The Kitchen Project

If only this was my kitchen: 

 I am going to attempt to modify my life by automating my kitchen and meal routines. 

If there are three time/energy sucks in my life they are: 1. cleaning 2. tidying and 3. meals and kitchen traffic

We have housecleaners which helps totally with number 1. (cleaning) and I am so so so so infinitely grateful for the ladies who clean my house weekly. Having the cleaners also helps with 2. (tidying), though it puts tremendous strain on me for the one day they come to the house because I try to perfectly tidy and order everything so they can come in and sweep the place clean to great effect. 

Number 3. (meals/kitchen) are a problem area for me because I find myself lolling around the kitchen....what is the British word for this?? I cannot think of it!!....all day and also snacking all day leaving me with rather lackluster interest in concocting and executing delicious meals for the rest of my deserving family. 

While I want to have delicious and healthful meals, I do not want to spend a lot of time cleaning up after the meal (or during it, as many people suggest). I am usually already triple-tasking in the kitchen as-is-- unloading dishwasher or loading it, talking on the phone or listening to a podcast or just relaxing and watching my dish bake. 

I have already tasked my instant pot with a lot of great options but I want now to keep myself and my kids out of our kitchen and guest room area. That way we have have a meal, clean it up, and lock it off to stay clean for the next meal.

I also want it all pre-planned and pre-prepped so I don't have to spend time in the kitchen. I don't know if this means once a week cooking, pre-portioned containers, or meal-by-meal cooking with pre-prepped ingredients. It's sort of yucky to eat pre-made oatmeal, waffles, or eggs, in my opinion, when they could easily have been fresh. 

My first attempt for this week is to put the baby gate up in the kitchen walkway to bar entrance from the babies and kids (AND myself, though I can just step over) except for three times a day for meal prep. Maybe I should stick a fruit bowl on the dining room table in case the kids want a snack. One orange each or one apple each for each day, to be replenished the next morning. 

Any advice? My week one journey will be the fruit bowl and the baby gate. To be discussed next week. 

We Don't Have Much Food Except Cheese

The whole middle shelf isn't even used by us!

 Wow I didn't think we had a food organization issue but I'm still barely started in the kitchen. Ever since I started trying to use through my food a few years ago (thanks Jordan Page and shelftember) I've dreamed of this. I'm trying to use random pantry items. 

Today I'm using old canned artichokes to make a soup that doesn't appeal to me too much and H will call it "strange" although it's from an award winning cookbook. 

Crowd sourcing recommendations because what do I know?

Wait!! The artichoke soup w chickpeas and spinach is delicious!!

Puttin' my feet up to sit a spell

 If I keep going I overdo it. Stop after each few drawers so you can pick up the next day. I took yesterday mostly off so I could go to a donation drop off

Granting my Appliances Some Breathing Space

 They've been holding their breath too long. 

There are two places we store non-perishable food (besides the spice cabinet I showed a few days ago) and this is the first. Not tidied to perfection but I'm not about perfection now, just the quick swoop to rid extraneous things we aren't using in the here-and-now. 

Love using our commemorative wine glasses LOL! 

Top of the fridge bread "basket" and chocolate protein powder my better-self uses. Not my current self. But I'm not ready to toss. 

Okay so maybe we need to have 100 parties to use up this stuff below?  Too pricey to dump but we rarely rarely touch it.

 

No-junk Junk Drawers and beginning to address books

 This green dresser is in our living room. The top right drawer holds masks, snagged pacifiers, one pen and pencil, and Bobby pins that I need to get a tray for. Also a phone stand so the kids don't fight over holding my phone. 

The left side and bottom drawer have some rustic boys' art prints I hope to hang someday. They need a new home, this dresser in the living room isn't suitable for them. The remainder of the dresser is 99% empty. Maybe I should move it out of the living room. 

Ta-da! Beautiful bunch of wasted space. Should I move it somewhere more useful or leave it because it suits this room? (Great find, Bridget!) I have the missing drawer pull but can't find the right sized screw to affix it. 

This China cabinet/book hutch has Henry's text books and other reference books including some theology and catechism books in the drawers and cabinets because they are never used (but H wants to keep) and I doubt the kids will try to get them out. 

On top are magnatiles and duplo Legos out of reach. 

The shelves of the hutch are not where I want them. Honestly books (kids books and school books and Henry's books) are hard for me to manage. I keep books I don't even like because I think they're good for the kids to have access to. 

I need to work more on books. I have them in pockets all over the house and that's not ideal.

This is the main space for grab-able kids books (they also have some in their bedrooms). I rotate them often and keep the extras in our storage unit in Woodbridge. I'd like to greatly pare down even with rotating. These rarely get read even with rotating. 

Functionality over fluff

This is going to be mostly a random posting of photos that I hoped to share with my mom about my simplifying journey. I will probably end up having photos of every space, but I will go slowly over time.