Shopping in the USA

[djinni373]

Gosh andiesenji if you ever have an open kitchen please post details here cos I'll be there even though it is half a world away. I remember looking at pics of your gorgeous kitchen, beautiful copper pots and many other interesting bits and pieces that you have posted (the latest being all those whisks). Absolutely fascinating but I wonder how and where you store everything

[Frozzie]

that was on another post djinni haha andie stores alot of her kitchen 'tools' in bags hanging from the ceiling in a corridor if i remember behind the kithcen that doesnt get used much

[djinni373]

LOL Frozzie. I must have missed that post coz I'm sure I would have remembered that

[Frozzie]

well they have to be stored somewhere and with all the gadgets andie has im surprised she can move in her house !!

[andiesenji]

I've got a really large pantry - used to be part of the old kitchen - and there many things hanging from the ceiling and in the corridor next to it I have bags of stuff hanging on the wall along one side.  Keeps things dust-free and easy to find and away from the eyes of casual visitors. 
As I sometime do my prep work, measuring of dry ingredients & such, in the pantry for just one batch, for instance, I don't have to move the containers of flour, sugars and such out into the kitchen.  So I have extra sets of utensils for measuring, a scale and various mixing tools in there.
When I am working on multiple batches - such as for holiday baking - I have a wheeled cart that I load with the various containers of ingredients and wheel into the kitchen so I can spread out more.

It is easier for me to do all the dry ingredient measuring, for several batches of cookies at the same time, bagging them and putting each, with a printout of the recipe in a jumbo plastic bag.
Then when I am ready to do the baking, I just have to pull out the bag with the recipe and dry ingredients, add the perishables/liquids mix and go on from there.  Saves a lot of time and really saves me from making mistakes, leaving out an ingredient, etc. 

If I weren't organized, it would be chaos.

[Frozzie]

oh it would be nice to do that if only i had the space...even our garage only fits our car and a small too area for DH...one major negative about europe....hard for an aussie girl used to space and plenty of storage area 

[Deeau]

Thanks for the replies, ( I have only just got back to an internet area ) I will add those things to my list. I am amazed at Andie's whisks, never even seen most of them before. The shopping is great in the USA, will have to have a practice "pack" before I come home to see what else I can fit in.

[Frozzie]

lol Deeau i have those often when away and end up spending quite a lot on large parcels being posted back home...im always over limit 

[Deeau]

Frozzie, we are pretty lucky I am travelling qantas with my husband and two teenage boys, between us  we can bring back ( size limited ) about 200 kilos free! I will be making the most of it, we have already bought jackets etc, so cheap, Levis, reeboks etc etc, picked up 2 leather (motor) bike jackets for my husband and I for $75 each!.....maybe all  this should go on the shopping thread!
lol.

[~*sara*~]

Deeau, we have a collection of duffle bags from our trips to the US because every time we go to pack to come back to Australia, we needed more luggage.  Duffle bags are good because they are light, and don't use up much of the weight allowance, and good for shoving clothes into.    Like you we've traveled where it is 4 of us, so we get 2 bags each, and we've come back with 8 bags.   Have fun shopping! 

[Frozzie]

then you are not travellig economy lol...we travel as four generally wich i love because i steel everyoe elses allowance lol...the luggage allowance is less and less but last time we travelled with emirates who have a much higher allowance ...30kgs each eco but really didnt like the airline...we normally travel singapore and its so much better...plus i love that airport but thats to and from oz..other destinations are usually other airlines!  DS and I travelled business one trip to oz but honestly cant justify the cost diff    my kids have been international jetsetters since a very young age 

[johnro]

I know that situation VERY WELL Sara - in fact I almost get nervous now weighing our bags on internal flights within USA, we have needed to rejig luggage and carry on so many times generally in the midst of half the population.     

[Frozzie]

we have a couple of baggage weights ..one is even a fish weight i think lol..so we can weigh them wherever we are before flights and we send the excess by post or airport courier...depending on the airline and checkin staff and how many are on the flight you can get away with more at times....once with lots of tears etc i got away with a hell of a lot....but only because i was going back home to france..

[fundj&e]

Do you travel with 2 passports frozzie ?and what about your kids? All of my kids have 2 passports 

[Frozzie]

Depends on the destination..in europe no just our french passports or if its an EU country our ID cards but kdis passports as they dont have ID cards yet..but yes we generally travel with two passports..myself and the kids but DH only has one...has to live in oz and a whole lot else for him to have an aussie passport... kids are french born and are aussie by decent...there are advantages to two passports and two homes