WFMW 10-1-08

Kitchen Organization is crucial in helping keep the flow going in a busy household. Two of the most important items in my kitchen that I rely on may seem better suited in an office than in the kitchen.

I use a 3" binder for all my recipes that either have been printed off of the Internet or have been given to me. I use clear protective pages to keep them from getting messy or ruined. I have used this method since the early 90s. I keep only the recipes that I have used over and over again plus a few that I really want to try but have not had the chance yet. I also keep my meal planning information in this big binder as well as my Once A Month Cooking plans. It is a very valuable part of my kitchen.

My second item is one I have mentioned at least a couple of times on WFMW...my kitchen notebook! My kitchen notebook is priceless to me! I like to create meals without a recipe quite often. One of my son's would ask me if I had written down what I had done so that I could re-create the meal. One day after watching one of our favorite cooking shows we saw the chef using a small notebook to write down his meal creation as it took place. BINGO! So I began to do the same thing. I keep it in my utensil drawer with a pen. When I am mixing up a creation I pull it out and write down what I have done so that I can make it again!

Both of these items are important to my life in the kitchen! For more Works for Me Wednesday ideas go to Rocks in My Dryer.

WFMW - 1-16-08

I wanted to share something that has made my life a lot easier in the kitchen. I have a notebook that I call my "Kitchen Notebook". I keep it handy when I am cooking. I was never very confident in my abilities as a cook. I never really like a long recipe and the fact I never cooked a meal before I married added to my level of frustration. This is the main reason why my children are learning valuable lessons around the home like how to do laundry, how to run a home, cook, clean, budget, etc.

FoodNetwork has helped build my confidence in my abilities in the kitchen. I also love watching my favorite chefs cook without benefit of a recipe, at least that we can see.

Well there is one guy that I also love to watch on the Discovery Home Channel that never uses a recipe. His name is Michael Smith and his show is called "Chef at Home" This guy is great! He encourages you to keep a kitchen notebook. He writes down what he creates in a notebook he keeps nearby when he is cooking. He is inspiring to watch and his show has become a favorite of mine and a few of my children. I found that I was always creating things on the fly after work and on the times when I really hit it out of the ballpark with a home run, I never could remember everything I had put into the dish.

Many times lately my sixteen year old, who would love to be a chef one day, in addition of course to his NBA career and being an FBI agent, has reminded me to write everything down. I have found that it is also helpful to not throw away the cans/boxes/wrappers of whatever you are using until you are finished. I used to clean as I go and then when I was trying to remember everything I did not want to dig through the trash. Now I can count the items, write them down and have my recipe all ready for the next time I decide to make it for my family.

I encourage you to give it a try. It sure works for me! For more Works for Me Ideas, check out Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer