LET'S START WITH MY LITTLE KITCHEN

The kitchen - everyone’s kitchen and it’s uses are different.  When reading books I am told that I must make work areas.  I have no room for work areas do you?

Our kitchen is allegedly an eat in kitchen.  We have a small table that fits the 2 of us, possibly a guest if we sit very close.  Our kitchen is what is called a galley kitchen.  This means that the work area of the kitchen consists of 2 sides of an aisle, similar to what might exist in a boat, hence the term. 

I have a sink in the middle of the counter on one side of the aisle, with the only window in the kitchen above the sink.  There is a non-working dishwasher under a counter top on one side of the sink and a counter top on the other side.  Total length of the this counter is maybe 5 ft.  There is the usual cabinet under the sink, 2 small and one “bread” drawer and small cabinet under the end of the counter without the dishwasher.  Above the counter there is a wall cabinet on each end with 4 shelves in it which goes to the ceiling.  Across the aisle from this is a range (freestanding stove and oven) with a wall cabinet over it, a free standing floor cabinet with a drawer, a thin wall cabinet over it and the refrigerator. 

I also have a small pantry closet with shelves which supplements the above for kitchen storage.  It is located beyond the kitchen table, across the bathroom.  Yes, I have a bathroom which is basically in part of my kitchen.  When we sit at the table we are looking at the outside wall of the bathroom and the entrance faces the pantry closet.  I have to turn on the light in my bathroom to see what is in my pantry closet! 

The kitchen also serves as our main entry to the house.  We have what used to be a den that we use as a studio, attached to the back of the house, behind the kitchen, so we walk through the kitchen to reach it.  The kitchen also connects through the dining room - opposite the entry to our studio - to the rest of the house.  I have never heard of a kitchen like this in any organizing book I have read.

I do suggest, as others do, going through your kitchen stuff and getting rid of items which you don’t use.  I have no hard and fast rule about time - no one year limit.  I am about to get rid of, for example, a set that is suppose to keep your eggs round when fried (in rings) and your bacon flat (a weight).  I have never used them.  We don’t eat breakfast.  I don’t cook bacon.  When cook eggs we do so for dinner and I make omelets.  We had received decades ago a “fold in half, nonstick” omelet pan as gift.  It sat around unused and was long ago donated to the Salvation Army or Goodwill.  The egg set will soon be following it.  On the other hand, I have a very large stockpot and lid which I used to use to make soup for Thanksgiving dinner and other meals I made for the extended family.  We no longer have the family (or anyone) for dinner in the house (the story behind this will be written much later in time).  Organizing books would say I should get rid of this pot.  I hope to one day have dinners here in the house again and I would never be able to replace this pot with one I would be happy with, so I keep it.  It is stored, though, not in my kitchen but in a very small closet in my basement.  So my rule is that if I reasonably might use the item again, I keep it.  If it gives me hope, I keep it.  If I have never used it, it goes.

What do items do I have in my kitchen for use?   Tune in next week.  I have turned on the feature which lets you follow me - feel free to use it.