Art in the Kitchen

I have to admit to a fatal flaw. Now, come on. Admit it. You didn't think I had any, did you?

Hmph, well, okay. So I might have one or... twenty-something or another...

Anyway. I love art and I love art that I can incorporate into everyday life. If you are an alert, faithful reader, you just might recognise a few of these pieces from my previous posts.

I just love this bowl from this artist. So much so that I bought it "twice". Be patient. You'll see later what I mean.

Unfortunately, I forget this artist's name. I will make the trip over to Nashville, IN later this year to find out for you, though, as I have several of his pieces.

I bought this at a pottery shop in Hannibal, Missouri in 2001. I frequently use this bowl for salads and such, when this bowl isn't being just another pretty piece in my kitchen.

And yet another piece from my favorite local (danged if I don't know who he is - but I know his work anywhere) artist. Please forgive me, kind sir.

He must really hate me about now. This is from the same collection. This happens to be a very nice spoon rest. It's almost too pretty to use, isn't it?

Er, yes. And this fine bowl has the dubious honor of being used as a ring holder in the kitchen.

And this was the piece that started it all so many years ago. I bought this fanciful gravy boat (which may have actually have been used as an actual gravy boat once in its illustrious career) several years ago. It's main purpose in life now seems to be to hold water bottle caps and lids. The poor thing.

Do you know how hard it is to find a really good utensil holder? And then for that utensil holder to really look good? I think I scored rather spectacularly here, thank you very much. And the fact that the thing was decorated with grapes just happened to be the icing on the cake, or whatever. Yes, my kitchen ended up with a grapes motif. It wasn't my fault. I didn't plan it. It just happened. How do these things happen?

This is one of my newer finds. Yet another local artist crafted this beauty. And if some pieces happen to cost a bit more, then by all means, put them aside for a Christmas present or for some other important occasion.

And we are back to my favorite local artist. Go back a few pictures and you will see that this is very similar to one of my earlier bowls I bought from this artist. So similar and yet so different. That is just one of the many things I love about hand crafted items.

I urge you to seek out local crafts persons and to augment your collections with some special items. You may not use them every day or even ever, but if you can, indulge and enjoy.

Welcome to My Kitchen

While I am roasting beef bones in preparation for making beef consomme (thanks Rosie Hawthorne!), I thought I would give you a tour of my kitchen. Since moving here 9 years ago, the only major thing we have changed in the kitchen is the flooring. I have dreams of doing more, but for now...

The original trip-inducing, badly installed, gouged, impossible-to-clean, ugly vinyl flooring. Can you tell I hated it?

The new Brazilian Cherry hardwood flooring two years after it had been installed. The wood started out the same color as the cabinets and steadily deepened in color. I love it!

The work space in my kitchen is the island. That means I have roughly a 2 x 2 foot area in which to prepare my food. I have more counter space, but it is not as useful or convenient. Do you notice something strange in the kitchen? All of the appliances are either stainless steel or black. Except... for the huge white refrigerator. I am trying to convince my husband that he needs to buy me a new stainless steel 25 cubic foot side by side refrigerator and retire this one to the garage.

The sink area. I have a great view out to the woods behind us from the window.

I am not ashamed to admit that I do a lot of cooking in my microwave and the toaster oven. But look what is directly beneath that. The dishwasher. As in who would put the dishwasher right in the middle of the work triangle? (That is the refrigerator just to the left and the stove is opposite the fridge.) And why does my family insist upon cleaning out the dishwasher when I am trying to cook? Yes, I know, I should be grateful they actually put the clean dishes away, but...

You may have also noticed that my spices sit out on the counter. Not an ideal situation, but this is why. My spice cabinet is a mere 6 inches wide. That means that if I want anything in the back, all the things in the front must first be removed.

Here's another counter space, but my husband insists upon completely covering it with bills and mail. Also, anything that will not fit in the pantry ends up on the counter.

Yep, the pantry is full. How can three people and one cat need so much food?

I'm so proud of myself. I recently installed this sliding tray in one of the cabinets. Let's just say that the contents of this cabinet fell out at me one too many times.

And this is the center of the kitchen. My stove. Notice that I only have 2 burners to work with. We don't use the grill much because it is a pain to clean. I have been wanting to get a new cooktop insert, but that is still a distant dream.

Tired of the cabinets overflowing, I recently annexed the coat closet and put a shelving unit in there to hold my small appliances.

I thought you might like to actually see the view I have from my kitchen window. The flower in the foreground is my orchid that sits next to my kitchen sink.