Condiment Check!  How many bottles have taken up permanent residence in the door shelves of your 'fridge?  Now is a perfect time to consolidate those bottles of ranch dressing, pitch the hoisin sauce that you keep meaning to use but never do, wipe up the jelly that leaked out of those annoying bottles that store upside down, and basically reorganize things. 

Someone asked what to do about that last 1/4" of ketchup in the bottle.  I shake in some water and add it to whatever I'm cooking.  For leftover salad dressing, it makes a great sandwich spread when mixed with mayonnaise.  Got lots little dribs and drabs of jam/jelly?  Mix them together and then fill crepes (ok, just thin out your pancake batter!) with the mixture and spritz with a little whipped cream, and you're a star.  With more shelf space. 

While we're cleaning out the door shelves, dairy products and eggs just don't belong there.  It gets opened and closed too much (especially at this time of year with the kids home--ever notice how they think that if they open and close it enough the contents will change?), and the door is not as cold as the rest of the 'fridge.  With the price of groceries these days, it makes sense to protect that investment!

Have you seen the Periodic Table of Condiments?  Head on over to Mom Brain and check it out, it will make cleaning the fridge a little easier and a lot more fun! 

In my constant quest to de-clutter, I ran across I'm an Organizing Junkie.  Laura hosts Menu Plan Monday, and it's such a great idea that we want to join her! 

This week I'm starting out with dinners only.   This is truly what my family will eat this week (I normally plan breakfast and lunch as well, but we have so much left over from Easter that I don't think I need to buy anything else!).  I won't describe the whole plan, but here are some of the highlights:

Spinach Polenta with Tomatoes & Grilled Portobello Mushroom Salad - the kids have "other plans" so hubby and I can indulge ourselves.  I make my polenta with all water because I can't have milk, and I always add more spinach than the recipe calls for.  And when I make the mushrooms for the salad I just use the oven because it's already hot.

 Sloppy Joe Casserole, 4 Fruit Salad, Broccoli Saute - the kids are having friends over, and this casserole is always a hit.  It's inexpensive, and most importantly NOT PIZZA.  I don't know about your kids, but mine are tired of being fed pizza everywhere!  The 4 fruit salad is just a variety of canned fruit that we like, and the addition of dried cherries.  It tastes fresher that your typical canned fruit cocktail and has no high fructose corn syrup.  And the broccoli, well, we just like broccoli!

Vineyard Chicken, Dried Cherry Couscous, Steamed Green Beans - the Vineyard chicken was a surprise hit at our house.  I didn't think the kids would like cooked grapes, however, when you catch your child licking out the serving platter, you can safely say it was a good recipe...  I always use whole wheat couscous.  One of our members says "Changed bland Couscous into a flavorful healthy side dish. The cherries were great and a package makes this twice! Next I might try golden raisins." 

Have a great week!