| If you want to feel like cooking and baking again it is | | | | used in over a year. Chances are you will never use |
| time for spring cleaning your kitchen cupboards and | | | | them or maybe they just did not taste as good as |
| pantry! | | | | you thought they would. |
| It can be hard to get excited about cooking and | | | | Step 3: Organize |
| baking when you cannot find anything in your kitchen | | | | Think you are running out of room in your |
| and you question the freshness of ingredients. Do | | | | cupboards? Pull everything out and organize according |
| you have any idea just what exactly is in your | | | | to cooking type. Organize all baking ingredients |
| pantry or how old some of those items may be? | | | | together and all main course foods together. Try |
| It is time to evaluate, throw it out, and replace! This | | | | grouping them by how they are used in your recipes. |
| can be a daunting task, but well worth the effort. | | | | You would be surprised how much extra room you |
| Most television cooking shows stress fresh | | | | can find, just by cleaning and organizing. |
| ingredients for cooking and baking. You may think | | | | Step 4: Label and Date |
| that only applies to fruits and vegetables, but it also | | | | Label anything that you have put into a separate |
| applies to your baking ingredients and canned goods | | | | package with a marker and/or masking tape. Write |
| as well. | | | | the date purchased on it as well. |
| Step 1: Clean | | | | Date your canned goods with a black permanent |
| Take all your food out of your cupboards and pantry. | | | | marker on the bottom with the date when you |
| Dust your cupboard shelves, taking the time to wipe | | | | purchased them. This can be especially helpful if you |
| out each cupboard with a cleaning cloth and get the | | | | have more than one of a specific item. That way |
| gritty flour, salt and grease off of your canned | | | | you know which one to use up first. Place the oldest |
| goods and jars. | | | | cans or jars to the front of the cupboard. |
| Wipe off the bottom of jars and bottles and give | | | | Whether it is the spring-cleaning bug or a fall-cleaning |
| the entire can or bottle a quick wipe to dust them | | | | bug, make some time to clean out your kitchen |
| off. Place all labels forward facing and try not to | | | | cupboards. You would be surprised how fast time |
| stack too many cans in a row or you may never | | | | flies and how long items can stay in your cupboard. |
| know what got pushed to the back of the cupboard. | | | | If you cannot remember when you purchased it, you |
| Step 2: Evaluate | | | | should probably replace it. Be confident that your |
| Just how long has that been in my kitchen | | | | baking supplies are fresh and you will feel like baking |
| cupboard?? Will you really use some of those items in | | | | and cooking so much more. |
| your pantry? Throw out anything that you haven't | | | | |