What's on YOUR Kitchen Counter?

I lucked out this morning and found about 30 minutes of downtime between a project and a client call.  So, I poured myself a cup of coffee and opened up Google Reader.  It had been about four days since I last peeked in there and my "Food" folder was overflowing with unread blog entries - 232 to be exact!  Wow!  I think I follow way too many blogs!  LOL

Anyway, this post over at Cosmopolitan Primal Girl caught my eye.  (She talks about how they finally tossed the toaster after being grain-free for months.)  Personally, I haven't owned a toaster in....well, years.  I was never a big toast eater - there's something about the "crunch" that gives me the willies.  Whenever my kids wanted toast with their breakfast (which is rare), I just popped 2 pieces under the broiler while I made their eggs. 

But it did make me think about all the stuff you find on people's kitchen counters.  Some people like their counters to be clear of clutter and appliances while others want everything in easy reach.  Personally, I'm in-between.  I like having the "used often" items sitting within reach but I also like having plenty of workspace. 

As my diet evolved over the last year, my kitchen setup has changed too.  Every few months I find that things just don't feel right - tools that I need are too far away or I seem to be tripping over things I don't use anymore.  So, I rearrange the kitchen, moving things on and off the counter until I reach a new equilibrium.

The one thing that stays on my counter 24/7 is my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer.  Though I don't bake as often as I used to I still love my mixer - it can whip up egg whites in 2 minutes flat...YUM!  Plus, the thing weighs three tons and I don't have anywhere else to store it.

And then there's the "drink station"  - that's where my electric hot water kettle, Melitta coffee filter and thermos sit.  I drink a lot of coffee and hot herbal tea throughout the day and having everything in one place means I can have hot tea in 2 minutes flat.

The other appliance I use a lot is the microwave - mainly to heat up frozen veggies, steam something, or warm my coffee.  It would be living on the counter too....if my 3 year old didn't think it was the greatest toy in the world.  The microwave now lives on the top of my fridge - it's the only place where he can't reach it.

Otherwise, everything else is either stored in a cupboard or drawer or sitting on a set of utility shelves on the other side of the kitchen.  Surprisingly, though I'm cooking more and more "homemade" meals at home, I find that I need less and less equipment these days.  I've given away or sold many kitchen gadgets that I just don't need anymore (*cough* breadmaker *cough*).


So tell me...what's on your kitchen counter?  Have you had to clean out your kitchen since going Paleo?