Streamline your kitchen pantry

UNCOMMON SOLUTIONS TO EVERYDAY PROBLEMS

HOW TO MAKE A HEART CAKE

You don’t need a special cake pan to bake up this Valentine’streat. Just fill a round pan and a square pan of similar widths with yourfavorite batter and bake. Once they’re done, let the cakes cool completely, then remove them from the pans. Cut the round cake in half, creating two semicircles. Position the square cake like a diamond, then place the semicircular halves on adjacent sides of the square cake. Use frosting to “glue” the pieces together, forming a heart shape. Frost, add sprinkles, and enjoywith a loved one.

By Brandi Broxson

There’sa lingeringodor inmyfridge.

K.D., VIA EMAIL

THE FIX: Take out all the food, drinks, shelves, and bins, says Mary Marlowe Leverette, a laundry and housekeeping expert at TheSpruce.com. Then mix one tablespoon liquid chlorine bleach with one gallon of water and wipe down the removable parts and the fridge’s interior. Rinse well with a cloth dipped in hot water and let dry. Still smelly? It might be the drip pan. “Sometimes odors can permeate the evaporator coils, and spoiled food can drip into the evaporator catch pan,” says Leverette. Unplug your fridge and, using a flator Phillips-head screwdriver, remove the panels that cover the coils (they’re usually located at the bottom of the refrigerator). Pull out the drip pan and clean it and the coils with a cloth dipped in warm, soapy water. Allow the fridge to air out completely before you plug it back in.

Now What?!?

SMART FIXES FOR LIFE’S LITTLE DISASTERS

By Blake Bakkila

Mychild’searsalways hurt whenwefly.

F.G., VIA EMAIL

THE FIX: Bring a balloon for your child to blow up during takeoff and landing, says Alyssa Hackett, a doctor who specializes in otolaryngology at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. The blowing helps equalize pressure in the ears. Have an infant or toddler? Give her a bottle or pacifier to suck on. When the plane descends, wake up a sleeping child so her ears can adjust. “A fussy, sleepy child is better than one screaming in pain from the sudden change in pressure,” says Hackett.

There’sburned fabricstuck tomyiron.

B.G., VIA EMAIL

THE FIX: Set the iron to the lowest heat setting, says Becca Napelbaum, a cleaning expert at Handy, an online service that connects consumers to house cleanersand handymen. As the iron warms, the fabric should start to soften. Take a wooden spatula and slowly scrape the burned fabric off the iron. If there are still remnants, mix together a paste of equal parts baking soda and water and scrub with a cloth once the iron has cooled. If the fabric is polyester and the stain is more plasticky, try wiping the cool iron with a cloth dipped in acetone nail polish remover. Finish with a damp cloth to remove any leftover cleaning products that could stain clothing.

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Organize This

NO MORE SPELUNKING: MOLLY GRAVES AND

ASHLEY MURPHY, COFOUNDERS OF NEAT METHOD, SHARE THEIR PLAN FOR AN ENVIABLE PANTRY SETUP.

1 EMPLOY CANISTERS Decant baking supplies and cereal into see-through, airtight containers so you can view what (and how much) you have at a glance. When an ingredient looks low, add it to the grocery list. TO BUY: Clear round acrylic canisters, from $10;containerstore.com.

2 CREATE ZONES Compartmentalize the space using baskets and arrange the contents by category (“sweet treats,” “salty snacks,” “baking,” “rice and grains”). Stash the stuff you reach for most often at eye level.

3 LABEL EVERYTHING Identify what goes inside each container with labels or hangtags—this will make it easy for everyone in the house to maintain order. For extra organizational points, give theinterior walls a coat of chalkboard paint to denote where the baking bin or soup cans should live.

4 GET VERTICAL Elevate cans, jars, and condiments atop a multitier riser to keep everything visible and easy to access. TO BUY: Copcononskid cabinet organizer, $6; bedbathandbeyond.com.

5 LIGHTEN UP It’s hard to know what food you have when you can’t see it. If there’s no electricity in the pantry, consider battery-operated lighting to shed light on things. TO BUY: Project Source battery puck lights, $20 for 2; lowes.com.

Stock your pantry like a pro. Find a list of 10 essentials at realsimple.com/pantry.