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You know the feeling… a jammed utensil drawer in the kitchen. Always fun, right? I haven’t organized mine in a year or so and I swear the “stuff” multiplies… I find myself sticking stuff in the drawer “just in case” I need it. If I find a part that fell off of something, I stick it in the back of the drawer in case I ever figure out what it belonged to. Bad idea. I read an article in Real Simple magazine and what it boils down to, is the fact that you don’t need 5 different pancake flipper things (called spatulas)… or 4 wooden spoons (that I never use because I’m freaked out about how bacteria will stick to it, then you can’t put it in the dishwasher). The list goes on and on… I was surprised. I emptied the drawer, washed it out. Pulled out ALL THE STUFF I HAVEN’T USED IN THE PAST YEAR (or ten). I put that “stuff” in a few stacks. One stack to toss, I mean really… I’m saving CORKS in case one goes bad? I had enough for an army… another stack that there was a small chance I could use again (I put this in the garage. If I don’t use it in a year, it will find a new home), and the rest I deemed good enough to put back in the drawer.

I used to despise opening that drawer. It was full, inevitably something would jam it and make it a pill to open. But NO MORE! I am ORG-A-NIZED now! Woohoo, it feels good!

Oh, did I mention giving the drawer a good wipe down? Now is your chance to clean one of the busiest drawers in the kitchen (at least my kitchen)… go ahead and clean the organizer that holds your silverware while you’re at it… EEEK! How does dust get INSIDE a drawer? Never mind, I don’t want to know…

It would have been nice to purchase a few things to hold the supplies, but I haven’t yet, so I made do with what I had… I wish I would have taken a “before” shot! I threw out quite a bit of stuff I haven’t used in years, the rest ended up in a shoe box in the garage… If I find I need anything in that box I’ll come back for it, but I’m pretty sure I won’t!

Do these little things… no matter what drawer, the same principles apply and it just FEELS GOOD! Use the same rules as cleaning out your closet, click to read my past post, “The Simple Way To Organize and Clean A Closet”…

Here’s a list from Real Simple, this is what they say you need in your utensil drawer!

All You Need in Your Utensil Drawers

• An instant-read thermometer, to take the guesswork out of steaks, chops, and roasts.
• A large Microplane grater, for cheese, citrus zests, ginger, chocolate, and garlic.
• A straight-edge wooden spoon, for getting in the corners of saucepans.
• A classic wooden spoon, for everything else.
• A natural-bristle basting brush holds more liquid than silicone versions.
• Nesting measuring cups conserve space.
• Stainless-steel measuring spoons last longer than plastic ones.
• A large slotted spoon, to scoop food out of boiling water.
• A low-tech can opener that pops bottles, too.
• A metal spatula, for pancakes, burgers, and cookies.
• Long tongs, for tossing salads, turning chops, and plucking vegetables from a steamer. The locking kind store most easily.
• A standard spoon, for sauces.
• A Y-shaped peeler: more control than the standard variety.
• A silicone spatula, for mixing and getting the last bits of batter from the bowl.
• A palm-size vegetable scrubber offers serious leverage.
• A mini offset spatula, to free frittatas, lasagnas, and brownies (and to frost cupcakes).
• A whisk, to get air into eggs and batter.
• A fish spatula: thin, flexible, and perfect for fragile foods, from flounder to fried eggs.
• A ladle, for soups, stews, and sauces.
• A potato masher: also great for breaking up canned whole tomatoes for sauce.

Catch you back here tomorrow!