The time has come to purge "stuff" from the kitchen and the workshop. Oops! This is when the rubber meets the road.
I have a drawer of small "essential?" kitchen gadgets. Which ones do I keep and which ones to I discard? What goes? What is donated? What hits the trash?
How did pioneer women make to with only sharp knives, spoons and large forks for turning meat? Did they just have one knife? I have more than 10! How did they live without potato mashers, and ricers? How could they live without measuring cups and spoons? egg separators? egg slicers? egg poachers? potato peelers?, cheese graters? lemon /orange zesters? garlic presses? cheese slicers in various sizes for various thicknesses of cheese? whisks? can openers? melon ball makers? olive pitters? cherry pitters? splatter screens?
How about spaghetti strainers, salad spinners, electric mixers, pizza stones, juicers, bread machines, pasta makers?
How did she live without Tupperware, Rubbermaid, Pyrex and Corning? What about spices? She didn't have two drawers of Penzey's Spices, did she. Now, do you see my delima?
Actually, it's now much of a delima. So much of what I named, I can do without. It is just deciding what is most important.
Then we come to tools! What tools can a man not live without in a motorhome? John already has a large drawer and another toolbox under his seat. But what is absolutely needed? We don't know and are looking for suggestions.
Moving right along, I have done some more painting today.I was able to paint the exterior part of our patio doors....another step closer!
Right now though, I think I'll go through that gadget drawer and see what I can live without. Be sure though, to share what you find useful in your RV.
Thanks for coming by. And thanks goes out to new followers Gene and Judy from Blue Roads and Hiking Trails. They share their wonderful hikes as the hit the blue roads. Also welcome are Bob and Sue of Just B S!
Have a safe and peaceful day! And God Bless!
Jim thinks every tool he has is absolutely essential. His top ten are: socket set, assortment of screwdrivers, sawsall, rechargeable drill, bottle jack, combination wrench set, impact wrench, soldering iron, bolt cutters, and hammer. Hope that helps.
ReplyDeleteWow! that sure does help. the sawsall? what does he use that for? We use ours in the barn etc, but never would have guessed the motorhome! Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteOh my, do I remember the days we were in the midst of downsizing. I made pass after pass, and each round saw a few more things go to Goodwill. I started with the basic idea that if I hadn't used it in a year, it was not needed. I love to cook, Gene loves to eat, so the kitchen was a challenge. I started planning meals differently and let the store keep everything until I was ready to use it. No more pantry full of everything at my fingertips. There were a few things I couldn't give up, like my 12" Allclad skillet that I only use about once a month and my knives. Others I got smaller versions of--the mini Cuisinart instead of the big one and a 2-cup blinder instead of the quart size. Be creative, think outside the box, have fun.
ReplyDeleteI only have a small amount of little tools. Rely on others to fix anything more than very easy stuff. As for the kitchen, I have a full set of Cutco knives. Can't live without them. Other than that, several spoons and two tongs. :)
ReplyDeleteHum, I see a thread here... I'll keep my knives! Judy would make a true pioneer woman with her knives and spoons!
ReplyDeleteAs I cook these days I keep asking myself what tools do I really need. Not that many. I realize that I have several of almost everything in the kitchen drawers. Three whisks, two tongs, a dozen large stir spoons, but that is because i put them in the dishwasher. It seems that in the MH you would keep them washed so you wouldn't have to have multiples.
ReplyDeleteWhat did you take along on your trips? Did you miss having something?
We are heading into our 7th year of fulltiming so you would think that I should know of what I speak. You would be wrong.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I did do when we swapped out motorhomes last spring was: I have a set of 3 small drawers in the kitchen for utensils. I love all of them but I put my favorites, or most used, in the top drawer, lesser used in the 2nd drawer and 3rd drawer for whatever was left. If I pulled anything out of the bottom one often enough it might work its way into the top or 2nd drawer. At the end of 6 months or one year (you pick) whatever was left in the bottom drawer was given away or donated to thrift store. Same procedure in the bathroom and clothes closets in the bedroom. Make sense?
Tools? That's up to the Cowboy. Although I do have my own small set in one of the smaller drawers in the bathroom.
Have fun!
Sharon
Annie had to narrow down kitchen stuff, too. First, she sorted out all the stuff she knew she wouldn't use, then crammed the rest into The Duck. Then, as she found she wasn't using something, she'd toss it into a box. We lived in the moho for a year before leaving, but then, six months on the road and we did another purge.
ReplyDeleteSo, don't feel like this first sort has to last you. Go ahead and overbring a little; you'll figure it out later.
Ah, the purge. This was an awesome and awful time for us!!
ReplyDelete