In My Kitchen – June 2014

June 2014

Since this is my very first “In My Kitchen”, I though I would show you my kitchen! Thanks to Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for this great idea. My Kitchen is very small as it is a granny flat, but it does the job and when mum pops in to visit she is always exclaiming how great it smells in my flat!

In My Kitchen is a book shelf, it only has cook books in it and as you can see can’t hold any more, so I have a problem 🙁 don’t buy any more recipes books (never going to happen) or get another book shelf somewhere else!

Bookshelf

The book shelf for my recipe books

In My Kitchen is my mortal and pestle, I can’t live without it. Don’t get me wrong I love my Thermomix and it is amazing, but sometimes I just like to kick it old school and use a bit of elbow grease.

Mortar and Pestle

Mortar and Pestle needs to be lifted with two hands

In My Kitchen is my frying pan. I bought this frying pan over 15 years ago and it cost my $180. It could possible be the best $180 I have ever spent. It has cooking thousands of meals and the best thing about it is that it leaves the little caramelised bits on the bottom of the pan to make wonderful gravies and sauces. It also has the possibility of doubling as a weapon (like in Tangled) but you would also need to lift it with two hands like my mortar and pestle.

Fry pan

Frying Pan, everyone needs a really good one that isn’t non – stick.

In My Kitchen is my pantry. I wish it was bigger, but I think every cook wishes that they had a bigger pantry. It is generally always organised and I know exactly where everything is. As you can see I am a little OCD when it comes to my pantry, but the Tupperware helps with that little organisational bug I have, and I have always been a fan of things lined up in a row… e.g. BV’s (that is backing vocalist for those not in the know)

My Pantry

My organised pantry

In My Kitchen is my Murray River Pink Salt and bamboo container. I love Murray River Pink Salt as it adds an extra salt flavour dimension to dishes without being too salty. I know that sounds funny, but I just love working with this salt and I’m so familiar with how it flavours that I can just dive into this wonderful bamboo container always seeming to add just the right amount!

Murry River Pink Salt

Love my bamboo container

In My Kitchen is Tea. T2 Organic English Breakfast Tea to be exact! I don’t think that a kitchen is a kitchen without a pot of tea… I also love my coffee see HERE and HERE for those details, but a good cup of tea is a thing to behold and this is my favourite!

T2

Mmm T2

Then finally In My Kitchen is not a lot of space. I thought that I would include a picture of my little kitchen, where all the magic happens 🙂 Where I am standing is the oven and grill and the bookshelf with all my cookbooks on it is just to the right and my fridge is just to the left.

Kitchen

My small but efficient kitchen

So there you have it, my very first In My Kitchen. I hope you liked it and I hope you like all the yummy things that come out of it!

Enjoy Irresponsibly!

Liz x

Elizabeth Connolly on EmailElizabeth Connolly on FacebookElizabeth Connolly on Instagram
Elizabeth Connolly
I have been cooking since I can remember. I am a Thermomix consultant, so now (whenever possible) try to give you Conventional AND Thermomix methods for the recipes. I like to share tips on how to save money and how making food from scratch isn't really that hard (especially with a Thermomix). If you have any questions about the Thermomix or cooking/food in general please email me as I'm happy to chat.
Liz xx
P.S Don't forget to subscribe to receive your 3 free e-Books.

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73 Comments

  1. Maritza

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    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Wow, Thanks Maritza That is really nice of you 🙂 Liz x

      Reply
  2. Gustoso

    Welcome to the gang. I wish my cupboards looked as neat as yours do! And so many cookbooks to choose for.

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Gustoso 🙂 I am a bit of a hoarder when it comes to cookbooks… You should check out my In My Kitchen July that shows you a little bit of what I have been foo this month 🙂 Thanks for reading! Liz x

      Reply
  3. Mel @ The cook's notebook

    hi Liz, I feel like I’m in my kitchen as there are so many similarities (but mine is just a bit bigger). I have a very similar mortar and pestle and a Thermomix, and dedicated cookbook shelves AND a beloved frypan I’ve had for over 15 years! I’d be angling for another shelf at least for your cookbooks. There can never be too many. Look forward to seeing your kitchen next month 🙂

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks so much Mel, it is great having a look inside the hearts of our homes 🙂 Liz x

      Reply
  4. Jason

    Hi Liz, welcome to the IMK gang.
    Great first post I really got a good feel for your kitchen and am in awe of your pantry….I am lucky if I can achieve that for an hour.
    I might need a chair and a cuppa so I can sit and go through your cookbook, what a great collection and good to see the woman’s weekly recipe cards…I think at some point we all had to have owned a set of them.
    Thanks for showing us around, see you next month.
    cheers
    Jason

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Jason 🙂 Those recipe cards were my Nana’s and most of the good recipes have her notes and extra hand written family recipes… Every time I get to down to make a classic (just to check as I know most of them off by heart) I think of her! Thanks for noticing and stopping by! Liz x

      Reply
  5. Emily

    Hi Liz! You have a lovely blog, and thanks for the peek into your kitchen and for stopping in at mine! Looks like you have some great books, love how organized the pantry is. I also have a bamboo salt cellar that I love, it’s so convenient way better then a shaker! 🙂

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Yes, I hope to post a few of my favourite recipes from some of those books soon! thanks for taking a look inside my kitchen this month!

      Reply
  6. Moya

    I have the exact pestle and mortar and yes you are right about lifting with two hands, it’s so heavy. Love cooking pans that last a lifetime they are so worth the money spent. Love the Murray River pink salt, I brought some back when I visited Australia recently. Thank for the peek into your kitchen. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Kim | a little lunch

    Liz, welcome to IMK! I enjoyed the tour of your kitchen and pantry very much, especially seeing how you’ve made the most of your space. Hooray for small kitchens — they can put out just as much flavor as big ones! I also admire your cookbook collection. 🙂

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Kim, it’s taken a long time to collect those books, a lot of them I have been given by very thoughtful gifts! I could never pick a favourite as I have great recipes in all of them, although the cook book that I have used the most is Gary’s Meighen’s (Masterchef guy) comfort food!!! So many great recipes!

      Reply
  8. Johanna GGG

    thanks for the peek in your kitchen – I love how your cookbook shelf is bursting at the seams – so is mine and the pile on the coffee table is out of control too so I spend to much time looking for other spaces. Loved looking around your pantry – did I notice a bottle of verjuice – what do you use yours for – I have finally finished one that has sat in my kitchen for over a year.

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks for stopping by Johanna, I use verjuice all the time in stead of vinegar in dressings, and marinades, it make a lovely hollandaise, but really anything you use an acid for you can use verjuice! I prefer it as it has a smoother taste than vinegars! Liz

      Reply
  9. Lizzy (Good Things)

    Wow what a tidy kitchen you have there… and so many good things. Thanks for the peek!

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      I have Maldon as well and I use it for lots of things, I just find that Murray river salt gives a more subtle salt favour, more delicate 🙂 thanks for stopping by and commenting too…! I’m new to the food blog world and everyone is so lovely!!!

      Reply
  10. Aneela

    Love your kitchen! I agree picking salt from a bin makes it easy to judge amounts. And you are right, there’s something about tea….

    Reply
  11. Miss Food Fairy

    Hi Liz,
    What an organise pantry – love it! You can see everything! I love my Mortar & Pestles – they’re the best invention ever! I have two – a large one to make curry pastes in and a small one for the peppercorns, salt or whole spices to be ground. Great to see another new foodie on IMK. See you again soon

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Miss Fairy 🙂 I’m so excited about my new food blog community!

      Reply
  12. Kari @ bite-sized thoughts

    I loved this peek into your kitchen and hear you on the organisational bug! In addition to wanting a bigger pantry, I am never quite happy with the state of my shelves unless I have just finished an organising burst. We have tin stackers and tupperware/ jars, which I love, but it gets messy so quickly!

    I also liked seeing your cocoa – we have the same brand 🙂

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks for popping by Kari! Yes I try to keep it organised because it is so small! I swap between this brand of cocoa and an organic one that isn’t as readily available 🙂

      Reply
  13. Taryn @ The Wooden Spoons

    I absolutely love your bamboo salt container. While you may consider your kitchen small, it looks so tidy and organised. That’s the best way to maximise on space if you ask me 🙂 Thanks for the tour Liz!

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Your welcome Taryn, thanks so much for stopping by… I look forward to more IMK’s in the future!

      Reply
  14. Sandra

    Hi liz, Welcome to the IMK family. I prefer small kitchens. A tight space forces you to work cleanly and be organized in your storage. I’m a storage soul sister! AlsoI have your bamboo salt cellar’s big brother. It has 3 levels, one is Murray River salt. I agree, it’s a great product.

    Reply
  15. Anne

    I love your salt container and in awe of your organised pantry. Good to see an IMK post that actually shows the kitchen – maybe more of us should do that. thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Anne, I thought that since it was my first, that is what is should be… But I assure you, I will be showing more in the following posts! Thanks so much for dropping by!

      Reply
  16. Milk and Honey

    Can you come to my house and help me put my ktichen cupboards to rights? I’ll bake you a cake and we can have cups of tea (I like the same tea as you do) and we can talk about food and kitchen things… and cookbooks.

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Of course!!!! That sounds like a wonderful day!!! Such a shame you don’t live in Queensland…!

      Reply
  17. InTolerant Chef

    I love an OCD pantry too! Also an OCD fridge, cupboards and drawers 🙂 Love your cookbook collection, mine is a little out of control too, but I love them all!

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks so much for stopping by! Yes… I use my cookbooks mostly for inspiration and education 🙂 so I am going to have to get a new shelf! 🙂 I’m looking forward to getting more inspiration from the world of food blogging!

      Reply
  18. Linda Wood

    Couldn’t agree more about needing a good quality non-stick fry pan. Give Teflon the flick! I also love Murray River Salt – always use it in cooking. My hubby recently complained that it doesn’t have any iodine in it. :-\
    Bother google.
    Can anyone correct me on that one?

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Murray a River Pink Salt contains a small amount of iodine, but these days we get enough iodine in our good veggies… I believe that iodine was bought in around the late 20s because of deficiencies in diets of the time! We don’t have that any more… Therefore our salt doesn’t really need yo be iodised any more! Foods that contain good amounts of iodine include baked potatoes, boiled eggs, tinned tuna, canned corn, navy beans, strawberries, cranberries, seaweed bananas, plain yogurt, prunes, milk oh and of course lobster 🙂 I hope that is helpful!

      Reply
  19. nancy@jamjnr

    I thought I was OCD with my tupperware but I think you have me beaten! How super organised you are I’m afraid it starts off tidy and then just deteriorates until I pull everything out and start again. That saucepan certainly was an investment wasn’t it? Not sure I’d like to come up behind you and shout BOO though when you’re in the kitchen:)

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Nancy… LOL no you would want to come up behind me as I am also 6 ft tall 🙂 I do try to keep it tidy because it is small and it doesn’t often get into a mess as I can’t cope 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  20. ale

    Welcome to these series…. and I love your pantry!! Can you come home an organize mine, pleaseeee!!!
    Hope to see you again next month!

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks, and sure if you lived on the Gold Coast, it’s apart of what I do at Themotherhubbardscupboard 🙂 and yes I’ll be back!

      Reply
  21. Mandy - The Complete Book

    What a lovely peek into your gorgeous little kitchen. I love how you have organised your pantry and I would love a big pestle and mortar like yours.
    Have a happy day.
    🙂 Mandy xo

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Mandy! I bought the Mortar and Pestle from David Jones and it was only $60 🙂

      Reply
  22. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef

    Your kitchen organisation has me sitting here thinking I shouldn’t look into my pantry until I forget about this post. 🙂 Welcome to the IMK group and I know you’ll be one post we’ll not want to miss.

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks so much Maureen, that’s a lovely thing to say! I find organising my pantry and other peoples therapeutic! 🙂 and because my kitchen is so small everything has to have its place 🙂 see you next month! Liz

      Reply
  23. Joanne T Ferguson

    G’day! love your bamboo container and how organized your pantry is, true!
    Thank you also for this month’s kitchen view!
    Cheers! Joanne

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Joanne, well I thought since I’m new to this it would be the best thing to do! Thanks so much for stopping by! Liz

      Reply
  24. Lauren @ Living the Savory Life

    Thank you for sharing your kitchen! I quite love your collection of books and I’m afraid I could get lost there for hours and hours. And what a beautifully organized pantry! Wish I could keep mine that nicely organized.

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Lauren, yes I do get lost, many times I’m looking for a recipe I have made and I can’t remember which book it cam from, so now i have an index of all my favourites and then when I have cooked them and tweaked them to the way I like the recipe it goes in THE BOOK with all my favourites! 🙂

      Reply
  25. celia

    Liz, how great to peek into your kitchen, thanks for playing! You might have to do what I’m now doing, and buy your cookbooks on the iPad! 🙂 Your frying pan sounds like a fabulous investment – we have a similar one that we bought for a lot of money years ago as well, which has just lasted forever. It’s amazing how easy it is to clean up with some stainless steel cleaner – they really are quite bulletproof, aren’t they? Ours isn’t as heavy as yours though. Love your wee bamboo salt container! 🙂

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Celia… Having lots of fun! I will have to try a cookbook on my iPad, but there is still something about turning a page and writing nots on paper! 🙂

      Reply
  26. sallybr

    Welcome to the club! 😉

    I am smiling here, your book shelf is the exact same type I have in our kitchen, but ours hold small appliances, it’s so sturdym I love it!

    looking forward to your future round-ups, I do not participate every month, but it’s fun whenever I do

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Sally… I’m loving the whole food blog world!!! 🙂

      Reply
  27. Gail

    Hi Liz, thanks for a look in your kitchen, great idea to show your actual kitchen, I love it! That salt is the best, mine is in a salt pig and I catch the kids taking a crystal or two sometimes!

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Gail! Well it’s my very first post, so I thought it was important 🙂 thanks for stopping by! And yes, I hope I can always buy my Murray River Salt!

      Reply
  28. Francesca

    Welcome to the club. I love that little salt box to store your Murray River pink salt.

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Francesca, I’m very excited, I bought that little bamboo box at Plenty Kitchen shop in St Ives on the North Shore of Sydney I’ve had it for about 3 years, But I think that you can get them online now! 🙂

      Reply
  29. Tania @ The Cook's Pyjamas

    I agree, you need a bigger bookshelf 🙂 Mine looked similar recently but I had a big clean up and now have lots of room for more cookbooks. Yay! I have the exact same mortar & pestle. It truly is a two handed job to lift. I aspire to have a pantry as clean and as organised as yours. One day.

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Tania! I have just cleaned it out so I could fit everything on it 🙂 the funny thing is I use all the books for references to things, but mostly I use my cookbook with my trusted recipes in it!

      Reply
  30. Tandy | Lavender and Lime

    Small kitchens can create wonderful dishes! I have a label obsession and everything in my kitchen is in containers 🙂 thanks for the peek into your kitchen!

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Tandy… Yes it is small 🙂 but it means that I don’t have to move around a lot to get anything! I too am a a bit label obsessed 🙂 and you are welcome…I hope to do many more!

      Reply
  31. Sonya Tebbutt

    Your organised pantry makes a happy Virgo drool! Look at how straight those shelves are… 🙂 x

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Sonya! If I can’t have control anywhere else at least my pantry is in control!

      Reply
  32. Fiona @TIFFIN bite sized food adventures

    Welcome to IMK Elizabeth and thanks for stopping by my own IMK post this month. I love that pantry and have pinned it as I am getting a new kitchen in the coming months. Good to see you using your mortar & pestle even though you have a Thermomix too. Hope to see you again next month. (ps: tried to leave a note on one of your coffee posts but comments were closed. Yes, all coffe shops should definitely have a mug option)

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Fiona… Just new to the food blog world and loving it. I’m not sure why you can’t leave a comment, but I will try and fix it 🙂 trying to get the hand of everything at the moment!

      Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      I Just fixed the comment thingy in discussions, so feel free to comment now Fiona 🙂 Thanks!

      Reply
  33. Glenda

    Welcome to the IMK family. I think you need to get another bookshelf. You don’t want to be in a position to have to say you don’t have any more room for a book you see and have to have. That pan sure looks good.

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Glenda… Yes the issue is space! but I will see what I can do! And I love my frying pan… Don’t know what I would do without it!

      Reply
  34. Hotly Spiced

    It’s been lovely to take a peek inside your kitchen. You certainly keep it neat, tidy, clean and organised. I love all your tupperware containers – I need to order another pantry set for my kitchen. I too, use a mortar and pestle all the time – it’s great for bashing out angry thoughts! And just so you know, with these IMK posts, just put a note at the bottom saying, ‘If you’d like to do an IMK post, please link up with FJ&LC’. Then, pop over to Celia’s blog and leave a comment letting her know you’re a fairly new blogger and that you’ve done an IMK post for the first time. She will then put a link to your blog on her site xx

    Reply
    • Liz Connolly

      Thanks Charlie 🙂 Well it has to be organised as it is so small! I use Super Ovals for my Tupperware as they are longer so they go to the back of the shelves, therefore, you don’t have the problems with having to get things from behind and you can see everything at one glance. I did pop over to Celia’s blog and leave a comment and the Link should be in the highlight FJ&LC words, but I will make it clearer next time so thanks! I think she has already put it on her site… Very exciting 🙂

      Reply

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