New Thing: Replace Kitchen Counter Lights

Okay, so here's my first DIY project around the house. The kitchen came with a series of lights mounted underneath the kitchen cupboards, above the counter. I like the look of the lighting, but I have a couple of reasons to want to replace them. First, the wiring is a mess. Close to a dozen individual lighting units with a messy daisy-chain of cords and plugs. Second, the lights are not energy efficient. For their small size, they generate a pretty significant amount of heat. In fact, I noticed that I was going to 'cook' some of my spices that are stored in one of the cupboards directly above one of the lights if I didn't change something (I disconnected that particular light). The intended solution involves removing all of the old lighting fixtures and replacing them with a LED light 'cord' mounted in their place.