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Kitchen Spring Cleaning 101 & Grandma's Dump Cake Recipe!

by ‎03-11-2014 06:57 PM - edited ‎03-22-2016 05:23 PM

Spring is such a refreshing time, perfect for new beginnings. Each day that’s even one degree higher than the last I’m more inspired to clean and clear out! It may be the only time of year that I actually don’t mind chores, because it just feels so good to be in sync with the season.

 

You know that on You’re Home with Jill I’m all about simple solutions. In order  to make spring cleaning easier, I told you about my 15 minute plan and we tackled the closets with those beautiful soap sachets. It’s not about making every room perfect, but making little efforts each day to improve how the space feels.

 

The kitchen can be tricky—it’s a frequently used area, and therefore cleaned frequently. However, deep cleaning is the name of the game in this area of the house. How often do you really clean your oven? Or scrub down your stainless steel fridge? Then there’s the issue of organization. How many times have we all just thrown something into a drawer where it doesn’t go during the rush to get dinner on the table. Together, all of this can seem like a lot. Enter the 15 minute plan! Now, let’s take it one task a time.

 

The kitchen is filled with so different materials: glass, metal, stainless steel, granite, wood, and more. To break the cleaning into pieces, clean only one material each day. If you’re using the wood cleaning oil, make sure you do everything that’s wood. This way, you don’t have to pull out all of the different bottles at once.

 

To-go containers can stack up like weeds over time. We always save the good leftovers containers, and before we know it, we have ten times as many pieces as we actually use. In 15 minutes, you can go through and get rid of any broken or warped pieces and toss them. Then look for duplicates, and only keep what you really need. I like to put all of the lids on their matching container, so you’re never searching for that missing piece. Have lids that don’t fit on any of the containers? Toss ‘em!

 

Pots, pans, and their lids can take up a lot of space. Many of the lids are breakable as well, which makes storage an even more difficult task. A great idea is to install a magazine rack where you keep your pans, and use it to organize the lids!

 

Now, for the pantry. By the time spring comes around, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll have at least one old bag of brown sugar that’s hardened or a couple bags of flour with just a cup left in each. Go through everything that’s expired and throw it away. Next, make a pile of things that are still edible but need to be used now. Then, find all your bags and boxes of crackers, cookies, and cereals and pour them into clear plastic containers with labels. This keep things organized and fresh! But what to do with that pile of ingredients that you need to use now? How about a Dump Cake! Everyone and their grandmother has a recipe, and that’s the beauty of this—you can make it based on what you need to get rid of! Here’s my recipe:

 

Grandma's Dump Cake

 


 

Ingredients:



    • 2 (14.5-oz) cans apple pie filling (you can use cherry instead, if you prefer)

 

    • 1 (28-oz) can crushed pineapple, drained

 

    • 1 box yellow cake mix

 

    • 1-1/2 cup sweetened coconut, shredded

 

    • 1-1/2 cup nuts (pecans or walnuts)

 

    • 2 sticks of butter, melted



Preparation:



    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the pie filling over the bottom of a 9'' x 13'' pan. Spread the pineapple over the filling. Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the other layers, and then add a layer of coconut over the cake mix. Finally, sprinkle a layer of nuts over the coconut. Pour the butter over the entire mixture and bake for one hour.



This item is prepared with the 9'' x 13'' rectangular pan from the Rachel Ray 5-Piece Bakeware Set.

 

Still have some leftover ingredients? Check out my recipes page to see if anything works with your need-to-get-rid-of pile. Can’t wait to hear how your spring cleaning is going!

 

From my home to yours,

 

—Jill