• Home
  • About
    • Our Family
    • Our Purpose
    • Our Beliefs
    • Our Christmas Letters
    • Other FAQ’s
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Flanders Family Homelife

Living, Loving, & Learning Together

  • Home
  • Love
    • Respect your Husband
    • Love your Wife
    • Get Along with In-laws
    • Find Time for Intimacy
    • More on Marriage
  • Learn
    • Why Homeschool? Our Family’s Reasons
    • Occupying Toddlers
    • Kindergarten Plan
    • Choosing Curriculum: Cultivate Your Child’s Love for Learning
    • Report Cards
    • High School Transcripts
    • CLEP/ Dual Credit
    • High School Diplomas
  • Parent
    • Tips on Potty Training
    • Stop Sibling Squabbles
    • Chore Assignments
    • Computer TIme
    • Adult Children at Home
  • Eat
    • Breakfasts
    • Breads
    • Salads
    • Soups
    • Sides
    • Main DIshes
    • Desserts
  • Celebrate
    • New Year’s
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Easter
    • Summer Vacation
    • Independence Day
    • Back to School
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
  • Save
    • Kids Eat Free
    • Budgeting Tips
    • Earn Cash Back w/Ebates
  • Read
    • Recent Reads
    • Books We’ve Authored
    • Reading Rewards
    • Free Books!!
  • Travel
    • Vacation Planning
    • We Flew FREE to Europe
    • Sample Itineraries
  • Organize
    • General Tips
    • Goal Setting
    • Mom’s Notebook
    • Kitchen
    • Bedrooms
    • Garage
  • Print
    • Calendars
    • Chore Charts
    • Coloring Pages
    • Math Drills
    • Prayer Guides
    • View All >
  • Subscribe
You are here: Home / Getting Organized / Kitchen Help

Kitchen Help

88 shares
  • 88

Kitchen Organization

If the kitchen is the heart of the home, then organization is the exercise that keeps it running smoothly. The key is to plan ahead. Below are some things that help maintain order and efficiency in our family’s kitchen:

  • Shop with a List – Don’t go to the store without a grocery list, and group items according to the sections of the store where they are sold. By keeping such a list posted on the refrigerator or in the pantry, you can add to it as you use up supplies or notice them running low. Print a copy of our list or design your one of own.
  • Stock Your Pantry – Keep ingredients on hand for several quick and easy meals (eg. taco soup, cheese enchiladas), so that you can have a simple meal ready on short notice in case your husband gets home early or unexpected company drops by. Quick Recipes.
  • Make a Menu – Plan the week’s menu before heading to the grocery store. This will allow you to take full advantage of special sales, eliminate the need for subsequent trips to the store for forgotten items, and reduce the daily thought needed to get dinner on the table.
  • Keep Track of Wash Cycles – Have you ever had a child empty an entire dishwasher before it actually been run? If you don’t like dirty dishes being put back in the cabinet with clean ones, try our handy trick. We use a dry erase marker to write the word “dirty” on the inside of the dishwasher door each time it has been emptied. The word stays there until the washer is run again, then rinses clean with the dishes. This tip works best with stainless steel interiors. If your dishwasher door is made of something else, test first to make sure mark will erase. If not, use a moistened stick of colored chalk, instead.
  • Use Logic and Labels – Store things in cabinets closest to the point of use – cups near the sink or dishwasher; plates and silverware near the dining table; pots and pans near the cook top, etc. Label all shelves, drawers, dividers, etc. so that things can be easily returned to their proper places, even when someone besides Mom is putting them away.
  • Create Work Stations – Likewise, try to group items in activity centers – keep mixing bowls, measuring cups, measuring spoons, baking pans, flour, sugar, oil, etc. easily accessible from a baking center. Other centers could include desk area (pens, pencils, paper, envelopes, stamps, labels, stapler, scissors, etc) or coffee center (coffee maker, filters, coffee, sugar, creamer, etc.).
  • Keep Tools Handy – Hang measuring cups/spoons on inside of spice cabinet door.
  • Post Favorite Recipes – Post frequently used recipes (eg. for muffins or pancakes) on inside of cabinet door.
  • Make a Message Center – Keep a notepad and pen near the phone.
  • Use Your Crockpot – Buy a slow-cooker and use it to have meals ready anytime – start early in the morning (eg, pot roast, carrots and potatoes, plus a can of cream of mushroom soup and a pkg. of onion soup mix).
  • Cook in Bulk – Double up when cooking any dish that freezes well and save half for another day or to share with friends who have a sickness or death in their family.
  • Safeguard the Cookie Jar – Install a flip lock on the pantry door to keep little ones from getting into things without permission (I also use these on closets used to store toys, costumes, Christmas decorations, etc.).
  • Use Storage Containers – Keep the pantry looking neat by storing cereals, snacks, and staples in Tupperware or recycled plastic jars with wide, screw-on lids. This allows you to spot at a glance when you are low on flour, sugar, or Cheerios. Air-tight lids also keep freshness in and bugs out.
88 shares
  • 88

Comments

  1. Linda Marie Finn says

    May 31, 2018 at 8:06 am

    absolutely love my Tupperware Modular Mates for this, so much so I started offering Tupperware to others thru my website!
    I use fridgesmarts in our refrigerator as it helps foods stay fresher longer, no losing produce that isn’t eaten up quickly. Freezermates in the freezer, new ones do not stain! and the best part is the lifetime warranty, sure beats spending money repeatedly for plastic sold in the store that you have to keep buying or ziplock bags you have to keep buying, so saves us money big time!
    Blessings
    Linda Marie

    Reply
    • Jennifer Flanders says

      May 31, 2018 at 1:01 pm

      I’m with you on the Modular Mates, Linda. They keep everything so fresh and neat in the pantry. May have to try the new Freezermates, although we usually go through our produce pretty quick around our house with all the mouths we have to feed!

      Reply
  2. Michele Bares says

    November 1, 2011 at 10:54 pm

    Jennifer,
    Thanks for all your print outs. I needed a menu planner and knew you’d have one!
    We use many of the others too. Flanders Family Info ROCKS!!!
    Thanks,
    Michele Bares

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




meet the parents

Doug & Jennifer Flanders - www.flandersfamily.info

We love Jesus, love each other, love our 12 children, and love the life God's given us. We started this blog as a way to share resources with others who want strong marriages, happy families, & healthy homes.

Read more

connect with us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

looking for something?

freebies in your inbox

Join over 19K other subscribers and get sunshine delivered weekly to your inbox.

Unsure? Browse my newsletter archives to see what you're missing

get your family talking

Table Talk Book

cook gourmet meals at home

HelloFresh delivers great recipes and fresh ingredients to your home each week.

start your day right

make over your mornings

If your mornings don't run as smoothly as you'd like, this course can help. Good for night owls & early birds alike!

join the conversation

  • Jennifer Flanders on Gospel Tracts for Valentine’s Day
  • Linda on Gospel Tracts for Valentine’s Day
  • Laura on Encouraging Mozart: Musical Note Flashcards
  • Jennifer Flanders on Encouraging Mozart: Musical Note Flashcards
  • Jennifer Flanders on Pretty Printable Scripture Bookmarks
  • Jennifer Flanders on Blueberry Oat Muffins – Moist & Delicious!
  • CAROL on Blueberry Oat Muffins – Moist & Delicious!
  • Angie R on Pretty Printable Scripture Bookmarks

Readers' Favorites

Name that Line - Christmas Movie Game

Name that Line Christmas Quiz

Shares: 39503

How Well Do You Know Your Christmas Carols

How Well Do You Know Your Christmas Carols?

Shares: 28689

Age-Appropriate Children's Chore Chart - IG

Age-Appropriate Chores for Children

Shares: 92699

Make Every Month More Meaningful

Make Every Month More Memorable

Shares: 53519

most popular posts this week

  • Free Editable High School Transcript Template
  • 2023 Calendars for Advanced Planning
  • Number Writing Practice Sheet (Free Printable)
  • Groundhog Day Word Scramble
  • Groundhog Day Movie Trivia Quiz
  • Coloring Pages for Valentine's Day
  • Valentine's Day Quiz (Free Printable)
  • One-Year Bible Reading Plan
  • I Have a Dream! (Free Printables for MLK Day)
  • Free Printing Practice Sheets

earn free books and bibles

Tyndale Rewards Club

This is a great program, and it's FREE! Bonus: when you sign up through this link, you get 25 points (& I get 10 -- so, thanks!).

free starter set

Free Starter Set from Grove Collaborativefree starter set from Grove

unleash your child’s creativity

agathon web hoting
Christian Family Blogs
  • Home
  • Faith
  • Family
  • Food
  • Fun
  • Freebies

visit jennifer’s blog

Jennifer Flanders' Blog: Loving Life At Home Loving Life at Home

visit doug’s blog

Doug Flanders' Blog: All Truth Is God's Truth All Truth is God's Truth

privacy policy | disclosure statement

shop our books

25 Ways to Communicate Respect to Your Husband 25 Ways to Show Love to Your Wife
Sit Down & Eat Get Up & Go

thanks for dropping by

Thank you for visiting our website Let's Get Social
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

looking for something?

recommended resources

as seen on:

America Tonight ABC Australia BBC Tyler Morning Telegraph

Knowing that several of the pastoral staff at our Knowing that several of the pastoral staff at our church were reading through The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry last month, I did too.  It didn’t take long to realize I’m more addicted to hurry than I suspected. (Injuring my hip shortly after starting this book brought my tendency to rush, rush, rush to light in a hurry.)  I found many of the book’s suggestions for breaking such an addiction helpful, although I also got the impression this author leans a little to the left politically (and maybe theologically, as well).  He gives some good food for thought but, as always, readers should be careful to eat the meat and spit out the bones.  #flandersfamilyreads
One more pic from our recent trip to Florida: We d One more pic from our recent trip to Florida: We didn’t get any fish, but we did catch a few rays while we were there. ☀️  And are we ever missing that sunshine now that temps in East Texas have dipped below freezing. Brrrrr, it’s cold outside! ❄️  #bundleup #keepwarm #florida #photoop
We usually read this book — recounting our own f We usually read this book — recounting our own family history — aloud to our kids every December, but we technically didn’t finish our most recent read through until January this year.  It took a while to get through them, because we had to stop so often to laugh or cry or discuss the antics recorded in each letter.  In addition to giving our younger ones a glimpse of what their older siblings were like growing up, the letters serve as a poignant reminder of God’s faithfulness to our family through the years.  I compiled this printed collection several years back, adding in several of our favorite Christmas traditions, recipes, and other “bonus material” for good measure.  It’s half-price right now on Amazon. I have no idea how long that sale will last, but If you’ve ever wished for a fly-on-the-wall view of what life in a large family looks like, this would be a good way to get it. 🤪  #flandersfamilyreads #christmasbooks #familyletters
Abby and I made lots of sweet memories at the Moth Abby and I made lots of sweet memories at the Mother-Daughter Retreat we attended last week, despite my having to leave early after injuring my hip. But —good news — it wasn’t broken and is feeling almost completely back to normal now, for which we are all very grateful!  #motherdaughterlove #havingfun #mybabyisnotababyanymore
Here’s another book I finished earlier this mont Here’s another book I finished earlier this month. I’d read and enjoyed a couple of Alexandra Kuykendall’s other books in the past, and Loving My Actual Life was written in the same vein.  In this volume, the author spends nine months tackling nine areas in her "actual life" (as opposed to the Pinterest- and Instagram-fueled ideas of what her life "should" be like) that need work, one at a time.  Many of the problem-areas she discusses in this journal-style narrative and the solutions she finds for dealing with them, will resonate with readers and point the way to improving their own situations. It was a fun, quick, and easy read with some good actionable ideas for loving your own actual life.  #flandersfamilyreads #bookreview #bibliophile #bookwormlife
The kids and I enjoyed a leisurely bike ride along The kids and I enjoyed a leisurely bike ride along the Florida coast while Dad and Nana were out computer shopping.  #flandersfamilytravels #freshairandsunshine
I’m behind again… not on reading, but on posti I’m behind again… not on reading, but on posting the books as I finish them. My second read for the year was an audiobook by Robert and Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth called You Can Trust God to Write Your Story.  I found it both enjoyable and encouraging. The authors take turns reading the book, detailing the stories of biblical, historical, and modern day believers and sharing the journey God has taken each of them through for their good and His glory.  #flandersfamilyreads #godisgoodallthetime
We enjoyed some gorgeous sunsets in Florida last w We enjoyed some gorgeous sunsets in Florida last week, including this one on Laguna Beach.  #flandersfamilytravels #goodtimes #floridabeaches #ontheroadagain
We got one more State Capitol stamp in our passpor We got one more State Capitol stamp in our passports.  #ontheroadagain #flandersfamilytravels #louisianastatecapitol
Does the new year give anybody else the itch to ta Does the new year give anybody else the itch to tackle home improvement projects?  We’ve been gaining a lot of good woodworking experience over here for the past week (and dirt work/stone laying before that). Today our new picket fence (hopefully) gets a coat or two of white paint!  #householdchores #fixerupper

Copyright © 2023 · Market theme by Restored 316

88 shares
  • 88