Good Saturday to all of you dear readers. I have a couple of tips that I've used recently that you might find helpful, too. In the photo above use a mixing bowl upside down to set your measuring cup on when adding liquid to a set line. With it elevated like this you can see better and measure more accurately.
I used this Fruit-Fresh product for the first time this summer when I had to prepare a large quantity of pears for freezing. They kept the pears from turning brown.
One more tip I saw but don't have a photo of is using the warmer on your coffee maker to melt chocolate. Just put the chocolate in a glass bowl and turn the warmer on and as it melts give it a stir. This is useful if you do not have a microwave oven.
This isn't my kitchen but it's a room in our basement where I have shelving for my large quantity of dishes, serving pieces, platters, cake plates, trays, chargers, and Christmas dishes. This area supplements my kitchen. The dishes in my kitchen that we use everyday are plain white. The dishes down here in my basement are dishes I like to use for showers, celebrations, desserts, and holidays. Most of these dishes were acquired at thrift shops. On these shelves you'll find dishes in pinks, blues, greens, reds, transferware in blues, pinks, black, and brown. My parents dishes that us siblings gifted them for their 50th wedding anniversary, service for 24, came down to me when my mother downsized into their senior apartment. I suppose at this stage of my dish life you can't call me a minimalist. I do offer my dishes to friends and family whenever they might need them.
Thank you for stopping by today. Hope your weekend is going well.
No you are not a minimalist but a very organized disher!!!! I too have dishes far beyond what is necessary but I am not as organized as you. Nor do I have a basement. As a kid when there was a party I made many trips down to get the dishes mom wanted.
ReplyDeleteLove your tips - especially the chocolate melting one! I am so impressed with your storage area and I know that you use those "extras" many times in your table scapes and for many get-togethers. I have been debating about what things I need to get rid of but just can't seem to do it. I think I need a neat storage area like this ... will have to show this to the farmer :).
ReplyDeleteI so enjoy looking at your dishes on those shelves! If you lived closer by I'd be all over borrowing from your store!
ReplyDeleteThat storage area is amazingly organized! So nice! But the TV on the wall makes me laugh, I'm curious what the circumstances are when that gets put to use.
ReplyDeleteThat T.V. can be used for game playing or for exercise videos. Could be...
DeleteGood idea for measuring liquids. I always crouch down to the level of the counter top, so I can see the line on the measuring cup. No more! I like your way better.
ReplyDeleteI love how you have that space for all your extras. You do not need to be a minimalist. If those dishes were all spread throughout your kitchen it would be hard to scale down, but having them like this, you can hand it over whenever you need to. Not yet. I'll have to remember that chocolate melting technique.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I was wondering about the TV too, and thought that maybe this was our kids' sitting room when they lived with you until recently.
Great tip , I am tall and always bend to to see level. I love thrift shop/ yard sale dishes. When I send a dessert or leftovers home with guest or children I can say " Please keep the plate". They only cost a couple dollars if that much and better that flimsy paper plates.
ReplyDeleteLove the idea for melting chocolate. I always put my measuring jug on top of my coffee maker when I am measuring liquid, it's almost at eye level!
ReplyDeleteWe all are grateful you are a dish collector!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great place to store all your extras!!! Thanks for the hints, too!!
ReplyDeleteI've actually been there and seen it for real....and got to use chargers/dishes and a table runner for my family thanksgiving theme.
ReplyDeleteIt is beautiful and stunning to see Ellen in action with her kitchen.
What a beautifully organized dish pantry!
ReplyDeleteI love this dish storage area! What a perfect place for your overflow!
ReplyDeleteHi Ellen, great tips about the coffee maker. Thank you, enjoyed reading this.
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