Sunday, May 03, 2020

My 2020 Kitchen Tour

I was going to post something else today, but decided that because my previous post was about my love of food and current recipes I've been trying, I switched to offering you a 2020 tour of my studio apartment kitchen.

In previous posts throughout these 13 years, I have shared about my preference for living a minimalist lifestyle. My entire studio apartment is 250 square feet, and yet it feels like I have everything I need in this space to live comfortably. I realize that this lifestyle is not for everyone, but it works for me. The smaller I live, the freer and more expanded I feel.

Now before I give you this tour, allow me to say two things:

1) This tour will take no more than two seconds. So be sure not to blink or you'll miss it.

And 2) You have to promise not to giggle and say, "Holy macaroni, Ron...that kitchen is so small. Are you for real? How in God's name do you even find room to inhale and exhale in that space, let alone cook?"

I know, it's small. But hey...it does the job.

So ladies and gents, here is my kitchen(ette)...

Yup, that's it! What you see there is the full extent of my kitchen.

Let me give you some stats:

-This kitchen was at one time a closet in my studio apartment because it used to be a hotel room. My apartment building was originally a hotel, built in 1930.

-The stove, sink and small refrigerator is a 3-in-1 unit. It also includes a drawer above the fridge that contains my kitchen utensils, and a side cabinet that houses my cleaning products. 

-The shelf above the 3-in-1 is where I keep my cookware, French press, coffee mugs, and wine glasses. I also installed a plug-in light behind the shelf so that I have extra light when I cook at night. 

-The wooden cabinet you see above the shelf houses my canned goods and jars, flatware, and drinking glasses.

-And no, the unit does not include an oven. I cook either stovetop or microwave. Or both. At one time I contemplated getting a toaster oven but decided against it because I owned one when I lived in Florida and recalled how bugs love to crawl inside toaster ovens at night while you're sleeping and eat all the crumb residue. To have a toaster oven is like opening an all-night fast food restaurant, combined with low-income housing for bugs.

A few more photos from different angles...

Here is a view inside my tiny refrigerator, which I think is so damn cute.

Notice though, how it doesn't contain a freezer section. Now for me, that's no big deal because I rarely purchase frozen food. And if I do, I immediately use it that same day. I shop for groceries much like Europeans; small amounts, several times a week...

All along the wall that is adjacent to the three windows in my apartment are built-in bookcases. That is where I house my microwave ovens. Yes, I've got two (one of them came with the apartment).

And what's really great about having two microwaves is that I can store things in them, such as: tortilla chips, peanut butter pretzels, rice, quinoa, and pasta. And the bugs can't get them. HA!

And here is where I store the most valuable and cherished item in my apartment.

My vino...

To conclude this post, I thought I'd share a picture of a salad I made one afternoon for lunch in my kitchenette. The salad consisted of an avocado, Roma tomatoes, beets, and spring mix lettuce; sprinkled with Everything But The Bagel and some Caesar dressing. I paired it with some lime and sea salt tortilla chips dipped in traditional hummus.

It was sooooooo good!

Hope you enjoyed this peek into my minimalist life.

Have a grrrreat week, y'all!
And be well...💗