reading →

I used to keep all my spices stacked in a cabinet. Needless to say it was difficult to find what I needed. Then one day I decided to clean out that cabinet and discovered I had purchased sometimes six of the same spice, simply because I didn’t know I already had it. There were lots of duplicates and some spices I didn’t realize I had. So my next strategy was to move the spices to a lower cabinet, which has a lazy Susan. I figured swiveling my spices around would make them easier to locate. But once again, I decided … Continue reading →

I have shared in a few blogs my lack of meal planning. Which in turn means I don’t always feed my family well…or at all. In fact, my children are frequently complaining about their mother not preparing dinner and yes, I do feel guilty about that. As a housekeeper, I take my role as caring for the home and family very seriously. But let’s face it…I am human and I am imperfect. There are some areas that I do better in. But I also have those areas I really struggle with. I have had good intentions about changing this but … Continue reading →

Yesterday morning I had to clean out my refrigerator. I needed to make room not only for the turkey and other items I bought, but for the food that family will bring on Thanksgiving. I also went grocery shopping for all of the things that I need (at least I hope I remembered everything). But when I shopped, I also picked up some extra ingredients for the day after Thanksgiving. What to do with those turkey leftovers? Turkey sandwiches are always yummy. But I have a favorite recipe that is perfect for the colder weather. It is Turkey Rice Soup. … Continue reading →