A Peek Into My Kitchen!
As I mentioned in a couple of facebook/twitter posts, the New Year’s bug bit me and I’ve been working on tidying, decluttering and organizing different areas in my home. The first area I was inspired to tackle was the kitchen. I think, of all the areas in the home, we get the most return in making our kitchens more efficient for our use. I didn’t make any grand renovations, but I did do a number of things that allowed some things to be a little easier at hand. I made shelves for my jars on a handy countertop. Made some shelves for my sea vegetables near my cooking area and lastly I attractively hung my cast iron skillets near my stove for ease of use. I thought it might be fun to share some of the pics of these changes, plus pictures of other key storage areas in my kitchen. I hope you enjoy this little peek into my kitchen!
New storage area for nuts and seeds
This little wooden box turned on its side makes a nice two-tier holder for jars of nuts, seeds and raisins. So handy having them in a convenient spot (rather than in the pantry area).
Handy storage for sea veggies
Wide mouth canning jars are labeled with the names of the sea veggies. Here I’ve taken a basket and turned it on its side to provide two-shelf storage of sea veggies and my homemade Indian spice blend (from Everyday Wholesome Eating). All of this is located in a bookcase at the end of my island. Notice a whole bunch of spiral bound cookbooks to the left. I wonder what they could be?!
Hanging storage of my cast iron skillets
I love my cast iron skillets, but I don’t like shuffling them around on the stove top and to the drawer under the oven. They’re just too heavy for that. This small wall space to the left of the stove seemed a good place to hang the five skillets. And, yes, all the nails went into studs!
OTHER GENERAL STORAGE AREAS
Cutting boards, knives and cooking untensils
I have three cutting boards, for three different types of foods. The smallest board is for fruit, the middle-sized board for onions and garlic (it’s really important to designate a separate board- or at least a separate side of a board to these strong ingredients) and the large board for all other veggies. My cutting boards are made of maple and bamboo.
My knife jar holds kitchen scissors and a vegetable peeler in addition to a variety of knives.
My utensil jar holds bamboo cooking tools. I love these!
You can also see my “waste bowl” to the left of the cutting boards. I always keep this handy when I’m cutting up fruits and veggies.
Utensil drawer
In this drawer (located at my island- my busiest work space) I keep an assortment of measuring cups, measuring spoons and cooking/baking utensils. I keep my hot mitts/pads in the same drawer.
Spice drawer
I love using drawers for storing spices. It makes them easier to find and use. I bought little jars and a set of labels (I think it was 75 cents!) and store most of my spices and herbs in these.
Larger spice jar drawer
In this drawer (located below the one above) I store my more frequently used herbs and spices, plus things like baking powder, baking soda and salt. I’ve used a collection of jelly jars and canning jars for these seasonings that I use in greater quantity. I think it’s really important to have frequently used items easily at hand.
Bulk bean storage
I collected these lovely jars when we were still drinking fruit juice (Luza juice, I believe, was the name of the brand). It makes for attractive display of our beans. Canning jars would work well too.
Bulk grain storage
Ideally grains should be kept in the refrigerator or freezer to protect the oils in the grains, yet we cycle through them so quickly I figure it’s fine to keep a handy amount in access in these attractive jars.
That’s about it for now. I hope you enjoyed the peek into my kitchen and I hope it inspires you to organize a few more handy storage areas in your kitchen.
4 Responses to “A Peek Into My Kitchen!”
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Kim Wilson has spent over 12 years developing recipes based on whole, natural ingredients. She has seven diet and health books currently in print and still enjoys working on recipes to satisfy a variety of needs. She is particularly motivated to develop recipes that help those dealing with food allergies and conditions like candida. If you are looking for tasty recipes that avoid animal products, wheat, soy, dairy, eggs, yeast and other problematic foods, you've come to the right place. It's Kim's sincere hope that you find some highly enjoyable, highly beneficial foods on this blog. You can check out more articles as well as information on her books at www.simplynaturalhealth.com
Kim,
Great job organizing. I”m a little jealous:-)
I love the idea of the cast iron on the wall but that would mean always cleaning the pans right after using them! I’m so lazy, grease often gets left in them so from burner to burner they go.
I love your glass jars. I’ve given up on keeping all our home-canned goods someplace dark. We have a bookshelf that’s been repurposed for canned jars and it’s so fun to see them all lined up.
I like your spice drawers with labels on the lids. I think we might have to copy that… just have to find a spare drawer
We have such a small house with such little storage that we’ve had to get creative, too.
Joy
Looks great and is so much more functional for you! Congrats on doing a wonderful job!
I’m lazy about cleaning out my cast iron skillets. Just a wipe of a paper towel and they’re back on the wall. I took a peek at your blog and wondered if you’d like to review my ebook, Good and Easy Eats, for your readers.