For the past 20 days the United States federal government has been shut down. That means that Congress can’t come to an agreement with the president on how the U.S. Treasury should dispense funds for government projects and agencies — in this case, President Trump would like money to build a border wall, and he hasn’t accepted his Democratic opponents’ compromise of $1.6 billion to fund border security.

Chances are you haven’t yet felt the repercussions of this stalemate in your day-to-day life, but the government shutdown has put 800,000 people on unpaid leave, affecting agencies like Commerce, Homeland Security, Transportation and yes, Agriculture and the Health Department, which could have serious consequences for the food you eat.

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For those of us with food-based allergies, mealtimes can be a minefield, especially when eating food not prepared yourself. There are an astonishing 170 different types of foods that can cause allergies, including milk, fish, eggs, and wheat — all extremely common items in American food.

According to research organization Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), approximately 15 million people in the United States have food allergies, including more than 5.9 million children. Every year approximately 200,000 people require emergency or medical care for allergic reactions to food, so for those with allergies, innocent mistakes can turn into life-or-death situations.

But recent research, however, seems to indicate that a big chunk of the people who think they have food allergies might not have them at all.

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I’ve cleared out and reorganized my kitchen many times over the years, usually in conjunction with The Kitchn Cure, and every time I’ve learned something new: I much prefer storing my spices upright in a pull-out drawer, rather than in a wonky rack; there’s a simple solution for a flaky pepper mill; and I’ve yet to regret my wall-mounted pot rack.

But more than anything, I’ve realized the secret to creating (and maintaining!) organized cabinets and shelves comes down to just one simple rule.

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Have you always wanted to make vegan brownies with Dwight Schrute? Or cook cranberry turkey chili with Kevin? Well, you’re in luck: Angela has a cooking show. Or, the actress who played her, Angela Kinsey, does — and it is completely and totally delightful.

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Humans have been seasoning their food as far back as six millennia ago. A piece of pottery found in Germany from 5,900 years ago contained evidence that prehistoric hunter-gatherers flavored fish and deer stews with garlic mustard seed. The difficulty of gathering that seed simply to add a dash to food proves the impetus to spice up meals is ingrained in the very fabric of humans and cooking.

And that’s why when we come across a person who doesn’t use a dash of anything when they cook, we have a lot to say about it.

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World Market is having a site-wide furniture sale, and we’ve found a few stylish picks to help you achieve (and maintain) order in your kitchen. While none of these items were traditionally designed for the kitchen, we think they’re a big upgrade to a lot of the more purpose-built storages solutions out there that too often lack style. They all serve the same purpose: to free up valuable storage and counter space so you can put your creativity to work when cooking and entertaining.

The sale also includes great dining room sets, tables, and chairs. See those here, and our picks below.

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If you are one of the many people who got a new Instant Pot for Christmas, besides asking yourself “What should I cook?” (we got you), you may also be wondering “Where the heck do I put this thing?” A true kitchen workhorse, it nevertheless can occupy some serious real estate on the counter or in a cabinet. Or, perhaps even worse, finding a home for your a new pressure cooker in a low cabinet or closet can mean it gets forgotten.

Enter: the passionate members of the official Instant Pot Facebook group. They’ve discovered a product that almost seems made specifically for this product: a round utility cart from Target.

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Few things are more dangerous for your wallet than wandering Whole Foods without a shopping list (which happens more often than I care to admit), but during my most recent trip I had a very clear plan. My mission involved stocking up on January’s latest and greatest in order to report back with my thoughts. Guidelines are good!

The new offerings all skew toward the super health-conscious and thus were a little on the pricey side, but here’s a pro tip: If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can unlock massive savings. (The seafood kits below were 40 percent off for Prime members, among other awesome deals.) If there’s one major takeaway from this shopping trip, it’s that signing up for Prime is definitely worth it if you shop at Whole Foods on the reg.

Back to the task at hand — here’s my haul!

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Everything old is new again, and never is that more true as when diet trends take over the grocery store — and we’re not talking just the Paleo diet here. Best Products reports that Costco has started selling what they call a “tortilla alternative”: cheese wraps.

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Trader Joe’s is the king of dreaming up new and unusual ingredients that suddenly everyone has to have in their kitchens. The prime example is, of course, their Everything But the Bagel Sesame Seasoning that obtained an almost-instant cult-like status. Have you tried it? You really need to try it.

The grocery giant recently added another, super-unique kind of seasoning that I imagine you’re about to see everywhere: Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend. The mixture of kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper, mushroom powder, and mustard seed promises to give all your dishes an extra savory kick, but can Trader Joe’s make lightning strike twice? To find out, I tried out the blend on three different proteins I typically eat for dinner on weeknights: chicken tenders, ground turkey, and a salmon filet. Here’s how it went.

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