the inconvenience of small living spaces

it was love at first sight the moment i set eyes on my apartment. . . it's a small but beautiful space with amazing closets, a large (for ny) kitchen, nice hard wood floors, and to the ceiling windows. there isn't much i would change- except for more counter space and a bigger fridge.

a small (and i mean mini size) fridge means more frequent trips to the grocery store and eating fresher foods since i only have just enough space for a few days worth of food. this has proven challenging for dinner parties, finding room for leftovers, and stocking up at rare trips to stew leondards, chinatown, or trader joes. overall, i think it encourages a healthy approach to living so i don't mind.

while i have a decent amount of counterspace- i like to keep my kitchen looking as uncluttered as possible. . . for two years i only used a stovetop coffeemaker but eventually switched to a mini coffee maker as a compromise. i don't have a toaster, microwave, or toaster oven, blender, or food processor. while i manage without, some days, i feel a longing for the convenience of a toaster oven or microwave.

today is one of those days. by the time i rolled out of bed and the boy had left to head home, it was 2pm. i was starving and lunch would have to be quick and easy. tuna melt!!

i dumped a can of tuna in a bowl and mixed in some dijon. put the spread on whole wheat toast and covered it with a layer of wasabi cheese. ok, so now i need to warm up the tuna, bread, and melt the cheese. if i was at work, i would heat the tuna in a microwave and toast the bread. i don't have those options. . .so i crank up the oven to broil and pop in the sandwich for a few minutes. . yes, easy, but i feel it's such a waste of energy.