Yes, No or Maybe - Part 2

Once we had a grip on the food (Yes, No or Maybe - Part 1), it was time for Part 2 of "Yes, No or Maybe". It was time to go through every dish, pot, pan, piece of Tupperware, utensil, every odd peeler, slicer and dicer, the Ginsu knives, the "Bassomatic"- everything.

If you have a Huge Ton of Stuff, I suggest focusing your efforts on the kitchen, getting everything in the kitchen out, and hitting appliances that are stored elsewhere later.

I got out a huge Rubbermaid container. I put all my tupperware and plastic cooking utensils in there. Actually, I ended up putting ALL plastic utensils, but this was a mistake- only the ones that were involved in heat or put through a dishwasher (or directly touched treyfe) had to go for sure. But I decided to play it safe and replace whatever seemed remotely questionable.

I left the metal cooking utensils for cooking in the kitchen and some Ziploc bags for storage, paper plates and plastic utensils, disposable cooking trays. The big Rubbermaid went out on the balcony.

Then I started moving everything to the dining room table.

I made three sections.

On the right were things I knew I could kasher (glass and stainless steel cookery that didn't have a non-stick or any kind of special finish).

I put thing I knew had to go, but that were nicer than plastic Tupperware- things I needed to give away- on the far left (ceramics, earthenware, wooden spoons that have stirred hot stuff, etc). My sister kindly pointed out that my favorite mugs or bowls could still be kept and used to hold non-food items. I put things that I wasn't sure of, or that there might be some kind of loophole for in the middle of the table.

But before I finished this process, I ran out of space on my dining room table. I started relocating the three groups to different places. It helped to have the places apart from each other. I moved anything that had to go into another huge Rubbermaid on the balcony. Some of the plastic utensils and Tupperware spent some time as toys for my toddler. These functioned as new toys that entertained him while I focused on this project. Since our kitchen is typically off limits to him (we have a gate) it was particularly exciting for him to get access to all this cool "off-limits" stuff! He even gave me an "are you sure?" look on a few items.

I moved things that I wasn't sure about on a craft table I cleaned off upstairs. There were a couple of things that I wanted to know about sooner rather than later, and they sat at the top of the pile. I left all the things I knew I could kasher on the dining room table, with the glass in the back where my son can't reach.

At this point, things started to get a little frenzied. Laundry was starting to pile up. My baby learned how to walk at some point. Ok, I am exaggerating, but he would periodically come over and nibble on me to get my attention. It was time to take a break. But at least this very important process had started. Once you have everything major out of your kitchen, and every thing you ABSOLUTELY need ready to be kashered, and a list of the things you MUST replace, you will be ready to proceed. But don't be making lots of optional social engagements before then.