Kitchen Organizing Ideas

If you want a project to do indoors in the air-conditioning this summer, here's one for you -- tackle some kitchen organizing. Here's a list edited from HGTV of tips to try:

• Get a handle on excess plastic grocery or shopping bags with an inexpensive bag holder. Available as cabinet mounted or freestanding units, these holders contain bags while making them easy to access. Place the plastic bag holder next to the garbage can for extra convenience. When the holder becomes full, recycle or use as cushioning for shipping boxes.

• Get more mileage out of your kitchen cabinets with some creative dishware rearranging. For ex., stemware glasses can be stored by placing every other glass upside down. To begin, pull all your dishes out of your cabinets to see what you have to work with. The most frequently used items should be on the bottom shelves of a cabinet that's most convenient. Consider rearranging the cabinet's interior shelves to accommodate your different size dishes. Or move once-in-awhile dishes to the basement.

• A crowded utensil drawer, while remaining unseen most of the time, is still a crowded drawer. If digging in an over-loaded drawer for a potato masher is more work than mashing the potatoes, it's time to invest in a compartmentalized organizer. Drawer organizers come in a variety of sizes and materials. Try expandable, fine mesh containers — easy to overrun a kitchen.
  
  
• Tackle your recipes by tossing any you haven't used in ages. The size of your recipe cards can determine which system you should use. Index cards work well in a labeled recipe box or a small photo album. Full sheet recipes do well in a 3-ring binder. If you prefer room to grow, choose the binder and tape your index cards to larger sheets of paper. Create dividers and organize recipes either by dish type.