Best advice ever from this video- Check out restaurant menus for smoothie and salad recipe ideas... along with Hello Fresh menu and recipe ideas! This is a game changer!
I recently did a pantry makeover and my biggest "aha" moment was that even though I don't use the kitchen aid ALL the time (and therefore shoved it to the side behind the folded door) it was such a pain to get it out, being heavy, at a weird level, and I hated it. I decided it was an absolute MUST to have it at waist-height and easy to grab, even if it's only used a few times a month. In fact, all the appliances are now on that middle shelf to save me back pain. I call it a big win!! :)
I use my kitchen aid blender a lot during holidays. I leave it tucked to the side counter on a linen towel. That way I can slide it easily out ! I put it away in January because then I usually just use it to make pasta!
The only bulky thing I have on my counter is the thermomix which can be used to make so many things, which mean I don't have to buy additional raw ingredients, reducing even more things in the house. I think investing in multipurpose appliances definitely help to reduce clutter in the kitchen. If you are interested, here is my own minimalist kitchen tips ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yNC-F6V3W6M.html xCC
I hate it when I try to look at recipes online and there’s tons of ads and videos! It often puts me off even using the recipe as it’s such a battle actually getting to it haha! 🤣
What a great idea to batch the surface clutter! This is going to solve my problem of really needing to keep certain things out, but really wanting to have cleared off surfaces. Thank you!
Thanks for those tips! I’m actually in my one week no spend per month, so I totally agree with your one day delay idea. I realized that I had way too much food in my fridge, freezer and pantry in December, so I decided to skip the grocery one week per month to make sure that I use up everything I already have. I realized that I store way too much when items are on sale, but actually sales come up every 4-6 weeks. Therefore there is no reason to stock up so much. I got a little insecure at first, but it actually works really well!
Thank you for all your wonderful tips. never thought of looking at restaurants menus or delivered meals to get ideas for what to have for dinner and how to make things. i will sure give this tip a go. looking forward to the rest of the decluttering series.
I swapped my pantry and cabinet storage. The pantry on the far side of the kitchen now holds platters, dehydrator, large bowls, and that sort of thing. The cabinet under my main food prep area now has all my canned goods and overflow stuff like bulk flour. I find I'm doing way less walking when working in the kitchen.
Decision fatigue!!! Especially with meals and grocery shopping. And I’ve been cooking for 30 years. RU-vid, Pinterest etc is a godsend to find new ideas and make them my own.
We do that tip with the crisper. All the jars and homemade sauces etc are in the drawers and I have 2 extra baskets on the middle shelf with the fresh items. It makes us more aware of needing to use them
My top drawer is produce- bottom drawer beverages! Sodas, h2o bottles, etc...various alcoholic and non alcoholic choices Whenever I have guests I direct them to that drawer and say- help yourself!
You should check out the over the sink drying rack... they have ones that stand up above the sink and one that actually fits over the sink opening, this would free up even more counter space and look more visually pleasing as it actually blends in with your sink.
Yes on batching! Didn’t know this was a “thing”. Have been doing this for a while and I am loving this. And it makes it sooo much easier to clean counters. Thank you!
Nice tips as always, thanks Sarah. As for convenient placement of stuff you eat every day, I do the opposite of you: I place my everyday food (i.e. cookies 🍪!) in my furthest top cupboard so as to force myself to do a small climb if I want them. 😁
Great tips Sarah, thanks for sharing- I especially liked the batching kitchen clutter one, so often I've heard advice suggesting that you put the items away when you're not using them, but it's great to have another option that allows you to keep the most used items out whilst still having a completely clutter free area.
Good tips. I definitely practice the “one day later” for grocery shopping. Or because I do pickup, it’s “two days later” since I never pick up on the same day I order.
I also put away my dish dryer. Also decluttered a lot of dishes so now I try to wash, dry and put away everything in one go. Gets me getting those dishes done, very satisfying to have it all packed away in one go xx
Thank you for this. Your advice was totally things I can manage. So often this subject is covered by people who are not in anyway relatable to me. Things those people suggest wouldn't be possible for me on my very best productive day.
This January Declutter collaboration has been fantastic! I've learned so much and feeling motivated to make some changes. Your video is one of my favorites. Your swaps & ideas are spot on but not things that would normally occur to me. New subscriber here.
I'm so glad to hear this, Hillary! I checked around on several different sites to make sure it worked across the board and every single one had detailed recipes!
Mini meal prep is totally awesome. I will chop extra onions, prep a couple of extra oranges etc. when I'm cooking. I will also do this when I'm prepping ground beef. I make extra & freeze it. This way I can use it for whatever meal needs it with just a defrost in the microwave followed by warming it up with whatever spices I need for that specific recipe. Love her ideas!
I'm so glad I found your channel I just did the half clutter have clear thing on my countertop and what a difference it makes. I'm going to keep watching for more tips thank you
This Christmas I cleared a lot of things off my kitchen counter to make room for the party and I was so pleased with how it looked, I’ve made it permanent! My counter now has only two things on it, and I enjoy that simplicity everyday. I put my toaster and espresso machine up in “appliance quarantine” (on top of my cabinets), until I’m sure I don’t need them anymore, I’m 90% sure I can get by with the toaster function in my oven and 50% sure about the espresso machine 😂. Thanks for the video!
My problem is lack of cabinets and countertop space. I have maybe 2 feet of countertop space on the right side of my kitchen and around 4 foot on the other side. That is it. I am hoping that one day we can afford to redo the kitchen to add more of both!
Could you bring in folding TV tray tables as extra work surfaces? Use your nearby dining room table as a work station? You can do non-plug-in-appliance work such as chopping vegetables, rolling dough, setting up meal prep containers, etc, on the dining room table. Good luck!
@@cherisolomon1508 My kitchen is way too small for an island. I turn from the fridge and am at the stove. I just need extra cabinets and countertops now that my washer is out of the kitchen and hopefully the dryer soon!
#2 was so me :D I actually kept our snacks that we reach for daily on the top shelf I can't reach without a step, but the middle shelf that is easier to reach was occupied by some flour and spices I was using maybe once a month, until one day I just looked at it and realised "ok, why? why am I doing this the hard way?" and switched it
I love “batching” I do this with onions, peppers, spaghetti sauce etc. For recipe inspiration I use Skinny Kitchen. She has quite a few veggie friendly ideas too.
Just found your channel via Natalie Bennet on the declutter challenge! Really good advice here! I always called it “clustering” the appliances/countertops. I have way too much out right now and it’s creating a lot of overwhelm and anxiety for me. And such a good idea about the recipes!
Recipes on blogs used to drive me crazy too with all the "talking" and ads and videos, but now I just put the link for the page into the My Cookmate app (I'm not affiliated with them) and it pulls all the ingredients and directions out into separate categories so it's easy to use. Game changer!
I really love the restaurant idea I think that's maybe the first time I've ever heard that tip! I definitely think this is great idea I want to call in our school and have worked in restaurants and I definitely have made dishes at home that were either ones I had cooked in a restaurant or ones I had come across and recreated at home for myself. Definitely a smart idea on an easy way to mix things up. Ashley one of my favorite salads that I make at home I had first eaten at a max and Irma's restaurant It's like a Southwest salad and it had a barbecue ranch dressing on it and it has corn and black beans on it and chicken and greens and tomatoes and tortilla strips It's really good.
This video is class, I've watched it more than once at this stage. Are you planning on making one on this topic again? Maybe a combination of kitchen declutter/organisation/minimalist swaps?
Great tips on looking up restaurant dishes and using recipes from meal kit delivery websites! One thing I do differently is to purposefully put my regularly used kitchen items up high or down low...to get in some extra squats and stretches throughout the day. Hope you are having a very blessed day.
I really enjoyed your presentation! I just happened to rearrange my fridge two weeks ago and don't use the crisper drawer for veggies anymore. One drawer is just for leftovers so my family always know where to look for them. The other is for fruit that we eat every day. So I can vouch for that idea because it's been working in my house. I am looking forward to trying other of your ideas now. Thank you!!!
I love the one day later rule! I do this alot! Another similar technique I do if that doesn't work in my schedule, is to make my list as normal and then go through and remove a few things so that one or two of my meals for the following week will be actually using up other things in the pantry that I already. have
Since many apartment kitchens aren't actually designed for people who cook, most apartment dwellers have to arrange their kitchen counter and storage usage backwards. Where someone with an adequate home kitchen starts with clear counters, only puts out what they need, and arranges drawers and cabinets by ease of use, an apartment dweller who cooks starts with a baseline of "Where can I make everything fit and still leave at least a single decent workspace by the stove" and thins things out/rearranges from there. Same destination, but instead of starting from a clean slate, most apartment dwellers start from a place of stress and mess, even the organized types. Every new kitchen is an adventure, and rarely a fun one.
I love these ideas, but your tips on delaying grocery shopping and searching for recipes on meal deliver websites is awesome. These I think will really help my family cut down on food waste and try new recipe ideas! I'm off to clean out my crisper drawer and find a recipe for skirt steak.
I just started the simplest little reminder for myself after I cleaned out abs scrubbed the fridge. I’m using a little note pad on the fridge with “Use Up” items listed. Check ‘em off when gone, add leftovers or partially used bits & bobs to the list when they go in the fridge.
I really like the idea of swapping the fridge for the produce drawers. I'm going to put yogurts in there, my eggs and some other items and keep the produce on the shelving.
These are great ideas! Love the idea of batch grouping items on the counter. We have a vintage breadbox I enjoy using and also displaying, but do enjoy a cleared off counter. I also loved the tip about checking out the restaurants and food services for recipes and ideas! 💡 Genius!
I've been receiving 'Hello Fresh' boxes since the summer, and the menus have definitely got me out of a rut with our main meals! I've cooked with all sorts of ingredients I wouldn't have used before. But as you say Sarah, the delivery box option is quite expensive, and I choose not to spend that much every week. However, I store the recipes that come with the boxes in a folder, and then look through them for inspiration for meals we've liked, and then I cook them from scratch. Thank you for all the tips!
Yay! Sarah, I'm so glad to see you on this list for January. Good info, as always. The first one is really clever, the last one I use successfully, but never heard anyone else suggest it. Looking forward to seeing your next video. God's blessings to you!
Loved ur new ideas & the easy explanations, & off I go 2 rearrange my already rearranged kitchen😄... I did feel, may b there was a better way of arranging my kitchen, & lo behold, thats exactly wat u had asked... THANK U so so much, infact tons...
I don't have an abundance of cooking utensils and maybe others already do this but my sister taught me ages ago to put them in the drawer handle first so I can easily see a large spoon from a ladle or spatula since they are all the same color.
Love the idea of going to blue apron type sites for recipes. And I will use the idea to keep one counter area clear and another for big stuff I use a lot. Thanks. ❤️
This is a great video! So much content that I found helpful because you presented it in a unique way. Some of your ideas I already do but you made them feel new to me again. I love the one day later rule. I will be trying that. Also, I love the menu idea for planning meals when I'm in a boring rut. I'm new to your channel, found it through the clutter free January playlist. When I subscribed to your channel, I quickly scrolled through your playlists. I love the simplicity and font in your videos. I'm looking forward to watching them.
I put my dish rack in the left-hand sink. Fits perfectly (small rack) and then it drains into the sink and not on the counter. That frees up more space on the counter!
I don’t know what number it was but I think it was in this video of the tip to procrastinate going shopping :-) so true! I’ve done that recently. Yesterday I picked up a couple of things and I’m glad for that, but I think I’m not going to go shopping again before the weekend. It’s Saturday now. And I’m sorting out a Food stuff right now :-)! Watching videos from this playlist! Pretty fun. I already follow you and Dawn and Erica Lucas and maybe one or two others, appreciate you guys!
My toaster and air fryer are stashed away.. my Vitamix, kitchen aid mixer, knife block, coffee maker, canisters and my grandmothers cookie jar will never be moved.. I would HATE having to drag out these items every time I wanted to use them.. most likely I would stop using them..
