Tips for Creating a Minimalist Kitchen

For years my husband and I have thought about the day when we'd be able to live small in a big way.  That means less stuff and more meaningful moments, experiences and adventures.  

The suburban life has its advantages and I will certainly miss having the big kids :) around as well as my morning walk route and garage studio.  That said, we're trading it in for simplicity, morning coffee and sunset wine on the water.  Yes, we're selling the house and moving back to my chick pad on the intracoastal which will now be a sanctuary for two, plus one kitty.  My musings brought me to Minimalism, a very inspired documentary about how two guys made it happen in their lives. Check it out on Netflix. Downsizing and moving is kind of like a mandatory form of minimalism, it's the only way.  Scary? Yes, but also exciting and since kitchens is what I do I began exploring the idea of what makes the Minimalist Kitchen. Here are thoughts to get you started if the idea inspires you too.

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."-  William Morris

These words by William Morris are the perfect place to begin when considering the Minimalist Kitchen.  The concept is, of course, not new.  Morris was a nineteenth century British designer, writer and social activist who espoused this principle and his advice is the perfect way to begin the journey to the Minimalist Kitchen.  Consider every single item in your kitchen in due course, i.e. not necessarily all at once but methodically and thoroughly.  If you're not sure, one way to decipher usefulness is to take note of the items you use every day, week, month and only on holidays.  Items used only once a year don't need to be stored in the kitchen if space is tight and if it's been more than a year why are you holding space for it? The kitchen remodeling process is very helpful in this regard. You're forced to empty all your cabinets then, as you live out of boxes during the process, you quickly become familiar with the items you really depend on.  Chances are there are less than you thought.  Usefulness is huge BUT remember the beauty too.  This means if you LOVE something you get to keep it!

Consider Multi-Use Appliances

These appliances offer versatility and save space for things you love.

My daughter's boyfriend got us this rice cooker for Christmas and we have never looked back.  Not only is it a convenient rice cooker but it's also a slow cooker and a steamer! You can even hard boil eggs with it. In my house it earns its space in the kitchen. The Aroma Professional Rice Cooker comes in a variety of sizes too.

If your cooking goals are loftier there are many luxury appliances that combine convection, steam or microwave technologies into one appliance.  This Bosch Benchmark combo oven features steam on the top and regular convection on the bottom.  You can also get a microwave on the top if you prefer. These are just a couple of examples but you get the point, yes?

Ditch the Duplicates

Do you really know how many you have? I certainly was surprised to see I had so many funnels!  Speaking of duplicates, when I move we're having one big set of dishes that we love and use everyday.  That is all and I give you permission to do that too.  If you have little ones you will have to strike the right balance between beauty, durability and price.  I love the variety of suggestions here.  If you must have a set of separate dishes for the holidays remember they can be stored outside the kitchen if space is tight.

Detach & Re-Charge

One nifty feature I've been working into most of my design lately is a charging station.  Give yourself and your devices time to re-charge.  This charging station gives you a safe place to store devices off the counter top and out of sight.  A few hours of detachment can work wonders.  It's a de-clutter strategy for your kitchen and your mind right in line with the Minimalist perspective.  See some of the options at  Docking Drawer Try it!

  Organize Your Recipes Digitally

I don't know about you but I have a lot of cook books and most of them I don't use.  There are so many easy ways to organize and save your favorite recipes on line.  I usually use Pinterest or AllRecipes.com to curate my collection . If you're not too internet savvy just take a photo on your phone or tablet.  It's as easy as that.  Definitely keep cookbooks with sentimental value such as the ones with grandma's hand written notes.  I actually wish I had some of those!

The goal for me is less stuff.  The payoff is saving money, easy cleaning, maintaining what I have,  knowing where everything is when I want it and having more time and resources to travel and enjoy the relationships and experiences in my life.  As The Minimalists, Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus say  "Love people and use things because the opposite never works."  

Stay tuned for my downsizing moving adventures in the months to come and let me know how I can help you craft  your own Minimalist Kitchen.

FIND YOUR CUPPA TEA RIGHT HERE

Ok so I already know that you love to make a nice cup of tea and cozy up to your computer to read the latest post at Kitchensforliving.  You don't?  Well maybe you should.  Coffee gets enough press and I'm not knocking it but the  "in" thing in hot beverages is TEA!  Now I know I have your attention because chances are you're freezing your buns off right now if you're anywhere in the northern hemisphere. (If you're in regions down under just add ice and you're good to go.)

Tea is an art and a ritual.  Japan has always been known for the "tea ceremony", a complicated ritual performed by geishas who attend school for special training in the art.  If you are here in South Florida you can attend an authentic tea ceremony at the Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens.  Interestingly, Japanese do not add any sweeteners to their teas balancing the pure flavor of the tea by eating teacakes.

One the contrary, in India, you'll find a yummy form of tea called chai which has become popular in the west these last few years.  To make chai, add milk, sugar and a pinch of a blend of spices called chai masala.  You can also purchase teas with the chai spices already mixed in.  Last but not least, let's not forget our dear friends across the pond.  English tea is a classic and a concept that has provided the British with comfort and refuge through multiple wars!

A few blog posts ago I wrote about the amazing teapots at Teavana but now I want to talk about the tea.  You can buy it online but the stores are downright seductive.  My daughter and I were lured into one while Christmas shopping.  We sampled the feature of the day and I HAD TO HAVE IT.  Yes, it was inexcusably expensive ($24 for this special blend of two teas) but it was an indulgence.  I was able to brew it so that it tasted exactly like the sample and of course I bought the German Rock Sugar to use as a sweetener.  There's the aroma, the flavor, the warmth and it looks beautiful!  A real feast for the senses.

If you'd like to dip you toe into the world of tea without involving a major financial commitment try Shui Tea.  I found out about this great online source for tea from one of my fellow bloggers.  You can get samples (enough for a few cups) for as little as $2.00 each! This site is run by a crazy dude and features crazy blends of all sorts of tea.

If you have a tea habit tell me about it.  C'mon I know you're snowed in with nothing better to do or maybe you screwing around at work because, let's face it,  no one really "works" between Christmas and New Year's ;)

FAVORITE KITCHEN GIFTS

The turkey has left the building and now as we enter that gift giving time of year, we look once again to the age old question of what to get for the ones we love.  Make no mistake, gentlemen, diamonds are still a girl's best friend and I don't want to be the one to blame when your beloved opens the crockpot you gifted her with, no matter how nice.  That said, there are those of us who love kitchens and all the goodies that go along with them.  This year there are an abundance of kitchen gifts that make our life easier, more comfotable and even maybe a little adventurous.  Here are my fave picks for 2010 and where you can score them.

1.  Babycakes Cupcake Maker-  Think George Foreman Grill for cupcakes!  I found out about this nifty gift from my 15 year old daughter who is begging for one this year.  It's like an Easy Bake Oven for big girls.  It comes with a recipe book that shows you how to make cute cupcakes, muffins and more in about 5 minutes.  You can get one for $28.88 from J.C. Penney.  It comes in pink and yellow but IMO pink is the way to go.

2. Keurig Single Cup Coffee Maker-  This is nothing new but it is really hot this year.  This is the perfect gift for the coffee lover in your life.  I love ours!  You can make a single cup of coffee in the flavor of your choice with no mess or hassle.  Just pop in the pre-measured Kcup of coffee, press the button and you're good to go.  The coffee is delicious and there are now 150 varieties of coffee, tea and hot chocolate available.  I have found Bed Bath & Beyond to be the best place to replenish your Kcup stash.  Don't worry if you run out though,  it comes with a reuseable cup that allows you to brew your own coffee too.  To be fair, on the downside, you pay a little more for a cup of coffee, the machine's a little noisy while brewing and so far, the Kcups are not recyclable. Check out this video Keurig Single Cup Coffee Brewer from The Coffee Detective for a great demo.  Pricing varies depending on model.  The B60, shown here, goes for $129.99 and you can get it at amazon.com with options for free shipping.

3. The Aroma AEW 306 5 Quart Electric Wok is a great gift for the adventurous chef in the family.  It's great for whipping up a healthy stir fry, or any variety of Asian culinary experimentation.  I even use my wok to make Indian food.  The advantage of an electric wok is it's portable,  perfect for braising, tempura, steaming, and more. This sleek, cast metal wok has a non-stick coating, heats up quickly and retains heat, for professional results every time. Includes everything you need to make all your favorite modern and traditional foods, and the large glass dome lid with adjustable steam vent allows for maximum control. The entire unit easily detaches from the base and is dishwasher safe for easy cleanup and even easier storage. Includes long cooking chopsticks, steam rack and tempura rack.  At only $35.42 from amazon.com you can probably even throw in a cook book!

4. The Tetsubin Cast Iron Japanese Teapot by Teavana is on the top of my wish list this year.  I love tea, all kinds, but I also love beautiful art and craftsmanship.  This elegant teapot has all that plus function.  This is the best way to brew tea, since the cast iron distributes the heat evenly inside the pot to better extract the flavors and benefits of the tea. These Japanese teapots are handmade in Japan of solid cast iron with a fully enameled inside and a stainless steel basket for your tea leaves. Cast Iron teapots will keep your tea hot for close to an hour. They also sell cast iron stands that will hold your pot over a tea candle to keep tea warm for several hours!  Each pot is engraved with symbolism such as dragon flies which stand for new beginnings or dragons which stand for power and good fortune.  These teapots start at $69.95 and are available on line or at your local Teavana retailer.

5. Last but not least, do you have a whole family to shop for without the budget for individual gifts?  This is a great opportunity for a gift basket.  They come in all kinds of themes including wine, chocolate, coffee, pasta and more.  I love winecountrygiftbaskets.com.  They offer variety, value, dependable delivery, free shipping and prices starting at $25.  If you've got the time you can also make your own gift basket.  This is a great way to make a very personal gift at an even better price!