This apartment isn’t tiny but it is still on the small side. 410 square feet sounds like a lot, I call it the mansion. The reality is that I have doubled my living space and halved the kitchen space. I do have nice appliances. I do not have counter space or a standard refrigerator. The cabinet space is about the same, just set up differently. I have more closet and bathroom space and I love that. I am used to the bed being the main piece in the living room and this mattress is very firm so it makes a nice “couch”.
I am one month in and I am most bamboozled by the fridge. I use so many condiments when I cook that I need 2 shelves just for them. I have a pickle addiction so I need 1 shelf for them. The cheese, the veggies, the cured meats, the salad dressings, olives, butter, spreads. I have so many things that I don’t have room for food. The freezer space is even less. If I have food in the freezer, I can’t have ice. I am going to have to figure out something with a quickness, daily shopping is for the birds.
I have 1 cabinet for dishes and 1 for seasonings. The cabinets have 1 adjustable shelf. There are these super cute drawers on the bottom of the cabinets that are life saving. I hadn’t wanted to adjust the shelves but I have decided that the dish cabinet needs to do double duty. I need more space for canned things. Yes, I could buy single serving sized fresh things, every day. I don’t have the ability to not change my mind about what I want for dinner. I can start shopping with one idea and change it mid shop. Sometimes what I think I want in the morning isn’t what I want come supper time. I need to have all the veg on hand all the time. Limited freezer space means limited stock supplies. I can only fit the small containers so I only have 3 cups on hand. I have some freezer meals because I am lazy sometimes, once those are gone I will bring in more broth. I don’t really use ice but other people do so I lose space to that. I buy the family packages of the meats and portion them out. Having all of the protein available in a single serve size has been great!
The spice cabinet. I need two cabinets for this! I will probably adjust the shelf in this cabinet as well. I will need the step stool when I’m cooking but I can get used to that. The spices are pretty much all the same size so them being on the one shelf hasn’t been tragic. Having to shuffle thru them to find what I want irritates me. The vinegar’s come in tall bottles like the olive oil so I left the top shelf low, but I have to shuffle thru those as well. I’m thinking of those stair-step things. I need cabinet organization. I need to have the regulation size spice jars but I don’t want to have to replace them every few weeks. I went to Sams and got the jumbo jugs of granulated garlic and onion powder that live at the main house. I did buy my own of the frequent use spices, I don’t use them quite enough to get the bulk versions.
My list of basic, can’t live without things has changed and I am kind of excited. I don’t have much room for pouches and packets so I narrowed it down to what I know I will use at least once a month. I took all of my fancy, date night dinner things back to the main house. Date night dinner will be shopped for the day of.
I am excited about the new adventure. I am ready to embrace 2 tiny burners, limited cabinet space and using a step-ladder. I am almost ready to embrace the fridge. My Mom will be back in town next month, I will have her come help me with the fridge. Once I conquer that I will be able to cook real food and I can’t wait.
Enjoy your kitchen! All of the things you hate about it are chances to look at them as a challenge to overcome! Make every meal an adventure!
Ali's Kitchen 