Enjoying Your Kitchen
The kitchen is known in many cultures as the gathering
place. Much conversation happens in a kitchen. When I was
young our kitchen was the hub of the house. Everything was
discussed and debated in the kitchen over breakfast, while
cooking dinner, even late at night as other family members
slept. The kitchen is so important and often people are
bothered, frustrated, and even too overwhelmed to enjoy
spending time in the kitchen because it is difficult to find
and access the tools needed to create a meal.
Keeping in synch with last months theme of kitchen we are
going to share with you tips from the experts to help you
organize your kitchen. And because of my love for food and a
busy household I have added some tips on how to make meal
preparation easy.
First - let’s talk cupboard space.
- Group like items – mixing bowls, serving platters,
canned food, spices, and Tupperware
- Create more space – always look up! Install hooks to
hang mugs or use risers to stack dishes to the full capacity
of the shelf space.
- Hang it – ceiling or wall mounted units are great for
storing pots and pans. What to do with the lids? Use a lid
holder that stores them vertically on the inside of a door
- Containerize – group like items, such as rice or pasta,
and put them into a plastic basket in side the cupboard
- Easy Access - use a drawer organizer for your utensils
- Magnetic Wall strip – for storing knives
- Maximize the counter space – mount your appliances to
the underside of the upper cabinets.
Sue Burness, the Simplicity Coach says that you can
expedite the cooking process by situating yourself in reach of
the fridge, sink, cutting board, and stove. You want to save
time and move as little as possible. Keep the cutting board
close to the stove and use a separate board for meats. Imagine
your board has three sections – the center for cutting, the
left for cut vegetables, and the right for composting or
disposal. Chop everything you need before you start cooking
and if the board is too small then remember to keep vegetables
that cook at the same speed together. The more cutting space
the better.
Sue says that healthy is simple – eat lots of vegetables,
avoid trans fat, use whole grains, eat lean protein, and use
healthy oils. At least that is a simple start.
Sue provides the comfort of home cooked meals, nutritional
and organizational know-how, and many years experience of
feeding hungry families. She will meal plan, shop and cook for
you, or work with your specific needs to create a healthy meal
plan. You can reach Sue at sueburness@hotmail.com.
Have you been wondering how to clean and preserve your
cutting board? Tony Mollica gave us the inside scoop.
Regular maintenance of butcher blocks and wooden cutting
boards means washing after each use with warm soapy water,
rinsing and wiping dry immediately. Less frequently, give the
surface a good scrub with coarse salt and half a lemon; rinse
well with warm water, wipe dry and rub in some mineral oil.
Don’t use vegetable oil it will go rancid.
If a wooden board is quite greasy try this: Cover cutting
surface with salt and let stand overnight. Brush off the next
day with a stiff-bristle brush, then clean as indicated. If
you follow this method, your wooden cutting surface will last
for years!
Tony Mollica is the owner and primary woodworker with Nine
Fingers Left – a custom woodworking and home renovating firm
in East Toronto. He specializes in: home improvements and
renovations, custom storage and furniture solutions, both
built-in and freestanding, backyard playhouses and storage
buildings, porches, decks and fences You can contact Tony at
416-498-5977 or at ninefingersleft@sympatico.ca
