Whether your kitchen is big ... small ... or somewhere in-between, it is a room many of us spend a lot of time in. When the family were all at home, we were fortunate to enjoy a large kitchen and it was the 'hub' of the house. From early morning 'til late at night there was always something happening in that room. Cooking, why yes of course but it was also central to family life, laughter, love and cheer. As the children grew and moved out, the kitchen seemed quieter somehow...
Now, with just the two of us, we down-sized, and our kitchen is smaller but suits us perfectly - and is still the 'hub' - well it would be ... it has the all important kettle ... for my cups of tea and Eddie's mugs of coffee - plus of course all the ingredients for our great LCHF meals!
No matter what size kitchen, it helps if you are organised, and these tips may be helpful:
Clear clutter from counter-tops.
Cleanse the dark corners of your cupboards. If you don’t use something at least several times a week, put it in a drawer or cabinet for more counter space.
Clear clutter from counter-tops.
Cleanse the dark corners of your cupboards. If you don’t use something at least several times a week, put it in a drawer or cabinet for more counter space.
Organize drawers and get rid of useless gadgets.
Keep knives sharpened and within reach.
Keep a garbage bowl on the counter-top while you're cooking, it makes clean up even faster when you can dump out one bowl of scraps rather than constant cleaning.
As you start cooking, get out all the ingredients you’ll need and have them on the counter. There’s less chance that you’ll forget an ingredient or end up scrambling for something in the fridge during a critical step.
I know many use 'crisp' drawers but instead of stuffing all your healthy leafy greens in the drawers where they may be forgotten, place them on the top shelf where they're easy to reach.
Be it large or small why not make the place where you eat and prepare food into a welcoming space... you'll be smiling making that cup of tea or preparing dinner!
... and if you suddenly realise you've forgotten some shopping... then don't worry because you'll have plenty of eggs in the house, and a dinner of scrambled free-range eggs, tossed greens with sliced avocado and a little cut up raw carrot is perfectly acceptable, yummy, fast and healthy!
Of course you could always check out a favourite recipe from the blog, this is one of ours ...
Beef Bourguignon
you can find the recipe here
Thanks for reading
All the best Jan
17 comments:
Great post! And I'm with you on all this. I love a well-organized kitchen. And I love the kitchen area. One of my favourite rooms in the house.
Jan,
I have been on a manic reorganization cleaning kick. Strangely cleaning quickly becomes rearranging and refining and improving. Ahhhh! If I did not know better, I would think I was nesting (a term Mom used for the surge of energy just before you give birth) perhaps I am only preparing for winter.
Thank you so much for your kind comments. I was thinking this morning if what I wrote was really worth reading. You made me believe it is.
In decorating, in creating, in living I don't think I have a style except what brings me joy. Every piece has a memory and has a story attached. So I guess I live in a dimensional scrapbook of my life. I certainly am never bored.
Have a very blessed week. Thank you again. Your words mean a lot to me.
I love the idea of a garbage bowl, I'm always making trips back and forth to the bin. That's a tip I'm definitely going to use.
As a former prep cook and a food writer at home, I can attest, there's nothing like a clean and organized lab (kitchen). It's the only way that works for me personally, but I know lots of home cooks that are happy in their mess, too. So, to each their own thing.
Happy Sunday and boogie boogie.
Cheering you on for having this site. Low carb can help diabetics immensely! There is so much misinformation out there. It's heartbreaking.
Hello Jan, great tips here on organizing a kitchen. I love the one in your picture. Ours is much smaller but I am happy with it. However, I could do with some decluttering of the counter tops and also my cupboards. I have done a little but need to do much more. This post gives me pause for thought. Thanks so much, and for the super recipe again.
Jan, these are some wonderful tips in helping to organize the kitchen. I have always loved a BIG kitchen, cause it is the center of the house. But whether we have a large or small kitchen I think it shouldn't be too cluttered and it should have a warm and cozy feel to it. I would love to see your kitchen sometime. Different kitchens are interesting to see, and I get many creative ideas from them.
Have a peaceful Sunday.
~Sheri
They are all useful kitchen tips most of which I put into use already as my kitchen is tiny - the surfaces need to be kept clear as there would be no space to work otherwise.
Hi,
Great ideas!! I am with you about getting all your ingredients out when preparing a recipe. That has helped me so much so I do not forget ingredients.
I also love a clean counter top.
I will be taking a break from blogging. I want to wish you a great week. I will see you soon.
Carla
Hi,
I also agree with the kitchen being the HUB of the home. :-) I do love that.
xx oo
Carla
Define "useless gadgets." ;-)
Ah, some of us have trouble tossing things. Guilty.
A great post, Jan. I have a tip to share: I keep a large bowl in the fridge and put all the vegetable scraps in it when I'm preparing food. Every few days I make vegetable stock out of it.
Amalia
xo
Thank you all so much for your comments ...
Martha
Yes I think a kitchen is an important room of the house and it really doesn't matter what size it is, the family seem to naturally 'gravitate' to it ... I love it!
Gail
Interesting points you raise. I think there are two seasons where many seem to have more of a nesting or tidying surge, and they are Spring and Winter. The summer months are too warm and the Autumn (or Fall) is just great for getting out and about ... so Spring and Winter is a good time to get things clean, tidy and sorted - well that's what I think - would others agree?
Jo
Yes a garbage bin or bowl is a real boon ... I also like Amalia's idea of keeping a bowl for vegetable scraps that can then be used to make stock (or broth).
Ivy
Yes, we do each have our own way of working, but I prefer a clean and organised area, it just makes everything that little bit easier too ...
Sandi
A warm welcome to our blog, thank you for your comments. I do hope you find our articles both interesting and informative.
Denise
Our present kitchen is quite small but it suits us perfectly. I do think it helps to keep it un-cluttered as possible. The all important corner has the kettle always ready for my cup of tea LOL!
Sheri
Kitchens are so central to home life aren't they, and yes a warm, cosy and comfortable feel to it is important to, as I said in the article a place of family life, laughter, love and cheer.
Elaine
I'm so with you on all your comments here, our kitchen is not huge and it really helps if you can keep smaller places clean, clear and un-cluttered.
Carla
Many thanks for both of your comments here. So many of these tips can be so helpful, but it's always good to remind ourselves. Enjoy your blogging break!
Linda
The trouble with these 'useless gadgets' is that sometimes especially at Christmas we get even more !!! But seriously I think if any of us have any items that are not used regularly we need to stop and think ... do we need them???
Amalia
I really like your suggestion about a bowl for vegetable scraps ... these can be so good when we make stock (or broth).
With thanks to you all for sharing your thoughts and ideas, wishing you a good week ahead.
All the best Jan
When I was young the kitchen was dominated by a Welsh dresser. My folks had it taken out in the seventies or so when they "modernised". Later the neighbours spent a small fortune on a scondhand Welsh dresser when THEY modernised. Such is fashion.
Here we have a galley kitchen which I love because everything is within reach. I was going to have it remodelled with Shaker style cupboards until a friend's wife pointed out how much easier the modern shiny plastic stuff is to keep clean. So back to the catalogues.
Chris
Yes - fashion - no sooner is something in, then it's out!!! But then don't the kitchen manufacturers love this.
It is so good to have everything within reach, and the meals you prepare and cook always sound delicious.
Now, shouldn't kitchens come with their own Butler to do the washing up?
Well yes there are dishwashers ... and of course 'fairy liquid' and washing up cloth ... talking of which I must go and do some LOL
Hope you have a good week ahead
All the best Jan
One thing I am definitely going to install is a dishwasher. Never had one before! Our council collects food waste for recycling and provided a covered plastic bin which you line with a biodegradable bag. I collect the vegetable waste in a plastic bag (recycled from the butcher or fish van) and add to the compost. I should have spread the compost on the garden by now but stuff just won't stop growing!
A friend had a fridge magnet
"Who dies with the most kitchen gadgets wins"
it was ironic because she had even fewer gadgets than me. I have a kettle, and a spice grinder I mainly use for flaxseed. Everything else is manual.
Chris
There are some who may say a kitchen MUST have a dishwasher, and they certainly come in very handy!
Talking of fridge magnets - these are popular with a few of my friends, they collect them. Never been my sort of thing, although I can remember having letters of the alphabet on the fridge when the children were growing up.
Enjoy the rest of the week
All the best Jan
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