Kitchen Ideas

I saw this picture on Pinterest and the idea intrigued me. Would I find it helpful? Is it really functional? I decided to try to do something similar. But I didn't want to spend a lot of money and I didn't want to commit to something that I might not find useful.



My solution? Removable Command hooks, freezer tape and a Sharpie. I was careful to align the hooks so that my tools wouldn't impede the closing of the door, hung everything up in an order that seemed to make sense and then labeled the masking tape strips.



It's actually worked out really well. I no longer have to dig through a container or fumble in a drawer to find what I need. And they are handy to my main baking/cooking area and the ingredients I measure with them. Another consideration I took into account when planning their location was to make sure it was a cupboard door that I could leave open while I did my mixing.

We'll call this "Useful Tip #1". It's one small change that has made kitchen work a bit easier for me.

"Useful Tip #2" has to do with my morning smoothies. I like to put spinach in my smoothies but hadn't yet found a good way to do it. To get the full nutritional benefit of spinach, it needs to be cooked. That meant that I couldn't just throw in a handful of fresh leaves or shake in some fresh frozen. My last batch was steamed and wrapped up in squares of waxed paper, then bagged. The problem was that the waxed paper in many instances had gotten folded into the spinach and frozen there. Every day I knew that I ended up with some extra fiber in my smoothie as the paper that was stuck in the spinach got mixed in. Then I had an idea... I need spinach in my smoothie. I need frozen things in my smoothie. What about spinach ice cubes?

I steamed the spinach as usual and then put it into ice cube trays. I added enough water to fill the trays. I popped them into the freezer and this evening, voila! Spinach cubes! Now this I cannot vouch for since I won't use them until tomorrow morning but I have a feeling this will do the trick.

If I have any more bright ideas, I'll try to remember to share them. What are some of your favorite kitchen tricks? I'd love to know.