Be a Great Cook. Or Just Look Like One.

When we moved into this new place in April 2008, there was a shelf in the kitchen that was so crooked, anything I put on it would eventually slide to the floor.  When I painted the kitchen a while back, I installed the popular ikea open shelving, mostly to have a place to hang my pots and pans.  I have approximately three cubic centimeters of cabinet space in this kitchen, so extra storage was necessary.

I  love those shelves and love having my cookware on all of those hooks.  Before, I filled up the shelves with a few jars of flour and sugar and pasta and some vintage tins.  Empty vintage tins, serving no purpose.  But now that I have actually learned (well, am still learning) how to cook, I have cabinets full of things like couscous and quinoa and orzo and rotini and whole wheat flour and...well, you get it.

Tangent:  I have a love/hate relationship with Target.  I love that it is less than a mile from my house (because I despise driving and errands so if I had to drive far for an errand it would never get done).  I hate that they employed that pharmacist a while back that denied prescription medication for moral grounds.  I love that Target hires actual, real designers to put out lines of clothing and housewares that are stylish and inexpensive.  I hate that they were giving money to anti-gay candidates in the last major election (but I hear Lady Gaga made them stop).  I love that they carry the Method brand of envorinmentally safe cleaning products.  I hate that their very existence puts lots of small companies out of business.  I try to be anti-consumerism, but every day can't be Buy Nothing Day.  So.
I went over to Target today for some airtight glass canisters.  Now I have all those beautiful pastas and grains out where I can see them and remember to cook them.

Not a huge change.  But it makes me smile.