I am soooo not a fan of the baking mess although I do love to bake.

Actually, it’s the eating part of the baking I really love

So to avoid the kitchen looking like this every time I feel like baking something…

I measure out 3 sets of ingredients.

I then label the outside of the containers with masking tape so I know which container has which dry ingredients.

It’s not very difficult because I usually only bake muffins and these oatmeal cookies.

Then when I feel the urge to bake, all I do is get one of these containers, add the wet ingredients and load the dough onto the baking trays.

Baking then takes about 10 minutes so saves me LOTS of time and best of all, NO MESS!

What are your best baking tips?

P.S. I was all done with Christmas baking but then on Christmas Eve I found these Cowboy cookies on Bakerella’s site. They made me absolutely DROOL so I rushed home from work and got baking. And they’re delicious.

That could explain the extra weight I’m carrying…

As with almost anything though, I can’t seem to follow a recipe exactly as is so I’ve changed it a bit to suit our household (I weed out ingredients I’m not likely to have in my pantry).

P.P.S. Why is it that when you go into a homeware store you suddenly see the CUTEST baking utensils that, until that very moment, you didn’t know you absolutely had to have? You’ll be happy to know I was very strong and bravely walked out the store.

We’ve been decluttering and organising in our KITCHENS this entire month and this week, we’re decluttering our baking pans and cooking stuff.

If you missed out, here are the posts.

1. Tupperware and plastics
2. Mugs and glasses
3. Plates and bowls
4. Cutlery and utensils

(if you don’t want to post on the theme, go right ahead and post on whatever you felt like decluttering, or other wise, just show us how you store your baking and cooking things

I’ve posted before about how I learned this tip from one of my organising clients. I worked with her nearly two years ago and my stuff is still neatly organised.

And this is how I store the rest – rolling pin on the side, mixing bowls at the back (I have one I use 90% of the time with my other plastic bowls), measuring cups and spoons in the left basket and the hand beater in the yellow basket on the right.

The more observant among you will see that the usual beater attachments are currently in the wash because I made these pumpkin muffins

Now tell me, did you declutter anything today?

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Now for this week’s challenge

Please link to the post on your blog where you show off your pictures and talk about what you decluttered. If you don’t have a blog, tell me in the comments about ANYTHING you decluttered this week.

It can be anything – physical, electronic, mental clutter or even the need to be a certain way. Like perfectionism!

What did you declutter this week?

We’re in the home stretch now, everybody – don’t feel despondent – keep going

This is from my baking section. That white thing is an ice bucket but we really don’t need it – I actually don’t think I’ve ever used it.

And I definitely don’t use the biscuit cutters (cookie cutters) since I discovered my oatmeal drop cookies. Less mess and oh so yummy!

The blue mats are silicone – I bought a big one and cut it into smaller pieces to fit my baking pans. I don’t need them anymore since I discovered baking paper. Oh my – my life really has changed since Glad’s baking paper. No greasing baking sheets any more – it saves so much time!

Here’s how I organise my baking pans. I love it and am pleased to say since I posted that picture in October last year, it still looks exactly the same, so it’s working for me.

So that’s today’s contribution. What are YOU decluttering today?

I love baking (because of the eating!) but one thing I don’t love is the mess. I found a way to combat the messy flour and cut down my baking time.

The one thing I had no ideas about until recently was the Baking Pan Mess. That is, until I did a virtual organising session recently and my client mentioned these containers. I LOVE THEM.

This is an aerial view…

and this is what it looks like in the cupboard!

They contain the odd-shaped pans and this thing is so easy to pull in and out of the cupboard (like a drawer).

If you’re in South Africa, you can get them at Game, Dion or Pick & Pay. This one used to keep my extra toiletries until I decided to re-use it like this.

Check how Tertia uses them to organise her kids. It is too cute!

How do you contain your baking pans?