I like to keep a listĀ in my journalĀ of the (mostly) little, everyday things bringing me a disproportionate amount of happiness these days. I love assembling these interesting and often strange assortments in these recurring posts of stuff I love. Often these posts are filled with recipes, ingredients, and kitchen tools, but some of my biggest kitchen wins latelyāand the ones that still have me grinning every time I open certain cabinets in the kitchenāare firmly about structure and organization.
If you relate, you REALLY relate. If you don’tādon’t worry, we have soup recipes, too!
Lazy susans in the pantry
I’m just one of many who organized their pantries in the early COVID days, grasping for order and control in any way we could get it. 3+ years later entropy had set in, and it was time for a serious reset. I carved out a Saturday morning this fall to listen to a great audiobook and get the job done.
I’m delighted with the results. The biggest change I made was in our cabinets that hold spices, sweeteners, oils and vinegars, and baking supplies. In 2020 I organized the space using inexpensive 10″ lazy susans, which were handy but left prime pantry space unused. After taking stock of our needs I switched out those 10″ lazy susans for the biggest ones the cabinets could hold: these 11″ shallow turntables from The Container Store. One inch may not sound like a big difference, but this swap scored me a bonus 16 square inches in storage space! (Basically: it’s pizza math.)
Having this extra space to organize the kitchen items we reach for the most is MAGIC. (Bonus: I got to put those 10″ lazy susans to use elsewhere. I’m especially loving the one in the laundry room, which perfectly fills its shelf there and now holds specialty detergents and stain removal solvents and tools. It makes this laundry nerd so happy!)
Under-the-sink organizing bins
More kitchen organization, although this upgrade took less than an hour on a different Saturday morning. When I was looking for a certain cleaner under the sink this fall, I realized that we had all kinds of good stuff lurking in the depths of the cabinets. For me, out of sight is out of mind, and I really wanted to reposition those household goods in such a way that I could SEE them.
Luckily, I had just stocked up on these nifty little Target organizing bins. I had had an entirely different purpose in mind when I bought them, but they are PERFECT under the sink: bright white (so the contents are easily visible), inexpensive, modular, and easy to clean. I linked to the large ones but am employing a variety of sizes under the sink for our household needs, sorted into categories like housecleaning, dish cleaning, miscellaneous solvents and stain removers, and houseplant needs. (Yes, really!)
Gochujang at Trader Joe’s
I count it a win anytime a specialty ingredient becomes easier to get my hands on, thus my joy at seeing that Trader Joe’s now carries gochujang. (I know this is regular grocery store fare in many cities, but that’s not true here in Louisvilleāyet.) I wrote about falling in love with this stuff back in 2020, and have been using it even more now that I don’t have to make a special trip to Whole Foods or our Asian market to restock.
I reach for gochujang to make Eric Kim’s Gochujang Caramel Cookies (NYT Cooking gift link), as a garnish in this pork tenderloin stir fry, and for these favorite Korean Roasted Sweet Potatoes (that I’m about to make for the first time this season, yum!).
If you have more gochujang recipes and ideas, I’d love to hear them in comments.
Fall baking
Barring a weird exception where we hit 80Ā° yesterday, the temperatures have finally cooled off enough that it doesn’t feel cruel and unusual to crank the oven for an hour. I’m taking full advantage: my kitchen is smelling amazing these days thanks to quintessentially fall recipes like pumpkin bread, apple cider muffins, and lemon cranberry scones.
I’ve also been making cookies somewhat regularly, which I haven’t done since last year’s holiday season. Is it true I’m always baking the same cookie recipe? Well, yes: I’m finding Alison Roman’s Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies (NYT Cooking gift link) to be right for every occasion. I intend to branch out later this fall: we’re hosting the MMD Holiday Cookie Exchange again and I know you’ll share a hundred recommendations I’ll want to bake immediately! (In the meantime, the comments on last year’s Exchange are a gold mine of inspiration.)
Soup season, obviously
I am so glad it’s soup season again! The recipes we gravitate toward lend themselves to both prepping in advance and enjoying as leftovers; this flexibility is making our busy weeknights (and quick workday lunches) so much easier.
We still have these five favorite recipes for soup season on repeat. These days we’re also gravitating toward the black and red lentil soup recipes shared here, anything with white beans and tomatoes (like this recipe for a soup named Roberto), and all kinds of chilis (this week’s version was white chili with a boatload of green toppingsācilantro, green onions, avocado, pickled jalapeƱos).
Souper Cubes
After hearing friends sing the praises of these silicon kitchen heroes for ages, I finally caved and got my ownāand I’m so glad I did. They make it super simple to freeze and efficiently store all manner of leftovers. I opted for the one-cup trays for flexibility and easy portioning.
While it’s not zero work to, say, chop extra vegetables to double a soup recipe, it is A LOT less work to do a little more than it is to start dinner (or even lunch) from scratch on a busy day. I’m freezing the extra, trying to build up a little bank of ready-to-go and easy-to-reheat meals in our freezer because our weeknights are going to stay busy for the foreseeable future.
I just found out you can bake in Souper Cubes as well, and I’m super excited (no pun intended, whoops) that I can now send my college kids adorable little loaves of pumpkin bread and apple cider cake.
Local honey
I was shocked to discover we had beekeepers hyper-local to usāas in, just one street over! I bought a pint of their local honey and have been sparingly using it in my lemon herbal and chai teas. (But never in my beloved hot cinnamon spice! That’s sweet enough as it is.) It’s lovely and delicious, a little treat I never expected to find right here in the our neighborhood.
What (mostly) little things are bringing YOU a disproportionate amount of happy in the kitchen lately? Iād love to hear in comments.
P.S. The favorite mugs Iāll be reaching for during Serious Cozy Drink Season (and all year round) and More favorite things to buy at Trader Joe’s.
33 comments
The NYT roasted gojuchang chicken and root vegetables is to die for!! Donāt skip the pocketed radishes!
Pickled*
the handful of wildflowers in a little bottle on the window sill
a bunch of old wooden spoons in a vintage crock
the new seaglass-y tile backsplash
http://www.lindastoll.net/2023/08/the-kitchen-reveal-porch-107.html
Your backsplash is beautiful! Your kitchen is very welcoming.
I second the sea-glass-y tile! It’s gorgeous! What a remake!
I am loving fresh pomegranates! I buy a few, remove the seeds (wear gloves so you donāt stain your hands) and save them in a Tupperware container in the fridge. We put them on steel cut oats, baked oatmeal, salads, etc. Theyāre so pretty!
My famous first lines mug! Itās a lovely shape, covered with fun first lines, and the inside is a gorgeous blue. Makes my yummy morning tea even better. Iām drinking out of it right now. Also, anything by Vera Neumann. I love her designs and have tablecloths (reproductions) and a gorgeous vintage fall scarf. I appreciate anything that brings joy to my complicated life.
This is so cozy! Thanks for the New Yorker link to Helen Rosner’s Roberto soup article and recipe. Love how she details it for new and seasoned cooks:
“Add the garlic and stir until you get hit with that nostalgic garlic-and-onion smell, about 1 minute. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the sausage to the pot. Stir, using your spoon to break up the sausage into pieces that could comfortably fit on a spoon”.
Now I am off to shop for sausage, kale and beans!
For the gochujang, I recommend Eric Kimās Sheet Pan Bibimbap. The sauce absolutely makes the recipe and I always double it, minimum. The recipe is probably directly on NYT Cooking, but my subscription lapsed, and he has a video of the recipe available to all. https://youtu.be/nB5voELYrAU?si=ThsSLStIGEJocIZ1
Came here to recommend the same thing! NYT Cooking link: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022131-sheet-pan-bibimbap?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share
Loving the “Copy Me That” app on my iPad. I used to get so frustrated with live sites and all the ads. Now I can copy just the recipe, organize it, add to my shopping list and cook it without all the silly videos and ads messing with me. Best app I’ve used in a long time. I’ve even cleaned out my paper recipes by adding them to the app.
Just downloaded this upon your recommendation! Thanks so much!
Tea from http://www.plumdeluxe.com So many amazing hand blended teas. Everything from blacks to herbals, fruity to dessert teas. I want each and every flavor. You just canāt go wrong with them. And Iām so looking forward to their tea advent calendar!
I use a similar app called Paprika, and I love it
Homemade applesauce! It’s so easy and so much tastier than jarred applesauce. Great by itself or paired with vanilla yogurt. For a truly decadent treat, I made my favorite gingerbread recipe, topped with applesauce and whipped cream for last night’s IRL bookclub. Yum!
I make huge batches of applesauce. We eat a lot I can add and I give it away, and people are always thrilled! It helps to have two apple trees with different varieties. For mine, I add a touch of cinnamon to the chopped apples and a couple tablespoons of water in my crockpot. Good to go. No sugar needed.
When the sun starts coming up later in the morning, I light a white pillar candle at breakfast to cheer us up. It seems to soften the blow of waking up for the teenagers (and myself too)!
My favorite little things lately-the last of my fresh cut zinnias in little vases, my little autumn leaves candle, Seventh Generation lavender scented fabric softener, making cast iron chocolate chip cookies, and I will second the hot cinnamon spice tea and throw in Harneyās Yellow and Blue which makes an awesome latte with honey and Nut Pods almond creamer. Who knew a chamomile latte could work?
LOVE my Souper Cubes. I already have a nice little stash of ready-to-heat lunches in my freezer for when SAD sets in this winter, and I don’t want to do *anything*.
Yes, also, to the local honey! I’ve taken to picking up local honey, maple syrup, and locally-roasted coffee beans when I travel. They make such great souvenirs because they’re delicious, unique to the place, useful, and they don’t clutter up my house for very long. Every time I break out the honey or maple syrup for pancakes or grind up the coffee for my morning cup, I’m reminded of the lovely memories of our recent trip. š
I, too, have picked up my holiday baking, and I LOVE this no-knead, overnight cinnamon roll recipe: https://alexandracooks.com/2018/12/24/overnight-brioche-cinnamon-rolls-with-cream-cheese-frosting/. It is as delicious as it is easy (you can prep it weeks ahead of time and stash in the freezer), and it takes all the willpower I can muster not to devour the whole pan!
Yes to foodie trip souvenirs! We like to hit up the liquor section of stores when traveling and fill a “build your own 6-pack.” We ration these beers over subsequent weeks and enjoy a little treat from wherever we’ve been!
I picked up the wood cookbook holder with metal ledge in the Hearth & Hand with Magnolia line. Yes, that Magnolia (Joanna Gaines). It is so pretty but also incredibly practical. We also added an island to our kitchen this year. Not a small thing but it has made such a huge difference in how we use the space. Plus, it’s gorgeous and exactly how I pictured it!
Just made this recipe with Gochujang sauce in it. The entire family wished I had doubled the recipe because everyone wanted to go back for seconds! My 10 year-old asked me to make it for dinner again the next day.
https://pinchofyum.com/saucy-gochujang-noodles-with-chicken
I visted a dear cousin in Sturgis, S.D.and a lovely gift shop in town features Swedish Dish Cloths, available through EVOLOGIELIVING.com. Sized 8″ x 6.5, they have darling designs on the front. Stiff when dry, the minute water hits them they are a pliable and sturdy replacement for dish clothes, kitchen sponges and paper towels. They dry within a couple of hours. Once a week, toss it in the washer, dry on a flat surface. One will last for 9-12 months and then can be composted. I would never have purchased one if I hadn’t seen my cousin using it. Now – I purchased a stack to use for gifts during the holiday or whatever. Highly recommend! (Alert – purchase direct from the .com above – Amazon is filled with knockoffs that are poor quality.) I was in Sweden this summer and am disappointed that I didn’t know enough to track them down in a Swedish kitchen store!
I used the incorrect name for them – it is Swedish Sponge Cloths!
Correct website for Swedish Sponge
Cloths is : ECOLOGIELIVING.com
Sorry for all the typos – clearly didn’t have enough coffee this morning!
My new mug from Hammerly Ceramics is making me so happy! I have the 16 oz Cubes mug in a light celadon color. I might order more as Christmas gifts! https://www.hammerlyceramics.com/products/16oz-cubes-jade-matte-signature-mug?variant=42631894204653
Something that’s been bringing me joy lately is an early morning cup of perfect coffee at the dining room table, overlooking my woods and the beautiful carpet of fall leaves. There’s nothing better than that view with the glorious komorebi. Give me my journal and favorite fountain pen, and I’m a pretty peaceful bunny. The house is quiet, the chaos has not started yet, and I feel like I can *breathe*.
I have been wanting to try those Soup cubes for awhile. I didn’t know if they were worth it. Also, I don’t have a lot of kitchen storage space. Now that I know you can also BAKE in them??! I’m getting them! Thanks so much for letting us know they’re good!
Hot Cinnamon Spice is my first cup of tea every single morning! It is phenomenal ā„ļø
Watercolor tea towels by shopemilylex.com
Lazy Susan on my counter next to my stove and above my sink to consolidate ‘things’
a fairly new Cuisinart coffee maker that is working superbly for us
adore my Cutco steak knives
switching to glass containers for leftovers (I recycled all my plastic containers and made the big switch) and I love looking in my cabinet now for a container – it’s the little things.
Thank you for the links and info on the specialty teas. I find that turmeric teas really help tamp down inflammation from Rheumatoid Arthritis so I am always looking for new companies that offer delicious and healthful blends. I have already ordered four different teas to try. To organize my kitchen, I love racks that allow my two sets of dinnerware to be stored in the same cupboard but in different stacks. I also have racks that separate all of my different baking pans so that they are not stacked willy nilly in that cupboard but each with their own wire shelf. Feels so good to open the door and see exactly what I have and be able to extract a brownie pan and put it back without any shifting of the other bakeware.
Try the Rishi turmeric teas! My favorite is their turmeric chai. I found it when Anne recommended a different turmeric tea from them (also great).
For white beans and tomato soup / sauce – Stanley Tucciās. Pasta fagiola recipe
Simple, pretty quick to put together and makes great leftovers. I just made it for the first time and itās perfect for the colder weather
I screen shot the recipe so didnāt capture my specific source, I found it on, but I just did a search and it pops right up.
Those Target bins are amazing! I have them everywhere! I use the them in the kitchen, bathroom and linen closet.