But these posts are keeping me on task so I'm going with it. Okay, just so you get a sense of the kitchen I'm working with, a general photo. It was a red and white '50's kitchen when I moved in, but I remodeled it. I'm more the earth-tone type. It's a galley kitchen and not particularly spacious, but I like it. The end there used to have a little breakfast nook, but I designed a granite topped table that is perfect for things like kneading dough.
All that food piled on the dining room table has to go somewhere. One feature I do love is the pantry with a door that can be closed. I keep the food that goes in here organized in bins - the tea bin, the cookies and granola bars bin, and so on. I also keep oils, vinegars, jams and the like on the little shelves.
Such neatness! All the food not in the pantry or fridge goes here and in the cabinet below. I used to keep things like flour in those glass containers, but the pantry moths knew how to get in and now I mostly store pastas in them. And at the moment, Easter candy.
The lower cabinet has cool slide-out shelves. Now I can actually see what I have and use up some of the duplicates. Ditto in the freezer - all the seafood and soy things are grouped together so I know what is there.
For efficiency's sake, I keep the coffee and sugar out with the coffee maker and grinder. Those are two of the four appliances I keep on the counter because I use them on a daily basis. The others are the microwave and the toaster oven. Everything else I want stored out of sight, behind cabinet doors. Like the dishes, pyrex containers, and vases above the coffee.
This cabinet holds every other small kitchen appliance I own. I was already something of a minimalist when it comes kitchen gadgets. Not that I've never bought them or had them given to me as gifts, but ultimately, I get disgusted and revert quickly to the tried and true items. Over the years I've gotten rid of my bread machine because it eliminates the only thing I like about making bread - working the dough with my hands. And the rice cooker I was told would magically improve my life because I realized it was harder to clean, took up space and I already owned a rice maker in the form of a pot. Also, an ice cream churn because I don't eat all that much ice cream to begin with, but when I do I either want to go out for an ice cream cone or I want a pint of Ben & Jerry's Karamel Sutra or Cherry Garcia. And finally, a juicer that, although it did make good juice, was a royal pain in the ass to use and clean. This go round I got rid of the waffle maker for the same reason. Likewise, the food processor because I like to chop things. After all, that's what my knives are for. And I ditched the regular blender, too. Instead, I have a handheld immersion blender and a hand held mixer. I also have an air popper for popcorn (because microwave popcorn bags have a carcinogen in the lining that decomposes and is consumed along with the popcorn) and a crockpot for applesauce and some stews. And that's it. Measuring cups and colanders and I'm good to go. I culled from this cabinet and the one next to it all the odd glassware like commemorative glasses from various events or places.
And of course I weeded through the drawers that hold utensils. Why did I have two ice cream scoops? Why keep the big wing-style wine bottle opener when I only ever use the simple waiter's corkscrew? Why were there cheap chopsticks from Chinese takeout when I have nice bamboo chopsticks? Why was there some mis-matched flatware stored behind the stuff I actually use? Gone now, all gone.
I have two other drawers that hold utensils. The one on the other side of the stove that has only three grill implements, wooden skewers for shish kebab, and oven mitts. Every utensil I cook with is in that ceramic container or the drawer on this side of the stove. There is not a single item here I don't regularly use - everything else went to the get-rid-of pile.
And finally, the spices I use most frequently, in alphabetical order. And the two lone knickknacks in my kitchen: a wooden cow I brought back from Switzerland and a pewter echidina a friend gave me to remind me of my visit with her in Tasmania (because whenever we saw one toddling alongside the road, I'd make her pull over so I could get out and pet it).
There you have it. I know it's not for everyone, but this is THIS cook's dream kitchen.
