Blessings of a small kitchen

My kitchen isn't the smallest kitchen.  It isn't the biggest, either.  Sometimes while I cook, I can find myself grumbling about lack of counter space, lack of cupboard space, or the fact that more than one person in the room starts to feel crowded.  Admittedly, I can get wrapped up in our culture's "bigger is better" mentality.  I can fall into comparing what I have to what others have, breeding discontentment in myself and my circumstances.  I know it's silly, but I do it anyway.  

This mindset takes away from the enjoyment I get when I cook.  Not just that, - it takes away my thankfulness for the MANY good things I have, not just in my kitchen.  For me, when discontentment starts in one place itdoesn't stay there.  It leaks into almost everything else.   And it can happen so fast, yet so quietly, that I hardly even notice until I'm grumpy and irritated at things that I didn't care about a half hour ago.

So, this week while I cooked, I decided to focus on why my kitchen is great.  As I thought about it, I realized there are benefits to a smaller kitchen.

1.  I can close the oven door with one hand while also using a foot to close the dishwasher.
2.  I can get something out of the fridge while still stirring something on the stove.
3.  Any ingredient that I might need in a hurry (which I often do because I realize at the last second that I forgot something) is only an arm's length or a few steps away.
4.  It forces me to be creative in the ways that I use the space.
5.  I can help kids with homework or easily carry on a conversation with someone at the kitchen table while I cook.
6.  I don't have to carry the food very far from the stove or oven to a counter or table. (This works well for me because I sometimes over estimate the toughness of my hands and how much heat they can handle)
7.  When I play music I can hear it from anywhere in the  kitchen without it having to be very loud.
8.  If (when) I burn food, I only have to turn around to dump it in the sink.
9.  Less counter space means I HAVE to clean as I go - which means less clean up at the end :)
10.  My favorite - it's easier for my husband to sneak up on me and surprise me with a hug and kiss.

In my small kitchen, I made another soup.  Yeah, I know - I already posted on soup.  But I found this one and had to try it.  It's hearty and filling, with a good mix of meat and veggies.  Here's my Butternut Stew with Pork and Spinach.  (Only I didn't have pork so I used ground beef instead.  It was still delicious!)

Music of the week:  Caedmon's Call.  Another old favorite and where we got our oldest son's name.

Until next time, my friends....live well.

Becky