A No Frills Kitchen Still Cooks

[mcmich]

On my path to SOD (simplify, organise, declutter) I came across this article. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09mini.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&ei=5090&en=e39e14cf6af1b0bc&ex=1336363200&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

[droverjess]

Interesting read. I have only replaced my knives this year after 33 years!
I have the cheapest bowls for baking, but lots of them. 
However I do have lots of baking and bread tins.

Will be great when the kitchen is completely done after several months of hardly cooking. Having no sink in the room where we live and cook is the hardest, but its manageable.

We will have a huge sort out and chuck out anything not needed anymore when we finally unpack from storage. We kept a lot not knowing where we'd be.

[Wonder]

Interesting article Mich, in my case I know there are very few things I actually need but there are millions of things I want!! I started out with nothing when we got married and over time have the luxury of being able to purchase things I now get a lot of joy out of, but know that if I was still back where we started in our first few years of marriage could do without 90% of what we currently have in the house.

[mcmich]

It's the same situation for me too Wonder. Started out with next to nothing and don't need anything only have wants.
I have the luxury of minimalizing my lifestyle while many are minimalist not by choice but by poverty. 

[cookie1]

It is so true. When we go away it is amazing how you manage. Mine is mostly wants. In fact one of my very expensive wants (not thermomix) is broken for the second time in a few months. I am not happy nor impressed.

[mcmich]

Really Cookie? That's disappointing. How do you find it otherwise?
Living in apartment accommodation as DH and I did in Melbourne, we realised how little we really need. Having said that I'm not giving up my TMX. 

[cookie1]

It is different to the thermomix Michele. Doesn't heat as quickly but is handy to have two similar machines. I am cross that it has broken down again though.

[CreamPuff63]

I would be too cookie. Mich has your cooking style changed in any way since you've been offloading excess? eg. you never have have pizza anymore  what differences have you noticed?   Obviously you have abit more room on your bookshelf as well - does that mean that you are getting your recipes online more?

[mcmich]

My cooking style has changed somewhat, I slow cook a lot more. I still have lots of different cake pans and cooking items etc.
Meals are pretty much the same, just got rid of appliances that I didn't use regularly. DH cooks amazing pizzas on pizza stones in the BBQ.

My most used cookbook if not getting recipes online is your favourites book  I've meal planned out of it entirely every other week since the beginning of August, I still love cookbooks.

My kitchen appliances consist of TMX, slow cooker, 2 pie makers, vacuum sealing machine, coffee machine, microwave, kettle and toaster. I still have a bread maker but it's time is limited will see how much I use it over summer.

[obbie]

my kitchen bench is full.

[CreamPuff63]

oh wow Mich, I'm so happy that you use the book so much 

[mcmich]

  I know I could get all of these recipes here but I'm tactile and love looking through recipe books. I use your favourites book one week (I use different recipes each week) and to justify my other cookbooks use them on alternate weeks. Those I haven't used in 12 months will go. Tenina's FFS and Alyce's QFITTM along with the Vegetarian TMX book are my most used cookbooks.