Your Kitchen?

I'm watching HGTV's kitchen show...and first of all, I live in a dump!!!  But I saw a kitchen that has it's own pizzaria oven in it, and I'm thinking...I'd weigh five hundred pounds if that was in my kitchen.  But it reminded me of when I designed my house.  I set up my kitchen to be as easy to cook in, so I could get in and get out.  I love to cook, and I didn't get to be as big as I was by not being fairly good at it, but I find that if I spend excess time in there, I'm going to mindlessly eat in there.  But it's set up for entertaining with a big island, cuz I know I'm not going to eat in front of other people and I love feeding other people. So, is your kitchen set up for your dieting needs, then let us know your secrets...like don't install a pizzaria!  And if not, what do you think would be the simplest thing you could do to help you out? Mary

Ha...comparative to HGTV kitchens, mine too!   In fact, we made no custom changes - a regular, tract home type of thing, fridge in the highest traffic area, practically bangs the counter if the door swings open, no place for a trash can in the whole kitchen, crazy things that irritate the **** outa me. We are hippies first, we compost and of course re-cycle, so truthfully we don't throw out too much. No, it is not set up for healthier eating, either. But my yard & interests are  better...we love to garden and grill. We grow our own spices, which helps us eat food that is not slathered in sauces. Having fresh veggies and spices help us create dishes that are healthier - less bad fat, more fiber.   If $ were no object, i would have an outdoor kitchen that included a brick oven. Just to be a show off, more than anything! I'd make skinny crusted pizzas for the neighborhood! I had a soap box speech attack one time when I said I love food...and I make no apologies for that, anymore. i love to touch it, rub it, cook it, read about it, prepare it, grow it, etc etc etc.  I was a foodie before it was cool to be one. I just did not realize that I ate too much of it for my body. The task was to learn to eat less of the things i love.  Also, I am learning to MAKE less of the food I create, too. It is hard to make only 10 servings of things - i swear I had a tendency to make enough for a small army. Like you, i give it away...luckily, DH works with a bunch of disenfranchised men who are my undying fans.

But you see, this is what I was talking about.  You have set up your cooking habits to enhance your healthy lifestyle.  You are doing some well thought out things to promote your weight loss, and still make it sociable. One of the things that I noticed, the men that owned these top ten kitchens were all fat!  I understand that because I used to have that relationship with food that you were talking about on that soapbox.  And all of those guys really got into to the prep of food.  So the balance has to be in how much of that goes into your mouth, no? That's a lot of control, or in their cases, lack of control.   So who needs a brick oven when you have disenfranchised men falling at your feet?   Mary

My old apartment had the dopest kitchen ever with beautiful stainless steel appliances. Of course, I was too busy scarfing cookies to make use of it and I totally took it for granted. Well, it did see a sliver of a "diet" period of mine, but not much and I was still experimenting with food then and made totally gross dinners...it was a waste. Now I have what is probably an average New York open kitchen...little counter space (made worse by the fact that I have junk piled EVERYWHERE on the counter/bar...I really need to change that), a regular-sized fridge, gas stove (which I love...can't stand electric), blah blah etc. Oh, but I don't understand the broiler on this oven and I'm too scared to use it...haven't used it once. Sad! I guess the only way I furnish my kitch for healthy eating would be that even though I live alone and cook for one, I have 3 pots with 3 steaming inserts that I can steam in. I like to steam a lot of food, especially vegetables. By owning more than I need, really, I can never use an excuse not to cook the way I need to...like "Ohhh, but all my steamer pots are dirty. Might as well make some fries instead!"

You're right...you have no excuse to eat french fries with THREE steamer pots!  Cuz you certainly don't want to have to tell people that all THREE are dirty.    But then you would be able to point out how healthy you have been eating.  If you learned how to use your broiler, you could really do some bragging! Hmmm?  So you're eating healthier in less kitchen.  I would say clean off your counter space, but it seems to be working for you...so don't change nothin'! Mary