The Kitchen

After the glue on the new shelf had dried I set to with the best bit ... working out what to put where.  I had a few different shelf layouts over the course of the evening while I pondered what I would need handiest and how I would use the space.

Last year the three large storage jars on the lefthand side of the shelf ... containing pasta, porridge oats and granola ... lived at the back of the main food cupboard, meaning that to get to any of them meant an awkward crouch or a kneel down to reach them over the canned goods that they lived behind.  How much easier to have them to hand and yet not clogging up valuable worktop space.

Next to them a jar that is currently empty, but will most likely be filled with red lentils, which as well as being useful and in constant use will add a pop of colour.  Further along to the right is my little egg crate bought during last week's Shopping Hauls Challenge on my other blog.  Behind this and the little biscuit tin on the end of the shelf, is the chopping board that is in almost constant use.

Beneath the shelf, sat in the cube is a jar holding Alan's salted peanuts and cashew nut assortment.  Next along is what is going to be my weekly fresh fruit and veg basket ... I want to shop in a much smaller way and make good use of what I buy, so having most of it on the worktop will mean I see it and hopefully be more inspired to use it.   Then there's the little toaster and finally the drawers which contain some food bags, my little packs of Lotus biscuits and the pegs I use to keep food packs closed.

Last year I decided to utilise the shallow shelf  that's directly above the microwave as a spice rack and it worked really well, so this has remained unchanged.  The jars were four for £2 in Asda and match the larger versions on the shelf which were £2 each.

To the right of the cooker is a small wall cupboard, a slightly wider base unit with a worktop that is just about big enough for making drinks on, and the large fridge freezer.  The fridge is on top and the smaller than it looks freezer is below.   The little freezer drawers are only half the depth of the units as the workings are behind them.

I have an idea for this area ... but first I need to see about getting the fridge freezer taken out and the wall cupboard removed ... it will make the space much more usable and make more sense as this large fridge is too big for our needs here.

A final photo ...  trying out my new worktop space and seeing which of my little stainless steel measuring cups is the right size to hold 50g of oats for my morning porridge, the 'half cup' sized one will now be left in the jar with the oats to simplify breakfast time even more.

Smaller and Simpler ... that's how things are going ♥️

Sue xx