A clogged drain is annoying and can be expensive if you are not equipped to deal with it yourself.  I plan ahead now, so as not to relive my traumatizing attempt at plunging a very nasty clog which ended up in my face, not down the drain.

You will find baking soda in most kitchen cabinets.  But it is not just for baking.  Here is a sampling of what you can use baking soda for:

You are in the middle of preparing a meal and you realize you are out of something.  Don’t run out to the store, try these substitutes instead:

You Ran Out…Use Instead

• Baking powder…½ tsp. baking soda and 1 ¼ tsp. cream of tartar
• Buttermilk…1 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice with enough milk to make one cup
• Chocolate (unsweetened)…3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 Tbsp. salad oil
• Cream (heavy)…¼ cup butter and ¾ cup milk
• Egg…2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
• Garlic (1 clove)…¼ tsp. garlic powder
• Lemon Juice…½ tsp. vinegar
• Red Cooking Wine (½ cup)…½ cup cranberry juice cocktail with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• Sour Cream…1 cup cottage cheese with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice blended creamy
• White Cooking Wine (½ cup)…½ cup white grape juice with 1 Tbsp. white vinegar

Here are some great tips for getting rid of cooking and kitchen odors. These tips are both simple and use everyday household products.

• If after preparing fish the smell lingers, try mixing 3 tablespoons of white vinegar and 1 cup of water in a sauce pan; boil for approximately 15 minutes to eliminate the fishy odor.

If you read my New Year’s Resolution or what I now prefer to call a “commitment”, it is all about health.  Therefore, I am challenging myself to prepare healthy meals that are easy and inexpensive.  Having a well organized kitchen is half the battle, so I will start there.

My kitchen is small, like many of yours, so we have to be creative.  Make the most of the inside of your cabinets and drawers.  You can purchase wire racks with legs that gives you another layer.  You can purchase sliding shelves, one on top of the other to give you more storage.  I use a Lazy Susan in my cabinets to organize my spices and baking goods.