In The Kitchen

I was asked about my kitchen, what sort of appliances I have and such. Really its a pretty simple kitchen. I have a refrigerator, a large upright freezer, a microwave which we use only sparingly, we have concerns about microwaved foods. I have a blender for smoothies, a hand mixer that is seldom used, a toaster, and an espresso coffee maker that I got for $4 at Goodwill. Mostly I use my French presses for coffee making but in winter, my stove top peculator gets used on the wood stove most mornings. There you have it, oh forgot, just recently Emery purchased an electric can opener. I am still getting used to having that. I have a washing machine, no dryer.

Mostly I use cast iron for cooking, but have stainless steel pots and pans too. Matter of fact they are rather new, after 28 years of using the same Faberware pans that I got when we married, the handles were coming loose so we bought new pans last year. Come cold weather, I will cook on the wood stove whenever possible.

We buy several items in bulk, large quantities so there are gallon jars lining the back of one counter top, filled with things like oatmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, bear mush hot cereal, honey and coconut. Noodles and white flour are kept in 5 gallon buckets, yeast is in a half gallon jar in the fridge. There is no dishwasher, although at times after a big family meal, when no one offers to help clean up : ( I tell Emery I want one ! There is no bread maker, I love to knead dough, I pray for my family the entire time I am kneading the bread so its a special time for me, and being a bit of a purest, having a machine do all the work, makes it seem NOT homemade, but machine made. Thats my opinion, for me and don't feel judged by my statement if you have one. Feel like I need to add a disclaimer this week for my opinions ! I don't own a food processor or a big mixer thing. But I do own a champion juicer. Have had the same one for over 20 years. We have a hand crank ice cream maker that gets used a couple times each summer. We use only glass storage containers, no plastic containers for left overs and we don't use aluminum foil except when I bake sweet potatoes, I put it under the potatoes to protect my pans, they make such a mess when you bake them. I use cookie sheets as lids when I bake something that should be covered. It's a health issue for me, ever notice the tiny holes in aluminum foil when you cover something with it, where does the foil that has been eaten away go.... right into your food, that goes right into your stomach !

My kitchen has a long shelf of spices. Love cooking with spices. My cupboards are not filled with mixes or packaged meals. I use what I buy. There are always ingredients for a few favorite casseroles on hand for unexpected company. It happens and I like to be prepared. I try to keep several meals in the freezer too for the days that I am busy with little time for the kitchen. If you have worked stacking wood all afternoon, its hard to come in with enthusiasm for baking.

I don't use a lot of cleaning products. My own homemade soap is always handy. Melissa is most thankful she no longer has to grate soap for the wash, she had scrapped knuckles more often than not when she did that job. I have gone to purchasing laundry soap from time to time. Melissa is probably saying, good naturedly "sure mom, now that I am not home to do that job, you buy laundry soap."

Now in writing this all out, I am not saying its the only way to live ! I am just telling you about my own kitchen. What works for me, and how I feel about certain things in the kitchen.

The wall that holds my pots and pans has not been redone yet. We are putting in a window on that wall and my husband wants me to wait until he completes that job for me to redecorate it.

The rest of the kitchen is just about complete. This job has taken a very long time with Mei-Ling so sick and our wanting to be at the hospital with her. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will my kitchen be done in a day, or a month for that matter, but certainly less than a year : )