
Do you have any kitchen quirks? What about your partner or roommates?
Maybe you are wondering what I mean by a kitchen quirk. Basically it’s anything that drives your significant other batshit crazy.
I’ll offer some examples:
– Always sticking produce stickers on the counter despite your husband’s pleas not to (my long-time readers will get this, if you don’t, see Part 1 and Part 2)
– Loading the dishwasher in a very specific way (spoiler alert)
– Only wanting the cutlery drawer to be perfectly stacked with everything facing the same direction
– Organizing the fridge or pantry in a certain way and insisting that it’s kept in this precise order
– Debating with your partner/roommate about whether certain foods should be refrigerated or not
– Turning cans so that the label always faces the same way, are arranged by alphabet/colour/etc
I like to think of myself as a recipe creating tornado and I frequently drive Eric nuts because he is so much more organized than I am. When you are with someone for almost 15 years you learn every one of their little (and big) quirks. Day by day….by day.
Want to know what Eric’s biggest kitchen quirk is?
Aside from me, it’s the dishwasher.
The guy has a thing for dishwasher organization. It’s his pride and joy. And it’s actually impressive, the dedication that he puts into carefully loading and stacking the dishwasher every day. He has refined his technique over the years too, always improving. Impressive. At first glance, you might think that he’s just a normal guy unloading or loading the dishwasher, but you’d be wrong, very wrong. He is not normal. Eric has been trying to enlighten me with his genius dishwasher short-cuts ever since we got together. I stubbornly refused for years until I recently discovered how amusing it is to see him so proud when I use his “tricks”. He beams with pride.
My sister was over yesterday and after dinner we got talking about how her husband/my brother-in-law insists that the dishwasher is loaded in a certain way. Hmm sounds familiar. So began a hilarious conversation with us and the guys talking about how a dishwasher should be loaded. She said, “Steve will actually UNLOAD the dishes that I have loaded and then reload the machine!” Well, that rings a bell. I hear Eric tinkering away with unloading and reloading my dishes every night. He also has a system of loading my measuring spoons (because I typically use about 20+ on any given day of recipe testing). We have a dishwasher with a narrow top tray for cutlery and he has created this whole system of how to load the measuring spoons and other utensils so that they don’t collect/pool any water…right down to which direction they face for optimum drying. Like I said, not normal…but impressive.
I should also mention that we had a 10+ year ongoing debate about whether ketchup should be refrigerated or not. I said that, yes, ketchup should be refrigerated and he always said it shouldn’t (just a personal preference on his part). One day I pointed out the label which reads “Keep refrigerated” and it’s been in the fridge ever since! Case closed. Mystery solved. He finally gave in (even if it’s perfectly fine at room temperature).
Of course, this story wouldn’t be complete without Eric weighing in on my biggest kitchen quirk.
Without even blinking an eye he said, “chaos.”
Nailed it. Martha would so not approve of my kitchen ways.
Ok, it’s your turn to spill the beans. What are your kitchen quirks? What about your partner or roommates’ quirks?






Crazy Good Coconut Oil "Chocolate" Bark

Yield
20 pieces
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Chill time
15 minutes
Total time
This homemade chocolate is made with just a few essential ingredients - virgin coconut oil, cocoa or cacao powder, and pure maple syrup. (Feel free to use whichever liquid sweetener you prefer). The virgin coconut oil replaces the cocoa butter found in traditional chocolate so while it needs to be kept in the freezer, it’s a great way to sneak some coconut oil into your day. You can also use any toppings you'd like - dried fruit, nuts, + seeds all work lovely. It melts much faster than regular chocolate, so be sure to keep it chilled until ready to enjoy. I prefer it straight from the freezer.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup raw hazelnuts
- 1/4 cup raw almonds
- 1/3 cup large flake dried coconut
- 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
- 1/2 cup cocoa or cacao powder, sifted if necessary
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon smooth almond butter, optional
- pinch fine sea salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 300F. Line a 9" square pan or a small baking sheet with two pieces of parchment paper, one going each way. Set aside.
- Add hazelnuts and almonds on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet and add the coconut flakes and spread out. Continue roasting the nuts and coconut flakes for another 3-4 minutes, or until the coconut is lightly golden. Watch closely to avoid burning - coconut burns fast!
- Place hazelnuts on several sheets of damp paper towel. Wrap the hazelnuts and rub them vigorously with the paper towel until the skins fall off. It’s ok if some skins don’t come off. Discard the skins and roughly chop the hazelnuts and almonds.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the coconut oil over low heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa (or cacao) powder, maple syrup, and almond butter (if using) until smooth. Add a pinch of sea salt to taste. Stir in half of the almonds and hazelnuts.
- With a spatula, spoon the chocolate mixture onto the prepared parchment-lined pan or sheet and smooth out until it's about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle on the remaining nuts and all of the coconut flakes. Place into freezer on a flat surface for about 15 minutes, until frozen solid.
- Once frozen, break apart into bark. Store in the freezer until ready to eat. I don't recommend keeping it out on the counter long because it melts fast.
Tip:
Tip: To make this nut-free, simply omit the almond butter, hazelnuts, and almonds. It will still turn out just fine! You can try adding toasted sunflower seeds on top for a little crunch.

Enjoy!
I totally hear this! Mine is that I can’t leave dirty dishes in the sink, it drives me NUTS. My fiance on the other hand leaves a tornado in his wake, with doors open and crumbs trailed on the countertop. Oh well, we all have our quirks, right? This bark is perfect Angela, a little bit of all the good stuff!
We just ate this and it is very good. Easy to make.
This is hilarious. I am also guilty of sticking produce stickers to the counter. What else are you supposed to do with them while you’re in the middle of meal prep? I have to have a clean kitchen before I start cooking. Then I leave it dirty for my partner to clean afterward. :)
Oh. My. Angela!! I DIED laughing!! Literally. Your description of Eric and the dishwasher sounds like one of my family members describing me! I have been known to reload the dishwasher *multiple* times a day, as it acquires more stuff and then I go to load something and practically go into convulsions since the inside of the dishwasher looks to me like a bomb of dishes exploded inside of it. :P But unfortunately my kitchen “quirks” (maybe better described as panic-and-freak -out moments ;) ) are by no means limited to the dishwasher…counters filled with Stuff, dirty counters, too many people in the kitchen… I have problems. :P Lol…thanks for sharing; there are other crazies out there! :)
Mine is not standing when people pile dirty dishes into the sink. When I wash dishes by hand I stack them neatly on the counter next to the sink and then wash them over the sink one at a time. My mom’s worst is that she will put everything she sees sitting on the counter (any fork, knife, glass of water) into the sink! Even if I had just been using it a few minutes before and was going to continue. Then to me its already dirty from sitting in the sink so I need to rewash it. Haha I normally don’t complain about these things but its nice to vent.
This looks so good! My kitchen quirk (besides the unholy mess I make) is that I leave all the cabinet doors open. I’m not sure how this started, but my husband teases me about it all the time!
I do this too! Because I’m short I often forget about them and don’t notice it but my boyfriend is tall and always turn around and hits his head on them! …oops :P
Ha ha ha….produce stickers! Yes…I remember back in the day when you and Eric would placed produce stickers on each other’s shoe/shoelaces. So funny!!
This looks DEEEELISH.
Hi Angela,
Just making this now- very excited since it seems the perfect pick me up for my day! Any tips for working with coconut oil??? I love it, but find it so hard to get it out of the jar… Have to scoop it out and then it flakes and sticks to everything: my fingers, the spoon, the measuring cup, counter top…
I go through an absurd number of towels and dish clothes in the kitchen. I’m forever walking away with a towel slung over my shoulder, only to abandon it somewhere else in the house. I do, however, excel at Dishwasher Tetris and will reload dishes my husband has put in if I can put MORE dishes in there.
As a fellow dishwasher reorganizer, I understand this situation completely! I mean, how else are you going to get all your dishes in there with maximum efficiency and no random cups left out in the sink? I ask you. :) This chocolate bark sounds great — so full of tasty nuts! Yay!
This looks crazy good!
Looks so delicious. My husband is lactose intolerance, dairy milk chocolate is a big no no for him. I will definitely try this sooooonnnn. Thanks so much for sharing.
My husband has the SAME dishwasher quirk. He insists I have no idea what I’m doing. :)
As for me, it’s creating clutter with my computer, books, notes, etc. all over our tiny counter space while cooking!
Oh my this was SO funny to read I actually laughed out loud. My dad will UNLOAD the dishwasher too to reload it and has been doing it since I was little. It’s almost comforting when I see him do it when I go home now to visit!
I’d have to say my biggest kitchen quirk is keeping everything in the refrigerator in the same place every time I buy it, like I never ran out. Weird, but it works for me! Great post!!
Sounds and looks fantastic! I’m going to make it this weekend!
This sounds so yummy! The dishwasher business is such a kitchen quirk for me. I’m the one who has to load it just so. My bf is afraid at this point to load it….he knows that if he does, I’m just going to re-do it anyway! The silverwear is where I really do get a bit nutty. Forks must go with forks, spoons get segregated, etc. It just makes unloading it so very much easier. I can unload the dishwasher in record time!
This sounds so yummy! The dishwasher business is such a kitchen quirk for me. I’m the one who has to load it just so. My bf is afraid at this point to load it….he knows that if he does, I’m just going to re-do it anyway! The silverwear is where I really do get a bit nutty. Forks must go with forks, spoons get segregated, etc. It just makes unloading it so very much easier. I can unload the dishwasher in record time!
Haha I do the same thing with produce stickers! Also sometimes I find them stuck to my socks or in my hair or other weird places.
Does Eric clean your recipe testing dishes??? That is true love! There is definitely no color coordinating of pantry items or labels facing the same way, etc. I would say it’s organized chaos. Same with the fridge. I don’t really know what my kitchen quirks are! Chris definitely is cautious of our good cutting knives being placed in the sink for long periods or time because they can rust and break more easily with other dishes stacked around them. I try to stay on top of the knife cleaning when I’m cooking so we don’t have any casualties. ;) I will say all of the photography props drive Chris INsane. He never knows where anything goes, haha. I really don’t think I am super particular about things in the kitchen and I don’t have set ways on organization. Keeping the kitchen clean is hard enough!