Lets get this out of the way

Basics.  Thats what I want to talk about. Here goes.

 You must create a healthy kitchen first of all. Or you will enter this sacred space with baggage already there, and have to wade thru it and be confused by it and just deal with it (subconscously being irritated by it) when you'd rather have fun, create healthy meals and enjoy your creativity.  Its the same for artists.  If you want to paint or sculpt every day you must create a space. The tools must be there. You have to know what to do with them. Nothing can be by accident. I knew a mother, who used her flatware drawer to put her hairpins and scrunchies and elastic bands. OMG.  Do you have a microwave sitting on the countertop?  Are you using it (God forbid?)  No matter, just get rid of it. Use it in the garage to nuke your science experiments, or just give it away. See how much space opens up and see how inviting that space is now beckoning you to enter and create! Take these steps to a joyful fun space and watch your health and your pocketbook improve. You will want to eat out less and prepare at home more.

1. Remove stuff thats been in the cupboard for too long and you will never use.  Like a bottle of TJ's Canola oil or Morton Salt. Just give it away or throw it away.  Same goes of any GMO processed thing, from soy milk( yeah right ... organic..) Earth balance etc. Just get rid of anything like this that came through the economy tied to this industry.

While we are at truth telling, there is no such thing as "diet food".  Diet food is fragmented and treated like a science experiment. We are not guinea pigs. We do not interface well with manufactured food.  If your food is mostly this, its not food. Even rice cakes are incredibly unhealthy. A very close family member has nothing but canned boxed  processed food in the cupboard, with diet foods, like asperatame laden powdered drink mix. This is not food.  The point being if you want health you must have whole foods not "fat free" "no carb" "manufactured  foods because then your body reacts as it should by treating it as a poison. 
Taking fat out of milk only makes you crave the fat and the  calories, so you end up eating more milk or something else.  Think of ice cream. Low fat ice cream?  If you have 1/4 cup of real whole fat ice cream you are satisfied. You will not be satisfied eating 1/4 cup of low fat ice cream.  Remember all this must be of the highest quality as well.  Raw cream ice cream is loaded with nutrients. Raw cream from grass fed cows in the spring is in my opinion the best. See how there is so much variation?  Learn about the company that makes your food. I can't possibly bring all this to you now, so look into all this yourself.

2. The cookware. Same idea, clean up your kitchen of excess cookware, bakeware, flatware, dishes, mugs, glasses you name it. If you no longer drink wine, why do you have 3 shelves filled with wine glasses?  If you no longer eat meat, get rid of the big fat ugly roaster. Same goes with baking dishes, mixers, cake tins, pie plates. If you don't bake cakes and pies, why are these things still in your kitchen? How about all the stuff on top of the countertop?  How about old vitamins and supplements that never did a damn thing for you health to start with?  Thats right.... feng shui the kitchen. Get rid of clutter.. Forgive yourself for spending way too much for this and get on with life.  If you have Teflon, or any coated aluminum stuff get rid of it. I like iron, because it just sturdy and uncomplicated will never break and its relatively inexpensive.  Then there is stainless and ceramic coated.  Some love the Saladmaster titanium/stainless cookware that is very expensive, and is touted as leach free. Fine.  But get rid of all the old scratched Teflon surfaces. Have the basics a few saucepans, maybe 3 different sizes (small medium and large ) a few skillets, one with sloped sides for omelets , the other ones not sloped but one small and one large (12 inch is good). Have stockpot and a dutch oven.  Have some stainless mixing bowls, different sizes.
Everything I have I use for multiple purpose, to reduce clutter and keep efficiency. So basically its either all white ceramic or stainless stuff. My thing is to reduce the mental annoyances of having things around that I will never or seldom use. my ceramic bakeware for instance doubles as a countertop holder for excess fruits like if I buy a bag of apples.I have a wheat grass juicer which maybe I used for one year. then I decided I hated wheat grass. Then I found out about green smoothies, so now all I need is a Vitamix blender.  Gimmicks come and go, stick with the basics.

3. Stock up on basics.  My recipes always call for organic this and that. Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt. Organic olive oil, and coconut oil. Raw nuts and seeds.  I am not big on beans and rice, but if you must have them buy organic, and whole not polished  frozen or pre-cooked  rice. Check up on all the types of beans (no more cans just bags of dried beans- cheaper fresher healthier ) and rice available and choose what you think is the best for you.  Black beans and adzuka beans are easiest on the digestion. Red or black rice is easiest on the digestion.  So if you like others, fine, but know that all beans and brown organic rice is not the same. Store the onions, potatoes, yams and garlic in a cool dry cupboard, not the fridge, or  it will start growing eyes and roots etc. because of the moisture.

4. Clean out your refrigerator as well of old container of leftovers once a week at least. Its surprising the science experiments going on in there. (guilty as charged).  Its like starting with a clean slate and you want to create in a clean space.  Get rid of old jars of pickles condiments, salad dressings and jams that you forgot about for over a month. Yuck. These are usually on the door. Get rid of anything you can't imagine you will be using in the next week or two. Its liberating to do this, no one will miss it. Besides, its full of additives anyway if its lasted that long and not moldy. I always have fresh greens, and vegetables, homemade mayonnaise, cheeses butter, and cream and eggs. If you like to bake, store the flours in the fridge, as they do get rancid, if whole grain.

5. I shop at least 3 times a week. Because I walk everywhere. I can't possibly shop once a week because everything I buy must fit into just 3 bags or less. I carry those cloth bags.  This is good from every conceivable angle. No gas usage, exercise, and fresh food used up quickly. And I meet people. Its fun. If you can see yourself doing this then do it. 

You will be surprised at how much fun cooking is.  Its spring and we just had a new moon. It is a time for new beginnings, and clean starts. I love springtime!!