Use-Move

These past few weeks I have been doing a lot of baking. I have a folder full of recipies, cookbooks opened, spreadsheets ready. My island is a sea of ingredients ready for the bake-a-thon. I have to be organized. To keep me on track I always put what's needed on the counter before starting, and remove it once it's used. Simple...



Sea of ingredients

My island is the holding spot for all of the baking supplies. It's like an "open pantry". My work station is that corner where the mixer is. From the recipe, I go down the list of ingredients, pulling them one by one from the island, onto my work station. If there is anything I am missing, I write it on my grocery list then choose another recipe.

Ready for action

This day I was making chocolate chip cookies. The first part of the recipe calls for creaming a few ingredients. As I measured and poured the eggs, vanilla, butter, shortening and sugars, the item went back to the island. Use- move. One by one.

Already used ingredients

What is left on my work station are the the dry ingredients.

Dry ingredients

Measure and sift. Use-move. One by one. The workstation is cleared because everything pulled to make the dough is back on the island. If there is something left behind, it's because I forgot to use it.

Sea of ingredients back on the island

This use-move method works perfectly because distractions happen. You know what where you are in the directions by the ingredients left on the counter. Do you remember if you put the vanilla in the dough? 

Did I put the vanilla in here? What about the salt?

You can take this one step furtherby utilizing prep bowls for each ingredient. This would ensure that if you lost count or mismeasured, dump the bowl and start over. Move the container from your work station when done. Use-Move.

Chocolate Chip Cookies