OCTOBER 2011

for decorating!,Clutter-Free17 ideas you've never thought of

ALL NEW!

Slow CookerSUPPERS8 recipes = 16 different meals

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SLEEPLESS?Soothe yourselfin 3O seconds, p. 107

Ellen'sMoment

A tough childhood. A fall from grace.Ellen DeGeneres shares

her sudden insight thatchanged everything

goodhousekeeping.com

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\ good(enougli)Do It Smarter

CookwareCLEANUPHow to organizeyour kitchengear—fast

1 Take StockBe ruthless as you clearout cabinets—there'sprobably stuff in therethat's been collecting dustsince your wedding.• Make three piles: AlwaysUsed, Seldom Used, andNever Used or Useless (seesidebar for what to keepversus what to toss). Ditchor donate anything thatends up in the last group.

Box seldom-used andseasonal items—such asthe ice cream maker andcorn-on-the-cob holders—and move those out of thekitchen's prime real estate.Consider storing holidaydishes and servingwarewith correspondingdecorations so you can getto them when needed.• Think outside the cabinetwhen putting things back:There's no reason to stashyour favorite cooking

utensils in a crowdeddrawer, for instance, if youcan pop them in acountertop vessel by thestove. Also...

2RepuiposetoReorganizeTry these householdhelpers or pro tools torestore kitchen order

A letter or file organizeror a small dish rack keepspot lids in place. Or, buy aspecially designed lid rack(we like the ones that go onthe backs of cabinet doors).

Small curtain tensionrods, sprung vertically ina cabinet, create slots tostash cookie sheets on end.The store-bought version:Rev-A-Shelf's Tray Dividers($18 for two; rev-a-shelf.com).

A copier-paper-box lid,a boot box (sans top), oranother low-profile cartonbecomes a slide-out"drawer" at the bottom of acabinet. Or, splurge onOxo's Large Roll-Out Bin(below, $20; oxo.com) forthe same purpose.

Paper plates make perfectliners to protect pots andpans if you have to stackthem. Limit piles to three sono pan is a pain to get at.

KEEP ^OR TOSS?Some well-worn cookware just needs alittle love—and some is a lost cause~J LIDS WITH>" MISSING KNOBSKEEP If the pan or pot isstill in working order,contact the manufac-turer for the replace-ment part. If the knobhas merely becomedetached, take it andthe lid to the hardwarestore to buy a replace-ment screw. For atighter fit, add a metalwasher just below thescrew head.

f-y MISMATCHEDffl LIDSTOSS If the pots arelong gone, why savethe tops? Clear out thelot and spend about$15 on a universal lidlike RSVP's (above;bigkitchen.com), whichhas ridges to fit mostpots and pans.

.-/ DISCOLORED^ STAINLESS STEELKEEP Caused byhigh heat, the bluetint won't affectperformance. Scrub fit with a stainlesssteel cleaner, likeCameo's ($1.09;churchdwight.com).Bonus: That'll takeoff brown greasespatters, too.

WARPEDBAKING PANS

TOSS Use these, andbaked goods wilicome out misshapenand may cookunevenly. Next time,

let hot sheets coolbefore soaking them inthe sink; thermal shockcauses that warping.

r-/ SCRATCHEDL~! NONSTICKKEEP (IF YOU WANT)While some wearwill diminish its abilityto "release" food, thepan isn't dangerousto use (do toss achipped or flaking pan,however). If yourbigger complaint is agummed-up surface,simmer water in thepan with a generoussprinkling of bakingsoda added. Once cool,clean with a soft nylonscrubber. Also: Stopusing cooking spray,which gunks upsurfaces fastest. Thesepans are called"nonstick" for a reason.

Slbow)ease Here!

Soaking and scrubbingcrusty dishes or stickysaucepans is messy,time-consuming, andrough on cookware.GHRI top-tested DawnPower Dissolver ($3.50;dawn-dish.com) raway the gunk so

' 'it off

3O GOOD HOUSEKEEPING October 2011