{I activated comments in the last post in case you had something to say over there! And my apologies for the garbled and annoying email last week! I think tech support has ironed out the issues. Let's hope so! Thanks for sticking with us!}
Pull up your socks and chase the fox and lay the blighter low* — we are going to take a tour of my main work zone in the kitchen!
*Bertie Wooster in P. G. Wodehouse's The Mating Season (affiliate link, or just go to the library and get it! so funny!)
By popular demand (that is, one reader asked but who wouldn't want to peer into someone's working kitchen for all the details), I will show you how I organize my work zone so I am efficient and don't need a ton of storage right there, though of course I have storage elsewhere because I don't believe in ever getting rid of anything, nor am I a minimalist.
Yet, I work with relatively few items, even when there are so many people to feed, as on occasion there are (it's just me and the Chief now but as you know, I've had up to 11 every day eating regularly scheduled meals and some that are spontaneous, so I do know a little bit about it.)
Even though my kitchen is new, the setup is very close to how it was before, because over the decades I had figured out my process. When I was deciding on cabinets, I knew how I wanted things to be.
And it's funny, because I have never been able to quite wrap my mind around the work triangle, but I do think in terms of zones and maybe that can help you too.
Otherwise, all this is way, way too much information — apologies in advance!
A book I highly recommend is this one: Kitchen Organization Tips and Secrets by Deniece Schofield. (affiliate link) This lady has a systematic mind and raised five children.
What I suggest is reading it and then think about it while you work in your space. Then go back and read some more. Then change things as you notice what you use most and what you are having to push aside to get to what you need.
Here is my main area with my very professional technical drawings:
For an overview of what I will go more into detail about below, here's the big picture:
The blue area is where I stand to do my food prep, though I also do some things at the island if I need to spread out. I will show you what I do with the drawers there — it's all very carefully planned and not random at all. I knew exactly how I wanted it to be!
The green area is of course where I cook.
The red area is where the dishes and eating and serving utensils are stored. For more about the island, go here. Here's what you need to know about me: I do not like to use eating utensils for food prep, because I don't want to come up short when setting the table and because I am almost OCD about what utensil I want for the job. More on that below.
When I scoured photos for kitchen ideas, I was sold on drawers over cabinets under the counter, and I will show them to you. Note how they pull out completely and make everything so easy to see and access!
But I was not sold on what all those influencers put in their drawers! Mine are not “styled” but are chock full of what I use every day, organized in the order that I use them.
Note the eating utensils in the right-hand drawer, in the island:
And the drawer on the left has serving spoons and forks as well as some cooking utensils that I like to have handy but not right in my main work area. Such as the potato masher! I can't live without a potato masher but I do not want it in the utensil holder next to the stove, where it will get in my way and cause everything to fling out in a tangle. I don't use it that often. When I make mashed potatoes, I want it! So it goes in this secondary area. Also in there: the extra-wide fisher-outer skimmer ladle thing that I use for making bagels and donuts (rarely) and so on.
Package of razors for my bread lame (if you get a package, you will change your blade, and your scoring will improve), bottle washers, cheese knives… you get the idea. Not in my 80% use but definitely things I need nearby.
The big point is to have things at the point of use and organized according to how often you use them.
To the right of the sink and the dishwasher is my fridge and storage above it. We switched the position of the fridge and the stove and that has made a huge difference to my work flow! The fridge does not need to be as close to where you are working as the sink, dishwasher, and stove need to be close to each other.
Under the sink is the usual under-the-sink stuff. I'm basking in how new, clean, and tidy it all is, but it's just your usual cleansers, sponges, and the trash bin. I decided I did not have room for separate trash drawers as you might see in some kitchens, because of my preconceived idea of how the drawers are to be allocated. No room to dedicate to trash — and it's just fine! You really can't store nice food-related things under the sink.
Okay, let's open some drawers! To compare, here is a very early post of mine with explanations as to why I have things where I do. Only the most devoted stalker will care, but basically, my point is that what worked for me then still works for me now. (The misc./junk drawer is now on the other side of the kitchen so we won't go over that now.)
We'll start here:
The blue section is my “handy items.”
Top drawer: utensils and plenty of them for fishing olives out of jars, tasting a sauce, having one clean spoon for the mayo and another for scooping tuna, knives for peanut butter and butter and mustard, can opener, a bulb baster, and so on.
These are things I use every day or else they need to be close (when you need the bulb baster you need it, though it could be in the other drawer to be honest and posting this is making me see that! it's kind of in the way).
Some of these things are mismatched utensils I inherited. I didn't want them jumbled in with my eating utensils; that would annoy me and be a snare for a guest who is trying to help by setting the table. But getting rid of them seemed wasteful. Long ago I got the idea to use them in my food prep.
The next drawer down is my bread drawer:
I also keep the cereal in there (the Chief just likes it a couple times a week — it's not something I ever eat, myself). I keep my jar lids there too in an old container.
I'm not styling things here. This is how I work and do things. I bought new drawer dividers once I figured out what I needed; the old ones were not really salvageable — they were pretty old! Most of these new ones are from Aldi — the ones the cabinet-maker offers are very expensive! I did get a couple of these on Amazon (affiliate link). Since my cabinets are all custom, I had to measure carefully and choose dividers that worked in the space. These fit pretty well and do the job.
If I can use an old container or homemade bag for bread, I will.
The bottom drawer holds my containers and jars.
Right now a lot of containers are in use, holding food, so the drawer is not very full, but it often is! Isn't it annoying how the whole container/jar flow is constantly changing? I have realized one must be flexible and not seek a permanent solution!
I have large containers in a cabinet across the room and lots of jars in the pantry along with very large containers. But the everyday little ones for that one serving of pasta left over are right here at the point of use.
On to the next set of drawers!
The drawers marked with red represent my baking and prep zone.
To understand my thinking, look at this:
There is my mixer. I pull it forward to use it. This makes me so happy! It used to not fit under the cabinets and so was dreadfully just awkwardly sitting out, yet always in use, and the attachments were jumbled in the corner lazy susan, which was also awkward. Deirdre puts hers under her upper cabinet and I liked that idea, so I did it… I think I broke my contractor's heart a little with this arrangement, but I actually work here, you know? It's not for show. Being able to save motions by quickly accessing the attachment I need helps me feel and be efficient in the kitchen and cuts down on the sense that it's all futile. If it feels like drudgery, it could be that the setup is tiring and demoralizing.
Here's how it used to be:
I had my flour, sugar, and other baking things in the corner cabinet and the pots and pans where my drawers are now. I needed that stool, but you can see how annoying it is for it to be in the way of the cabinet door that has to be swung. A different stool is now under my island and that one is in the pantry.
The mixer didn't shove back, as you can see, and the fridge was giving me no elbow room in that corner!
Now I everything is right where I'm working:
I can easily move the cutting board over to the right and get everything I need for baking on the counter.
The food processor (which you can barely see in the old photo — it did fit under the cabinet and was fine in the corner then) is now stored across the way in the new area. I don't use it too often so it's fine to use it over there or bring it here. I wouldn't get rid of it — when I need it, I need it. But it doesn't need to be in the main area here. The Schofield book I recommended above has a lengthy explanation about how to figure all that out.
Top drawer:
Measuring spoons, wraps, etc.
I got the wrap holder from Aldi. They seem to have a week in the late winter when they offer organizational items for pretty cheap! I hit it just right! You can get the same sort of thing here. I think when I was younger and had more going on, I might not have quite had the patience for it, to be honest. It might have taxed my ability to fuss with having the things dispense correctly. I might have preferred to put up with the individual boxes in there and let the chips fall where they may. The foil one in particular is a little cantankerous. But it is pleasing to have things more or less tidy.
I have a glass container that lost its lid there, and that holds binder clips for closing bags, rubber bands, and clean plastic produce bags for when you need one. Corral those little things! Also a sharpie for labeling the jars and ziplocs. And potholders. I can pivot from the stove to this drawer for those — it's perfect.
I used to have my knives in this spot, in a knife holder that fit in the drawer, taking up the whole thing. Now I have them on a magnetic strip by the stove, which we'll look at soon.
Second drawer, and this is the true jewel in the organizing crown:
I admit that I didn't have exact measurements in my mind when we (the cabinet-maker and I) planned all this, but he seemed to know what I needed. I wanted a big, deep drawer for everything baking-related. And you can see — it's all there!
Three kinds of flour — those big bins hold 10 lbs (the big buckets are in the pantry), sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and soda… I don't have to take steps to get these things (or wrestle with the lazy susan). I can scoop flour or sugar right out of the bin without taking it out. These are my old containers and they work just fine.
Here's a close-up to show you how I put things where I want them: when I'm making bread, I need napkins to line my bannetons and certain towels I always reach for to put over my bowls as the bread rises. These are folded up here in the corner, nice and clean, ready when I need them. They are dedicated to baking — I have other napkins and towels elsewhere.
Here's the bottom drawer:
It holds the bowls I use most often, including small enameled bowls; measuring cups, scale, and baking dishes that don't fit elsewhere but need to be close by. Other bowls are across the room. Funnily enough, that one pyrex dish on top doesn't fit well anywhere, but I use it so often! It just has to be close. I wrote about it on my Instagram as one of several bachelor items my husband had that I actually use far more than fancy new things that look spiffier.
These are things I really use! They are not particularly photo-worthy, but I can't do without them, and well, they are in a drawer, so you can't really see them!
If you look up, you see a lot of my most-used serving items, very handily right there for when whatever it is has finished cooking and needs to be served, plus glasses (I might find another spot for those):
Recently I had the bright idea to move the toaster over to the left. It had always been closer to the sink, but that's because I only had one outlet on that wall! Now I am awash in outlets — I'm living in outlet abundance, and not even really realizing it! Having the toaster over here opens up a lot of space near my sink. So nice!
Continuing over to the left, towards the corner, we have, under the counter, the open corner shelves that hold my pots and pans; but what I wanted to show you is how I have my extra cutting boards tucked in here for handy access:
Again, the details about the cabinets themselves are here.
Now we go around the corner:
You can see where I put my knives. Again, I'm more interested in point of use than “styling” though of course it needs to be pretty too! I use every one of those knives — they are not for show.
And by the by, what is up with some stylists putting the knives blade down?? That seems threatening to me!
The items in the utensil crock are for daily use. You can see (sort of) that I only have two wooden spoons, though more would be prettier. I actually don't love two of the silicon spatulas but I do use them — need to get better ones. I have my cooking olive oil there ready to pour out of the bottle and my salt and pepper on the dish on the stove.
The plate is my spoon rest! I was trying to figure out where to store two little random but pretty non-matching plates and all of a sudden I thought — I could keep them handy and use them as spoon rests, which before this idea struck, I had done without, as a dedicated one doesn't appeal to me. This makes me happy!
I used to have my spices in the cabinet over to the right of the stove, but that is now gone. I didn't know if I'd like this (I thought I would not) but I actually do:
I removed the top shelf so my oils and other taller things would fit.
And my herbs and spices are below:
Now if you turn back to the fridge, you'll see my baking trays, cake pans, and cooling racks up above:
I forgot to take a picture of the pie plates in the upper cabinet back in the corner, but they are up there. I get the stool to reach them, and there are more on the other side of the kitchen.
Well, that is my tour of this side of the room. I hope it helps you if you are struggling with organizing your kitchen items and maybe not having a lot of storage. Looking back on one house I lived in that had many cupboards and drawers, I think having limited storage helps you focus and be efficient!
I think you can get away with fewer things if you think them through very well, which you do as you use them and ponder where you wish they were instead of where they are now.
If you reach for something every day (like a metal spatula or the salt), that thing should not be under or away or deep inside something else or up high. It should be right there, maybe even hanging on a nail or in a jar on the counter.
If you don't use something very often, you should put it further away or in a spot that isn't as convenient but it's okay once in a while to get to it.
Like things should be together. Your work zone should have what you need in it and nothing else and it's okay to adjust and rethink!
bits & pieces
- So sad to hear of Fr. John Hunwicke's passing. May his memory be eternal — he will be missed!
- This is a long post centering around Wyoming Catholic College, but with many more universal observations about education and the thought of John Senior. Yes, it would be wonderful to hike the western mountains, but don't let that perhaps unreachable goal stop you from encountering nature where you are and reclaiming the old customs and enjoyments. I would add to the recommendations at the end, get rid of all LED bulbs in your living areas. Incandescents forever! Here is a search to get you started on finding them. (affiliate link)
- Phil wrote a review of a book we both enjoyed and learned a lot from, about the flower song prophecies in meso-America that prepared the peoples there for the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Mexico. If your children like to listen to podcasts, this one is about St. Juan Diego and references the research uncovered in the book!
- Some are starting, belatedly, to acknowledge that the Covid shots cause harm: FDA's Woodcock: “I’m disappointed In myself,” Over Vaccine Injuries
from the archives
- Manage your horizontal surfaces! This is a pretty old post, but it's all true, and it has some kitchen “befores” in it if you are interested, as well as ways to keep your kitchen tidy even with lots of kids and activities.
liturgical living
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My book, The Summa Domestica: Order and Wonder in Family Life is available from Sophia Press! Also in paperback now! All the thoughts from this blog collected into three volumes, beautifully presented with illustrations from Deirdre, an index in each volume, and ribbons!
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Lorraine Mersiowsky says
The one thing I have learned about kitchens is that they need to be changed as your family changes and cooking skills grow is that the kitchen must also change or you will eventually end up with an inefficient, poorly organized, frustrating kitchen that you hate working in. Unfortunately I learned this later rather than sooner, but a recent kitchen overhaul and rethink has changed that. There are still some tweaks that need to be made so I am really enjoying watching the progress you are making in your own kitchen do over. You are much braver than I in going right down to the bare bones and basically living without a kitchen for months, especially heading into the Christmas holidays. I’m sure I’d have ended up in hospital or better, a long vacation on a quiet beach somewhere. I have reached the ripe old age of 83 (next week) and because I have apparently shrunk almost 2 inches, I have to rethink those top shelves where items have totally disappeared into the depths and climbing on stools (absolutely not!) and ladders is not a first choice, I am looking to rearrange items or find a safe way to reach those infrequently used items when I actually need them and someone closer to the ceiling or younger is not available, (Plan Ahead would work, but who does that when you have a sudden need to bake something different?)
I love your kitchen and am trying not to envy you too much. Isn’t that one of the deadly sins? You have given me lots to think about. I also love The Summa Domestica which I am rereading and always finding something new. Would that I had a set when I was a young married woman, but better late than never. I think you need to write an epilogue with all this kitchen information. Thank you for sharing all your wisdom. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the journey around the kitchen.
Leila says
Thank you! Your comments are on point. We have to take time to question our methods every once in a while as things change. Am I just doing this because I’ve always done it? Maybe it needs to change!
Thanks for the compliments! If you are feeling a bit envious, just remember that I lived with it in a rather ramshackle state for 24 years haha… like making do with an apartment-sized dishwasher with all the people…
I would love someday to write a cooking methods book (vs. straight cookbook) and maybe then I could put all this in there!
Sarah says
Oh, please do! And Auntie Leila style like your posts? I love how you don’t try to be perfectly precise in all recipes but instead teach techniques. I would really enjoy a book about cooking. Maybe your new kitchen will inspire?
Leila says
Thank you, so kind! Maybe!
Lorraine Mersiowsky says
Thank you, so kind! Maybe!
Leila says
Aw, thank you!
B. says
I have some kind of visceral reaction to seeing knives displayed like that lol. I keep mine in sheaths inside my drawer next to the stove. That being said: having them pointed downwards does seem less aggressive! Maybe that will grow on me. Your kitchen is so great. Thanks for the book recommendation!
Leila says
They are very far from anyone’s reach in that corner — I have to lean in to get them! I think pointed downwards is VERY aggressive. I like the handles down. That’s how I reach for them and could not reach if the handles were up and the points down!
Katie says
Points up seems off to me… I think my mind is imagining them falling off- if they bounce like this who knows where the point is going! 😬 or maybe because I’m taller I think I should be reaching high, not low? I don’t know. To me it looks more dangerous your way 🤪
Leila says
Well, I will say the magnet is extremely strong –much stronger than you would expect. If I find a picture of a strip with the knives pointing down, maybe I will post the two side-by-side and take a poll!
Kristi says
We also use the magnetic strip for knives, love it, and are in the points-up camp. IYKYK.
Kristi says
Probably thinking about this too much, but maybe what matters most for knife direction is how high the magnetic strip is — you want to be able to reach the handle directly, and not have to reach over the blade to grab the handle.
If one has a waist-high magnetic strip, then it would probably make sense to have the knives pointing down. Does anyone do that, though? We’ve always put ours up high enough to be out of children’s reach.
Leila says
Oh yes, the knives have to be way out of reach of children!
Leila says
LOL
Nancy says
I have used a magnetized knife holder on the wall for years and love it! The knives are handy and you can always see the blade you want. The knives are also out of the way of little hands.
Nancy says
BTW, I have the tips up
Lisa G. says
Leila, I admit I just skimmed over this post for now, but – do you have a good source for switchplates? I would appreciate that.
Leila says
This is where I got the brass switches and switchplates — and outlet covers, though the outlets themselves are just regular ones but in black. Saved a few dollars that way for sure! https://www.houseofantiquehardware.com/
A few came from Amazon (odd sizes the site didn’t have)
Kim F. says
I second the request for a good source for the switch plates! Also, is there a link missing to the Wyoming Catholic College article?
Rebecca says
I cannot seem to see the link either, but I am looking forward to reading the article!
I love your kitchen reno and how you have thought through all the details!
Leila says
I fixed the link!
Thank you!
Leila says
I added the link, thanks!
Switchplate source: https://www.houseofantiquehardware.com/ and also some on Amazon
Molly R says
I like the spice rack, but do you worry about it being too warm tucked next to the oven like that? Your kitchen is beautiful! We redid our kitchen recently, and I’m still shifting things around as I work in it. It’s always a work in progress, but I take delight in each little organizational improvement as I make it!
Leila says
The warmth issue was one reason I thought I wouldn’t like this arrangement; having things down low was another. But it just isn’t the issue on either count that I thought it would be. And it makes use of a rather narrow space; however, I really needed that little counter and would not want to do without it.
Catherine says
I am so excited after reading this post to move my cooking oil bottle to the counter! Currently it’s with the other similarly shaped bottles, high up and a bit tucked away. It always vaguely annoys me to get it out 3-5 times per day, but I never thought about it strategically before! Maybe for Christmas I’ll even ask for a pretty bottle that doesn’t require unscrewing.
Thank you!
Leila says
Oh do! Oil needs to be in a dark bottle. Honestly, I go this one at TJMaxx for under $10, can’t remember exactly how much. I had the oil in an old Belgian beer bottle with that kind of snap-down stopper, but it dripped, so that was no good!
I buy my oil in big bottles but do not want to use it from the original container, as a) it’s not aesthetic enough for the counter and b) in my haste I would not be able to control the flow. I prefer to refill this container and be able to restrict the amount I’m pouring.
I want to find another one that is distinctive enough to tell apart, for my EVOO — this here is cooking olive oil.
Katie says
“If it feels like drudgery, it could be that the setup is tiring and demoralizing.” Yes!
We bought our little house in 2021 right as prices began to soar…I think we got the last affordable house in Canada. But the kitchen hasn’t been updated since 1951…and is tiny! And has four door ways in it! And a single sink with no dishwasher! And about 4 feet total of counter space (including for the constant dishes piling up on either the to be washed or just washed side)! I am completely at a loss for how to organize things in an efficient way, especially as the children keep coming and the older ones are now old enough to help…but how, when the cupboards are high and there’s just no room? We put a hutch in our dining room to keep more dishes in and that has helped…but then they’re all the way in the dining room, you know? Ach!
Anyway, I’m just glad to have access to your thought process about all of this and to know that you made do for so long in a less than ideal situation. It is very stimulating to get down to the nitty gritty of kitchen organization with you!
Leila says
I’m glad you’re finding all this helpful.
Is there anywhere to put a Hoosier cabinet? They come in different widths and the wonderful thing is their enamel counter pulls in and out, plus they have extra storage.
In the 40s and 50s women used that sort of freestanding cabinet to expand their storage.
Another idea is to put a shelf around the room up high and put seldom used things there, freeing up what little you have down below.
Another idea is to put as much of the food as you can in the pantry or back hall or on shelves on the basement stairwell. It’s really not necessary to have most pantry items like cans and sacks of rice etc right in the kitchen. My basement stairs are scary and vastly unpleasant (I’d love to work on that) but some people have a tidy situation and can use the area above the railing to store cans, which turns out to be very handy.
If the kitchen is small enough and whatever is adjacent is close enough, some people put the fridge in the adjacent space, such as back hall. This is why I think the “work triangle” idea is not that helpful. It’s actually fine to have the fridge a few steps away in another room. I thought long and hard about putting mine in the pantry, but my kitchen is so big (in square footage if not in actual work area) it would have been exhausting. I have one friend who moved hers into her pantry and said it changed her life!
I do have my second fridge in there and it’s so much better than having it in the garage!
Victoria says
Our previous kitchen was similar: 4 doorways, but maybe as much as 6sq ft of counter space. What Leila says about that kind of space is spot-on.
We had a hallway and some basement space dedicated to pantry items, and I found a really solid Ikea kitchen island on Craigslist. It had large cabinets for big items and a cute drawer underneath and I was able to place it out of the direct path of any of the four doors. I put open shelves up that fit perfectly behind the swing of one of the doors (a door stop was in place) and they never got hit. I miss that kitchen terribly! It was far more efficient than the massive kitchen in our current rental home, and it was so cute and cozy. When we buy this fall (God-willing) I’m deliberately seeking an older home with a more work-friendly kitchen.
Victoria says
Oh wait, we had five doorways, I nearly forgot the basement door! 😉
Katie says
Thanks for all your thoughts! Yes, I agree that the free-standing cabinet is key, I just haven’t found one that works for that space yet. I hadn’t heard of Hoosier cabinets though so I’m going to keep an eye out if fb marketplace because it seems perfect!
Fortunately we do have a little cold cellar at the bottom of our basement stairs where we can keep our pantry goods, and we have a teeny bathroom off the kitchen which we can use to drain pasta or whatever if there’s a sink full of soapy water! Thanks everyone!
Nancy says
The link for Amazon didn’t work for me. I don’t know if others have experienced this but I’d like to check it out! Thanks 😉
Leila says
Which link are you trying? I can check it out…
Mrs. Bee says
Ohhh this was so awesome and satisfying, Leila, thank you for taking the time to describe all this! I could not help but remember that man who once told you housewives only talk about the price of potatoes – no, we also talk about where exactly to keep the can opener and the knives and the storage containers!
Now that I’ve read all your explicit explanations, I realize I work very much the same way – except some areas need improvement, but I’m held back by the physical limitations of my space. I’m actually surprised you have the trash under the sink, because this is one of the things I wish I could change in my kitchen. Our trash is not quite under the sink, but in a narrow pull-out cabinet immediately perpendicular to the sink, then the stove is right next to the trash cabinet. So the sink is right at the corner, and if I’m standing there, I’m blocking the trash, and if I’m standing at the stove, people needing the trash have to work around me, and if I’m working on the counter above the trash, which of course is one of the best to do prep work as it’s between the sink and the stove, I’m again blocking the trash! It’s the bane of our existence… You know how architects say you build a house around the staircase, the stairs have to be decided first – for me, one maybe should build the kitchen around the trash bin! 🙂
Those big drawers you have are wonderful! I’m very impressed one of them can hold the weight of all that flour. But now we need to know where you’ve moved all your towels! I like your pull-out spice cabinet too, it’s very clever. In that identical space I have baking sheets and wood boards. But spices are so tricky to store and it’s no nice to see them all at once, that I can see why you don’t regret keeping them by the stove. I’ve also decided to live with the oil on the counter next to the stove, I figure that I use it so much it doesn’t really sit there long enough to be spoiled. I do store the bulk of it away from the stove, though.
And since you’re happy to humor your readers, I’m dying to know what you keep in that pretty Chinese jar next to the cookbook holder (which is also very pretty!)
Fr. Hunwicke will be very much missed… I hope his blog is preserved. And I seem to have missed a couple of new things in Happy Despite Them, so now I have something new to read, thanks!
Leila says
Honestly it sounds like your trash SHOULD be under the sink!
It’s true that the person doing dishes is then in the way of the trash if others are trying to get to it. It can be taken out temporarily (not if you have a dog, though! — that used to be our issue! Leave it in and be in the way, or take it out and have to fend off the dog!)
I just have no cabinets to sacrifice to the trash is all. I did put in a recycling bin; next Saturday I will show that side.
For sure the oil will not spoil, not in its dark bottle. It gets used so quickly! The big jug is in the pantry!
That jar holds my power cords (phone and immersion blender).
The towels… I still haven’t quite landed on the perfect spot but I will show that next week as well!
Mrs. Bee says
Now I’ve read “Normal Sickness” in HDT and I wanted to say the CS Lewis quote is so spot on! “Sick enough to have a fire” makes sickness sound wonderful. I always joke with my husband that I can’t wait for him to get sick so he can stay at home, rest, and being spoiled 🙂
I’m sorry you’re getting some flak over climate change. In Europe things are getting dark, there’s talk of forbidding people from renting homes that do not pass “green tests”. The Bank of Italy suggested the tax code could be used to force owners to renovate, but renovating old places in Italy is no joke, this is nonsense – it’s not as if we were talking about unsafe dwellings. But then people say we’re not going to lose any freedom…
Kristi says
I started the most recent kitchen post and realized I missed one, so yummy to get to double up! I love this. I long for a little skinny cabinet for small jars / spices — we have a rack on the back of our little pantry door, but it doesn’t hold enough.
Your baking drawer is perfect and reminds me of the drawers Almanzo made for Laura for different flours etc. Love!
Our current kitchen is challenging (the cabinets are too low for toaster etc. to sit under them, for example) and I am hopeful we’ll either move or redo it in the next few years, so this is all very useful information! Of course there’s surely more ways I can make sure frequently used items are the most accessible. You’re so right, it’s demoralizing if you can’t efficiently access / use what you need to cook. It’s so worth the time spent organizing!
Thanks, Auntie Leila!
Kristi says
One more thing! How do you people not have roaches?! We’re in Texas, and there is no way we would ever have an open kitchen trash can — we use the kind that has a secure lid with no space for pests — but family & friends in New York usually have an open trash can (whether it’s in its own drawer or under the sink). I think there are roaches in the Northeast, too …. am I wrong?
Leila says
Hmmm… there are roaches in the cities (and there are country roaches in the south but we don’t have those).
We live roach-free, thank the good Lord.
The cabinet itself is enclosed… there just isn’t an issue with bugs in the trash.
Toni Graham says
I ordered the Deniece Schofield book using your link, and I received it today! Thank you!
(I already had her book Escape From the Kitchen, but the one you recommended above is an updated version.)
I love Deniece Schofield, and I have several of her books!