The Posh Blog

Not sure how long to keep food in your refrigerator, freezer, or pantry?  Ziplock  has a fantastic list on their web-site that indentifies how long you should keep 70 different food items!  Go to the Ziplock web-site and on the left hand side click on “Shelf Life 101”.  You can click on the image of the shelf, freezer, or fridge to display the list of items for that particular area. 

 
When cleaning out your pantry and refrigerator it is great to know how long to keep things.  I recommend marking leftovers and items you are freezing with a piece of tape and a Sharpie Marker with the date that you made them.  This will save you from having to remember how old the leftovers are. 

You can print out a PDF of the entire list by clicking here. I would recommend keeping the list handy so you can refer to it as needed. 

Enjoy your clean fridge! 
Angela

Copyright (C) 2010 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

Every year while doing my holiday shopping I find a little something that I just have to have.  Last year my stocking stuffer to myself was this set of Magnetic Measuring Spoons from The Container Store.  After a year of using them, I have to say they are worth every penny!  I love them!  The are great because if you cook or bake a lot, like I do, there are many times when you need more than one teaspoon and these spoons come equipped with both a dry and wet measuring spoon for each size.  They are also fantastic because well…they’re magnetic!  This means you don’t have to search through your drawers for measuring spoons gone astray.  They all stay together neatly and easily.  I have also dealt with the measuring spoons that are connected by a chain or a ring…those never work!  There are very few people who have the patience or time to clip a measuring spoon back to the ring each time they use one, especially husbands and children.

I was just visiting a friend’s home and her drawer was full of loose measuring spoons running amuck.  This made it difficult for her while she was cooking because she had to dig around through the drawers to find the right size spoon.  She was frustrated to say the least.

My stocking stuffer pick for this year is the Magnetic Measuring Spoons from The Container Store!  Get some for the busy cook in your life and help them keep their kitchen organized.

Enjoy!

Angela

Copyright (C) 2009 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

Even with houses being bigger today than they were 50 years ago many are still not being built with enough storage in the right places.  So in many homes it is important to maximize every inch of storage space you have.  Here are three space saving tips for using the back of the door to help you get the most out of your kitchen.

If you have a pantry door in your kitchen in most cases you can use the back of the door to add a spice rack.  There are many different types and some even have adjustable shelves.  See my previous post Organizing Spices-Behind the Door.

The clear over the door shoe organizers have approximately 24 pockets where you can store stuff.  These pockets are perfect for holding spices, teas, cooking gadgets and more.  See photo above for an example.

Another way to use the back of a door is to use the back of a cabinet door.  You can find baskets that you can mount on the back of a cabinet door that hold lids, plastic baggies, foil, gadgets and more.  This is often space that is underused and if you are short on storage it can be worth it. 

Tip from the Pro:  Before you actually install anything on the back of a door be sure that the door will actually close after you install the item.  To do this measure the depth of the item you are installing and how much space you have between the door (when closed) and any shelves or other items.  This will save you hours of hard work and frustration.

Where can you find some hidden space in your kitchen? 

Enjoy your new found space!

Angela

Copyright (C) 2009 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

It’s the age old question…”what happened first the chicken or the egg?”  I ran across this funny statistic and thought in the spirit of “Kitchen and Bath Month” that I would share it with you.

“Men were three times as likely to cook dinner if they owned a spice rack than if they did not own a spice rack.”  Statistic by/from IKEA provided by National Association of Professional Organizers.

So what came first the man who likes to cook therefore he owns a spice rack or the man who could care less about cooking therefore he does not have a spice rack?  Hmmmm…the classic conundrum.

Whatever the case may be, if you cook and you don’t own a spice rack OR have a special area dedicated for your spices – you should.  Being able to locate spices quickly can cut your cooking time and keep you from burning your scrumptious creation.  I advise my clients to separate baking spices (sweet spices) from the cooking spices (savory spices).  It depends on how you cook, but if you bake it’s nice to have all your baking supplies in one place, such as your flour, sugars, cinnamon, baking soda, etc.  When you’re cooking it’s great to have things like your salt and pepper, garlic powder, cooking oils, etc. in one place.  The problem is that most people don’t have enough room near their stove top or their oven to keep all their spice in arms reach.  Keep which ever spices you use the most often the closest and then keep the remaining spices in a pantry or another nearby cupboard. 

Remember, spices stay fresh longest when stored in a cool and dry location.  You can also refer to my previous post How Old Are Those Spices?  

Here’s to happy and simple cooking!  I wonder if this statistic relates to cleaning the counters after the men have cooked???  Let me know if you find out!!!
Angela

Copyright (C) 2009 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

If you could redo your kitchen what would you do? 
 
I have lived in my 1,600 square foot home for ten years now.  Yikes!  That was not supposed to happen!!  When we moved into our home ten years ago it was just my husband and I  but at our peak this past May it was the two of us, our 100+ pound Doberman, my four year old, my two year old, oh yes and I was running two businesses out of our house.  Uhggg!!!  I feel cramped just writing about it.  But it was working.  By staying vigilant about purging what we were not using and not making unnecessary purchases like every toy know to child-kind we were able to live in our home while parking two cars in the garage, without having a storage unit, a storage shed, basement or other.  I know living in a small space is possible.
 
That being said for many reasons it was time to move on.  We are now building a slightly larger house and one of the key features for me was the KITCHEN!  I needed a kitchen where multiple people could be working at the same time.  I needed more storage and the Pièce de résistance was the PANTRY!  My current pantry was inadequate for a family of two much less a family of four who typically cooks 4-5 nights per week. I love cooking!
 
What I realized as I was purging once again while preparing to put our house on the market was this: 1. No matter how much you have purged, tossed, or donated, there are probably still things that you simply will never use or need and 2. sometimes you have to rip things out and start with a clean slate and fresh set of eyes to see that you really have more opportunities to make things work better than they were before.
 
Right now may not be the time to remodel your kitchen or buy a new home, but what could you change?  What can you get rid of that is just taking up space?  Could you add a few containers, products, or organizing tools that will give you a big impact without blowing your budget?  If you can’t think of anything on your own, I’m just a phone call away.

Here’s to some creative energy towards your kitchen!  Oh yes, and Happy Kitchen and Bath Month!
 
Angela

Copyright (C) 2009 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

Happy Kitchen and Bath Month!!!  Hooray!  Who knew October is Kitchen and Bath Month?  In its honor I have dedicated today’s Must Have Monday to the pantry. Here are some things I consider Must Have’s when it comes to keeping your pantry looking its best and helping you save time when it really counts. 

1. Snapware: Slim Flip-tops TM  and MODS TM. If you have children or a husband, you know how quickly a box of crackers can get stale if not closed properly.  Keep crackers, cereal, and other dry food fresh longer with these easy to use air tight containers. I love these containers because they are narrow so you can put many of them side by side and not lose a lot of room on your shelves.  Also the MODS are well…modular, so you can stack them if needed. The Flip-tops are perfect for cereal and much less bulky than other products that are available.  These are one of my favorite products! These can be difficult to find so if you see them in a store you may want to grab one.  I have found them at Target, you may also find them at Bed Bath and Beyond.

 2. Expand-A-Shelf: Put things where you can see them with an expandable three-tiered shelf.  No two pantries are created equally and the Expand-A-Shelf® allows great versatility in length.  Many people are afraid to use these because they feel they will lose space, but I have seen the exact opposite happen with my clients. It’s important to note that this product comes in two sizes to hold everything from small jars to wider cans and bottles.  Be sure to check the size before you purchase.  You can find these at The Container Store and Bed Bath and Beyond.

3. A designated place for things to go.  Even in a small pantry you can still have dedicated places for different types of foods to go.  Grouping all the baking goods together, the beverages, the canned goods, the snacks, and the dry goods will save you tons of time when you or anyone else is trying to find something. It will also help you to know what you have which will save you from buying something that you already had but could never find. 

Here’s to getting your pantry in shape this month!

Angela

Copyright (C) 2009 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.