Rearranging Your Kitchen For Efficency

I was thinking about adding this to the Food Budget Series, but decided against it since there is not a direct tied to saving money. This is more about efficiency. One of the big complaints I hear from people against cooking is that it just takes too long. I know we have covered some time saving tips in the series, but let’s step back and take a better look at logistics of our vessels. (Meaning pots and pans).

I went a little OCD on my kitchen this weekend after throwing my back out for the fourth time since Easter. When I moved into the apartment, we were getting wedding gifts willy nilly and I would just shove them into cabinets. I have had one great rearrange in the year at the apartment, but it was time for a revamp. Here’s how it went down.

First things first, I pulled everything out of the cabinets and created a fresh hell in the kitchen.


Random baking accouterments

The big appliances, shoved in haphazardly, ready to crush a foot.

This may sound silly, but the next thing I did was go buy those black gel pads for the floor. I hate shoes, and my philosophy about shoes falls in line with Dane Cook's. As a result, cooking hurts my knees and back BAD. The gel pads have helped tremendously in that department. They have even helped Jon's back pain when he is washing dishes. They are definitely worth the investment.
 
The next thing I should have done was throw out any tupperware that was warped, stained, or missing a lid. Also, throw out chipped or broken dishes since they harbor bacteria. Throw out or donate appliances and dishes you never use. I forgot this step. You shouldn't.
 
The next thing I did was think about what items I was using on a regular basis. You can do this as you are cooking. What items are you having to walk away from your stove for the most? Those are the items that should be moved closer. I decided to move those items from the lower to the upper cabinets, and from the left side of the stove to the right. The bending at the waist was killing my back so this would really help with that problem. Since I am right handed, moving those items to the right of the stove makes sense because that is the first place I reach. Now, I don't have to go all over the place to get what I need.
    

Before: dishes, random small appliances, measuring cups, vases, is that a funnel up there?!



After: Dishes scooted, and frequently used mixing bowls, baking items, measuring cups, & tupperware.



The next thing I did was tackle my baking area. I use my stand mixer on a pretty regular basis, but my spices, flour, sugar, etc. were so far removed from it, that I was spilling them all over the kitchen. Wasteful and messy.

Cooking spices stayed put. Sugars, candies, baking soda, cookie cutters, etc. moved.

Now came the pots and pans. Here was there original location next to the poorly organized spice cabinet.

Pots ready to fall on your head. Not easily accessible, they don't really fit in this cabinet left of the stove.

I moved all these pots to the cabinet where the miscellaneous large appliances were (see 2nd picture above). These are nice deep cabinets under the counter. I placed the pots in with the handles facing out, again to the right of the stove, so that I could just open the cabinet, reach for the handle, and pull out what I need. I put the lesser used pots further from the stove, with the every day pots closest to the stove. Didn't take an after photo, sorry.

For the less frequently used items, such as party servers, big corningware dishes, etc. I moved them to the left of the stove, where I would go to less frequently. The bulky appliances from above, like that fryer, pizza stone, cheese board, wok, griddle, etc. were all moved down below in never-use land.

No more digging for what I need!

Since everything is a spot that makes better logistical sense, I can cook faster, bend less, and make less mess. Now all I have to do is remember where that spot is and I'll be cooking in no time! No seriously, if you have had stuff in the same place for a long time, it will take a few days to get used to the new layout. However, things will click soon and you will be chugging along without a hitch. Remember, every kitchen is different, so arrange it in a way that works best for you. You'll know when it feels right because your cooking will have a natural flow. If it doesn't work, change again. Just remember to tell whoever puts up the dishes so that they aren't doubling their time trying to find where put away those pots!

Technique Tuesday: How to Separate Egg Yolks From the Whites

Lots of recipes like meringues, custards, or egg white omelets require you separate eggs for either the yolks or the whites. Some places will try to sell you a fancy gadget for this, but don't waste your money. Here's how to do it for free, where the only clean up is washing your hands.

Kolache Intimidation, Contemplation, and Other Technical Difficulties

Back in the late 1970's and early 1980's,  James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente developed The Stages of Change Model as a way to describe the process smokers go through in trying to quit. Why do I bring this up? While working to improve the blog for you guys, I made a realization: It has been over a year since I have attempted to make a batch of kolaches. A year since I have attempted to master what this blog's name was all about. It got me thinking. Why have I not tried to make these in so long? I have all these new gadgets to help, 3 pages of notes from my kolache lesson with a little old Czech lady, what am I missing? This is what has turned me back around to these stages of change. Many of you have probably heard of these stages, but here is a quick brief for the rest of you, and how they fit in relation to my problem behavior of avoiding making kolaches.

Stage I: Precontemplation (Not yet acknowledging that there is a problem behavior that needs to be changed.)

• "Kolaches?! Who wants those things? No one. So what if I don't make them, get off my back, will ya?"

Stage 2: Contemplation (Acknowledging that there is a problem but not yet ready or sure of wanting to make a change.)

• "Okay, so it's been a year since I've baked them, but you know, I'm busy and tired. I mean, we can always get them from the store when we visit Jon's parents if we needed some anyway."

Stage 3: Preparation/Determination (Getting ready to change)

• "I think I really need to make some kolaches, lest I forget everything I learned during Kolache lesson 101....over a YEAR AGO!!! Holy Fishsticks, it's been that long!?!!

Stage 4: Action/Willpower (Changing the behavior)

• I am going to make some kolaches! This very weekend!

Stage 5: Maintenance (Maintaining the behavior change)

• Big family get together coming up! Time to make more kolaches!

Stage 6: Relapse (Returning to older behaviors and abandoning the new changes)

• Screw this, I'm not baking anymore. Ever.

Now not everyone relapses, some people relapse and then re-enter the cycle. As far as I can tell, I'm sitting between Contemplation and Preparation, and here's why.

Kolaches are...well...my nemesis. They are not merely a pastry that can be whipped up in a batch of a dozen or so. They are usually made in batches of 6-10 dozen at a time. They are a labor of love that take an entire day of coddling to make perfectly. It is exhausting and your back is killing you by the time you are done making them. You also need a giant bowl to make them in, and I am concerned that I still don't own a bowl big enough to contain all the dough. Okay, you're right, I'm still making excuses. I have just had so many fails when it comes to kolaches that I don't know if I can stomach one more.

And let me tell you another thing, the good bakers don't write their recipes down. When I went to the Kolache Master's house, she told me to use 10 sifters full of flour. Not cups, no units, not spoonfuls. A sifter full is not a unit of measurement. Why 10 sifters full of flour? Because that was just how many would fit into her stand mixer. Well, what if my stand mixer is not as big as hers? Then what? The whole mess will be off then and I'd have another disaster on my hands like this, this, this, and let's not forget this.

Will I ever get this right?

I can't even get photograph them properly!

... *sigh* ...

What would Julia think if she heard this? She would be abhorred. "You have to be fearless!!!" she would chirp. She's right, you know. I could spend the rest of life being afraid of these things, or I could say, "What the hell!" and keep on trying. I'm still wavering between Contemplation and Preparation, but now I'm making plans to go purchase what I need: 10 lbs. of flour, 4 dozen eggs, a gallon of cream and 45 lbs of butter. Maybe if I can find my balls tomorrow I will get started, long as I am up by 4 a.m., I should have enough time to finish. Wish me luck.

Birthday Cake and Other Plots

Last night, I whipped up a truly hideous cake for my co-worker's birthday. I had this huge scheme to make it a Friday the 13th cake, but I was so exhausted when I got home, I simply couldn't do much more than what you see here:


A cake only a kindergartner could love.

 One problem I have with fancy cake decorating is that I am so impatient. And too cheap to buy fancy tips that (supposedly) you don't really need. And shaky. I have zero motor control, I swear it is almost Parkinsonian. That's why I dropped out neurosurgery school...and don't hold other people's babies.

Anyways, I saw a tip on how to get nice(r) letters when writing on a cake that I gave a whirl, and it worked out pretty well for me. All you have to do is ice the cake in your background icing, then use a toothpick to write out what you want to say. Letter didn't turn our right? Smooth it over and start again until your happy, freakin' Polly Perfect.

Then, get the icing you wish to pipe on the words in and simply follow your toothpicked lines. Don't screw up now or you'll be screwed. The lines certainly helped, but because I have the fine motor skills of a baby monkey, the results weren't fantastic. Without the lines, I probably would have had something like this:

Or this

So now that this wreck is done, I have to start thinking of something to win the annual office cook off. Last year I got first place in cookies. I'm just kind of stumped this year. I have several factors against me: Less time, less patience, and most importantly, I have to drive 25 miles only to carry the damn thing 1/2 a mile from the parking garage and hope that it stays intact in 90 degree weather.

Part of me is feeling like I should blow it off. The other part of me knows that you guys just lust after my cooking debacles. Can y'all offer up any ideas? Oh, and please don't suggest that I should, "make whatever I am best at." Obviously, you are a new reader if you suggest that.