Tip One: Open Up

The best kitchens are the ones that are open and give you easy movement. You should start by finding ways to make that happen. Clear your counter tops with unnecessary utensils and crockery. Make a list of all the utensils and crockery that you use daily for cooking; just keep those around and put the remainder of them stocked in closed door shelves. You can buy utensil hangers to hang knives and ladles. If you are one of those who like to display your cooking ammunition, then you can buy open rack stands for displaying your crockery and save space in a smart way.

Make your kitchen as de-cluttered as possible so that you can have space to keep fruits, nuts, and other nutrient-filled go-to foods on the kitchen table so that your children or you may have easy access to them. Also, colorful fruits on the table are a visual delight to your eyes.

Cleaning up and making room in your kitchen can also help you keep important things visible. It also adds to reducing prep time and keeping you from stressing when you are short of time or space such as when your cooking space becomes a social hangout during family dinners and parties. Also, if you are like me and you don’t do dishes right after a meal, you can fit in deep sinks where you can “hide” the dirty dishes - - so the overall aesthetics of your kitchen space does not look tainted by a pile of visible dirty dishes.

Tip Two: Light Up

Experts say natural sunlight helps you connect with nature and inspire your food choices. It makes your space well-lit and saves electricity. A healthy dose of sunlight also aids to enhance the overall feel and mood of your kitchen space.

For exposure, you can start with opening your windows and blinds. Let the light inside and brighten your cooking experience. You can also install a skylight – it will improve the light effect when it’s sunny and give you a cozy, comfortable feeling when it’s raining outside.

Since the idea is to light up your mood and help you ease into character, you can also set up a docking station or put in a radio stand so that you can listen and enjoy your favorite songs, podcast, or just catch up on news.  A soft distraction, in the form of music, also adds to the ambience of your cooking space.

Tip Three: Fill Up

This one is all about your food choices and how you can make the most of your kitchen space by presenting easily accessible healthy foods and having an indoor herb garden, and the flavorful aroma it produces.

The first step is to decide how you can re-organize your pantry. Start by cleaning the shelves and sorting the food into groups. You can separate them into four different categories such as items you use daily, items that you use less frequently, items that are about to expire, and unopened stocks that you do not think should be part of your healthy lifestyle. The latter food items, you can even donate.

To Conclude

These three tips are your first lesson in making your kitchen another feel good space in your home. You can start with these, and then go from there to explore other ways to make your life better. Be as creative as you like. Be simple and enjoy deliciously healthy food in your new, more relaxing kitchen. 

Note:  This is Sherry’s last scheduled article for Port Of Harlem.  After about 10 years of writing for the magazine in print and online, we wish her continued success.

Will the Senate Finally Get A Black Woman?

With 63 percent of the vote, Congressman Tammy Duckworth defeated two Black opponents to win the Democratic nomination for US Senate from Illinois. Andrea Zopp came in second with 25 percent and Napoleon Harris finished with 12 percent of the vote.

There are still at least two more chances that a Black woman will join the Senate. In Maryland, Congresswoman Donna Edwards (pictured left) and in California State Attorney Kamila Harris hope to become the first Black women to sit in the upper legislative body since Carolyn Moseley-Braun (D-IL) lost her seat and left the Senate in 1999. Moseley-Braun has been the only Black woman to ever serve in the Senate.

The Senate currently has two Blacks, Tim Scott (R-SC) and Cory Booker (D-NJ). Moseley-Braun has endorsed Edwards, who is a single mother. She also mustered the support of Emily’s List, which supports pro-choice Democratic women running for congress and governor, and other liberal organizations such as Daily Kos, which produces a national progressive online newsletter.

Meet Three Muslims Voting for
Donald Trump

Donald Trump has called for barring Muslims from entering the United States, argued for surveillance of mosques, and suggested he’d be open to creating a registry of American Muslims.

Still, the Republican front-runner has some fans among the American Muslim community, which is made up of 3.3. million people, representing roughly one percent of the U.S. population.

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By Julianne Malveaux