COLD TOMATO SALAD SOUP

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

2 (14.5-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, or 1 (28-ounce) can

4 tablespoons oil (I now use sunflower)

4 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

½-1 cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 medium onion, or several scallions

1 small green pepper, cored and seeded

Salt and pepper, to taste

Place tomatoes with juice, plus oil and vinegar, in a blender or food processor. Pulse a few times to chop tomatoes. Turn into a bowl or storage container.

Chop cucumber, onion or scallions, and green pepper fairly small to get several pieces in each spoonful. Stir into the tomato mixture. I don’t season further, but you may want to. Chill.

TURKEY BARBECUE

Serves: 4 to 5 as Sloppy Joes, or over rice or noodles

This was originally made with hamburger, but I prefer turkey. Tastes great.

1 tablespoon oil

1 pound ground turkey

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

½ green pepper, chopped

1 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

½ tablespoon mustard

Brown the ground turkey and chopped vegetables in oil spread in a large, heavy skillet. Stir in sauce ingredients and simmer, covered, at least an hour on low heat, to blend the flavors.

HONEY-GLAZED CORNISH HEN

This is a low-calorie approach to a tasty meal for two.

1 Cornish game hen, a little over a pound

Sprig of fresh rosemary, optional

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon rice or wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

Pinch of ground ginger

Cut the hen in half; place on a baking pan, skin side up. Tuck a piece of rosemary underneath each half for a lovely aroma while cooking. Roast 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

Combine glaze ingredients well. Brush all over the hen and roast another 10 minutes or so, to brown skin and cook through.

SUPER EASY STRAWBERRY-TOMATO MOLD

Serves: 4 to 6

1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes

1 (3 ounce) box strawberry gelatin

1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice

¼ cup water

Place all in a saucepan and heat, stirring until gelatin dissolves. Turn into a small mold or individual molds. Chill until set.

WHITE GRAPE JUICE COCKTAIL

Welch’s came up with this idea for nonalcoholic drinkers and children. I prefer having cold ingredients and skipping the ice.

White grape juice

Ginger ale

Fill a glass with ice; pour in 2/3 grape juice and 1/3 ginger ale. Stir.

For a bigger batch, blend a bottle of grape juice with ginger ale to taste.

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Spring is in the air, but you’d better make sure your kitchen is ready. With the warm weather comes not only delicious produce, but also the possibility of insects and bacteria that can make you sick. Here are five things you can do to make sure your kitchen is in tiptop shape this spring.

1. Defrost the Freezer
In order to make sure your freezer works properly, it should be unplugged and defrosted every so often. Oftentimes your freezer is connected to your refrigerator, so you’ll get a two-for-one cleaning of both areas. Once the fridge and freezer are defrosted, take a soapy sponge and clean out all the drawers and shelves. Bacteria actually like the produce drawers, so be sure to get them nice and clean.

2. First In, First Out
This is the method restaurants use to get their pantry, refrigerator and freezer in order. You can do it on a smaller scale in your own kitchen. Check the dates of all the items and discard any that are past the “use by” date. Technically, you can use items past the “use by” date, but if items are months or years past their dates, it’s probably time to discard them. Next, organize your pantry, refrigerator and freezer so you can see everything you have and you don’t buy more of what you don’t need.

3. Change the Sponges and Towels
Many folks forget to change their sponges and replace or wash their kitchen towels. Dirty sponges can transfer bacteria from one surface to the other. Once a sponge is torn and dirty, it’s time for a new one. The kitchen towels should really be designated for a task. You shouldn’t be drying dishes, holding hot food and wiping up spills on the floor with the same towel. Use different-colored towels for different tasks to help minimize cross-contamination.

4. Check the Cutting Boards
Whether you like wood or plastic, cutting boards get abused over time. Spring is a good time to examine your cutting boards to see if they have any deep cracks or crevices. If they do, make sure to replace them. If you choose wooden cutting boards, make sure they’re made of a hardwood like maple or oak.

5. Prepare Your Outdoor Gear
Outdoor picnics and barbecues begin in the spring. Stock up on ice packs, coolers, a meat thermometer and disposable paper goods if you plan on toting around food in the warmer weather. Use at least two coolers, one for raw meats and one for ready-to-eat salads and beverages, in order to avoid cross-contamination. Make sure you have several sets of utensils and plates in order to separate the raw and cooked meats. Finally, always carry a meat thermometer when heading to a cookout. Studies have found that you cannot tell if meat is fully cooked by just looking at it. Rather, a thermometer should be used in order to measure the internal temperature.

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Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming and the ever-daunting spring cleaning checklist is looming. As you take on tasks this year, make the kitchen a top priority.

In addition to a little extra deep cleaning, it could be time to rethink its organization. With a few inspired solutions, counters can be freed from clutter, allowing more space for food preparation and cooking.

Cast Off and Get Creative

The easiest way to make room in the kitchen is to clean out excess. Go through dishes, pots, pans, appliances and utensils. Consider giving away anything you haven’t touched in the past year or simply don’t like.

Find creative ways to clear the counter. Use a Lazy Susan to store supplies in hard-to-reach corners. Reimagine a cake stand as a shelf to elevate favorite spices, salt, pepper and olive oil, while leaving an area around the base for additional storage.

Rethink nooks and crannies, such as the top of the fridge, which could house a decorative display of cookbooks, bowls or baking canisters. Tops of kitchen cabinets can hold stainless steel or copper pots and pans, allowing for easy access when needed.

Arrange by Use

When choosing appliances to occupy prime countertop real estate, think about how often they are used. Everyday multi-tasking tools deserve a spot on the counter.

Save space with versatile appliances like a personal blender with four convenient pre-programmed settings that can prepare everything from smoothies and whole-food juices to soups, sauces, vinaigrettes, frozen desserts and more. Plus, because of its compact size, it leaves plenty of room for other kitchen tasks.

You can also arrange serving ware according to how often it reaches the table. Store items such as holiday dishes and platters in the back of cabinets or open shelving. Place everyday items like bowls and salad plates in easy-to-reach cabinets and drawers. Cooking utensils should be housed in a holder close to the stove.

Work With Your Walls

The usual kitchen organization employs drawers, cabinets, shelves and countertops. However, you can also work with your walls to make your kitchen more efficient. Apply hooks to hang pot holders and aprons, ensuring they are a safe distance from the stove. Install a pot rack, which will make room in cabinets for appliances that are not used often — just make sure your walls or ceiling are strong enough to support the extra weight.

To squeeze extra space out of your kitchen, hang magnetic strips for items like knives and kitchen scissors, freeing up drawers and removing the knife block from the counter. Spices can also be hung on the strips with the use of magnetic canisters.

If you simply minimize what’s kept on countertops and reimagine everyday items, you can optimize the functionality of your kitchen, making it a more user- and guest-friendly destination.