In case you missed it, I moved apartments a little over a week ago. Same city, different neighborhood. I was due for a change after living in the same building for three years, especially a change that saves me a lot of money. So long, expensive garage parking. Hello, parking lot behind the building where in my first week of living here I was greeted by Johnny Law (and three of his comrades) in possession of an arrest warrant for one of my neighbors.
So my new neighborhood is a little, um, edgier than the last, but I’m sure that once I get my hands on a can of mace this place will really start to feel like home. My new kitchen may not look out over a park filled with wildlife and hoopsters, and it certainly isn’t flooded with natural light like the last one, but it does have mirrored sliding doors and a dishwasher. Change can be good. Here are a few pictures of my new place, mostly for my mom who helped with all the hard work but missed out on seeing it all come together.
View from the entryway. Still trying to figure out where to put the coffee maker.
Nice, big oven
Mirrored sliding doors in the kitchen. Pretty standard, right?
Food and booze storage behind the mirrored doors
Sliding baskets from Container Store for better organized food storage.
The other half of the storage area.
This wire rack is probably my favorite thing in my new kitchen. I only have one drawer which is currently occupied by silverware, so I have most of my frequently used utensils hanging within reach.
I guess the hanging rack is actually my second favorite thing about my new kitchen. My favorite thing is the dishwasher. Having been dishwasher-less for the last three years made me forget the joy of not having to wash every single dish I use. When I looked at this apartment I completely underestimated how nice it would be to once again have a machine do the cleaning for me. I can get a few extra bowls dirty without worrying about having to hand wash each one. If I start mixing ingredients in a bowl and then realize that the bowl is too small I can transfer them to a bigger bowl. No big deal. Technology, I like you.
I had one magnetic spice rack in my old apartment, and I picked up two additional ones because they are awesome. Instead of buying pricey jars of spices and only using a fraction of the contents before they expire I can buy a small amount from the bulk bins and fill my little containers. The shelf on the left is actually a CD shelf from IKEA. In its former life it held extra bath products, but thanks to a full size vanity in the bathroom it has been repurposed as a home for salts, hot sauces, honey, and a few other things.
My cookbook collection. If I buy another cookbook I’ll have to get rid of some of the ones I never use (Rachael Ray, a book of smoothie recipes, Party Girls…) or invest a bigger bookshelf.
Shelves with my stand mixer, bulk items, and additional utensils that currently have nowhere else to go.
Finally, the view from the living room.
Next up: tortillas. Get excited!
