My utensil drawer angered me. At least 3X a week my cutlery drawer picks a fight with me. The fights always start the same way every time.
I gently lay my utensil back in the drawer, shmush it down with my hand, give it a few slow rolls in and out to make sure it fits and then I close the drawer g e n t l y y yyyyy.
10 minutes later, forgetting the needle & thread precision I had to use to safely close the drawer, I grab the handle and pull as violently as possible. It opens 1.5" then slams on the brakes.
You're asking yourself, well why not open the drawer carefully? Because it does not matter. If I open it gently something will still get stuck. Will brace itself against the lip of the counter with the strength of Simone Biles.
Which leads me to the revelation that the only explanation for my jumbled utensil drawer is a gymnastics routine. I'm not doing them, but the spatula, grater, peelers and such in the drawer are definitely cartwheeling the minute I shut them in.
Tonight in a surprise adult move, instead of smashing everything in again - I tidied up the drawer. It took about 10 minutes. It's been driving me crazy for about 10 years.
Today's puzzle is the before and after of the drawer (seen above) which might not look remarkable but the fact that I actually did it on a day I also did laundry certainly is.
The 90 Piece Puzzle
You can now make the puzzle with as many or as few pieces as you want.
WANT MORE PUZZLE PIECES?
CLICK THE 3 DOTS ON THE UPPER RIGHT OF THE PUZZLE. Then click "CHANGE NUMBER OF PUZZLE PIECES". You'll be able to select however many pieces you want up to over 200 pieces.
To make the puzzle as reliable as possible:
- Sign up for a Jigidi account and sign in before you do the puzzle. This will automatically save your puzzle for you so you don't lose it if you walk away from it for too long.
- Hold your phone or tablet horizontally, not vertically.
What was my time? 13:47 into solving the puzzle this week, I noticed I was grinding my teeth with stress. I was diligently trying to solve it faster than I normally do which ended with mistakes, retries and yes ... teeth grinding.
So I abandoned it, will regroup, decompress and return to it when I've had a night guard made.
Have a good weekend. Clean a drawer out.
TK
My comment is for the video. Wear your own N95 mask on the flight. Don't depend on other people wearing theirs. Their masks will not protect you. Surgical and fabric masks will not protect you, or them.
Dana
I always wonder how all the crumbs get in my utensil drawer.
Karen
I KNOW! ~ karen
Kat - the other 1
Its my littlest sister. No matter how old she gets she (& mom) cannot close the drawer, then they make food, and or "sweep" the crumbs off the counter, and poof! Crumb-y drawer! Its all their fault. They probably do it at other peoples houses too. In the middle of the night when no ones looking. Or maybe brownies do it. (Not the eating kind lol. They're kinda like a smaller version of house elves from harrypotter.) I just can't understand people who choose not to completely close kitchen drawers (the ones that DO close). Just push it closed! You're driving me nuts! Lol. Anyway, feel free to blame lol sis, I'm sure its all her fault. 😁
Kat - the other 1
"blame lol sis," Spellcheck! Grr! That should be lil, or little. I need a drink... 😉
Irene
I wish that I could show you a photo!
After I had a hissy fit one day, my husband made a 3 bar rack to go above my oven, and now ALL the pesky items that aren't conveniently flat go up there; the pasta spoon, the soup spoon and so on.
I also have my delicate non-stick pans up there; no more scratches from stacking them!
Of course, a rack can go on any kitchen wall that has space, not jut above the stove.
Karen
You're lucky! I used to always want a pot rack that went over my kitchen island until I realized my kitchen is so small and ceilings so low that it wouldn't work. So I stack and scratch. :/ ~ karen!
Ada Berry
Hi Karen,
Love your blog, as always. I got a magnet bar for my kitchen. I think it's actually for tools, but I put my knives, peelers, scissors etc on there and that freed up a lot of space in my utensil drawer. My tongs are going up there next.
Karen
I love those, unfortunately I have no wall space for it. :/ ~ karen!
Marie
Are those safety glasses I see?
Karen
They're my onion googles. They have foam around them so when you put them on, onion vapours can't get in your eyes. They were a ridiculous Christmas gift that I use all the time. ~ karen!
Jan in Waterdown
Omg, the same thing happened last Saturday at my SIL’s house while prepping Thanksgiving dinner. However, the drawer also contained all the carving knives and one of them became wedged at both ends into the drawer. Actually the pointy bit was embedded in the wood due to repeated yankings on the drawer, because of course we all know that frequency and power *always* fixes things. Luckily, I am the official family turkey carver and brought my own super sharp knives, thus saving the day. My husband has offered to buy me a proper Lee Valley knife roll for future adventures.
Cara M Powers
I just want you to know there are several items in your cutlery drawer that I could not identify. What is the yellow thing with little bumps? How many small graters are there, in fact, I'm just assuming they are graters. These little tools can make food prep and presentation delightful.
Thera
It’s a corn on the cob peeler, to get the cooked kernels off the core
Karen
The yellow thing with the bumps is a corn shucker. It has teeth on one end and you just push it from the top of the cob down. ~ karen!
Randy P
Extra fun puzzle - 18:21 - I had a non-stop smile on my face. Because EVERYONE has at least one drawer like this. Most of us have several -lol Thanks for sharing.
Ruth
So so so sorry you are/have been so sick 😟
Karen
HI Ruth. Why do you think I'm sick? ~ karen!
Margot Hatheway
You might enjoy Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, a tongue in cheek series of stories about a world much like ours except flat and carried on the back of four elephants on the back of a space tortoise. The relevant part today is the goddess, Anoia: Goddess of Things That Get Stuck in Drawers, a minor goddess on the Discworld. When someone rattles a drawer and cries "How can it close on the damned thing but not open with it? Who bought this? Do we ever use it?", even though the person might be genuinely irritated or even exasperated, it is as praise unto Anoia. Faithful Anoians (worshippers of Anoia) purposefully rattle their drawers and complain every day. Anoia also finds objects that roll under other objects and things stuck in sofa cushions, and is considering handling stuck zippers. She eats corkscrews.
Karen
Are you sure it's corkscrews that she eats and not measuring tapes? ~ karen!
Mary W
30 minutes and I was going fast so how did that happen? Must be the way I remember my elementary school days as happening just a few years ago and the calendar shows I'm 77 yo. You have invented a puzzle that speeds time!
Karen
It's a hard puzzle! ~karen
George
Get. More. Drawers.
Mary W
this made me laugh - thanks
Amber
The fantasy author Terry Pratchett created Anoia, the goddess of things that get stuck in drawers. Apparently rattling the drawers while cursing is as praise unto her.
Hilary Gibbons
I was just about to say the same thing Amber!
Kath
First off, I have to thank you for introducing me to Jigidi, it’s my new favorite. I always learn so much from you!!
And that is a gorgeous drawer. But I have to ask — what is the cute little chicken in the lower left used for?
Chris
Maybe an egg timer? It really is cute whatever it is...
Karen
Oh! That's for keeping a pot lid slightly open. You slide it onto the rim of the pot and when you put the lid on it allows a bit of steam to escape. I use it to keep my crisper open a little bit too. ~ karen!
Nina
That puzzle was way too fun! Who else but you would make one out of their utensil drawer? But it reminds me to get mine straightened out before I start holiday cooking...
Jennifer
I don’t geek out on puzzles, but I DO geek out on organized drawers! I don’t know if that makes more or less of a nerd, but I would love to see a picture of the “after” drawer look! Pretty please?
Sally
The photograph shows both! The left side of the red line is 'before', the right is the 'after'.
DoIHaveTo?
Red line?? Ha! I had to go back and look! Lol, I thought it was just a BIG drawer!
So many things are missing from the one on the right though, where'd they go?? Another drawer as one mentioned? You're going to need those missing things and wonder where they are when you look in the drawer for them lol! At least that's how it works out here lol.
Ruth
Ice. Cubes. About ice cubes---- Reading about newfangled fridges, consistently reviews indicate that ice makers are the part most likely to break down in a fridge/freezer. I too have opted not to have a built in ice maker. I do have a WONDERFUL newfangled ice cube tray that has a lid. This I like a lot. Two moving parts. Nothing can go wrong can go wrong can go wrong.
Nina
Ice cubes & trays...good puzzle idea!
Ellie Fournier
Hahaha . . . just had to comment on the title of your post.
In the states we say, "(*******) has it IN for me."
Apparently, in Canada the phrase uses 'out' not 'in.'
Not an earth-shattering observation, yet it piqued my interest :)
Karen
Now that you mention it, I say both. And I may be the only Canadian who does so, lol. Hopefully others will chime in. ~ karen!
Jan in Waterdown
Ok now I’m overthinking this and talking in my head waaay too much 🙄. Canadian here…… think I say “in”. Or maybe both? 🤷🏼♀️ I’ll get back to you on that.
DoIHaveTo?
I've heard and possibly said both. USA here. The south though, so everything goes lol.
TucsonPatty
One of my fellow ADHD friends and I joke about the mess everything in our lives is in, but by golly - my silverware drawer is absolute perfection! Neat, forks nestling together neatly, spoons gently spooning…it all looks so lovely. I only with my utensil drawer had as much class! 😂 Silverware drawer is as good as it gets in my house! 😂😂