Cooking for one

moneyistooshorttomention

Oh yes - one certainly has to be aware of worktop heights for comfort. I'm okay with standard height ones myself - but then I used to be standard height and that suited me fine. These days I've shrunk:(:(. So I guess that's another factor with kitchen worktops having a default setting of a pretty low height - ie as so many people shrink as they get older - darn it. NB; That's a point to bear in mind yourself. I don't know what age you are now - but, if you're middle-age (as I'm picturing you) it's surprising to find one can shrink by around 2" on getting older and how fast it seems to happen. One year I was wearing trousers/jeans that just missed "hitting the ground" and the next year or so I was taking them up (as they'd started rubbing on the ground and fraying) and then not much later taking them up again. So it's best to bear in mind you might shrink by around 2".

But you can just take a pretty quick look at the kitchen I've just had done - and it's obvious the owner is a bit on the short side - as I've had to adapt the placing of wall units/cooker hood to be as usable as possible for someone my height.

That's part of the reason we all need ideally to design our kitchens ourselves - so that they suit us personally.

PasturesNew

Hollyharvey wrote: »

Do you every have crumpets with just butter, or use them instead of a cracker and put butter and/or cheese on? I eat them more this way than sweet with chocolate spread or jam. That could be because I've usually got cake/crumbles/sponge puddings in the freezer so have them if I want something sweet.

I've rarely bought butter in my life - it's usually "cheapest marg".

I'll top them with whatever I have open at the time, or what I fancy. So, usually: marg, cheese, jam, marmalade, lemon curd, golden syrup, or chocolate spread

I am not a purchaser of crackers. I've had some in the past (childhood memories of spreading marg and jam on two and making them into a sandwich, then squeezing them and licking the jam off as it squeezes through the holes) .... but I did buy a packet of mixed crackers at Xmas and was disappointed. I don't think I'll be buying crackers again for the rest of my life - once you bite them they snap in half and you get sticky hands trying to catch all the bits.

PasturesNew

Rekitchens .... I really prefer the "stand alone units" of earlier years. All this "fitted" stuff might look nice in photos .... but, over time, it proves to be a pain as you can't improve/replace one part easily ... but require planners, fitters and big cheques to be written.

Back in the day, the only "fixed" items being the sink and the cooker spot it was easier to move things around, get a better cupboard/cabinet or whatever. And take it all with you when you moved if you wished.

What's next? Fitted living rooms?

moneyistooshorttomention

Ideally - I wouldn't have a fitted kitchen. But then ideally I wouldn't need a fitted kitchen - as I'd have a huge farmhouse kitchen and it would be complete with large table in the middle, sofa up one end, a rocking chair in a corner, etc, etc.

<Sighs>

But, in actual fact, as per most of us = I have a kitchen that isn't nearly as big as I'd like (if bigger than some) and I have to have it fitted in order to cram in anything like enough worksurface space and storage space. So I think most of us have no option but to have our kitchens fitted - in order to have them "work" at all.

Anne_Marie_2

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, will certainly be looking into raising the height, when the time comes. I really do enjoy pottering around in the kitchen, but not the broken back at the end of it.
Hadn't even thought of me shrinking in later years. My Mum hasn't shrunk, and she is 81 now, so fingers crossed.

PN you are so right about the expense. The main thing is my kitchen sink and worktop. Sink has been stained since before we moved in, and I have tried everything to get it sorted. Common consensus is that some kind of acid was poured or spilled over it. The cream worktop is a nightmare too, not a proper worktop at all. Stains at the slightest thing, and has been fitted with some edging, which catches every bit of crumb.
Was just going to get a new worktop and sink fitted, and then decided to wait. Might as well get things moved about to fit with my needs, rather than what someone else decided. Will cost more, so hence the wait, and me trying to decide exactly what I want. No point in rushing in, and getting it wrong.
In the meantime, I bought some rolls of black "marble" vinyl and covered the worktop and edging just a few weeks ago. So much easier to keep clean now, and looks better. Pity that I can't cover up the sink with it too!

Farway

caronc wrote: »

I reckon my first courgettes will be ready within the week.....

Envious now, mine is [just one plant] just flowering. Swapsies runners for courgettes?

I seem to back to what passes for my normal today, looks like it may well have been coffee overdose

Breakfast was toasted crumpet with posh ginger preserve, the marmalade vanished yesterday evening. The ginger is very tasty, on offer in Morries, Mackay's brand

It was Morries for my morning mooch, main reason for going there was get some more bedding plants, thought I was OK but decided to push the boat out and beef up the front a bit more

Managed to get the grass mown at last, thought I should get on if I could, rain due Tuesday AM now

Lunch was the other bageutte cooekd as a pizza. Must get more of the bagauettes tomorrow in Lidl, and crumpets of course

Dinner will be the YS flan / quiche pimped up with extra cheese and the last of the YS mushrooms. With bowl of salad and coleslaw plopped in.

I just fancied coleslaw so bought a pot from Morries, just the Savers one 34p. I can make my own of course as no doubt the family sized MSE peeps would point out. But CFO means fresh cabbage & carrot at a minumum are not just "to hand" in some convenient store cupboard. Just buy a pot, cheaper for one

Last of the cherries tonight, then remove the netting and let the birds in.

The warmth has speeded up the goosegogs, now plump & ready to eat. Tasty raw but I fancy a summer pudding after hearing Monty Don going on about it last week on Gardeners' World. May just bung some also ready red & white currants in the mix and make one mid week, to go with the LO ice cream

PS talking of heights. Once worked at a place where the Gents urinals had been fitted by a giant. Most of us on tippy toes in there

Anne_Marie_2

Farway wrote: »

Envious now, mine is [just one plant] just flowering. Swapsies runners for courgettes?

I seem to back to what passes for my normal today, looks like it may well have been coffee overdose

Breakfast was toasted crumpet with posh ginger preserve, the marmalade vanished yesterday evening. The ginger is very tasty, on offer in Morries, Mackay's brand

It was Morries for my morning mooch, main reason for going there was get some more bedding plants, thought I was OK but decided to push the boat out and beef up the front a bit more

Managed to get the grass mown at last, thought I should get on if I could, rain due Tuesday AM now

Lunch was the other bageutte cooekd as a pizza. Must get more of the bagauettes tomorrow in Lidl, and crumpets of course

Dinner will be the YS flan / quiche pimped up with extra cheese and the last of the YS mushrooms. With bowl of salad and coleslaw plopped in.

I just fancied coleslaw so bought a pot from Morries, just the Savers one 34p. I can make my own of course as no doubt the family sized MSE peeps would point out. But CFO means fresh cabbage & carrot at a minumum are not just "to hand" in some convenient store cupboard. Just buy a pot, cheaper for one

Last of the cherries tonight, then remove the netting and let the birds in.

The warmth has speeded up the goosegogs, now plump & ready to eat. Tasty raw but I fancy a summer pudding after hearing Monty Don going on about it last week on Gardeners' World. May just bung some also ready red & white currants in the mix and make one mid week, to go with the LO ice cream

PS talking of heights. Once worked at a place where the Gents urinals had been fitted by a giant. Most of us on tippy toes in there

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: re the urinals. I have an image in my mind now, which won't go away! There's a loo in the ladies in one of the restaurants I frequent, which is at a much higher height than the norm. Totally fine for me, but I do hear tales of ladies with their feet dangling.

Ginger preserve sounds lovely.

PasturesNew

Anne_Marie wrote: »

.... will certainly be looking into raising the height, when the time comes.

Depends how much higher you want it - but a quick/cheaper way to maybe get some of it raised would be to lift off the top and have a plain length of wood put down, then plonk the worktop back on top.

All depends if that's practical, or not... if there's one length of worktop you mostly work at that needs just 2-4cm more added, it could work ... or, if you "don't care what it looks like" just get a new length of worktop and plonk it on top with some double sided tape for now.

Depends on how much you need it higher, how "rough" you'd accept the finish and if there's a straight length anyway.

There's more than one way to skin a cat .... so, if it's not necessary, why go to the expense of raising the bases ... if all that's needed is the tops raised. Strip of veneer/splash of paint ...job could be a good 'un.

Hollyharvey

I'm having a real down day and can't be bothered to get any proper meals. Thankfully my nephew who was due to come over this morning cancelled, and I was going to go to the doctors with my elderly neighbour and she cancelled that so I have been able to wallow in my own down mood.


I think I have been comfort eating today and estimate that so far I'm up to


breakfast started ok with scrambled egg on toast.
Then 4 slices of soda bread and butter.
Then 3 crumpets and butter.
Then rhubarb crumble with custard and ice cream.
Then another 2 slices of soda bread and butter.
Then 3 thick slices of cake.
Then 1 Greek yoghurt.
Then 1 packet of shortbread biscuits.


Oh dear mainly carbs and about 5,500 calories. No wonder I feel ill, and bloated. If I don't eat anything else today and only eat protein and veg and fruit for the next 3 days I will probably feel better and have lost the extra water weight associated with this lot by Friday.


Oh dear, well at least CFO hasn't been a problem today

MallyGirl

when we put our last kitchen in we went for IKEA with adjustable legs but just put some wood under the feet to raise it a bit. We made plinths to hide the extra long legs. I am 5'10" (used to be 11" but I shrank)