This Week In My Home: Fair Sailing

 

I almost skipped this image.  At first glance it's chaotic but the time frame is 1948 and that is smack in Hazel Dell Brown's design days at Armstrong Flooring so I decided to give it a second and third look before discounting it completely.  It slowly dawned on me that I recognized this kitchen somehow...

You might actually recognize the design, too.  We saw it in a different color form not too long ago. 

 with the doors closed...

and with the doors open.

 Remember?

The big difference with our current image from the one just above?  They utilized one corner for the enclosed pantry and another corner as a place for the sink, rather than have it on a straight wall.  And the refrigerator is set in an alcove there to the right of the mirrored doors..  We've no idea where it might be in the green kitchen.

Now let me start my usual patter about the kitchen. Number one, I like the color scheme.  It's got the light bright look I admire in any kitchen.  I've always been partial to blue and I especially like a greyed blue such as this one appears to be.   

There beside the stove is a towel rack.  Nice and handy for dishtowels to dry or to keep them handy to handle hot pans coming from the oven.  And can we just discuss the stove for a half second? I wish stoves still came in that size and houses still came in a size to accommodate them.  Granny and Grandmother both had oversized stoves like that and they had so much more room to work on the surface.  How wonderful to take a pot from a burner and set it aside right there on the stove top rather than take up needed counter space.  Some of these stoves came equipped with a deep well meant to act as a slow cooker or fryer, and they sometimes had double ovens or a warming oven and an oven and others had storage space.  I'd take either one and thank you very much for it!

I'd love to see the space above the sink.  It does appear to have a cabinet or wall there but there's the window to the right and just above note that neat little square inset (of probably fluorescent) light.

To the right of the sink is a smaller countertop with drawers below.  I'll warrant it's a bit deeper than it appears but the open mirrored doors are blocking the view.

Now that little corner space behind the doors is just jam packed with things.  Deep drawers for perhaps potatoes and onions.  More drawers above that for utensils and attachments.  Canned goods, spices, canisters and note that the shelves go all the way up behind that soffit piece on the outer wall.  You can see dishes are stored in this pantry, bowls, pots and pans.

Look closely on the wall to the right.  There's a cutting board there and deep counters that look suitable to hold a mixer.  I don't know about you...I tend to be a messy baker and I'd love to be able to slide doors shut if someone came in before I'd cleared up my baking counter!

Now there's one other interesting thing to me in the fridge alcove.  The interior walls are painted that same lovely blue as the accents in the room, which makes that white fridge 'pop' nicely.  And who doesn't love a nice Costco stool for kitchen use?  I've had two and given them both up before they were ever set in my kitchen and right at the moment I regret it...but then where would I put it?

As I type out this post, my supper is wafting the most fragrant aromas my way.  I do enjoy cooking on Saturday!   I can take my time with it usually and even if the prep work is typically half done, it's a real joy to cook and not be distracted by cleaning up right away.

Work:

I did more than I'd thought I might last week.  This week is Zone 2 the Living Room, Dining Room, Entry.   I am thinking spring!  I want new chair cushions, something lighter and less heavy than the needlepoint and tapestries much as I love them for winter.  I've been dreaming over chintz splashed with flowers and contemplating Gingham checks.   I would love a chance to get out of the house and go explore a fabric store and see what I might find.    Don't know if that will happen.  I shan't go explore my own fabric stash.  I recall looking last summer and found nothing in the stuff I had and that stash hasn't changed one iota since last year.    

What is in order in that zone this week is dusting and spot cleaning and vacuuming the edges of the carpet with the hose attachment thingy.  And maybe brining in the peonies from the floral bin in the shed and putting them out in the room.   

It's pay week.  That means getting the last of the checkbook work done, paying a bill or two, determining what we shall do with the income tax refund money and talking it over with John to insure we're on the same page.

And it's grocery week, though at the moment I need milk and cheese and lettuce and bread and not much else really.  

I want to work on the blog post for the Stitch Fix box.  And I want time to play in my closet and see how creative I can be with the new pieces, too.  I can do both at once!

There's still a flower bed or three that needs work.  I need to load up the stuff I raked and pulled up last week and dump those off.  I want to gather all the empty pots in one location. I need to sort out pots in the shed and see if I do have anything suitable for use in the flower beds this year.  I've loved the look of the galvanized pieces but five years down the road and they've all rusted through.  The plastic pots are the ones that held up, more's the pity.  Not fond of them but do have to own that for durability they are the best for my current budget.  And they do have the bonus of being paintable.

Kitchen:

The freezer really could use a defrost and since I'd intended to go deeply into it last week but didn't, while it's all being sorted out would be a most excellent time to go through it, wouldn't it?

And though it's not the kitchen week, once the defrosting is done, might as well mop that floor.

Continue slowly working my way through the big old cookbook I started going through last week.

Make up a list of warm weather meals we might enjoy.  I always think I'll do this and then get stuck in the middle of summer with no desire to cook and no desire to look up things to cook, so I thought I'd get ahead and make out my list now and post it in my recipe notebook, right at the front.

Roast Beef with Vegetables, Biscuits  I planned several of these meals last week but didn't make them.  The roast was partially thawed in the fridge so I went ahead yesterday and planned it for dinner today.  I thought I'd get two meals off this but there isn't enough meat left for roast beef hash.  I'll probably make soup with the bits left and the vegetables and broth.  We've a few more cooler days this week ahead before it heats up at the end of the week and soup will still be most welcome.

Chicken Verde Enchiladas, Mexican Corn with Cumin butter, Diced Tomatoes and Avocado over Lettuce

Tuna Rice Casserole, Green Beans, Sliced Tomatoes Didn't get to that last week and it does sound good.  I have leftover rice to use in it.

Goodness!  I'm trying to write this while I'm full from supper and food is the last thing I want to think about, lol.  I'll come back to this bit later and fill it in...

Swedish Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Cranberry Sauce (since I haven't any Lingonberry Sauce)

Polska Kielbasa with Au Gratin Potatoes, Creamed Cabbage

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches, Oven Fries, Dill Pickles

one night on my own

Leisure:

I really want to work on my genealogy notes.  I never got around to doing that last week.  I have two or three composition books with notes that I didn't know what to do with and now I want to add them in where they belong, if they do belong,  and put those  aside out of the way.

Make out that silly list I keep saying I'll make out of things I want to get done and the materials I need to accomplish them.   It's just wishing really but it's fun and it starts the wheels of my brain turning and I will see possibilities in things if I know what it is I want to get done.

Read.  I'm so enjoying this book and I have enjoyed every one I've picked up and allowed myself time to read.  If I keep cutting back on computer time, a bit here and there, I'll have more time to devote to a pastime that is fulfilling and satisfies something deep within me.