Days to Complete Cooking Class: 84
I have completed the first unit in my cooking class, and I have to say…..not too bad. There was one project that took me a lot longer than I anticipated. The course outline said it would take approximately 1 hour to complete and then I could happily “check it off” my list as finished.
For me ………. just add about 3 more hours.
There were 2 activities within the project, and it took me 4 hours to do the first. I had to get to bed shortly after completing that task, as I work full-time so all of this course work has to be done at night or on the weekend. I tackled the second activity the next day.
The first activity was to clean out a pantry or cabinet, (for dry goods or staples), within my kitchen, so all items were visible and it appeared clutter free. I only have one fairly large cabinet. I wouldn’t really call it a pantry, but it is pretty deep. It is the same depth of a bottom cabinet, but tall and very awkward. It is a great storage area except that it is somewhat cumbersome trying to reach items toward the back. It would be perfect if the shelves could be replaced with those cool pull-out drawers we all see in fancy new kitchens! Hmmmm…….
I did throw away a few items but, considering the way it looked prior to the makeover, it looks as if I disposed of more. It’s amazing how much more storage space you can come up with when you take the time to reorganize the intended area to fit your own specific needs. However this does take some thought as you execute the task, at least, it did for me.
The most impactful change that I made was to put all of my different dry beans into mason jars and label them. I had just recently found out that you should store them in an airtight container but I had been leaving them in the bags they were bought. Beans keep for a very long time but this will help them from loosing their flavor. I added the wire shelf for my jars of beans to set. Having them elevated like this will help me keep track of my inventory.
It just works better!
The second activity was to do the same with my refrigerator. So. I. Did. It is for a grade, btw! This task wasn’t too bad. I did take the time to take everything out, clean all of the shelves and drawers and I threw out a few items that I haven’t used in a very long time. Primarily, I discarded condiments.
One of the changes I made, with respects to organization, was to put the fruit in the door. I can access it from the outside of the fridge without opening the whole door. I have more room for all of my veggies just from making that one small adjustment.
These days you hear of so many people taking online classes to get their degree, or finish their degree, but I never thought that I would be one of them. Frankly, I thought it was going to be a bit easier, and I didn’t really think that there would be quizzes that required serious studying. However, I did go into this with an open mind and so far I am having fun as well as learning a lot.
Next up: KNIVES …… Ouch!
“Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.”
xoxo – Katy
This entry was originally posted 5/10/17 from my other blog.