An Ounce of Prevention

You know that saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of”...something?  Well if you take a few miniscule organizational measures in your kitchen, it will prevent a baby food preparation meltdown.

In my kitchen, perfect intentions often turned into perfect frustrations.  I would be all set to try out a new recipe, had all the food ready to employ and the vision of the finished dish in my mind.  I would then just have to grab the step stool from the garage to climb up on my counter to get the food processor down that was tidily put away in the big high cupboard where I could easily grab it whenever I needed it.  Then I would go into the abyss of the utensil drawer to get my measuring spoons and spatula only to find it wouldn’t open because after further investigation I found that the head of the potato masher was stuck.  Add baby inspired sleep deprivation into the mix, and opening that exploding cupboard of food storage containers was the final nail in the “I’m making baby food today” coffin.

If you make sure all the tools you need are easily accessible and reasonably within arm’s reach, the likelihood of sticking with your culinary intentions and even enjoying them are very good.

I now hang my measuring spoons on a little hook on the wall right by the stove rather than in the bottomless pit utensil drawer.  You can even get them in all sorts of décor inspired colours so that their placement on the wall seems deliberate.  All stirring spoons and ladles etc. are in a jar on the counter and mixing bowls and the hand blender are front and center in a nearby cupboard.  I prefer using a hand blender to puree food, but if you would rather use a food processor or blender try to find a space on the counter for it to live rather than in that big high cupboard.

 These little organizational feats in the kitchen really are key to the enjoyment of cooking for baby.  The analyst in me always insists that I back up my “gut feelings” with data and facts so here is a great article from Real Simple on some smart kitchen organizing ideas.

I remember that saying now.  It’s a moral from Aesop’s Fables.  “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  Or translated into Baby Food Evolution language,  “put your kitchen tools in handy places to avoid baby food preparation meltdowns”.