Cookinggal's Favorite Thing

Cookinggal likes everything in her kitchen to be just right--all the cabinets organized, the countertops clear of debris and no drawers that she'd be embarrassed for guests to open (except that one catch-all drawer with batteries, clothes pins, coupons, church offertory envelopes and birthday candles). But there was one thing that always bothered Cookinggal. The fact that she’s writing in the third person? Yes, that’s part of it. But there was something else:

I (back to first person) hated how my dish soap just sat there by the sink. I looked for solutions to this unsightly problem at other people’s houses and I found two:

1. Put the dish soap under the sink
2. Get a cute William Sonoma dish and hand soap caddy

I had issues with both of these. As far as putting it under the sink, maybe I wash dishes more than other people or maybe I’m just lazy but I hated having to bend down to get out the soap every time I needed it. So that didn’t work.

I thought the WS caddy was adorable but, as Frank pointed out, did I want to pump out my dish soap? Absolutely not, I agreed. I’m not gonna stick a big pot under a pump bottle. It’s awkward, annoying and just not practical.

So every time I’d find myself at a store with kitchen stuff—Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Linens and Things, etc—I would search for the perfect dish soap holder, one with a spout on top so I could turn it over to release the soap. Basically, I wanted the functionality of the bottle it came in but in a permanent, aesthetically pleasing container.

I couldn’t find one. Seriously, they just don’t make them.

But then I was at Frank’s Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Jovita’s house over Thanksgiving. I was doing dishes and I couldn’t find the dish soap. I did, however, see the olive oil holder next to the sink and it was filled with a yellow substance. “This is a dumb question,” I said, “but is this the dish soap?”

It WAS the dish soap. I said to sister-in-law Julie (two blogs in a row with a Julie mention!), “Look at this! What a clever idea for the dish soap!”

Julie agreed and said, “Yes, that’s the liquor holder!”

“Ummm…I’m pretty sure it’s the olive oil holder but that’s okay because this is a brilliant idea!”

When we got back home I jumped off the plane, headed straight to Target (okay, it was like two days later) and bought myself an olive oil holder to use as a dish soap bottle:

I’m so pleased with it. Thanks, Aunt Jovita! It looks cute; it works great and only once have I almost used it for cooking.