This week's kitchen is from the early 1940's. I don't know if it is an Armstrong kitchen but I'm suspecting it might be since the floor has an inlay of stripes and the counters appear to be covered with linoleum as well. This kitchen caught my eye because of the central work island, a concept that for some reason I thought was distinctly 2000's rather than 1940's style, but there you are. Just goes to show that nothing is truly new, doesn't it?
In this kitchen we can plainly see the fridge next to the sink counter there, so we don't have to wonder if this kitchen had an ice box on the old back porch. What I note is that there is no drainboard on this sink counter. No indeed, there is a double sink and I think that is rather a new thing in kitchens at that time because so many of the kitchens I've been looking at are a single sink with a built in drainboard.
Of course the window sill is full of flowers and the curtains are the ultra feminine sort with bows...You can certainly tell that this kitchen was designed for a woman!
The color of the cabinets appears to be a creamy white but the walls almost have a look of butter yellow to them...and the green accents are picked up from the floor covering. Those round green knobs are huge things aren't they? We've seen this in a kitchen before that I've shared in the past month or so.
Let's turn ourselves towards the stove. That huge platter hung above the stove is quite the statement piece isn't it? It was obviously the inspiration piece for this kitchen. Note that there is a chair next to the stove and another across the room. Obviously that little island is meant to be a breakfast dinette as well as work space.
Note the tower in the middle of the island...It appears to be a lazy Susan type thing that holds all the canisters. And there's storage in that island as well. Note the big huge green knob on the one end.
There's more counter space on the wall across from the sink cabinet. And if you enlarge the picture you can see there is a slot at one end where a folding tray has been slipped into that space.
And that's this week's kitchen!
Work:
Spring has sprung and there's loads of work to be done everywhere I look, especially outdoors. I'll continue to work steadily at it in between rounds of working on the old cemetery.
This week is Zone 4: Porches, Patio, Shed and pollen season is in full swing. The front porch is gritty with pollen, everything is coated in a film of yellow. Frankly I plan to blow off the porches and then I might exit to the shed to see what I can sort out there because I think with the work in the cemetery this week I'll have my fill of pollen. I'd like to find the silk Peonies that I have in the floral bin out there because it is spring and they would be lovely on the mantle in the living room. It would also be a great time to gather together the items I mean to send to the thrift store as a donation.
Mending. That pile of mending is growing and waiting patiently on me to tackle it.
Everything else is going to be routine basic housework. The house is looking ever so slightly neglected, as it tends to do come spring of every year. I want to touch up whatever area bothers me at the moment, regardless of zones. I keep seeing little things and since there is almost five weeks to work with, there's no harm in catching up the things I missed at various points this month.
I'd really like to go shopping. Not grocery shopping but picking up a few needed items like extra pillow cases and 25 pound bags of flour and possibly fabric for spring/summer pillows, potting soil and pots for plants this year, paint for projects, etc. It's a random lot of things I need but I'm at the point where if I don't go shopping, I'll have nothing to do any of those things I wish to do.
I also need a haircut. Obviously I'd combine that with the day out to pick up necessary items. And to donate what I've got in the closet and shed, if I go on and do that first part of the week.
Kitchen:
I never made the bagels nor the English Muffins. John picked up three packages of bagels while we were out grocery shopping last Sunday and I took that as a hint that I'd waited a bit too long to buy bagels as far as he was concerned, lol.
I need to go through my expired items box and see what I can use this next week and there's a lot of leftovers in the fridge that I need to sort out and use them or feed to the dogs. I have a bag full of things in the freezer that are just random items I'd like to use up as well...So I'm going to post menus a little later this week as a Gathered Fragments post, since I haven't done one of those in a while and I do have quite a few things to incorporate into meal plans.
So what I will share with you for now is the menus we followed last week, not necessarily what I had planned.
Whole Roasted Chicken, Creamed Corn (frozen in 2017 yet!), Green Peas
Corned Beef, Creamed Cabbage, Potato Wedges, Soda Bread
Red Beans and Rice, Cornbread, Coleslaw, Apple Pie
Frozen Chicken Pot Pie, French Fries
Chicken Sandwiches and Chips, Grapes
Corned Beef Hash using up the last of the corned beef and potatoes
Chicken and Rice Soup
Leisure:
I had quite a lovely week. I didn't do any hand sewing but I did finish the Emilie Loring book and started The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. I watched several episodes of "Victoria" and did a lot of genealogy work. I also followed up on Kimmy's (She's In Her Apron on YouTube) food storage series and jotted down the three months of information she's shared thus far. I caught up on all my fave You Tube subscriptions but spent less time overall on YouTube.
This week I'd like to finish The Red Tent, finish going through my vintage March magazines, do some hand sewing and continue working on the genealogy things. I'd like to see what fresh takes I can make on outfits with the new items. I am also feeling a spa day is needed.
And of course, if I get to go out shopping, that will be a leisurely sort of activity for me, too.
Sunday we're meeting Katie and Chad and Caleb at a restaurant after we get out of church so we can all have lunch together. I haven't seen Caleb in a couple of weeks and I'm just longing to see him.
I also plan to ask Bess and the children over one day this coming week to spend a little time with me. I haven't seen them in for any length of time in the past three weeks.
12 comments:
I have read Emilie Loring books in the past and really enjoyed them. So old-fashioned and sweet. I have recently got in touch with my pre-teen self and reread all the Nancy Drew books for a bit of nostalgia.
What a nice Sunday treat, to have lunch out! I haven’t had a hair cut since before thanksgiving, so I’m way overdue as well. As much as I like to combine errands, it just wipes me out. I do understand you have to travel father into a town, so it makes sense to get it over with in one fell swoop. Hopefully I’ll try to catch up with my own cleaning, purging and switching out of winter coats and gloves. As we speak I had pulled everything out of the front hall coat closet, and it’s just laying on the couch. I usually pack things in clear trash bags and stuff them in the attic. Just have to wash them, and today is a good day for that. Making my corned beef tonight, because we were at a party St. Patrick’s day.
It was a sad day that the sink drainboards disappeared! You have the ultimate shopping opportunity at your Granny's house. Oh wow, I would love to be able to do that.
We need to get to Dollar Tree and buy cards for the next three months or so for Easter and birthdays and such. I really want to go discount grocery shopping but Hubby is saying no to anything else for the freezer. I am now only $7 into my grocery budget for March and I fear the money is burning a hole in my pocket. (smile) We will do Publix on Senior discount day which is Wednesday when the new ad starts. The ad preview had a bunch of good BOGO's for us and iBotta matchups for several of them. We have one son's family flying in for a visit early in April so we need to begin thinking toward that and getting bedrooms ready and planning menus. I am wondering about what to do for Mom for Easter and her birthday later in April. She will likely still be in rehab.
Have a good week!
Mary, I often pick up books I enjoyed as a juvenile (around 3rd grade I was already reading "Seventeen" and "Blueberry Summer" and Nancy Drew and such sort of books, things meant for young adults really. I love Nancy Drew even yet and have five or six of the older books.
Lana, Granny's would be like a free for all for me...I'd haul home more stuff...but I really don't need to do so and I likely won't. She gave me the best of what she wanted me to have before she died and after I specifically told Mama what I wanted (a vase with a broken 'ear' handle) and a lovely copy of Alice in Wonderland. The truth is the house is a bit scary. You can't see very well inside due to windows being covered outside and there were rats and snakes long before she died. I can only imagine what horrors await now that it's been unoccupied for 13 years!
Do you preview the ads online for Publix. I'd like to do that. I can access Aldi easily but I've never seen that on the website for Publix nor Kroger. Let me know please.
I too have NO room in the freezer and I really don't need much of the fancy things to stock up on but I am longing to take a little of the most recent stimulus and buy say 100 pounds of flour and several boxes of shelf stable milk and flats of green beans and tomatoes and such. This is one instance where I wish John were NOT retired then I could slip off and buy all this and make it a fait accompli before he had a say in it, lol.
Liz, our lunch turned into frozen pizzas and bagged salad from the grocery but it was with Katie and Chad and Caleb and as John pointed out we got more of Caleb's attention eating at their house than we'd have had in a restaurant because he's a people watcher like me and Katie.
Yes, I'm also thinking it is time to get winter coats washed and put heavier ones away now. And throws and such from the living room as well as the blanket on our bed which we have needed these past two nights but I know we shall not need it much longer.
Yes, it is a trek and why I try to make a trip count, while John has no concern whatever driving 80 miles round trip to do ONE errand and then suggest we go right back the next day to do another. I tend to point out that gasoline has gone up and we're still on a budget and he listens to the 'b' word best.
iheartpublix.com posts an ad preview on Saturday which I take a look at for printable coupon links. southernsavers.com then posts the ad on Monday and she usually has better matchups because she lists the iBotta matches but I have to check them myself too because different offers in different areas. Between the two I can pull together some really good deals. I print my list from Southern Savers just because I like her format better. Prices vary widely at Publix and so neither one of them are likely to be correct for your store. It is also best just to take a look at the ad for your store online so you do not have any surprises when you shop. I keep an eye on I Heart Publix posts daily because she lists new coupons as they come available to match the ad and deals as she sees them with new coupons and such.
I used to have to do quite a bit of justifying for large stock ups here but after what happened last year with the shelves being cleared and so many foods not available I rarely hear anything negative now. We do keep 100 pounds of bread flour but there have to be empty buckets that need refilling for me to purchase more. I did build that bag by bag at Sam's Club stops. There is no more complaining about the TP pile anymore either!
If you are not a member of iBotta and want to join would you please use my referral code? frokulm
Terri, my husband is home a lot more than he used to be so he now knows what is in the fridge and gets suspicious of me throwing things away, so it is more motivation for me to use up everything. I sometimes wish I didn’t have the fridge police watching over my shoulder though!
I have several errands I am supposed to run this week, I will probably only get the three most important done; picking up our food co-op order , stopping to get some seed starting trays, and drop of my soap donation to the food pantry. I need to start our garden seeds, especially the tomatoes and peppers. I too have a fridge full of leftovers so I need to figure out how to use them up. I have enough apples to make an apple pie and I will make a few ham and leek quiches with goat cheese. Other than spending quality time in the kitchen, I will be playing catch up on cleaning and washing sheets.
I have been reading Mrs. Appleyard’s Kitchen and a Grace Livingston book, as well as Better Home & Gardens March issues from 1930 and 1931. I am loving having access to all the BHG archives.
Have a lovely evening and start to your week! hugs to you!
Have you ever read any Miss Read's books? There is the Thrush Green series, as well as a few others. Very relaxing and gentle about a British village around WWII I think. I believe you would really like them. She died a few years ago but I periodically reread some of them as comfort reading.
Lana, Thank you for sharing that. I haven't bothered with Ibotta but I know that it is very helpful to those who use it. I should look into that. Just another item added to my list of things I ought to do!
No one has ever complained about my stock of goods at home but I do want to deepen certain portions of it i.e. flour, sugar, rice, etc.
Mable, I LOVE Miss Read and I started her Thrush Green series last year and then let myself drop off reading. I was actually trying to build up the entire series. I shall have to review where I was when I left off and start looking for other books I must add to complete that series. Then I'm going to work on the Fairacre one.
Karen, John is oblivious to what is in the fridge beyond eggs, strawberry jam and bread. Other than that he has no idea what he is looking at, lol.
The Mrs. Appleyard books sound quite good! I'll have to check those out.
I loved The Red Tent! One of my favorite quotes is from that book:
“The painful things seemed like knots on a beautiful necklace, necessary for keeping the beads in place.”
Karla, the book has a lovely rhythm to it that I enjoy but I wonder if it's all imagination or if she accessed written copies of Jewish Oral tales, etc to add to the story of the book. I'm enjoying it quite a lot and had actually read it before and then felt led to re-order a new copy and read it again. I'll keep it on my bookshelf now instead of donating or giving it away.
Terri, on the Kroger website, you can access the weekly ads. You can even choose your store and check on items/prices. All without logging in!
That is one wild looking kitchen! I do like the curtains and the plants on the windowsill.
Jo I knew I could load coupons and see current ads but had no idea I could access the prices of items too. That's a convenient thing! Thank you for telling me.
Agreed the kitchen is very different. I do find I'm more and more drawn to the idea of the simpler smaller kitchen though courtesy the well laid plans of these I've been sharing.
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