The Kitchn Cure

Our Kitchn Cure starts Monday September 7. Join us for a 20-day journey towards a cleaner, happier, more mindful kitchen. Get all the details here! This year’s Cure is led by Dana Velden, the author of our Weekend Meditations column, and of the new book, Finding Yourself in the Kitchen: Kitchen Meditations and Inspired Recipes from a Mindful Cook.

Day 6 Task: Consider appliances, gadgets and tools. The first thing I did when I saw today’s task was go out and buy this $5,800 Trousseau kitchen set from MOMA. Then I threw everything else away. I kid, I kid. (Although if I had $5,800 to spare and, you know, no rent or bills or living expenses of any kind for forever, then maybe.

Who’s ready to clean?! If you’ve been following The Kitchn Cure, you know that yesterday was Deep Clean day. Raise your hand if you put that off till this weekend. (It’s okay, don’t worry!) If you did, then you’re in luck, because we just put together the ultimate playlist for cleaning the kitchen.

Day 4: Thursday, October 3 Assignment: Deep clean every part of your kitchen Here is one of my favorite tasks. I know, some people think I’m crazy, but cleaning a kitchen is one of the most rewarding chores. There are some places in a kitchen that can go years without attention, then suddenly you notice the grime and the grease and cleaning it up feels so liberating, you could just sing. Okay, maybe not all of you, but that’s how it goes in my house.

Day 3 Task: Declutter appliances, gadgets, and tools The third task arrived, and I approached it with trepidation after my bruising experience in the pantry I learned from my last kitchen not to store the things I use most in any high or hard-to-reach cabinets. So when I set up this kitchen in June, I put all my glass food storage containers and my pots and pans in the large, low drawers. It’s worked out pretty well for the most part, but things do get messy.

Day 3 Task: Declutter appliances, gadgets, and tools I have a weird kitchen. At first glance, it looks pretty big. Then you start trying to put things away. My kitchen has surprisingly little storage space. (I have sexy, sexy fantasies about remodeling my tiny laundry room and adding a large pantry. These fantasies involve a handsome contractor…and winning the lottery.) This kitchen was designed for people who like to entertain and also enjoy the services of caterers.

Day 3: Wednesday, October 2 Assignment: Declutter appliances, gadgets and tools I’ve had days in the kitchen where I open my drawer, my one and only drawer in my kitchen, and I find things so caddywhompus that I feel like shutting the drawer, turning around, and ordering take-out. Does this sound familiar? The corkscrew is twisted onto a whisk, there are wooden skewers poking into the sides of the drawer, and the ubiquitous drawer full of leftover containers with mis-matched tops.

Day 2: Tuesday, October 1 Assignment: Declutter and clean your pantry and food storage areas How did you sleep? Did you dream about your sparkling refrigerator and freezer? Are you ready to hit it again? Today we’re repeating yesterday’s assignment, but applying the assignments to the the pantry, cabinets and countertops; in other words, any foods in your kitchen that are not in the refrigerator or freezer. Foods stored out of the refrigerator often are overlooked.

Day 1 Task: Declutter and purge fridge and freezer, clean. There comes a time in every person’s life when you’re forced to face uncomfortable truths about yourself. Last week I experienced such a moment when I opened my refrigerator to start cleaning it out. I stood there for a time, letting all the cold air escape, and with it this inescapable fact: I am a messy refrigerator bag lady. What is a refrigerator bag lady, you ask?

Day 1: Monday, September 30 Assignment: Declutter and clean the refrigerator and freezer Welcome, everyone! Happy first day of The Kitchn Cure. There are over 6,000 7,000 of you signed up so far; I’m pretty sure we’re about to make a difference in the world. By cleaning out your kitchen and giving it offerings of beauty and life, you shift the energy in your home. Then you start to cook more for yourself, you have people over, you eat more nutritiously. Life gets better.

A long time ago when we started Apartment Therapy and The Kitchn, we talked a lot about how homes are living beings and how so many suffer from pains and illness, it’s almost as if they are crying out for help. Maxwell responded by writing the Eight Step Home Cure and started leading online “cures” on Apartment Therapy. Soon after I created a ten-step Cure just for the kitchen and turned that into an online experience. Why the kitchen specifically?

I bet you’re ready for a more healthy, organized kitchen. Starting today we’ll be running The Kitchn Cure, a 10-day refresh of your cooking space. We’ve been helping people actualize this dream for years. All it takes is a commitment of about an hour a day (sometimes less) for about 10 days (we spread them over two weeks giving you catch-up time) and a little bravery.

[Today organizing expert Stacey Platt shares a few tips on finding more space in the kitchen. Stacey is the most organized person I know, but understands with great compassion how unorganized many people can be. Here are some ideas from her new book, What’s a Disorganized Person to Do?. Welcome, Stacey!]Now, thanks to The Kitchen Cure’s Week #2 assignment, your kitchen de-cluttered and you’ve probably freed up a lot of space.

If you’re one of the over 2,400 people participating in our Spring Kitchen Cure, you spent the better part of this past week cleaning your refrigerator and pantry. (Not signed up? There’s still time!) I hope it’s been fun and that you’ve had great music playing.When we delve deep into the crisper and cabinets we often find forgotten ingredients.

coffeechaser’s cabinets need a dusting badly!• This Week’s Assignment: Clean Out the Fridge and Pantry• Cure Clock: Liftoff! 4 weeks remaining• Cure Takers: 1,971 and counting… Welcome, everyone! There are almost 2,000 of you signed up. It’s like we’re sitting in a giant lecture hall together. But don’t worry, it’s going to be cozy with lots of one-on-one attention.

Let’s help Kitchen Cure-taker woodnymph here with their refrigerator and freezer issue. This was their note to me along with the above photos:fridge (notice the gross spill in the bottom – who knows how long that’s been there?)door (thing often fall out when you open or close it)freezer (no idea what’s in back) We need to help this person get their Cure going!What are your favorite tips for organizing your refrigerator and freezer?