Face Your Kitchen Demons

So you kitchen leaves a lot to be desired. You haven't changed your dish sponge since you've moved into your apartment; you eat off of paper plates daily, you have cans of french string beans in your cabinet from 91, mopping the floors is something you only do when your grandmother comes over, you still eat wonderbread, drinks tons of soda, and the only oil that you cook with is vegetable.

Don't fret. But know that it's 2007 and that you need a serious makeover. All it takes is some tweaking, some openess to change, and a daily renewal that you life will be great no matter what. And the best thing of all is that you can have fun with this.

The kitchen is at the heart of impromptu entertaining. And if your kitchen game isn't tight, the only thing you will be welcoming to your home are the flies. Flies and you = Not good. When having friends over, people want to feel comfortable standing on your kitchen floors, looking at your shiny wine glasses, checking out your cookbooks, observing your seasoned cast iron pots and pan, having great conversation, helping out...you name it and it is done in the kitchen. Strangers even fall in love in the kitchen.

Step One.
It all begins with visualization. What does your cool kitchen look and feel like? Use magazine clippings for inspiration. Recruit help.
Step Two.

Personal Organization. Streamline your kitchen to the basics and get rid of oddities like old coins, rusty vegetable peelers, the Ronald McDonald glass, and that big gulp cup that you got from Taco Bell. And by all means, ditch the shameful sink sponge. Empty your drawers and organize from scratch. That includes what lies beneath the sink. A general philosophy that I use in my every day life: If you don't love it or don't use it everyday get rid of it. Just because you bought or inherited something doesn't mean that you should be its keeper forevermore.

Step Three.
Find color. Paint kitchen to cover up those grease stains and cooking disasters.
Step Four.

Get decent pots and pans. There's nothing worse than using your hard labor to scrub a cheap pan that bends and burns easily. You don't have to have a talk show's kitchen to function as an entertainer. You can get great deals from Marshalls, Macy's, IKEA, Martha Stewart's K-Mart, and flea markets. The best part is that you can do this all online.

Step Five

It's best to start with simple and understated and work your way up. For utensils: A Chef's knife for cutting. White plates. Roasting pan. A salad spinner. Wooden spoons, Box grater, Kitchen mitts, Pasta Strainer, and matching cutlery. I just bought a pleasing to the eye set from Target for under $40 dollars.

Step Six

Pat yourself on the back. You've just openend the door to a welcoming home and an eatable kitchen.