A Day in the Life: the Kitchen

Welcome to our little home!  Would you like a cup of tea or coffee while we chat for awhile? 

Last week I had a sudden burst of energy and decided to do some serious cleaning & reorganizing in our kitchen. Our very small kitchen. And while I was cleaning, I decided it might be fun to give y’all a tour of my happy little place. Our kitchen is small and not laid out very efficiently, but I LOVE to cook so I have learned to make the best of it.

The stove is not the ‘norm’ for the modern-day family. It is what I would guess to be a 1950-60’s style with two ovens that are so narrow half my cookie sheets won’t fit in them. That being said, I LOVE my stove because the burners heat perfectly and the ovens cook to perfection! The white beast might be an eye-sore, but it cooks like angel! Aesthetically speaking however, I think it would more appropriately belong in either Aunt Bee’s or Lucy Ricardo’s kitchen.

Our lovely avocado-green refrigerator stands at a mere 5 ft tall, making it what my mother calls “a conversation piece” because you can talk to another person while looking right across the top of it. Because our refrigerator is so short it becomes a catch-all for things much like a dining room table might: vitamins, coupons, gift-cards, mail, etc, making it a cluttered-up mess! And speaking of that, the top of the refrigerator was the first thing I tackled when I started deep-cleaning the kitchen.

BEFORE

AFTER

I also needed to jazz up the overhead of the cupboards because that is the first thing people see when they walk into the house. I just grabbed a few things from different places in the house and I thought it turned out rather cute.

There were several other adjustments made, things gotten rid of that don't get used, shelves organized, and then the counter tops were scrubbed, floor swept, dished all washed. 

Just in time for me to cook a big meal and dirty it all up again!

Tonight's Menu:

Classic Italian Lasagna

Sautéed Green Beans w/ Pecans

Cheddar Biscuits

Biscuits baking in the oven 

Pecans caramelizing on the stove

Finished Green Beans

Let's Eat!!!

  

Wonderfully Made

In my last post I mentioned that at times I feel like a bit of a contradiction.
Could that mean that I have *gasp*… quirks?
Indeed I do. (Just ask my husband!)

But you know what? I’m okay with that.

Also in addition to quirks, I have insecurities. Big. Time.

I hate being the center of attention or being up in front of people (even if it’s only going around the room and everybody having to say their name – hate that!).

I don’t really like ‘friendly’ social gatherings because I would much more prefer a quiet chat over a cappuccino than a high-energy party where I have to mingle and come up with cutesy small-talk chatter.

I spent a long time not feeling brave enough to step out of my comfort-zone and try new things, even if deep down I wanted to. (My husband is amazing at helping me with this one!).

I constantly struggle with feelings of failure and inferiority. Often scared of trying something because I’m afraid I’ll fail at it.

But guess what?

Regardless of the quirks or insecurities I may have, I am so glad that I am created in God's image and am fearfully and wonderfully made! (Psalm 139:14) He knew me before the foundations of the earth, and He chose me to be His own. He loves me, quirks and all, and delights in the fact I am His child. Each day He is working on me, working in my heart, on my attitude, and leading & guiding my life. This work of sanctification won’t be completed until He calls me Home, but I’m so glad He doesn’t give up on me while I’m here. I get scared and insecure, and all I want to do is retreat into my “bubble” or comfort zone (or crawl under my desk…) but that’s when I have to remember that I am a child of the Most High God and that is where my confidence will come from, must come from, and does come from. The ‘confidence’ the world offers us isn’t the real deal. It comes with strings and no sort of lifetime warranty. It’s a teaser, often with consequences…but I’ll save that for another post.

So reach for Truth – God’s truth, and that is where your strength will come from.

This & That

I get bored:

• I read three books at once because I get bored when I have to stick to just one until I finish it.
• My craft room has 3+ projects going at once with ideas for a dozen more just waiting to explode from my brain.
• I try to find new ways to accessorize my outfits because I get bored with the way they look.
• Our menu looks different every single week because I get bored with making the same dishes all the time.
• I often get the urge to move furniture around the house to jazz up my surroundings.
• My “signature scent” is really three different ones, because the one I choose to wear that day depends on my mood.

But on the flip side…

• I love watching the same half a dozen movies over and over and over because they are always the same, always happy, and I know how they’re going to end.
• I love living in the same town I grew up in, and thinking that if winter didn’t last for six months it would be the most perfect place to live.
• I love ‘timeless’ pieces that never go out of style: jewelry, clothing, art.

 I feel like a bit of a walking-contradiction.