Make your kitchen resolutions

By Staff
Suzanne Langcuster
Cooks, tomorrow is New Year's Eve and it's time to make some kitchen resolutions.
It is good to make resolutions, but it is hard to keep them. Sometimes our resolutions are a must. Other times, they are more like a wish list.
My first kitchen resolution would be to downsize my shelves.
Some of them have cans that barely miss my toes when they roll out of our overstuffed cabinets.
If they hit one of my toes, it would be very painful.
Another resolution is to organize our kitchen drawers. This would also involve cleaning them with Clorox wipes and replacing the shelf liners.
Also, many items that are not used will be removed.
Cleaning out the pantry is a must.
Our pantry holds all of our cleaning products and cookbooks. Old spray cans, empty jars and old rags should be removed.
We can also organize the products by height so we can find the smaller cans faster.
Now comes the resolution to wash the cabinets on the outside.
Formula 409 makes a great cleaner for cabinets. It cuts right through most splatter.
I'm going to resolve to make my grocery list more condensed, and try to cut out things I don't really need every time I shop.
Doing this can cut down your grocery bill considerably.
Also, consider buying smaller sizes of items you don't use often.
Many products come in different sizes and the smaller sizes cost less.
They also take up less room in your cabinets.
My favorite resolution this year is to do something about our kitchen floor.
We need new floor covering and a new color is a must this time.
What are your kitchens resolutions going to be this year?
Maybe you need some new tea towels, or maybe some new wash rags.
Make a point to try some new foods in 2008. You may find yourself surprised at what you do or don't like. Also, try to learn to cook a few new dishes this new year. Learning is a challenge but you may find yourself with a new food weapon in the battle against hunger.
It's a joy to feel you have made something better, or helped make something better.
Your time in a cleaner, more organized kitchen means you will be happier there and more eager to cook.
Suzanne Langcuster is a food columnist for the Franklin County Times.