Take-A-Peek Tuesday! The Drawer of Many Colors!

My Dad has a saying...
"If one is good...more must be better!"
I seem to have taken this to heart. Whether it's cookie cutters, spatulas or sprinkles,  as long as it has a purpose...I keep buying them.

Which is why I have a drawer that looks like this...

As long as it closes its all good, right?




Let me show you where to find it in case you come over one day to bake.

It's directly across from my 'icing mixing spot'.  
Remember how I told you I organize because I can be a bit lazy?
I pull the drawer open when I start to mix and just reach down behind me for the colors I need.
Spatulas are on the counter above the drawer, just grab a clean one each time I change colors.
I'm right next to the sink, which has a bowl of hot soapy water to drop messy spatulas into.
The trash can (for toothpicks with food coloring or used saran wrap) is in the  drawer directly under the counter

Basically...I look like a crazy basketball player pivoting on one foot  trying to make a shot saying "does this blue look like the sky to you?"
Oh my.




Here are my favorite things in the drawer...

1. Wilton food color paste.   2.  Americolor food color gel.
For coloring royal icing I prefer Americolor over Wilton, mostly because of the squeeze bottle. No matter how careful I am, scooping color out of those  tiny Wilton pots with a toothpick makes a mess.
However, Arty McGoo says that Wilton works best for painting on cookies. And y'know, when Arty McGoo talks.....;)
So, that little palette that I use for painting on cookies ONLY has Wilton on it.
There are a few colors of Wilton's that I love, golden yellow, moss green and juniper green. Americolor makes the best green in the whole wide world-electric green!

3.  These are mostly extras.    Some petal dust, unopened disco dust, I see a coupler that popped over the edge  and a plastic tip that came with a squeeze bottle which I can't bear to throw away.
4.  Wilton couplers that I keep for emergencies, large tip covers and  silicone cupcake liners that I've never used.
5.  Disco dust!!!  
 I had to have it!  
AND I had to have the little baby shaker bottles to put it in. (no...haven't used these either)

6.  Measuring spoons!
This drawer is below the mixer, so I keep a few spoons in here to grab  when I'm adding corn syrup or vanilla to royal icing.
The tubes are ck food coloring gels.   Not my favorites.  I seem to need an awful lot to get a deep color.
That's dry red and black food coloring powder in the upper left of the section (also unopened-I'm starting to notice a pattern).
7.  Ateco Couplers!
Sugarbelle says they're the best and she's absolutely right!!!
What else....extra food markers and a candy dipping tool and oh!  An extra boo-boo stick! I've been looking for that!
8.  Offset spatulas of all sizes! Great for everything. Looks like a couple of measuring cups and extra toothpicks too.
And that's it!
But that's a lot!!!

Just about everything in this drawer can be found at either Karen's Cookies or Sweet Art Country Kitchen
...except the drawer divider. That came from Target 6 or 7 years ago.
I did spot a similar one at Amazon...

                                      Totally Bamboo Expandable Utility Drawer Organizer

I'll be spending the munchkin's spring break watching them run around and editing a jillion photos!

Lots and lots of cookie pics to come!

Take A Peek Tuesday! Organizing Tips!

Okay,  that sounded like I was going to give you tips on organizing didn't it?
I meant...here's how I organize my tips, my pastry tips. (Those metal pointy things that all look the same from the side)

I love this box!!!   I bought it at Jo-Ann's a few years ago, with a coupon of course. Darice 2025-288 Double-Sided Clear Plastic Craft Tote

It holds tons of stuff and you can move around the little dividers  to make the sections all different sizes!

I keep it open on the chair next to me while I'm working so I can see down into it and grab what I need.
Easy-Peasy!
I keep my 'boo-boo' sticks in there, and tweezers. Tip covers and bag ties too.
You can't see what I love most about this box though...
It flips over and has more storage on the back! (I'll save that for another day)
*Jaclyn...thanks for asking!!!*


Don't forget to enter my Valentine's Day Giveaway! Win cookies for you and your sweetie!
click HERE

Take A Peek Tuesday! Controlling Those Cookie Sheets!

Cookie Sheets are one of those things that seem to breed behind your back. Never enough room for the dang things.

Then, if you stack them up...your favorite is always on the very bottom of the pile. Every....single....time. I'm not sure how that's even possible, but its true.
So when I thought about where to store them in my kitchen,  I took a few things into consideration....


1.  I'm lazy and will always use the cookie sheet on the top of the stack. Even if its warped and burns cookies, I will still use it.
2.  I'm lazy and hate to bend over to pull items out of bottom cabinets.
3.  I'm lazy and hate having to move things around to put them away.
4.  I'm lazy and if I need something, I don't want to have to go very far to get it.


What does that all mean?


1. My cookie sheets need to be stored on their sides, not stacked.   2.  I need to put them eye-level or higher. This is trickier than it sounds...most upper cabinets are not deep.
3.  This needs to be a BIG cabinet that will hold TONS of cookie sheets.
4.  They need to be close to the oven and my workspace.


Where would that be? Above the oven!

Can't get much closer to the oven than that!

I do all my cookie rolling/cutting on the center island right across from the oven...

...its super convenient for that too!

I think a lot of people store cookie sheets up there.

Do You?

I remember seeing a custom cabinet option with dividers when we re-did our kitchen.

That's way too much commitment for me.

Over ten years ago I saw this solution as one of Martha Stewart's 'Good Things'

and I've used these ever since!

Love 'em!!!

I can change the widths anytime I need to.

I can add some and make more slots...or take some away!

If you'd like to see which ones and which size I used, 

you can see them HERE at my Amazon store.

I bought mine from Jo-Ann's and I'm sure you could find them at Hobby Lobby or even Wall-Mart.

(and don't forget your coupons!)

Just be sure to measure your cabinet before you leave the house...they come in a zillion different sizes!

Next week....my very Favorite Cookie Sheets!!!