My cabinets don’t expand. Boo.
I know this is more than obvious to the average person who briefly considers any cabinet made of wood, but my actions show I assume my cabinets must be made of stretchy material.
In an attempt to work through my ever-re-appearing clutter and make a visible impact on my home, I went through my house mouthing and re-mouthing the words, “Make it fit!”
Did you go through the non-overwhelming decluttering tasks with me? If not, they’re all here.
Here’s how “Make it fit” works. I consciously clear my ever-present Slob Vision and see things that usually escape my notice.
I finally realize my cabinet door hasn’t shut completely in weeks. (At least.)
I remind myself of The Container Concept. And that my kitchen cabinet is a container. A container with limits that don’t expand just because I’d prefer to keep shoving.
My goal for this Make It Fit task was to get the door to shut. Easily.
That was it.
No big, looming decluttering project for which I’d need to set aside an entire weekend.
Because that was my only, non-overwhelming goal, I looked inside and saw the obvious. Shoved in the very, very back, where I pretty much never venture, were things I never use.
Lids, lids and more lids, and a skillet I avoid because I burn anything I cook on it. (Clearly, the skillet’s fault . . . )
And that pot that needed to be replaced anyway. (Remember?)
Once I pulled out just the OBvious stuff, the stuff that caused no inner turmoil whatsoever, I could shut the cabinet door completely without even the slightest grunt.
I even tested and learned that two of my favorite pots (for which I almost never use lids) can share a lid. Yay for fewer lids!!!!
And that’s the point of Making it Fit. Giving myself permission to make visible progress in my home in just a few minutes.
--Nony
Stella says
It could totally be that skillet’s fault. There is a real art to making all the conducting layers of metal work just right and if they got it wrong so does your cooking.
I need to go and sort out my pantry, but getting to the back is going to be a big job. *sigh*
Lydia purple says
I like your new profile(?) picture… You look great!
Jess Benoit says
I totally understand the pan part! I also have a certain pan that loves to burn stuff..lol. I actually went through recently and got rid of a bunch of stuff that I do not use yet had to move around to get/fit the things I did use. My cabinets are very tiny and hardly any kitchen space makes it difficult to have a bunch of stuff anyway. It felt nice giving stuff to people who needed it.
Kristy K. James says
I agree that the reason you burn stuff is the skillet’s fault. I tend to use stainless steel pans (because a lot of non-stick coating is just really bad for humans). The frying pans are great for frying meat and chicken, maybe even breaded fish, but try to deep fry batter coated fish, or fry potatoes and no matter what I do they stick like I coated the insides with super glue.
There is a video on YouTube about how to make Toddle House omelets (and it works – SO good and fluffy!). The cook prepares the steel pan by rubbing it with salt, then heating it with oil (on low for I think an hour or two). Since I use a tiny cast iron pan for eggs – which is very much like a non-stick pan when treated right, I haven’t tried the salt/oil in the stainless steel – but I’m going to. Why? Because I’m not giving up the fish or potatoes – and I’m not buying non-stick pans. So I thought I’d share what I’m going to try in case anyone else has the same issues. 🙂
Vicki W. says
Is that an Instant Pot I spy there?! Girl, thanks to you, I am now cooking up a storm in mine. I foresee dumping a lot of useless pans and crock pots in my future. As long as I have my electric pressure cooker, that’s about all I am going to need!
Dana White says
I need help with this. I confess, I’m so scared of that thing! And not sure why! I’ve made red beans and rice, but need some ideas of basic things to make to start understanding it!
gyrfalcon says
Oh my goodness, you have the same crockpot I do!
I’ve never used mine very much because I didn’t grow up with a crockpot so I have a hard time believing it will actually work. (This is a lame excuse, because I didn’t grow up using Saran Wrap either, but I totally believe it works and use it happily.). (My crockpot was a gift, which is how I ended up with something I don’t completely trust in my kitchen.)
Anyway, knowing that you use my very same crockpot a lot, gives me confidence to start using it more.