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Ask anyone and you will learn that the kitchen is one of my favorite places. I love to cook, entertain, bake and certainly eat. I am my mother’s child, for sure, as she has always been a well-known cook in her circle of friends (and beyond), and has a culinary arts degree.

I’m not that fancy, but I love food. That is perhaps why this picture I spotted on Normal Room is so inspiring. It’s the beauty of those thing a cook will have and love. A good colander, mortar and pestle and storage jars.

See more of the room here.

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Clutter haters be damned. I like waffles. Lisa likes waffles. We both want to make waffles. IHOP isn’t always tasty and you know who to blame if they go wrong at home.

The deets: According to Chef’s Choice: “With a simple flip of the texture select switch, you can choose either fast bake for crisper waffles with a soft, oven fresh interior, or deep bake for a more uniform texture. This professional, heavy-duty unit offers a “waffle ready” beeper, “baking” and “ready” lights, instant temperature recovery for continuous baking, a non-stick deep channel griddle and an easy-clean overflow channel. ”

Cost: $50.

Get it. 

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The deets: Carissa says it best:

“I NEED a Gel Pro Chef’s mat. Tile floors + my personal dislike of footwear = sore tootsies! Around the house, I live in socks, so if I am cooking for a long period of time, my feet definitely start to feel it.”

I’ve heard amazing things about these mats. My mom, who is a chef, uses them at work, and I’m pretty sure she’d be screwed without them. They come in a variety of colors to match your decor and your feetsies really want them!

Cost: Starting at $100 for a 20″x 36″ mat
Get it.

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All skillets should look back at you with panda happiness. I have no idea what brand it is, or what kind of non-stick, but I don’t really care at the same time. ($75)

Get it. 

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If I had a tea towel like this, I’d probably frame it. (Limited edition, available in Sept.)

Check it out. 

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We have this mango in our kitchen, waiting for me. It’s perfectly ripe, waiting to be eaten. Since I was a kid, I’ve loved mangos and for about the same time, my Mom has told me I’m horrible at peeling them. I squeeze too hard and all the jiuce runs down my arm. The mango ends up bruised, but it’s still tasty to me.

Maybe I need to get this mango cutter from the lovely folks at OXO. ($12)

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Aprons have this strange ’50s desperate housewife appeal to me. I mean that they’re sexy. So when a couple of friends pointed me toward Carolyn’s Kitchen, where bright and fun aprons are made (complete with gloves!) I was sold. These Dorothy aprons have this bright stripe and would look good while cooking, or just by themselves. ($38)

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My post on Shelterrific today alludes to this thought. Why is everything that is supposed to be simple in our lives, actually disposable. Disposable diapers are supposed to make life easier. Disposable napkins. Tissues. Bags. Electronics. Everything is not built to last.

The post is really about my new cast-iron skillet. It was bought from an antique store where the seller refinishes all the skillets so they’re ready to go, even though they’re years old. The skillet is one that I alrady love and hope my grandchildren will use. I hope it will last generations because there is something so comforting about that. I’m sure my mother feels the same way when she sees me in one of her shirts, or using her old kitchen tools. There is supreme comfort in knowing that what you’re using today will be used by others you love.

So why disposable then? We are taught that everything simple means less stuff. OK, so less stuff. Why does less stuff mean throwing away more? What about giving it away? What about actually buying things that are worth it? I know I buy my fair share of trendy clothes and shoes, but all of those will go to girlfriends or to Goodwill. Not the landfill. It’s considered senseless to throw away clothes. Why is it considered sensible to throw away other things?

I was talking to someone about my handkerchiefs. I’m almost out of tissues and I now havea collection of three very cute vintage hankies that I use. I wash, then re-use. I do the same thing with the cloth I carry around to dry my hands with in bathrooms. The friend I was talking to said, is that really hygienic?

If I’m washing my hands, shouldn’t they be clean? So why would re-using a cloth to wipe wet hands be unhygienic?

It’s what we are taught. It’s simpler to throw it away than re-use. The Boy, as an anthropologist, would call it a social construct. Nothing to do with simplicity. Someone thought it was a good idea and then marketers got a hold of it and here we are.

What do you think? Is re-use OK? Should I be worried about bacteria, or does it really make sense to use the same cloth? Do you have a well-loved item and will you pass it on?

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Now that I’ve decided not to buy anything that isn’t good for the earth, or second-hand, I’ve come upon a quandry.

I usually use little dish scrubbies, the kind you fill up with dishwashing soap and jsut squeeze to expell some? I wish I had a dishwasher, but alas, I don’t. So handwashing it is. My scrubbie is in dire need of replacement, but I don’t really want to buy one that is plastic. Which really limits my options.

Does anyone know of a eco-friendly, sustainable dishwashing solution that works?

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In China, 25 million trees are cut down each year for chopsticks. Yup. This chopsticks that never quite snap apart right when you get your Chinese food. The ones that are trying to teach you to use them, yet you fail.

Instead of wasting all those trees, perhaps you should grab these travel chopsticks. ($15)

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