Cut Clutter

There does not appear to be too much clutter in my kitchen. I keep my counters clean and the refrigerator is cleaned out regularly. But, I tend to ignore my cupboards.

This spring, I plan to devote at least one day to getting rid of all the hidden clutter in my kitchen. The following tips will come in handy:

• Get rid of any banged-up pots and pans. Replace those with loose handles or scratches in their nonstick coating.
  

• Donate any unused kitchen gadgets to charity.

• Check spices and dried herbs for "best by" dates, and keep or toss them accordingly. Most spices lose their potency after a year or two. Extracts will last four years, except for vanilla extract which lasts indefinitely.

• Make sure nuts, chocolate chips, and other baking ingredients are stored in airtight containers instead of their original packaging.

• In his book, Enough Already, Peter Walsh makes the following suggestion: "Empty everything out of your kitchen gadget drawer into a cardboard box. Every time you use something, put it back in the drawer. After four weeks check the box and consider giving away the extras."