What is a One Butt Kitchen?

Right now you might be asking yourself, "What is a One Butt Kitchen? Do I have it? Is it contagious, and is there a cure?" Excellent questions, really. A One Butt Kitchen is exactly what it sounds like - stand in the center and you can reach just about everything. This is a One Butt Kitchen:

As you can see, the fridge and oven cannot be open at the same time. Neither can the oven and the dishwasher. And if you're 5'1", like your humble narrator here, you can't reach the cabinets and unload the dishwasher at the same time. Joy. Other than that, though, it works great for a short person.

OBK is spread through the construction of poorly designed apartments, modular homes, and yes, even houses. Millions of men and women suffer silently every year, and you may be one of them. If you have OBK, you probably already know, though you may be in denial. The only cure for OBK is money - enough to move, that is. In many cases it can be managed, with the use of techniques designed to minimize the chaos and clutter, while still allowing you to enjoy home-cooked meals. 

I'd known about OBK since I was a child, when my Granny had a hallway/kitchen/laundry area in their double-wide trailer. I never thought much of it, since that was all I'd known, but when I went to my friends' houses, something just didn't seem quite right. Allowed in the kitchen while someone was cooking? Preposterous. You couldn't just walk in and rummage though the fridge. You'd be in the way. And these commercials! Something about the kitchen being the gathering point for your home, I don't quite remember. I might have actually laughed out loud at that one. One day Granny sat me down, and explained that she had OBK, and that there was nothing wrong with it, but go ahead and go in the living room because she had to make dinner and fold the whites.

I myself contracted OBK in the summer of 2011, when my husband, Michael, and I moved with our 1-year old, Mikayla, into an apartment. In most regards, it was an upgrade for our little family. We went from sharing one bedroom at my mother-in-law's house, to a two bedroom apartment, with our very own living room, bathroom, and tiny little eat-in kitchen. When we became carriers of OBK, we also passed it on to Mikayla, and when Amelia was born in the fall of 2012, she was born with OBK. I have made a vow to myself to one day overcome this annoying condition, and that is why I also strive to spend less on the food we eat, so that we can buy a house some day.

Until then, I will be here, sharing with you from our daily battle with OBK, providing recipes, different DIY projects that have made my life easier, and techniques to help you as well. If you think you may have OBK, please feel free to leave any questions or controversy in the comments. Thanks!

<3,

Erika