Cook, cook coook cooooook cook cook, cook. Cook cook cook, cook cook, cook cook. Cook, and then? Seven years later? Egads man, you’re kitchen is a MESS !!!
I moved out on my own when I was 17, that was in 1982. While I’ve always maintained a full time job, I’ve moved every year or two since 2000. I know I know, many people do that. But what I hadn’t paid any attention to was the simple fact, I never really had to deep clean any part of a home or apartment. Oh sure I did the weekly things such as mopping the floors and scrubbing the terlit. But removing a cupboards entire contents only to clean? Removing items from shelving only to clean? Gutting the fridge because you’ve got jars in there older than your cat? Nope, never had to.
The other day I was replacing a light bulb over the kitchen sink and actually touched the fixture. Holy crap! The film of grease was amazing! Here’s something vegetarians don’t have to deal with, film o’ grease. Of course I replaced the bulb and backed away slowly and vowed to only return when ready to confront. Over the last few days I’ve been running cleaning methods through my mind. I don’t want to use anything strong for fear of removing too much paint. So, I dunno I’ll come up with something.
Today is Saturday and I have some time, maybe enough inspiration to do something about this dirty situation. I got up early and started puttering around the grease and clutter. I made coffee and stared at things, wondering if I really needed them. Sure I could start to toss things out, but some of these things aren’t necessarily garbage and I don’t want to be wasteful. Am I willing to take the time to donate? Probably not. Right now am at the point of having so many tasks that I can’t get started. Every portion needs so much attention and surely it’ll take days of effort. I’m willling to do that, but where to start?
Naw, not there. I think I’ll start with the wire shelving thing you saw as the first image up there. Behind it are two windows with curtains that look as though they’ve been there for 60 years. The way things are strewn on the shelves, there’s just no efficiency there. It needs to be clean and well organized. A place for everything and everything in its place. I will start this today …
… right after the farmer’s market.
Seeya!
We recently moved to Nebraska after 4 years in Houston. I was amazed at the stuff we accumulated in general, but specifically in the kitchen. Tons of gadgets we hardly ever use, etc. etc. I was surprised to find 16 different kinds of hot sauce in the pantry.
I feel your pain. We never would have cleaned all that stuff out unless we moved….out a sight/out of mind.
Lazy bastid.
Hey,
Lazy? YES, plus I always find something else I’d rather do.
I found my convection oven in there and guess what? The curtains I bought 7 years ago? Oh dear, they need to go. Let’s just say I need to wash the windows with a little bleach solution. I felt so smug that I was going to wash them and clean them. They in the garbage.
Sigh.
Jeeze Louise, If your cleaning up, take all the bacon out of your freezer and I will recyle it. Thankyou very much.
P.S. Did that Goat Leg just walk away??
Yes, cleaning the wire rackage after purchasing meat to recoat it with. Nice. Kinda like my cast iron that will be gettin’ a fresh coat after I got some bacon from Ted this morning…..slurp!
Yeah, (thanks Chilebrown) what about that goat leg? I’ve been avoiding curry lately in anticipation. What was it…….gallons?
Did you ever use that white crust I gave you?
Hey CB and MW,
While the goat curry did get made, last Sunday. I had a second bowl last night. It came out okay, I mean, most would have been wild eyed about it. It wasn’t what I was looking for, even after adding 4 huge tablespoonfuls of Crema and a ton of lemon zest. I have to say it was awful loads of fun deboning a goat leg, tee hee.
Oddly enough, the goat leg only rendered me 3 pounds of cubed goat meat. So, it wasn’t quite as much as I had figured. Ah well.
The White Crust is right here, just showed it to Tea from Tea & Cookies! Still planning on doing a photoshoot with it, for sure. Ain’t found my weekly or daily groove yit.
Biggles
Least you got a groove to find…
If a groove gets deep is it then a rut? hmmmm
What’s White Crust?
Bunch a’ meth heads, you all.
JLee,
Thank you for that.
Cookie,
Monkey Wrangler was out doing what you did a year or two ago. Scooping up sea water to make salt, got me some. White Crust!
Biggles
Oh, pshaw.
Guess I’d have to call mine Beige Crust. It’s ugly.
But how cool is that, MW getting his own salt and you bragging about it to Tea and all.
I got some new fun things to brag about shortly.
Meanwhile, happy kitchen scrubbing to you!! I just did the same thing to mine, and… oh, my, I think it’s paying off. Already.
At least you have hooks for things, in my kitchen it’s the floor or nowhere!!
Great blog by the way!
I’m just impressed that you mop every weekend! I usually only do that when people or coming over or I look at the floor and feel it looks gross. The floor does get wiped up on a regular basis via the spray/paper towel method almost every time I cook.
I tend to throw things out when the fridge gets crowded. YThat or I decide to see how old an ingredient is. Last night, I got rid of capers, yeast, and some prickly pear jam that is 14 months old.
I’ve only been in my house for six months but already I see the sheen of cooking on things. When you finish with your rackage you can come over and polish up my range hood and other things I can’t easily reach……That goat musta been a scamperer — but then they’re always so lean you see why they’re curried and stewed a long time.,,Right now I am eyeballing the wonderful legs of lamb all around in the markets and almost (almost) thinking of giving up the Easter ham for that.