What’s Cooking?


🍲 Cookbooks, Clutter & a Colorado Kind of Day



Finding Space—In the Kitchen and the Heart


Good evening, friends,


I hope today brought you something meaningful—whether it was checking off a to-do, sharing a smile, or simply taking a well-deserved rest. 💛


As for me… I’m still deep in the kitchen. All week long.

And let me tell you—this is turning out to be one of the most challenging areas to declutter yet.





🥴 The Kitchen Conundrum



The hardest part isn’t even letting things go.

It’s figuring out where to put them until they’re gone!


My hallway is overflowing with boxes and bags of donations. Tables are lined with fragile glassware and table settings, waiting to be sold or passed along. Compared to packing up clothes or books, dishes and glass are a whole different beast. They’re awkward, delicate, and require way more care and space than I anticipated.





📚 A Cookbook Confession



Today, I turned my attention to something I thought would be easier: my cookbook collection.


I was wrong.


I had around 60 cookbooks, and if I’m honest with myself, I really only use three. Yet each book held a little piece of memory—of who I thought I might be (a gourmet chef, perhaps?) or someone I once cherished, like my grandma whose cooking I still dream of.


At 50, my cooking is mostly intuitive or inspired by a quick online search. So why was it so hard to let go?


Because these books are more than recipes—they’re snapshots of identity, legacy, and love. So, what should’ve been a quick job turned into a full-day sit-down, paging through each one and gently asking: “Does this still speak to me?”


In the end, I kept about 15. My goal is to get down to 5, but for now, that’s enough progress. I’ll return to it in a few weeks with fresh eyes.





🎹 A Serendipitous Surprise



In searching for a place to donate the cookbooks, I posted in our local Facebook community group.

To my surprise, someone suggested a local bar I’ve visited many times. Apparently, there’s a shelf near the piano where people can freely exchange books.


I never even noticed it!

What a perfect place for stories—both shared and sipped.





💧 Decluttering Tip of the Day



Since it was warm here in Colorado today, here’s a gentle reminder:



✨ Stay hydrated.



✨ Take small breaks.

✨ Have a snack.

✨ Step outside for fresh air.


Decluttering is deceptively demanding—not just physically, but emotionally and mentally too. So give yourself grace. Your body and heart are working hard.




Wishing you a peaceful evening—

I’ll likely be dreaming of dishes from faraway lands tonight…


Hugs,

Anke


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