I’ve been busy in my ‘spare time’ cooking, preparing recipes & organising my kitchen. I’m in LOVE with my Thermomix & the gift I’ve now been given in being able to make everything from the initial whole ingredients. Wheat into flour, cream into butter, my own breads/dips/condiments from scratch. It excites me to be able to offer my little family fresh, wholesome food without preservatives, additives, colourings, unnecessary processing.
^ via Better Homes & Gardens {with FREE printables!}
I’ve been making all our breakfasts, snacks, lunches, dinners & desserts. I’ve been using the rest of the ingredients we have in the fridge, washing up & reusing glass jars, planning recipes based on what we have as well as trying out new recipes in my range of cookbooks. I’ve been buying wholefoods & stocking our fridge & pantry with what we need each week. I’ve been trying to plan recipes for the week ahead so that our grocery bill is affordable, my days are easier as there is some direction for me & so I know I will have the ingredients on hand & not have to spend more time driving around then necessary. I’ve been buying glass jars from the op shop {I picked up 10 yesterday for only $3, as well as a wooden spice rack for $1.50}, washing them up, sterilising them in the oven & then storing all ingredients in them with hand-written labels. This makes it easy for me to see what we have, as well as being easy on the eye ~ I am a graphic designer after all & having a whole lot of random packaging in the pantry was niggling at me!
^ via The Painted Hive {with FREE printables + tutorial!}
This whole process is only just beginning, as I have never actually set up our kitchen in a beautiful, functional way before. We only have ever had a few basic appliances & we bought our first dinner set only last year, this is after living together & out of home for almost 10 years! It’s like I’ve been waiting for the right moment & having the Thermomix has boosted my creativity & confidence in the kitchen to where I’m ready to make my mark & make it a space I want to be in. That’s obviously working as I’m spending my time in there, rather than blogging, even though I’ve been dying to catch up with everyone here! It’s just new & exciting, my time management will improve soon I’m sure!
Anyway, that’s where I’m at right now ~ I’m making as many organic swaps food-wise as possible & I’ve joined a local organic bulk food buying co-op which has just been created in my area so I’m looking forward to the possibilities there. I’m finding bliss in creating meals with love for my little family & finding joy in being able to make food from scratch, as my grandmothers used to do. It’s really empowering!
Here is a little kitchen inspiration to share with you ~ there are printables available to download from some of the links as well! Getting the kitchen organised is a work in progress & I’m excited by the possibilities ~ it’s another area where we can create what we want; it can be a lovely space!
^ a collage of Jen’s pantry @ The Social Home {with FREE printables!}
^ via Sam at Elephant Shoe {with FREE printables + recipe!}
Hope you found some inspiration for your kitchen too!
When we have our own place, I’d love to get super creative with paint {like the yellow pantry below} or beautiful vintage wallpaper… but for now, while we rent ~ I’ll do what I can!
Hope you are wonderful!
Big love,
Nikki
xxx
Nikki sounds awesome. I can totally relate to the whole idea of being distracted by the kitchen, I have been and I don’t even own a thermomix. Recycling jars & relabelling them is a tone of fun. I can’t wait to see pictures of your kitchen when it’s finished. Thanks for sharing the printables.
And one other thing,don’t be hard on yourself about time management. Your doing just fine. Just be your amazing self:)
Sunshine & Sweetness
Tink xxx
Thank you Tink ~ it’s fun getting carried away in the kitchen! I’m enjoying creating delicious food to nourish my little family & make some bellies very happy! Thank you for your time management thoughts ~ it’s true, I can only do what I can do. I have to remember that often! I can sometimes be found running around like a headless chook, not good for anyone involved. Remembering to slow down & be easy on myself. Great advice lovely one.
xxx Nik