Tuesday 5 March 2019

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



11 comments:

  1. Another idea Sue, if you need occasional extra worktop space:-

    You could get (or Alan could make) a large wooden chopping board, or one of those glass ones, and lay it across the top of your cooker or sink...touring caravans sometimes have these boards covering the kitchen sinks. When not in use it could be stood on end beside a cupboard, or stored on top of one.

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    1. Haha ... yes we're already on this. We decided to do it when the idea for the shelf was born, but Alan just wanted to confirm the measurements when we got here last Friday. Measure twice, cut once and all that 🙂

      Our tourer has covers for the sink and hob to maximise work space. If I had my way I would take out the cooker altogether and use one of the little plug in hotplates, but we'll see how things go.

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  2. One of my annoyances in life is that years ago I had a wonderful fridge freezer, perfect for the then as it was, two of us. It was a smaller fridge with a bigger freezer underneath. Sadly it died one day and I've never been able to find another sized that way. I can't understand why as solo living is such a big target market these days. I ended up with a 50/50 fridge/freezer but it's such an inefficient use of the fridge for me, as I shop weekly for fresh food so don't use most of the fridge. But. I do batch cook, make soups, and like to have frozen veg in for those days when I can't get out. The only thing I found close to my old 30/70 FF had the tiny fridge (which I'd use most often as I guess most people would) on the bottom! No way could I see myself bending over several times a day to get milk out. Obviously designed by someone very young with a very good back LOL. Savannah

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    1. Designers just don't think who they are actually designing for these days do they. A 30/70 fridge freezer sounds much more efficient for a single person or a couple to use.

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  3. That's a great kitchen. Your previous post makes more sense with a better prospective of the kitchen. Although we live in a reasonable sized, Edwardian, house we have a tiny galley kitchen but I have always found that it works fine for me.

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    1. I've always preferred small kitchens, it's easier to cook and bake when you're not walking around fetching things from here there and everywhere 🙂

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  4. Hello Sue, we have had holiday vans that had lovely small fridge/freezers that fitted under the counter, just the right size if you google small fridge/freezer curry's have them. I've just got one for my Dad . You should be able to sell the larger one on site I bet it would be popular and go quickly. I don't know if that would fit in with your plans for the space. Could you kitchen roll holder be wall mounted? Or go on the inside of a cupboard door?

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    1. Yes we already own one of these, hence me wanting to use it. It's still in it's packaging in the workshop. We bought it just before the sale of a flat we were buying fell through. It would be nice to be able to use it, and yes it was from Curry's.

      If I can get a nice neat sized kitchen roll holder it would just about fit above where the kettle is or perhaps in the cupboard above my new shelf, but both spaces are literally only an inch or so wider than the kitchen roll itself 🤔

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  5. What a wonderfully organized kitchen. You are making the best possible use of space. I love it.

    God bless.

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    1. Still some tweaks to be made, but I love it ♥️

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