Minimize Windows Question

Does anyone know if this is possible? A feature of windows that I am finding it very difficult to live without is how the "minimize all windows" function works. I'm looking to see if there is any way I can minimize all programs, perform a task, and then maximize all programs again.

Basically, I can minimize all windows to the bare desktop, and then I can choose the program I want to open and it only opens that one program.

What's frustrating to me right now in Lion is that CMD+OPTION+M only minimizes all windows of a specific program and won't give you the bare desktop. If I use Mission Control to slide all the programs out of the way, the second I try and open one of my programs it brings everything back instead of just the one program.

An example of this is let's say I save an image in Photoshop. Now that image is on the desktop and I need to upload it somewhere. Ideally, what I'd like to do is minimize all windows, then open/pull up my FTP program, drag the new image to where I need it, then go back to my regular work.

In windows this is super easy because of the "shake" that allows you to keep your existing program open and it closes all other windows, then when you "shake" again it resumes all the previously opened programs. I'm just finding OSx has no intuitive solution for this (or at least that I can see).

What are you guys doing to manage your workflow? Or is it just a matter of people dealing with it?

 

thanks for the responses - ill give it a shot and see what I come up with