The Kichen Cure Spring 2010

So, some of you know that I've enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to pursue my certification as a Holistic Health Counselor.  I'm learning oodles!  (Beware: Shameless plug...)To learn more about what I'm going to be doing, check out my personal IIN website!

Part of our education is getting back into the kitchen to learn how to prepare wholesome, healthy food for myself and for Marcelo, but how do they expect me to do this when cooking is a serious source of stress for me because a) I'm missing the domestic gene, and b) I get easily distracted by emails and CNN when I do anything involving the oven.  So, when I found out about this free-a-licious Kitchen Cure program in my inbox, I signed up right away.

I had actually read about this last year, but didn't sign up.  Ha!  I have a housekeeper (as many people do here in ol' Argentina)!  Why would need a kitchen cure?!  Actually, the housekeeper is making my life hell, as nice and helpful as she is in mopping up the floors and doing stuff I hate like ironing, because she just doesn't know where anything goes.  And if I tell her, she turns around and puts it somewhere else where I can't find it. So, my nuts are going in the baking supplies instead of the fridge where they won't succumb to this awful Argentine humidity, my square rubber jar-opener thingie is hanging out with the coffee bean grinder and hand blender. 

And then, there's domestically-challenged moi.  How do I arrange my fridge?  Where do I put all my organic peanut and almond butter I brought back with me from Trader Joe's?  How can I avoid buying 20 jars of turmeric and 15 jars of garlic powder? What the hell is that curled up brownish-orangey thingie in the back of my crisper? And why didn't my crisper keep the thingie crisp? I'm guessing this Kitchen Cure will the be perfect complement to what I'm learning at IIN, which is basically about taking care of yourself inside and out. 

Here's how the monthlong challenge is organized:

Week 1: Clean out Pantry
*Seriously, ask me if I know what is all in here, and I'll tell you that I haven't got a clue.  But isn't the wine area all nice and organized?  :-)   Gotta make the alcohol easy to get to. 

 

Below is PART of my spice and sauces and other-stuff-I-haven't-labeled-and-can't-reach area.  I've got 2 of everything in here.  Help. 

  

Week 2: De-clutter equipment.
'k, so I cheated a little bit and organized the top right part of the photo where my pans are before I took this picture.  The housekeeper had the tops crammed in there all together, instead of nice and anal-y organized in the slots of the handy-dandy organizer I brought with me from Ikea.  But the tool drawer is unedited.  It drives me crazy to just look at it, let alone try to find my pretty olive wood spoon and spatula I got from Greece.  

Week 3: Deep clean and Beautify
Well, it's alright.  The depressing light gray floors, cheap-ass wood laminate cupboards with their crappy plastic handles are utilitarian at best.  I just repainted it white to hide the 12 years of light yellowing , but it definetly needs some color.  I got the bright yellow colander (sp) to add a splash of something to this dreary place.  It's relatively clean.  To get it really clean the way I want it, I'd have to hire 3 housekeepers...or just do it myself...the Filipino American way.  And then you'd be able to clean off the floors.  Until then, here's what it looks like -

Week 4: Restock
Can I fit anything else into my fridge?  That's a negative.  There has got to be a better way, but with the humidity here, things go damp and yucky really easily. I just throw everything in the fridge or freezer to keep them fresh.  It just makes me want to tear my hair out.

 

That's basically the program!  I can't wait to get my (kitchen) life organized!  I'll be posting every week with my progress.  Join me in the fun, if you want!