I decided recently that it’s nice to invite people over to the house every couple of weeks. My wife (and somewhat me, too) has to have the house picture perfect anytime we have special guests over. By inviting someone over for dinner or another couple over for a movie forces us to go into cleaning mode.

Whenever we don’t have anyone over for a while, we let the house go. This helps keep us accountable. Obviously, not everyone cares about how their living conditions are perceived by their guests, but for people who are, this is a great way to force yourself to do some “spring cleaning” on a pretty regular basis.”

It’s all too easy to get comfortable with your own message (big or small!) and begin to ignore it. Most people don’t want to be known as “Those nice people with the post-apocalyptic nightmare of an apartment…” so the pressure of having a presentable home for entertaining helps to keep things orderly.

Over at the food-centric blog The Kitchn they share a simple kitchen tip for making grill-pressed sandwiches without a dedicated sandwich press. You’ll need two cast iron skillets, some non-stick spray, and a tea kettle full of water to weigh down the second skillet. Heat both skillets to the proper temperature and drop your sandwich in the larger one. Place the smaller skillet on top, weighted down by the kettle. Cook until the sandwich is as crispy/melted as you desire and serve.

Have a favorite kitchen tip of your own to share? Let’s hear about it in the comments.

1. What kind of food do I make regularly?
2. What can I expect to make this year?
3. Do I have the right tools for the job?

You probably have 95% of the tools you need, yet more than half of what you have is redundant/unused/old, or just plain unidentifiable. Purge these things. It is time.

Chucking busted food

Okay, you’re ready. Start by going through the fridge and chuck out all those three to six-month-old jars of fridge door detritus. If it’s not still fresh, or something you’re really going to use, chuck it. Take everything out of the freezer and only put back things you’ll actually eat in the next 2 weeks. Otherwise, chuck it.

Then hit the pantry and check all the sell-by/eat-by dates. Are you really going to make that blue corn tortilla soup you got in that going-away gift basket? But, wait, that soup mix is 13 years old!? Say goodbye to one-quarter of the fridge and pantry. Donate what you can, and chuck the rest.

Getting ruthless with drawers

Now go through the drawers one at a time. You don’t need 14 bottle openers. You need three, tops. Think Alton Brown—have as few unitaskers as possible. Keep one, at most two of the same kind of tool, as a backup or, in the case of peelers, an extra for anyone helping out. Otherwise, pare down on the utensils, put ‘em all in a box, and give the goofy stuff to charity. Be ruthless.

That junk drawer? No excuses. Tip it out, and put the batteries where batteries go (hint: not in the kitchen). The bills and paperwork laid on the counters and tacked to the walls? It’s a kitchen, not an office. File it or, even better, pay or enveloped them right now and then chuck them. Keep two working flashlights in here (LED would be better), and that’s it.

Keep kitchen drawers for kitchen things, and do the same kind of tip-and-examine process for other drawers in your kitchen. When you start putting it all back, put like with like. One drawer for baking stuff, one for pan/cooktop cooking, and a good ceramic countertop utensil bucket for stir-flip-poke-tong-spoon stuff. It’s easy to have too many of these things and not realize it. Keep three or four wood/plastic spoons, some tongs with plastic ends (no pan scratching). The spatulas shaped like Daffy Duck’s beak go—you guessed it—into the trash.

Now to the sacred cows. But here’s some good news—even if you never use the KitchenAid mixer, you should keep it. It’s iconic, if only for design, and you probably do need to make cookies once a year, so don’t chuck it. The bread maker, well … Make bread in the oven, which creates another use for that KitchenAid. Blenders, big and small food processors, blade coffee grinders, slow cookers, a big mandolin, a toaster or toaster oven—all useful. But the rest? Questionable at best. If you didnt use it in a year, it may be time to go. Otherwise, it becomes a vessel for collecting silverfish and various under-counter debris.

The cookbooks

The last bit, which could arguably be the first bit, involves the cookbooks. Most people who use cookbooks really only use about four or five regularly (Ed. note: So very, sadly true). The rest are kept around, knowingly or not, because they contain and explain some process or technique reference—how to roast a bird, how to brine, trussing, pickling, proper cooking temps—or hold one or two unique recipes, like the best deviled eggs you’ve had. I’d separate them into sections just like that. Keep the general reference ones, and consider spending a little time with a scanner and then donating all but the most beautiful reference books. Foodnetwork.com and other recipe search sites can replace nearly all of them.

In any case, starting off the spring ready to cook well is a good thing.

A soft cloth or disc cleaner, petroleum jelly, and some ancient scratched CDs are all that is required for this project. Using the disc cleaner/cloth, apply the jelly to the CD. After applying it in a thorough manner, the excess grease needs to be removed. Take a cotton ball, swab it with some rubbing alcohol and start cleaning it off. The idea is that the petroleum jelly will fill in the scratches on the CD, making it—hopefully—readable.  Another option: Toothpaste, especially the teeth-whitening toothpaste because they have tiny scrubbing particles.  Just don’t push too hard, it’ll destroy the discs instead of repairing them.

Step 1: Filling the Container

No matter what theme your garden pot will have there are a few things you have to do to prepare. First, you need a large, sturdy pot such as a terra-cotta planter or a whisky barrel. In the bottom of the pot place a piece of terra cotta over the drain hole. Then fill the pot with 2″ of gravel. Over the gravel lay a piece of landscape fabric to keep the potting soil from mixing with the gravel. This will help the soil drain and it will keep dirt from running out the bottom of the pot.

It’s best to use a high quality potting soil in a container garden. Be sure you start with a fresh unopened bag, that way you won’t add diseases or pests to your pot. Today many of the potting soils you can buy have small water-retaining polymer crystals that help hold water in the soil rather than letting it drain through the bottom. You can buy these crystals separately if your potting soil doesn’t have them. Most container gardens dry out quickly and the crystals help the soil stay moist and fertile. Add crystals to your pots as well as slow-release 10-10-10 fertilizer. Prepare two pots, one for each of your themed container gardens.

Step 2: Building the Herb Container

The first pot is the herb garden in the whiskey barrel. The first step is to put the largest plants, the rosemary, in the back of the pot and added more potting soil. Next add three Spicy Globe Basil plants, which have a very nice aroma, and for a splash of color add purple basil. At the front place Spearmint and Lemon Thyme so they will hang over the side of the barrel. They also have a very nice aroma. Finally, add a little more soil and then gave the herbs a good watering.

Step 3: Fill the Peppers Container

The second container will contain a collection of colorful pepper plants, from the bright red Bell Pepper to the Ornamental Peppers to the spicy yellow Habenero. Start your container with your tallest plants in the back. Depending on the height and the strength of the plant, you might need to stake it, especially if you live in a windy area. Then follow up with your medium size plants in the center and your smallest plants in the front. You are only limited by the amount of space you have in your container. Don’t be afraid to add as many plants as you have room for.

Step 4: Watering the Container Garden

Install a simple irrigation system for the new pots to make them low maintenance. You can purchase the whole kit at your local home center for around $30. First, cut the tubing to length and put a barbed connector on one end and a drip head on the other end. The kit comes with a hole-punch to cut small holes in the water hose for the drip tubes. Make the holes and push the barbed connector through the holes to connect the drip tubes. Next place drip tubes in each of the pots, putting two or three drip heads in each one. Turn on the water to make sure the system is working and the plants were getting plenty of water.

To make sure your pots don’t dry out, attach a hose timer to the water spigot. The timer will let you choose when to water the pots and for how long to let the water run. Attach the new drip system to the timer so that the plants will be watered even when you’re not around or you forget to turn the water on. Set timer to run everyday for 15 minutes. This will be enough to keep the pots moist, but not too wet. The nice thing about a drip system is its flexibility. You can move your pots and drip heads around, you can change the timer and mostly your garden will be stress-free.

New York Times best selling author and media personality Julie Edelman, aka The Accidental Housewife, offers these suggestions:

SAY HI-LO TO DUST

Start from the highest places where dust has gathered such as ceiling fans, high lights, move on down to blinds, then walls to the baseboards and finish by disturbing those dust bunnies who have taken up permanent residence under your couch! Use microfiber cloths and mops with extendable handles which are terrific at attracting dust dry or complimented with water or store-bought products. Using micro-fiber products are also a great and mindless way to be green enough without becoming the Queen of Green overnight.

SEE YOUR WAY CLEAR

After a winter of snow, ice, sleet, rain and indoor smut, smoke, fingerprints and who knows what else now’s the time to take aim. Grab that microfiber window cleaner and/or squeegee so you’ll see the buds on the trees or your neighbor’s hunky landscaper. A simple and handy mix of 1/3 white vinegar and 2/3rd water will get the job done and cost you just pennies! You can also use yesterday’s newspaper to dry which is lint free and very eco-friendly.

SMITE THE MITE

Sneezing, coughing, got itchy eyes? Likelihood you’ve been sleeping with the doo from dust mites. So when you change out your quilts for the lighter blankets, bedspreads and linens wash those suckers including your mattress pads, pillow covers and all else in a high, high heated cycle (of course check care labels first!). After laundering store the winter items in air tight bags to keep those mighty mites out of there and next years achoos at a minimum!

SUCK IT UP

When all your dusting and cleaning is done vacuum the floors and carpeting. Better yet, if you have a child of 5 years or more get them to do it for you since they love to vacuum. Be sure to vacuum mattresses too-both sides–and your bed’s baseboards to suck up those nasty mites and their doo!

CHECK, CHUCK ‘N CLEAN

Go through all your bathroom and kitchen drawers, cabinets, counters and fridge. Chuck anything that smells, has changed color or that’s taking up space that you haven’t used such as that juicer or blue eye shadow that was last winter’s must have. Check expiration dates too. Then wash with disinfecting wipes or a mix of vinegar and water to sanitize.

COME OUT OF THE CLOSET

Hit those closets and loose that magic mirror! Get rid of any of those shirts, pants, skirts, or suits that somehow shrank in size over the winter! Use old shopping bags (which I collect like Manolo Blahnik shoes as did Carrie Bradshaw in Sex in the City) and label one store, toss and giveaway. Leave the bags in your closet year round so you can organize and edit on a whim anytime! After you wash or dry clean items like sweaters and other wintry stuff store them in seal proof bags so moths don’t make them holier during the warmer months.

FINISH WITH A DIRTY MARTINI

Hey you’ve worked hard! Time to embrace your “good enough” job of spring cleaning. After all, Oscar said ‘man was made for something better’ and a dirty martini is a perfect way of not disturbing dirt but celebrating it. Plus after drinking one your home will look a lot cleaner!

Happy Spring!

Have tips of your own you want to share? Tell us about them!

Book your Tuesday appointment today before it’s too late!

That’s right! For a limited time only — March 16-April 27, 2010 — get a 2-hour quick clean for just $50!!
ANY size apartment!
ANY Tuesday or EVERY Tuesday!
ONLY 7 Tuesdays left! Reserve Your Spot Online Today!
First-come, first-serve.
(Reservations are limited due to high demand.)

Pictured here is the Italian White Alba Truffle which is sold for between $1,000 and $2,200 US per pound.

Here’s the list…

1.) Matsutake Mushrooms – $1,000/pound

The matsutake, or mattake, mushroom is expensive because of its rarity. While its historical prevalence meant it was nearly synonymous with autumn in Japan, the introduction of an insect that kills the trees under which the mushroom grows has caused a dramatic decrease in the number of matsutake mushrooms. A method for farming the matsutake has yet to be developed, which means the lack of trees from which to harvest these mushrooms naturally is a serious problem for the species.

2.) The World’s Most Expensive Bagel – $1,000

This bagel, created by Executive Chef Frank Tujague for New York’s Westin Hotel, is topped with white truffle cream cheese and goji berry infused Riesling jelly with golden leaves. The bagel’s price is justified when you consider that white truffles happen to be the second most expensive food by weight, eclipsed only by caviar. The underground fungus grows only under specific oak trees in Alba, Italy. Their pheromone-like odor is considered to be an aphrodisiac and is the reason dogs and female pigs are used to hunt the precious truffle.

3.) The Zillion Dollar Frittata – $1,000

This absurdly expensive breakfast item consists of a mixture of eggs, lobster and 10 ounces of sevruga caviar (which costs the restaurant $65 per ounce). On the menu next to the expensive omelet there is a challenge that reads, “Norma dares you to expense this.”

4.) Wagyu Steak – $2,800

While Wagyu cattle are raised both in and outside Japan, the Kobe varietal which is raised specifically in the Hyogo prefecture is the most elite. Employing the most traditional production methods, Kobe beef comes from cows that are allegedly fed only beer and massaged by hand to ensure a tenderness and marbling beyond compare. These dishes can be out of range for the average restaurateur, carrying an unhealthy load of fat and a price tag to match. For your next after-work social, you might try taking your associates to New York City’s Craftsteak, where a full Wagyu rib eye was served up to a private party for $2,800.

5.) Samundari Khazana, the World’s Most Expensive Curry – $3,200

To celebrate the DVD release of Slumdog Millionaire, Bombay Brassiere packed this curry platter full of the most expensive ingredients they could find. Devon crab and white truffle and a half tomato filled with Beluga caviar and dressed with gold leaf are just the start of this lavish dish. A Scottish lobster, also coated with gold, four abalone and four shelled and hollowed quails’ eggs filled with even more caviar round out the dish.

6.) Domenico Crolla’s “Pizza Royale 007″ – $4,200

The 12 inch pizza pie is densely packed with an assortment of some of the world’s most expensive food ingredients, such as lobster marinated in cognac, caviar soaked in champagne, sunblush tomato sauce, Scottish smoked salmon, venison medallions, prosciutto, and vintage balsamic vinegar. In addition to all these fine ingredients, it’s topped with a significant amount of edible 24-carat gold flakes.

7.) Dansuke Watermelon – $6,100

In a country where watermelons are rare game, they can be a costly commodity. That’s how a 17-pound Japanese watermelon became the most expensive watermelon in the world. Densuke watermelons, a type of black watermelon grown only on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, are usually given as gifts due to their extraordinary rarity. There were only sixty-five of the fruits among the first harvest this season. They are harder and crisper than the watermelons we Americans are used to and, according to Tohma Agricultural Cooperative’s spokesman, they “have a different level of sweetness.”

8.) Yubari Melons – $22,872

Another type of expensive melon, the world’s most expensive cantaloupes are a pair of Yubari melons and were the first auction of the 2008 season. They had previously been judged the best pair and were purchased by the owner of a nearby seafood lunchbox and souvenir business. It had some competition—100 melons grown by farmers from Yubari were also judged.

9.) Almas Caviar – $25,000

Almas caviar comes from Iran making it extremely rare and extremely expensive. The only known outlet is the Caviar House & Prunier in London England’s Picadilly that sells a kilo of the expensive Almas caviar in a 24-karat gold tin for £16,000, or about $25,000. Coincidentally, it is also where you can find the most expensive meal in Britain. The Caviar House also sells a £800 tin for those on a smaller budget.

10.) Italian White Alba Truffle – $160,406

Expensive truffles are notoriously pricey because they are difficult to cultivate. This makes them a true delicacy which some have called the king of all fungi. The Associate Press reported that a real estate investor and his wife from Hong Kong have paid €125,000 ($160,406 USD) for a gigantic Italian White Alba truffle which is reportedly the world’s most expensive ever. The most expensive truffle weighs in 1.51 kilograms (3.3 lbs).