From my tiny New York City kitchen, ideas for design, organization, and savings.
I’ve had the benefit of living in homes with large full kitchens, but am now challenged with cooking amazing meals in my tiny New York City apartment (with no countertops!). Here are some of my favorite design ideas, tips for staying organized (gotta keep everything within reach), and of course clever ways to plan meals and save money along the way.
Latest in Kitchen Ideas
Get Fancy With Our Favorite Ramekins
Ramekins make cooking individual and fun. We also love this as a way to do our make-ahead meals with a little extra flare. If you are like many families you just never know how many people will be home for dinner and by prepping meals (especially pasta dishes) in individual ramekins you can simple grab what you need from the freezer and throw into the oven. No more need for stale leftovers, these ceramic dishes ensure you have an easy and hassle free fresh baked meal mid-week. Here our our favorite ramekins, from the cheap and inexpensive basics – to the more extravagant splurges. We hope you enjoy filling these with some amazing recipes. Oven-to-Table Stoneware Ramekins, Set of 2 | Sur La Table® Tall Ramekin | Crate and Barrel Threshold™ Beaded Ramekin Set of 8 – White (Small) | Target Rachael Ray® Set of 4 Ramekins | JCPenney Looking…
Small Kitchen? Christopher’s Pinterest Picks
I love pinning, not addicted, but do love it. When we moved to our apartment on the Upper West Side, I found myself with a very tiny, no counters tiny, kitchen. Here are some of the pins that inspired me to maximize every square inch of this space. Feel free to follow my “Small Kitchen Design Ideas” board on Pinterest. You never know what I might add next. In the image above you can see rods used to hang various quick grab items from the wall above the sink. This was a big springboard for what eventually solved my tiny kitchen dilemma. I love the shelves around the door in this photo from DecorPad. This photo was on Tumblr and I think it’s so smart to have that great long table opposite the kitchen cabinets. That extra prep surface must get used quite often. The before and after tour from…
An Obsession with Glass {Jars}
Yup, my name is Christopher and I’m obsessed with glass jars. Why? They are so handy in the kitchen (and decorative too)! For as long as I can remember I always stored the staples out on the counter in jars. Flour, sugar, commonly used pasta – then a few years ago when I moved to the lake in Minneapolis I discovered little glass spice jars. Before you know it I had about 18 jars lined up on a shelf in my kitchen with all my favourite spices and herbs. Now that I’m in New York and cooking even more the collection of jars is ever growing, and why not! There is nothing better looking in a kitchen than a row of glass jars filled with all the colors of amazing ingredients you are about to infuse into your kitchen. And the best part is that since these jars are now…
Menu Planning – Does it Save Money?
Does planning your meals out and preparing for the week really save money? I am one who loves to plan. Rarely do I not know what will be on the menu for the week. I’m not the crafty type, so for me, I feel creative when I’m able to pick out meals and find new recipes to try. In my household, we plan out our meals over the course of the previous week, then do all of the grocery shopping at once at the beginning of the week. Along with our dinners for the week, we factor in any snacks we may want as well as breakfast. Lunch is typically leftovers from the night before (we almost always make enough to have leftovers). I know I’m not perfect, and there are weeks when I fail to plan out our weekly menu. We’ve noticed these are the weeks that cost us…