Controlling the Kitchen: Phase 1

Okay THAT time has officially arrived. SPRING CLEANING dare I say it. However THIS year I'm determined to do things differently. THIS year I'm not going to get halfway through and stop. THIS year I'm going to remove twice as much un-necessary junk. THIS year each wall WILL be washed from top to bottom.....and THIS year my goal is to have KEEP the clutter clobbered!!! That is NOT an easy feat with a house full of testosterone....Though I must give my husband credit he DOES run the vacuum, dishes and even a load or two of laundry. So don't get me wrong I'm not REALLY complaining....however men(and boys) seem great at starting projects and even completing them but when it comes to cleaning up the messes left behind.....on too many occasions I get to clean up after them.

I'm not sure what got me "in the mood" to tackle the kitchen today. Maybe the small size seemed easy..... It really isn't very big, a typical '50's size kitchen, though utilized wonderfully for storing kitchenwares. The overflow is stored in the basement and the hall closet. (In Phase 2 you'll see the wonderful additions my handyman "aka Jacob/Hubs" crafted for me.)

Here's my arsenal. 

When storage is slim I don't see it necessary to have disinfectants in a plethora of scents or strengths. I keep it simple- Products that can be used in different concentrations- on counters, floors or fixtures. Old towels are a must! That can be washed to keep things a little greener. We honestly use about 1 roll of paper towels every two months. Baking Soda....great abrasive for so many things. (the link shows 66 different uses) An old toothbrush is another killer for grim! To sterilize a toothbrush you're no longer using for dental hygiene simple place in a pot of boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes. This will kill germs like E. Coli and salmonella. *Note: some less expense toothbrushes are made of lower quality plastic and might melt. If the happens just throw out and try again. Spray bottles are great for mixing concentrate with water. Also vinegar and lemons are fantastic environmentally safe. (click these links for all sorts of uses)

Here's the BEFORE de-cluttering the counter in between our stove and sink....

Like I said....we've got limited counter and cabinet space. To keep from digging through drawers forgetting half the utensils you own....use vases or decorative pots or even candle containers to divide the utensils into categories of use. When our large Yankee or WoodWick candles burn out I toss the jar in the freezer and use a fork or butter knife to pop out the remaining wax. Then wash with soap and water and I recommend a scouring pad on the way to being trash (once full of wax....you're going to want to pitch it. Even in using the vases and candle holders I was still able to purge a few extra tools...a whisk and an extra stainless slotted spoon and stainless turner, though no one can get me to part with any rubber spatulas. (by far favorite tool) Those get worn out long before they can be passed on. 

Here's the AFTER! 

It's not just glowing because of the Sparkling Cinnamon Yankee Candle but it's just that CLEAN!

TOASTER OVEN....I loathe cleaning such an appliance. Okay to be honest....too often I have left the toaster oven filthy and asked my husband to clean it....I really dislike cleaning the toaster oven (microwave too but we'll get there in Phase 2) A wonderful trick for keeping the cleaning quick and easy in your toaster oven;....place foil in the bottom of the crumb drawer/tray/etc. once dirty replace!

Taming the trenches.... Lets face it my under sink storage is somewhat organized but could use some improvements. There are probably too many things that aren't used often enough just sitting there taking up space.

Here's under the sink cabinet BEFORE!

Okay, I love my Jack LaLanne Juicer!!! Makes Best Juice EVER! ....however I do not use it often enough for it to be right under the sink....it is now on the middle shelf of the hall closet. Easy to get to but not in the way. I got rid of an extra bur coffee grinder I don't think anyone needs more than one. The cabinets (inside and out), walls and ceiling are all wiped down with a mixture of warm water and Fabuloso. I'm hooked on that sweet lavender smell. 

Oh YeS! I am woman look what I can do! Okay, now that that's off my chest. Sorry I'm a little overly proud of my accomplishment. Little things like caulking I usually leave for the "MAN" of the house. 

Today I was feeling empowered!! I CAN do this! So to the small newly sealed space between window and counter............ You're Welcome! 

You will no longer be a space to leak water when cleaning around the sink.

 I was placing the items to give away in an empty box. When I brought the box to the kitchen, Holden asked for one of his own to play with. Here is his creation. A CAR!  Complete with drawn in headlights, bumper and fold down windshield.

 His dog, Mogwai was having a great time riding the "car" up and down the hallway. She only fell out once. Glad she's such a tolerant puppy!

I love that I was able to get so much cleaning done and he and the Mogs played for an hour easily with a box and some markers. Oh to have that creative mentality of a child again! He's such a great kid!

Within the next couple days I'll update with PHASE 2!

***Also the "AFTER" shot of the under sink organization will be updated. ***

(was too dark outside when I called it a day to get a good shot inside cabinets)

Good Night all. Time for some knitting, movie and snuggle therapy before shut eye.

Sugar Coma-ed Creature Feature

I finally decided how to use my blog. For a few weeks I kept debating and tossing various ideas around. Kids Crafting, Knitting, Baking, Our Family life... but I could never just get settled and start typing away...Hey there why not make a collective. A little taste of everything.

So there you have it. Some posts might be a little more personal, some witty, funny, extremely creative, possibly tasty and or maybe just the few moments I found in my day to share a thought or two....and maybe on some level touch someone else. 

With all that being said....Yesterday was a good friend's birthday(and a few of his friend's birthdays too). To celebrate we went out to Bd's Mongolian Grill. Their stir-fry is AMAZING! I love being able to go in somewhere and load up on a huge variety of veggies(they have a huge variety of meats if that's your fancy). Mix up a fabulous combination of Mongolian Ginger, Garlic and Peanut sauces.  

As if dinner wan't great enough. The nine of us went back to the Birthday boys house met up with a few more guests and carried our evening on with a 50's inspired ice cream social and Monster Mash of a movie night. 

We watched the 1986 film House.  I can't say I managed to stay awake for the whole flick. In fact I've had my sleep schedule pretty off for a few days so I was asleep pretty early in. However it's a relatively humorous, corny horror film. For someone who's never been one for horror of any kind it wasn't terrible. I'd definitely be a better judge had I stayed awake. 

Our second feature a little more mainstream. Zombieland. 

Again, I was asleep about 45mins to and hour in. But this is one of my husbands favorites. He refers to the twinkies often.  

When it comes to the desserts...well that's where my gift comes in. Our friend, Wayne, loves Zombies and well blood guts and gore. Last fall I found these great Martha Stewart cupcake wrappers on clearance after Halloween. I love to find great bargains after season. If you have the storage space and can remember to use them it certainly helps the wallet in todays economy. I've been saving these to use just for Wayne. Blood splatter....can't go wrong there. 

Martha Stewart Cupcake wrappers. BLOOD SPLATTER!

But that wasn't enough i wanted these cupcakes to really make and impression. After all the money I'm paying to pay off my pastry school loans....Got to have something to show for it.  On top of the superb cupcake wrappers...... 

I made quick and easy boxed white and chocolate cupcakes. For the chocolate cupcakes I substituted unsweetened applesauce for the vegetable oil. They really stay just as moist but really cut down on the guilt factor. Each cupcake was filled them with a cherry filling. I made this super quick and easy too. Rather than the pastry fruit gel fillings for donuts etc......

 I used a can of cherry pie filling and emptied it into my food processor. Pulsed until evenly chopped, poured in pastry bag and used a Wilton 203 tip to fill each delicious treasure...and for the weight of it all....simple buttercream or fudge frostings. 

Simple Buttercream

 I'm not joking by the "weight" the frostings were so rich and dense they could've easily toppled the cakes.  I used a 1M tip for the swirls up top.

Nothing beats a "bleeding" cupcake for a creature feature. 

Nothing like a gift of sugary goodness for a birthday treat. 

There might be one thing that can really add to if not even trump these bloody cakes.  ICE CREAM!!! and not just any ice cream for our yummy sundaes! My husband, Jacob, made homemade old-fashioned vanilla ice cream. It was a little more work than we thought we had for ourselves....ourselves....who am I kidding I was making cupcakes.....my lover gets all the credit for the ice cream. It was impeccable. 

Here's our creations!

Two Scoops. Hot Fudge, a drizzle of caramel, loads of chopped nuts and a touch of our homemade whipped cream. Yes! We make everything. Oh and the man behind the creamy vanilla goodness and his tasty treat. He liked it so much he had TWO!!!

The evening (late night) was a blast! Everyone became zombie like simply because the immense amounts of sugar we chose to ingest so late at night. However we all have to treat ourselves every once in a while and what better time than birthdays!!! Happy Birthday Wayne, Jacob, Ollie, and Charlie. 

Well, I'm going continue nursing my sugar hangover snuggled with my girls and my knitting. 

GOOD NIGHT.