Erika Tracy

Fear not! It's actually pretty easy to get rusted cast iron cookware back to cook-ready condition!

Machines getting a lot of daily use can develop clogs that can cause the system to quit completely. Here's how to keep it running well.

Whether company’s coming over or you find yourself with a few spare minutes, it’s never a bad time to think about polishing your silver for some extra shine. If your chest of flatware or julep cups are looking less than occasion-ready, worry not! This quick kitchen remedy made of simple ingredients can save you a lot of time and a big mess — and you probably already have everything you need. This simple setup isn’t too far from an elementary school science project.

It only requires two little ingredients you already have in the pantry.

Here's what to do — whether you want to use a food-safe mineral oil or a butcher block conditioner.

Our growing collection of child-size dishes, bowls and utensils have never had a proper home. We’ve used whatever space was open and easily accessible to stash the pile of tiny things used daily for mealtime. While I’m in the process of making things work better in our kitchen overall, offering our son access and the ability to help with his colorful collection of dinnerware seemed like a bright idea.

A quick search online for pros and cons of butcher block countertops will give a long list of pros on beauty and function, and one definite con: maintenance. It’s a forgiving surface, to say the least, since it can be sanded and oiled to be made like new, but what a project! The overall chorus, however, suggests that everyday cleaning is far easier and simpler, and doesn’t require harsh chemicals or cleaners.

We even cover how to clean that silicone ring that will eventually get all gross.

Spot-cleaning kitchen cabinets after spills and drips is easy enough, but finding a process and product that removes the grime and grease from daily use takes patience.

This is a household to-do that's easily overlooked, but it's really gotta be done!

Perfectly wonderful and pricey clothes can meet their match with one quick spill or unexpected splatter.

One good dinner party with friends and an unattended red wine stain is there to stay. Or so you'd think.

With all the ease slow cookers add to mealtime, it’s a shame these things don’t clean themselves, too. Actually, they kinda do when it comes to caked-on messes inside the pot. (See: The Most Ingenious Way to Clean a Slow Cooker Is Also the Easiest.) If you need to give a deeper clean (say, maybe after a season of boiled-over stews or kids serving themselves chili), the good news is that you probably have everything you need.

The flour and batter spills that come along with each use will show in time.

If you’re using them often, whether for your morning caffeine infusion, afternoon smoothie, or daily dinner prep, kitchen appliances need a good interior and exterior clean about once a month. (Yes, that often.) These cleanings help remove buildup, reduce odors, and improve the functionality and lifespan of your everyday workhorses. And a good brush (or set of brushes) can help you get the job done with more ease and considerably less elbow grease.

Last on my list in my kitchen organization project is the one deep, dark corner cabinet. We all have them and I’m guessing no one likes them, but I found a way to make mine work for my servingware collection by adding one simple (no-brainer) organization tool. My deep, dark corner cabinet has no pull-out shelves and about a 12-inch opening sandwiched between the refrigerator and stove.

Establishing a drawer just for food storage had me smitten with this deep drawer space when I first organized my home’s kitchen. Now, it’s become quite the jigsaw puzzle of containers. Finding a lid in one try happens occasionally, but getting the drawer to actually close takes a Tetris high-score skill level of container stacking.

Doing battle with kitchen storage is not on my list of things I want to do every day, or any day for that matter. A large corner-cabinet of our kitchen that is outfitted with fancy, should-be functional shelves somehow evolved into a tumbling mess of stacks. Rather than surrender the space to kitchen clutter, I decided to find a purposeful use of this space and tame our corner-cabinet madness. Clearly, not being able to turn the fancy lazy susan shelves without a crash was our biggest problem.

Tomatoes grow all over the world, and they play important roles in the cuisines of many cultures (Italia, anyone?). But down in Dixie, we do summer’s favorite fruit right (yep, tomatoes are a fruit). In fact, I’m gonna argue that we do them better than most. Proving this point was a mere few swift keystrokes for my food-writer friend and big time food-appreciator, Jennifer Kornegay. This Alabama gal means it, folks.

So you made a mistake? Fear not! It's possible to get rusted cast iron cookware back to cook-ready condition!

Who cooks and eats here: Adam and Alicia Whitely (and a new baby boy) Where: Montgomery, Alabama Rent or Own? Own Leftovers? Nonsense. Do-overs are an option cook Alicia Whitley rarely explores in her culinary adventures. With all the options out there, Alicia thinks diving into something new for daily meals makes perfect sense and is where she finds joy in the kitchen of her home nestled in one of Montgomery, Alabama’s oldest neighborhoods.

Bo and Lindsey are right at home in the Old Cloverdale historic district of Montgomery, Alabama, but that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy seeing the world! Ten years ago Lindsey moved to Montgomery as part of the city’s historic preservation team and met lifetime resident Bo at a neighborhood house party.