In the kitchen

Out of all the rooms in the New Norris House, the kitchen gets the most use. The majority of our meals are eaten at home, so when it’s time for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack we head to the kitchen. Every day we use the cabinets, cooktop, counter, sink, and fridge—and have the added bonus of the view from the window on each visit. I love the design and layout of the kitchen, and know I’ll miss it when our time here is up.

fridge and freezer are on bottom right

The appliances in the kitchen as it was designed are an undercounter refrigerator and freezer, and a cooktop and oven. These serve basic food storage and preparation needs. Two appliances that are often considered essential in kitchens today are a dishwasher or microwave—we have neither, which means less energy use. But, there are times that the immediate conveniences offered by a dishwasher and microwave are missed. Washing dishes by hand and reheating leftovers on the cooktop both take more time and some planning.

making chicken with herb-roasted carrots and potatoes for dinner

The undercounter refrigerator and freezer not only fit the design scheme of the kitchen, but also use less energy than full size models. Previously, we had a full size refrigerator with a bottom freezer—another convenience. For two people, a full size fridge is more than adequate, but we were skeptical about how we’d be able to fit groceries in a much smaller space. It turns out that we’re able to store a week’s worth of food along with the essentials that are always in the fridge (salad dressing, mustard, jam, etc.). We discovered that removing the bottom wired shelf allows half gallon cartons to stand up, and also frees up access to a built-in shelf in the back which provides more storage space.

a peek inside the fridge

The only problem we’ve experienced with the fridge is moisture build up on lettuce/spinach leaves. After a day or two, the leaves have so much moisture on them that they turn soggy and limp. We’ve tried adjusting the temperature, different storage containers, and different storage methods, but haven’t found a solution yet (any ideas to try are welcome!).

It’s time for lunch, so I’m off to the kitchen!

Getting from Point A to Point B

Although the town of Norris is pedestrian friendly, traveling outside town limits requires transportation by car. While living in downtown Knoxville, we didn’t rely too much on our cars. Ken could walk, bike, or ride the trolley to the university. Since I telecommute, the only driving I did was a once a week trip to the grocery store, and errands or appointments that couldn’t be taken care of downtown. It was a nice change of pace not having to fill gas tanks weekly like we did in Phoenix; with the exception of some longer weekend trips, we weren’t using much gasoline to get around town.

gas prices on the rise (source)

Our transportation situation has changed now that we live in Norris. Ken has to drive to campus; the commute is about 23 miles one way and takes about 30-40 minutes depending on traffic. However, his time spent on the road is equivalent to the amount of time it took to walk or ride the trolley to campus from downtown Knoxville.

23 mile commute from NNH to UTK

I’m still telecommuting part-time, but this semester I’m also completing a practicum with a company in Oak Ridge. This means that half of the week I’m driving about 21 miles one way for 40-45 minutes to get to the office. It’s a scenic route, but not on the freeway and with a fair amount of stop-and-go traffic.

21 mile commute from NNH to Oak Ridge

As I’m driving more often now, I’m reminded that a daily commute has financial impacts. Gasoline prices continue to rise. Although both our cars get close to 30 miles per gallon so we’re not filling up quite as often, it’s impossible to escape the price hikes. Every driver has maintenance and insurance costs, and maybe a car payment as well. Other impacts are on personal time—no matter the length of the commute, and on the environment—air quality being affected the most.

(source)

The New Norris House is very energy efficient, but we have to drive while living here. I’m left wondering if it’s better in the long run to live in a highly efficient home and commute to work, or eliminate a commute and live close to work and other amenities in a house or apartment that's not as energy efficient?