Rubbermaid - Adventures in Organization

Your Table Gourmet Runs on Rubbermaid

THIS GUEST POST WAS WRITTEN BY Andrea at Your Table Gourmet

I admit it. I am a food storage snob. Had you told me a year ago I would have this attitude, I wouldn't have even believed you. Before you judge me too harshly, though, please consider that I put food storage containers through a lot, and I have tried just about every type of container out there. I own and operate a small personal chef business called Your Table Gourmet in Spokane, Washington, and after over a thousand meals made, packed up, and delivered, I can confidently say that my business runs on Rubbermaid.

Rubbermaid Premier & TakeAlong Containers

Being a personal chef is like being half a caterer and half a family cook. My customers order anywhere from two days to two month's worth of food at a time, and I do all the shopping, the prep, the cooking, and the clean up. All my customers see is a stack of ready-to-eat, custom-made meals filling their fridge and freezer. After growing up in my mother's catering business in Southeastern Idaho, I started Your Table Gourmet in January of 2009, almost by accident. One of my best friends is both vegetarian and gluten-intolerant, and her daughter is lactose intolerant. Add on to that that she doesn't often have the time to cook, and that I had just been laid off from my full-time job, and it just made sense for me to lend a hand. The business has grown from there, and the majority of my clients do have some kind of food sensitivity, preference, or allergy - although some are just busy families that want one less thing on their to-do list.

TakeAlongs Divided Rectangle

I started my business and run it with a dedication to environmental responsibility - which means rather than the disposable take-out Styrofoam and flimsy plastic most delivered food comes in that gets thrown away, I need containers that can be put through their paces and re-used week after week. The only containers I've found that can put up with this kind of use for more than a few weeks are Rubbermaid - so that is what fills my storeroom (and my customer's fridges!) I work out of a small, shared commercial kitchen, and I have to admit I really like the fact I can stack all my containers and their lids together - it really helps save time and space when I've only got a few hours to put together dozens of meals.

Cranberry Stuffing from Your Table Gourmet

I have always loved cooking, and I have always adored a challenge. Cooking custom gourmet meals for my customers has proven quite the adventure.

Sure, I may be a food storage snob, but because my customers depend on the highest quality, I depend on Rubbermaid.

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THIS GUEST POST WAS WRITTEN BY Andrea at Your Table Gourmet: www.yourtablegourmet.com. You can follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/yourtable

Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day!!!

Sunday, November 15th is National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. It's perfect timing to clean out  the fridge before holiday food and leftovers start piling up!

Here at Rubbermaid, we are encouraging all bloggers to clean out their fridge but I was a little curious to see what was in there to begin with. Let's just say some of the photos below are gross and offer good encouragement to clean out those refrigerators and others offer some good advice for how to keep your fridge clean!

Betty's says: Here is my fridge. It’s driving me nuts because it’s usually very clean. Shelves are usually dedicated to certain categories of food. I have just the right Rubbermaid food containers to house my family of 3’s leftovers, but…

This week-end I had my parents visiting, had a chili party and then another dinner party and I’m over run with left-overs, specialty food and snacks that I typically don’t eat and nothing is where it belongs. I’m literally digging thru stuff to find things.

AAUUGGGHHH!

Brian says: I’m not sure what this is. Despite our armada of Rubbermaid Food Storage containers my wife sometimes reverts to old ways and wraps something in a combination of tin foil and plastic wrap. It’s as if she’s preserving a mummy for the afterlife. Needless to say I have no clue what it is……could be anything from meatloaf to ginger loaf.

Rob says: Baking soda helps to control smells in the fridge, but these pics are of my girl friend's fridge and she is strict about what stays in there…   she had nothing in there that was even close to being bad. Me on the other hand ….

Bo says: A normal person would put ice cubes in this container. Not me... Try year old bananas and some cut up apples that are so wrinkly they look like leather. Yummy

Megan says: As I was taking several pictures of the inside, I realized that the outside of my fridge is quite the mess with all of the stuff I have posted up on the fridge with magnets.

Ashleigh says: I have a bottom load freezer that drives me insane.  I can’t for the life of me find a way to organize it aside from just throwing things in and mashing them around till I can shut the drawer. 

Shannon says: This is a picture of chicken with potatoes and carrots in the crockpot.  It didn’t turn out that great to begin with, and then after sitting in the fridge for a couple of weeks – blah.

So how is your fridge looking? Take some time Sunday to clean out your fridge. Take before and after pictures and post them on your blog...leave a link in the comments or link back to this post so we can commiserate with your mess and celebrate your clean out achievement!!!! Don't have a blog? Twitter, Facebook, or Flickr it :)

Tis' the Season... for HEALTHY snacking!

With the holidays around the corner, I can nearly smell the baked goodness mayhem that will undoubtedly find its way to my hips.  As a method to ward off extra holiday pounds, I find that keeping healthy snacks on hand a great way to avoid sugar cravings.

The 2 cup Produce Saver,also known as my Pound Saver, keeps my grapes fresh and ready for me to snack on at work.  It seems that work is my weakness, as all my co-workers are fantastic cooks and love to bring in munchies to share.  Share the wealth, not the weight. HA!

Another Produce Saver awaits me in the refrigerator stuffed with celery for my mid-afternoon crash and burn that never fails to send me straight to the vending machine.  A little reduced-calorie/fat peanut butter to spread on my celery helps curb my craving and gives me a little pick-me-up to help finish the day.

It's the small things that keep me from feeling the guilt when I decide to indulge in a slice of homemade pumpkin pie. 

 

A website for other tips on healthy snacking at work: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/easy-healthy-workplace-snacks

Save Money by Packing Your Lunch!

You can really save a lot of money and eat a lot healthier by bringing our lunch to work.   In fact, a few of us in the office formed a "Skinny & Rich Club" on Tuesdays last year in order to align on a date where we would all bring our lunches and eat together, at least one day a week. it was quite a gathering as people came upstairs from our medical division, and some guys came over across the parking lot from our IRWIN tools division. 

While the club disbanded due to hectic travel schedules, I try to make it a habit to still bring my lunch 2-3 days a week.

My favorites are:

1) Frozen Soup - see previous post on how I like to portion & freeze my soups

2) Leftover Dinner - I bring it in a Divided Premier to work and heat everything on foil in our toaster oven.

3) Salads - I put the ingredients (packed in little containers) in a large Premier and then dump & shake it all up when i get to work.  Our large containers are excellent for shaking and mixing dressing.

Here are 2 examples:

Left = Salad w/ Cranberries, Mandarin Oranges, Goat Cheese, Walnuts, Balsamic Vinaigrette

Right = Salad w/ Carrots, Ginger, Sliced Almonds, Asian Vinaigrette

What are your favorite lunches and how do you bring them to work ?

Rubbermaid as Take Out Containers

I recently stumbled upon a blog I found really cool on using Rubbermaid containers for takeout.  It is an idea we have heard a lot from our consumers as a way to reduce the waste caused by disposable containers.   However, really enjoyed Jason's "social experiment" and also the reference to soup Nazi since I am a Seinfeld fan. 

I commend Jason on his diligence to using durable reusable containers to encourage others to change behavior step by step.  Please continue to share any stories you have on reducing waste!

Easy Find Lids Contest

So, I could not help it but share some more stories from our Easy Find Lids contest. They are just awesome!

Some Good Advice

 

Chandra says I used Easy find lid containers to store leftovers, fresh cut fruits, yogurt,take food to office,school,It's very easy to store and no odor.

 

 

 

 

Ruth Slate says Rubbermaid containers are for crayons,loose change,quilt pieces & notions and of course food. they're so economical,i use them for everything.

 

 

 

 

Jen Steed says she had drawers of mismatched, stained dishes & lids. Switched to JUST these on one shelf. Heaven! Even DH quit using baggies for everything.

 

 

 

 

Yolanda Newton says My food storage solution? Use clear see-through containers so you can see what it is in your fridge! Avoid mystery meat sitting for weeks!

 

 

Funny Entrees

 

Joey says My daughter can't keep her cat out of her produce. Finch (the cat who eats everything) has eaten her tomatoes.  Help!

 

 

 

 

 

Lori Hatch says I couldn't figure where my lids were going. Until one day I saw my German Shephard puppy open the cupboard door and run off with the lid.

 

 

 

 

S Moses says If I win...would my kids miss: plastic lid avalanche, sorting bingo, getting to hear mom swear? No - we'd have too much time to play! Yay!

 

 

People who REALLY need Easy Find Lids

 

Marie Moody says Too many bowls & lids that didn't match & became toys for my grandchildren to teeth on & play with & didn't make loud noises & clean easily.

 

 

 

 

Carolyn Larrivee says I live with 3 girls in a small Philly apartment. Little cupboard space, too many arguments and times spent organizing it! We need help!

 

 

 

 

Kari McGuire says My 2 year old thinks my plastic containers are for playing - she opens the cabinet and they all come falling out and she laughs!!

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed thes enough to check out the web site www.easyfindlids.com. Go and share your story for a chance to win a 20 pc. Easy Find Lids set and share your story on Facebook for a chance to win a $500 kitchen makeover.

Easy Find Lids - Rubbermaid Employee Rivalry Contest

We are excited to announce a little internal competition here at Rubbermaid.   To give you a bit of history on how this competition came to be, the team was in a marketing meeting back in November.   One of our goals was to brainstorm ways to get the word out about our Easy Find Lids System food storage containers.  Around the table, we all had different opinions on what favorite thing was, and  realized everyone uses them quite differently in our own homes!

We want YOU, the readers, to vote who has the most compelling argument.   In your post, list the NAME of the person you think has the best idea and WHY. To thank you for your vote, we will be selecting 5 posts at random to win an All-in-One set at the end of June.    

So here goes..... 

Lauren Spahr -  Leader, Marketing Communications

My favorite feature about Rubbermaid Premier is how well they stack together, both in my refrigerator, and then when I want to take food on the go. Check out how the entire contents of my barbeque are stored for a nice week of leftovers and how I can easily grab the stack to take them to work for the week.

Jim Deitzel - eMarketing Manager

  

There are so many great features about the Easy Find Lids food storage system that it was really hard to pick just one (but Lauren made me). So, my favorite feature is how the containers nest inside of each other (plus that lids snap to lids, plus there are only 3 sizes of lids so you have a really good chance of finding one that fits).

As you can see from this photo, I have three main stacks of containers in my cabinet. One stack for the 1.25 & 2 cup, one stack for the 3 & 5 cup, and another stack for the 9 & 14 cup. I also have a separate stack just for the Produce Saver containers, which I nest all together.

Within each stack I have both Premier and Easy Find Lids containers. Since all the containers within the system are the same shapes they all nest neatly together, which makes it very easy to keep the cabinet organized.

I store all of my lids in a single stack. Large lids on bottom, medium, then small. This conserves space as well and it makes it easy to keep the lids organized. One of the nice things about these lids is that even though I have six sizes of containers there are only three sizes of lids. This makes it very easy to always find a lid that fits and I’m never searching for missing lids.

NOTE: This picture was taken back in October but my cabinet STILL looks as neat as it did in this photo, which is amazing. Additionally I’ve added another small Produce Saver as well as a medium Produce Saver to my collection. They are absolutely invaluable when it comes to storing strawberries, blueberries & blackberries.

Megan Murphy -  Leader, Product Marketing

By far my favorite cabinet in my kitchen is the one that keeps my food storage. The Easy Find Lids System has provided me with the perfect organizational method. Every time I open up this cabinet I feel accomplished - like I’m doing something right. My Premier, Produce Saver, Easy Find Lids and Lock-its are all neatly stacked with lids snapped to the bases. Depending on my need, I always have the right container at the ready. Now if only my pantry made me feel the same way!!

Doug Marquardt-  Sr. Manager, Product Marketing

 

One of the coolest things about Rubbermaid containers is how they are specially designed for different uses. I think this is a great feature of the product line because it makes storing leftovers a lot less frustrating. For example, I don’t enjoy throwing out lettuce a couple days after I bought it, so I really like how Rubbermaid Produce Saver containers keep leafy vegetables fresh and crisp. I also like my plastic containers to stay clean and odor free. I used to throw them out when they would have leftover pasta sauce stains or onion smell. This isn’t a problem anymore with Rubbermaid Premier containers – they always stay clean and odor free!

Now for the bonus feature - you might think that keeping a bunch of special containers would take up a lot of space in my cabinets, but they actually nest together in one stack because of the Easy Find Lids system. Besides nesting together, the lids snap together and also attach to the bottom of containers. Pretty cool!

Katie Parsons-   Manager, Product Marketing

   

I love Rubbermaid Premier because I can always find the lid I need, when I need it. I’m not really known for my culinary skills but I decided to test them out by making a big Sunday dinner, last weekend. I managed to whip up quite the feast but had a lot of leftovers. I grabbed my Rubbermaid Premier and transferred the food into the container. My green bean casserole was still warm, so I snapped the lid to the base and left it on the counter to cool. I was able to move the container off the counter to clean it, and the lid stayed attached. When I was finished washing dishes, my leftovers had cooled off. I moved the lid from the bottom to the top and into the fridge it went! It’s really a handy feature!

Rachel Pike -  Associate Product Manager

 

My favorite feature about the Easy Find Lids system is the fact that the same lid fits different size bases. For example, the same Premier lid fits the 3-cup, 5-cup, and 7-cup bases. That means when I pull a lid out of my cabinet, the first lid I grab will most likely be the right size for my base. It’s just another way that this system eliminates the frustration and time drain of the "great lid hunt."

Stories about food storage organization from Easyfindlids.com

My fellow Adventures in Organization blogger Jim Deitzel blogged a few days ago about Rubbermaid's new website www.easyfindlids.com where you can share stories about your food storage organization (his post is here).

I have exponentially enjoyed reading everyone's stories about their successes and challenges organizing their food storage containers. Some have made me laugh and others gave great advice. I enjoyed them so much I thought you might like them too. Here are a few of my favorites:

Pat May
But if I had the Rubbermaid Easy Find Lid System then my washing machine socks would miss my lids; they're off somewhere together; I know it

Nancy Reid
My husband's famous words are "I didn't know we had that, I would have eaten it! These clear containers would prevent wasted food & save $$.

Kristen Wheeler
With lids that snap on to the containers for storage, packing school lunches in the morning became a snap - no more hunting for lids!

Trinity
So...3 kids,a husband,& me all fighting for containers for lunches & snacks. Its practically a sporting event @ my house. May the fastest win

nancy gruzleski
I used rubbermaid storage containers to take Ohio cheese to New york for my daughters shower. It saved us money, and everyone loved the cheese

Billy Wilson
If you put aluminum foil over the top of a plastic container, the container does not always "contain."

BrendaLea Abbott
I'm convinced that my plastic containers multiply while in the cabinet, but the lids don't (hmmm ...are they sterile?) Please help!!!

Joanne Anderson
I love being organized ... I even alphabetize my spices! This system can keep me happy for a long time!!!

Judy Graehling
I'm totally convinced that there is a gremlin who eats container lids living in my cabinet! Might be in cahoots with my dryer's sock thief.

Cindy Procter
Yep, have no trouble finding my containers but can never find the lids. Tell me, do all container lid grow legs and walk off?

lorraine walton
Its so easy to find the containers, but the lids seem to get lost, the dog must of gotten them, as the kids would say..

natassja horosko
My containers are like traveling back in time, they have been gathered from the 60s-90s. Even worse, we use cool whip containers for storage

April Grimm
We have one drawer for just containers. Our 1 year loves it more than his toybox.

Kimberly Matson
In a house fire the thing you worry about the most is losing family photos. 90% of our pix were untouched because they were in rubbermaids! (This post made me so happy. It made me feel as if I was part of something that made a difference. I am so glad that you did not lose your photos Kimberly!)

I hope you enjoyed these. If you have a good story, please share it at www.easyfindlids.com. You could be one of our 5 weekly (randomly chosen) winners to receive a 20 piece set of Rubbermaid Easy Find Lid food storage containers.  Even better, at the end of October we're going to pick one winner to receive $500 in Rubbermaid product.

Enjoy!

Share your food storage organization story and win prizes

Yesterday we launched www.EasyFindLids.com, a brand new Rubbermaid website. We created this site for people to share stories about their food storage organization stories. We're hoping you will submit stories about your success and challenges organizing your food storage containers.

In addition to sharing your story on www.EasyFindLids.com we've incorporated a feature so you can also post your story to Facebook. Our hope is if you have a challenge you can share it with your friends and they can help you with your problem. This is our version of 'Group Therapy' :)

And if your friends can't help you get organized, maybe we can.  Once a week we are going to randomly pick 5 winners to receive a 20 piece set of Rubbermaid Easy Find Lid food storage containers.  Even better, at the end of October we're going to pick one winner to receive $500 in Rubbermaid product.

With that said, share your story. If you have a challenge, maybe a friend can help you out. If you've already conquered your food storage container problems, sharing your story will help someone else out.

I hope you enjoy and have fun!

P.S. As an extra bonus we've included coupons on this website for $1.00 off select Rubbermaid food storage containers.

Calling All Bloggers

Hey bloggers, I've got some exciting news for you.

Lauren and I are looking for bloggers who are interested in organizing their food storage containers. You know the ones... missing lids, falling out of the cabinets, old, stained and in need of replacement.

Well... now's the perfect chance.  We are going to start collecting names of people interested in receiving a free sample set of the Rubbermaid Easy Find Lids food storage system along with a second sample set that could be used in a blog sweepstakes.  The samples would include a selection of the Produce Saver, Premier, Easy Find Lids & another soon to be announced product.

Right now you're asking yourself, what's the catch. There's no catch!

Take the samples, try them. That's all we ask.  If you decide to write about them (good or bad), great.  If you don't, that's also fine.  If you want to do the sweepstakes on your blog, great. If not, that's fine too.

Why are we doing this? Because we feel confident after you try the Rubbermaid Easy Find Lid food storage system you'll want to tell people about them. How do we know this... because we use these in our own homes (see my kitchen cabinet blog post).

THE FINE PRINT: Lauren and I don't have an unlimited supply.  We honestly don't know how many we'll get but we're guessing it's around 100. We also don't know how many people will request samples.  With that being said we'd like to let you know we may not be able to send everyone who submits a request a sample kit.  We apologize in advance for this.  We'd love to give everyone free product but that's just not possible.  Also, to be considered you must at least have a blog.  Please tell us the name of your blog too.

HOW TO SUBMIT A REQUEST: Contact either Lauren (@RubbermaidTwo) or I (@Rubbermaid) via Twitter or submit a comment to this post.  Please use #rubbermaid in your tweet.  Be sure to include your email address when submitting the post so we can contact you. You're email address will not be posted.