The Greening of my Kitchen .....
Honey and I made the same New Year's Resolution that we have made for several years.
We need to walk lighter on this earth.
And every year, we get better but we still have a long ways to go. Fortunately, a kitchen remodel does give you the opportunity to do better.
So far .... I have cleaned out cabinets and eliminated stuff. Duplicate items or things I never use.
I am certain I will never be able to afford enough steaks to match up with the 27 steak knives that I owned. I actually was shocked as I counted them but it is what happens when you combine two households. Why it took me so long to eliminate some is beyond me! I did keep the set that matched my work knives, a set that are really nice to use and a set of porcelain steak knives that blend nicely with my good china. Seriously, that is 8 more steak knives than I will ever need .... but baby steps. ;)
I have gone through the cookbook collection. I find myself searching for recipes online instead of my cookbooks. There are still my favorites that I will keep ..... but I really don't need 400 cookbooks. So the books that I don't love .... are at a Goodwill near you.
I have tried to make environmentally conscious buying decisions. Like I am re-using 2 antique fixtures rather than purchasing new ones.
But I did need a new ceiling fan and I found a ceiling fan that has some nice features that make me happy. Many of the ceiling fans that I looked at, used those small candelabra lights. I often cut out sewing projects on my kitchen table so I wanted/needed more light.
I found this Emerson fan that came with a light kit that uses CFL or LED bulbs. The 160 watts lights will light up my "cutting table" but can be turned down (using two lights instead of four) for dinner.
(Do people really use their kitchen table for dinner???? )
Another thing I did was to eliminate as much plastic as possible. I have been trying to use only glass containers for leftovers by removing as many Tupperware/Gladware/Rubbermaid containers as possible. I still have a lot .... but they are larger containers for potlucks, cookie treats etc.
So in my plastic elimination .... I decided not to buy plastic switch and outlet covers and use only brass. They are more expensive but if I can help eliminate that island of plastic in the Pacific ..... I will feel better.
And the final "green" piece for today is the recycling center that we purchased. We have not been recycling as much as we should. I am good on wine bottles and soda cans ..... but glass jars from olives??? Not so much! One of my excuses as been space to store recyclables. Hopefully, the recycling center will help me eliminate that excuse!
So on to more decisions .... more choices ....
How green is your kitchen and do you have any tips to help me???
We need to walk lighter on this earth.
And every year, we get better but we still have a long ways to go. Fortunately, a kitchen remodel does give you the opportunity to do better.
So far .... I have cleaned out cabinets and eliminated stuff. Duplicate items or things I never use.
I am certain I will never be able to afford enough steaks to match up with the 27 steak knives that I owned. I actually was shocked as I counted them but it is what happens when you combine two households. Why it took me so long to eliminate some is beyond me! I did keep the set that matched my work knives, a set that are really nice to use and a set of porcelain steak knives that blend nicely with my good china. Seriously, that is 8 more steak knives than I will ever need .... but baby steps. ;)
I have gone through the cookbook collection. I find myself searching for recipes online instead of my cookbooks. There are still my favorites that I will keep ..... but I really don't need 400 cookbooks. So the books that I don't love .... are at a Goodwill near you.
I have tried to make environmentally conscious buying decisions. Like I am re-using 2 antique fixtures rather than purchasing new ones.
But I did need a new ceiling fan and I found a ceiling fan that has some nice features that make me happy. Many of the ceiling fans that I looked at, used those small candelabra lights. I often cut out sewing projects on my kitchen table so I wanted/needed more light.
I found this Emerson fan that came with a light kit that uses CFL or LED bulbs. The 160 watts lights will light up my "cutting table" but can be turned down (using two lights instead of four) for dinner.
 |
| It came with CFL's but we will change them to LED's when the CFL's burn out. |
(Do people really use their kitchen table for dinner???? )
Another thing I did was to eliminate as much plastic as possible. I have been trying to use only glass containers for leftovers by removing as many Tupperware/Gladware/Rubbermaid containers as possible. I still have a lot .... but they are larger containers for potlucks, cookie treats etc.
So in my plastic elimination .... I decided not to buy plastic switch and outlet covers and use only brass. They are more expensive but if I can help eliminate that island of plastic in the Pacific ..... I will feel better.
 |
| They are pretty shiny at the moment but they are un-lacquered so they dull like the rest of the fixtures. |
And the final "green" piece for today is the recycling center that we purchased. We have not been recycling as much as we should. I am good on wine bottles and soda cans ..... but glass jars from olives??? Not so much! One of my excuses as been space to store recyclables. Hopefully, the recycling center will help me eliminate that excuse!
So on to more decisions .... more choices ....
How green is your kitchen and do you have any tips to help me???
Comments
Any extra storage containers you dont want I would ask you to take to the homeless shelter on Mississippi out by the Restore for habitat. It is called Humility of Mary warehouse. Well I think they are not calling it a warehouse anymore but upgraded to something ,,cannot remember what.
Hope you enjoy the sun today.
I have been following you on facebook.
I dont check my email much but you can see me on facebook , Jann Hebrank
Come out in the summer ... we will have tea!
I too have too many duplicates in my kitchen. I have donated a bunch of stuff but still need to do more. But recycling isn't so hard for me because a terrific amount of guilt gets me when I throw something away that I know could be recycled. It just takes me back to 8th grade and the first earth day. I guess I have been a "tree hugged" ever since.
I also am switching to glass containers slowly. We recycle as much paper as possible, rinse out tin cans, etc. to recycle. I know there are lots of crafty ideas out there for things but they tend to clutter my already cluttered house. I am trying to declutter while remembering what my children will have to sort after I pass. Pleasant thought(?) but motivating.