Published by Crystal June 29th, 2008
in Kitchen and Online organizing.
Meal planning, using Backpack’s “Writeboard” function, is just one of the many ways I use a Web site called Backpack to organize my whole life.
The solution: My husband and I are trying to eat dinner at home more frequently (to save money and eat healthier!). Of course, grocery shopping and meal planning take effort and organization. That is where our meal planning page on Backpack comes in handy. We collaborate using Backpack’s Writeboard feature, which is an online writing space that two or more people can share and edit.
How it works: I might decide to volunteer to cook Monday and Saturday evenings of the upcoming week. So I log in to Backpack from home on Sunday and note on the Writeboard what I plan to cook for those evenings. I also list what ingredients we’ll need to buy at the Farmer’s Market or grocery store. I can even include a link to the recipe, if applicable. He’ll do the same for his cooking days, say, while he’s at work the next day. We can also make note of who will go to the grocery store, and whose turn it is to clean up the kitchen each night.
The end result is a comprehensive meal plan for the whole week, including menu and shopping reminder list, which we can either print out or access from work, home or on an iPhone!
Here is an example to show you what our meal planning Writeboard on Backpack looks like:
Have more ideas? Post a comment, or write to Crystal and let her know!
Next: Tomorrow is Part III in a series on HOW to use Backpack to organize your whole life.
Published by Crystal June 3rd, 2008
in Kitchen.
Dear Crystal,
Even if I dump out my kitchen junk drawer, the stuff has no home and eventually I put it all back. It looks neater, but only for about a week. This is my dread in life.
What can I do?
Cindy in South Carolina
Cindy, the secret to kitchen junk drawers is containers! Here’s what to do:
- Completely empty out the drawer. Throw away everything that is trash, broken and/or not reusable. If it is an item that someone else could use, donate it! For each item, ask yourself whether you really need it, and give yourself an honest answer.
- Group similar items together: For example, put batteries, rubber bands, spare keys, etc., together - each into their own separate pile on the counter! This part is extremely important. After completing this step, if you can think of a better “home” for one of these piles, now is the time to move it there! For example, a pile of paperclips and pens may be better suited for your desk than for a kitchen junk drawer. Likewise, a pile of screws belongs in a toolbox!
- Container-ize it! Keeping items in separate containers will make it easier to locate your items and put them back where they belong.
- Purchase drawer storage containers OR MAKE YOUR OWN from boxes and plastic containers. I like to use zip lock bags and small plastic and wooden boxes (garage sales and thrift stores are great places to find these) to organize my junk drawer items.
- Consider storage with lids: The benefit to storing items in containers with lids is that you can label the top of the lid. Labeling eliminates the need to dig around desperately to find what you’re looking for!
Get into the habit. The reason our junk drawers are always disorganized is that we are used to it. Your assignment is to become un-used to it! Practice, practice, practice putting things back in their designated places, and eventually it will become automatic!
Have more ideas? Post a comment, or write to Crystal and let her know!
Published by Crystal April 14th, 2008
in Green living and Kitchen.
- Right this second, head over to wherever you keep your reusable cloth shopping bags.
- Grab at least one, and put it either in your purse (yes, they can fold up pretty small) or in the trunk of your car. Better yet, put them in both places!
- Now use them whenever you go to the store (any store!). In doing so, you will help to cut down on the sad, sad environmental impact caused by plastic grocery bags. Hooray!
Don’t have a cloth shopping bag? You can get them at most grocery stores for $.99 near the check-out line. You can also order really fun, crazy colorful ones here. There’s also this beautiful set from Amazon. Cafepress does many witty bags. If you’re the DIY type, check out this how-to and make your own bag!
Already have a ton of plastic bags at home? Reuse them, or recycle them!
Published by Crystal February 6th, 2008
in Kitchen.
Over time, coffee residue builds up inside a coffeemaker. You’ll know this is happening to your coffeemaker when you notice that the coffee starts to taste a bit dull.
For this mini cleaning project, you’ll need: tap water, white vinegar, and about 45 minutes’ time. (Of course, you can always do other things during the 45 minutes while the coffeemaker is running.)
1. Remove old filter and grounds from the machine. Rinse out your coffeepot.
2. Fill up the water reservoir of the machine 2/3 full of water and the remaining 1/3 with white vinegar.
3. Turn the coffeemaker on.
4. When coffee cycle is complete, discard the used water and vinegar mixture and repeat steps 2 and 3. Important tips: be sure to let your coffeemaker cool for 10 minutes between each cycle! Also, allowing the hot vinegar water sit in the pot while the machine cools will help loosen any coffee residue that might have accumulated there.
5. Now discard the old water and vinegar mixture.
6. Do two rinse cycles using water only. Don’t forget to allow for 10 minute cool-down periods in between.
7. Finally, wash the coffeepot itself in warm, soapy water. As an alternative, you can also run the pot in the dishwasher.
Enjoy! Your coffee should taste much better now.
Published by Crystal February 6th, 2008
in Green living and Kitchen.
You’ll need: rubber gloves, small crescent wrench, two liters of white vinegar, scouring pad, dish soap
- Put on rubber gloves, and open the dishwasher.
- Slide out and remove the bottom dishwasher rack. Remove the upside-down basket-looking thing from the bottom of the dishwasher. To do this, you will most likely need to unscrew the little bolts using the crescent wrench.
- Once you’ve removed it, examine the basket and any other removable parts from the bottom of the dishwasher. Are they covered in slimy blackness or food residue resembling curdled cheese? Probably. Scrub these parts in the sink with hot water and soap until they sparkle.
- Check out the area of the dishwasher from which you removed the basket thing. Is it clogged with old food and nastiness? Probably. Scoop that stuff out and throw it away.
- Reinstall the (now clean) basket thing and any accompanying parts.
- Put the bottom dishwasher rack back into the machine.
- Pour 1 liter of white vinegar in the bottom of the machine, close it, and let the dishwasher run on its normal cycle.
- Once the cycle is complete, repeat step 7.
You will notice that your dishes come out much cleaner!
