A Well Equipped Kitchen

The other day, my husband was digging around in our utensil drawer and held up one from the very back.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Oh! That's a zester. You take the peel from citrus fruits with it."

"But do you ever use it?"

It was an eye-opening question. I haven't used that zester in years. Until tonight, when it was needed for a recipe from my first Hello Fresh box.

I started thinking about how cluttered my kitchen and dining room are. I have all sorts of gadgets and whatsits, and I don't use them all very often, but they all come in handy. Many of my gadgets are to provide convenience when my time is short, or to make cooking a hands-off experience, such as my slow cooker.

Tonight while meal prepping for the next few days, this is what I used:

• sharp paring knife
• cutting board
• zester
• stainless steel quarter sheet pan
• non-stick frying pan
• large stainless steel pot
• wooden spoon
• stainless steel tongs
• pint size canning jars
• plastic food storage containers
• sandwich bags
• quart size freezer bags
• small mesh strainer
• large strainer

I have many, many more items to use in my kitchen, but it always amazes me that I have most items I need at hand when I need them. I think back to my very first kitchen, when I no longer lived with my parents. It consisted of a set of non-stick cookware, a few serving utensils, a strainer, and a couple of sharp knives. I used my counter-top to chop vegetables. I assume it had been used for that a few times judging from the scoring on it's surface when we moved in. I've come a long way from those days!

I am very grateful for a well equipped kitchen, especially now. As I experiment with recipes and learn how to eat in a healthier way for life, I have plenty of modern conveniences to do so with.