Kitchen musings

You know how most pictures of kitchens showcase the spacious layout and fancy appliances? You won't see that here. My kitchen is ridiculously small: 8' x 14'--and it's supposedly "eat-in." Needless to say, I do not eat in it, although I do have a small table in which I deposit the day's detritus. It doesn't have a dishwasher, which made me realize what dishwashers are actually for: hiding dirty dishes. I do not mind washing dishes, I just wish I didn't have to do it so often in order to get rid of the spectacle of dirty dishes.

Nonetheless, it is just me and it's not like I'm catering large dinner parties. Working with limitations (space, as well as--gasp--an electric stove) is not always a bad thing. One adapts. The ability to adapt is a good thing, right?

This is not my kitchen; it's a restaurant in Prague. But I loved their utensil sign, and it made me appreciate my little utensil rack more...

And lest you think there is no color...

Just pictures I

Sometimes I don't feel like writing...most of the time, in fact! So here's some plain old pictures...

Pie for National Pie Day (January 23). Graham cracker crust--coconut cream, but half the custard mixed with chocolate instead of coconut--meringue. A bit much. Note lovely pie plate by my mom!

Green mashed potatoes. Just throw some broccoli in towards the end of boiling your potatoes and then mash them all up together. Yummy. But then again, mashed potatoes are next to godliness, really.

Mom's dishes

A lot of my photos (see here, or here, or here) have a common trait: they feature pieces of pottery my mom has made. She has been a potter since the early '70s and while she often complains about the tedious, repetitive nature of "functional" pieces (e.g. dishes), I adore them!

platter

the best cereal/soup bowls--really!

oblong casserole/bread pan

This may look like any old plate, but actually it is quite extraordinary! The clay was dug from the river banks near where I grew up--the Sturgeon River, to be exact. The clay is somewhat red and comes through beautifully under this thin white glaze.

And my all time favorite!

This has been glued back together several times, and even when I only have shards left I will still keep those!

The Humble Wooden Spoon

A friend of mine was recently trying to figure out if she should get a food processor or a stand mixer. Having never had big kitchens to work in--or a desire to spend a small fortune--I have always done without these appliances (though I may get my mother's 10-year-old food processor one of these days). I also do not have a microwave.

But this got me thinking about what "appliances" I do have..and treasure. #1 are my wooden spoons. Love them!! From stirring almost everything I cook or bake to the perfect utensil for non-stick pans, I use several every day. Here's to you humble wooden spoon!