Thursday, January 2, 2014

My Kitchen.....

They say that the kitchen is the heart of the home, and I for one can attest to the fact that this is true. I love my kitchen and all that goes along with it..the good, the bad and the ugly. Not a single wall is straight, the old wood floors need refinishing and the landing is a catch-all for anything and everything coming through. But, like anything worth it's salt, it's a painstaking work in progress, a compilation of years of building, changing and evolving with the family dynamic. It began as a small 1920's colonial kitchen-cabinets built right onto the walls, meager counter space, no dishwasher.... and just enough room for a table for two.  And it stayed that way- through 3 children and countless Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings with the extended family. Great meals came from that small space, and they haven't stopped since. Although the kitchen space is now larger, we kept the unique touches that make it ours. The worn spot on the wood floor where our big golden used to lay at my feet while I peeled potatoes is still there...and our new golden seems to find himself landing there as well. The drafty leaded-glass window above the sink is still there...it's a pain to clean and is forever slamming shut on it's own in the summer, but it's charming. Through the years we've painted, plastered, poured cement and gotten crafty with cork. The cabinets are bursting  with my treasures...spices, baking staples, family china and cookware in all shapes and sizes. My mother and grandmothers dutch ovens have found a home here, along with lots of "collections" of new pieces.  Much to the dismay of my husband, nothing can be found in the same place twice....but that's ok. I consider it organized chaos. The once "large enough" wall bookcase he built for my cookbook collection isn't any longer, and the ever-growing lending library of books is now stretched across the back wall of my home office upstairs. And that's ok, too. We are happy in my kitchen because I want it to be a happy place..shoes and fingerprints are allowed.  Memories of holidays, sleepovers, gingerbread and pancakes on the griddle are made here. The grandchildren can be kept occupied for hours on end with the two special baking drawers filled to the brim with fascinating pastry tips, silpats and sprinkles.....and I let them go at it! Tupperware in a lower cabinet can keep a child busy while I bake a cake.....
But the best part of my kitchen is the aroma from the range-whether it's a special occasion cake that's cooling on the counter top, or a pork loin that's roasting under a blanket of herbs and pancetta, the reaction is always the same. Someone smiles and inhales slowly. And my heart smiles back.  

It's a new year