This Week In My Home: Let's Get Busy

This week's kitchen makes me smile. I think it's the pale yellow that does it for me with those little touches of red and black.  Not much but just enough to give the room a little something extra.  Of course, being a designer room (late 1930's this time I think), there are the accessories that finish things off so nicely.  I'll confess now that I like matchy matchy things...

Well we'll start by saying that I've no idea ow much counterspace this kitchen really has...Is there more behind that bump out wall here to the right?  I have a feeling we can say no, but maybe just maybe it's an ice box or fridge in that space?  We'll pretend there is.  

Then there's one of those lovely stoves with all the added benefits of work space, storage.  I count six knobs across the front of the stove so I wonder if there two ovens here?  Or an oven and broiler?   At first glance it appears that the cooktop is one of our more modern day sorts with no burners visible but I've seen these stoves in other magazines and that top surface lifts up.   That's why the stove becomes such a handy thing as it's now countertop, too! 

  

Before we leave the stove, can we all just give a collective sigh over those deep yellow coffee and tea pots?  And notice that chrome rack over the stove for utensils and pot lids and just possibly pots and frying pans, too?  There's a light overhead as well.  Someone knew a kitchen needed extra task lighting!

Turn to the sink, dears and take note of those glass fronted cabinets.   They are shallow, just deep enough to hold the dishware.  We've seen this trick before of using the space behind  cupboard to hold trays.  I wonder if glasses aren't stored in a cupboard on the other side?  

And note that the upper alcove there is a grayish brown  color that complements the yellow, picks up another color in the tile floor.  Look just a little higher and you can see they created an alcove ceiling with the same color running around the top of the room.  That's a bit of clever design work to allow for the recessed lighting over sink and stove.

I notice they've set out a lot of entertaining pieces on that counter but it's the sink for sure, as I can see the tap on the wall.  Isn't that bit of lattice at the window pretty that holds the flower pots in place?  Note there's a kneehole space and a stool so that one might sit and do prep work or washing.

Then we come to the next china cabinet with the little dinette set which is used as a landing station for meal prep, based on the four salads sitting atop it.   I like that it is useable space for a secondary purpose besides breakfasts and lunches.

Now let us swing all the way back to our right and here is a nesting set of tables.  I'm not sure the purpose of that.  I thought at first that the black and red item was a trash can, but I see there is one under the sink...So perhaps it's a stool?   That would make a handy little desk for planning.  And perhaps the smaller tables are used in the dining room or living room when entertaining?  I couldn't say for sure on that.  

I will say again though, that I like this kitchen.  It's simpler than some of the others and while it's still small it's not by any means crowded.  

Work:  

I'll give the cemetery one more work session this week and then I'm done until the frosty fall weather comes in.  Although we've just had two nights of frost, I've gotten poison too many times in the Spring to trust that it will kill it off.  I can clearly see where we're working at present and told John we'll try to tackle that but then I'm done.  From now until Autumn, we'll let mowing suffice.  Once a week ought to be all it needs at best.  

I've promised a full morning's visit here with the three from across the field.  Josh has Spring break this week.  Isaac has been commanding his need to live at my house.  I recall Josh went through a similar phase when he was four.  It doesn't last but it's sweet that they like being here so much.

 I'm starting to include Millie now that she's less dependent upon nursing.   She's quite happy if her brothers are here even though she'll play independent of them.   I'm not even kidding myself that I'll get anything done that day beyond making lunch for the kiddos.  I'm going to try to be smart and plan an easy supper for that day, too, or have something prepped ahead.

I want to get mulch to finish off the one flower bed this week.  I had planned to do that on Thursday when I was out last week but I can only do so much when my time is limited.  And mulch is just the top of a long list of buying I'd really like to do...Plants, paint, pretties for porches, new flower pots to replace my broken and rusty ones.  I could go on and on but unfortunately the funds do not.

Start repotting houseplants and getting pots ready for spring/summer/fall planting. 

I vacuumed deeply this past week and moved the curtains in our room...A whirl of dust flew all around me.  Definitely time get the curtains and slipcovers, winter afghans and spreads washed.  I'll do an extra couple of loads of wash a week until I've gotten through all the rooms.  The curtains in our room are starting to shed the black out substance on the backs of them and I think I'm going to put those in the dryer on air and let the dryer remove the dust.  I don't have a hose long enough to allow me to use my vacuum.  When we get a new vacuum (and we're nearing that stage as ours has a broken clip on the canister) I'm going to lobby for the attachment pack so I can maintain upholstered pieces and curtains more easily.

Work on that account book John requested so he can see where monies are allocated and how they are disbursed. Sigh. It's turned into a Task.

Zone 1: Kitchen, Back Entry, Laundry Areas  I would like to clean those upper level cabinet doors.  And I really need to mop the floor and wash the windows.  Will I get to all that this week?  Perhaps if I do things in a measured way and not try to cram it all into one day's work.  There's no rule that says I have to clean every window (five) in the room at one go.  I think I'll  wash the curtains in that zone this week, 

I'll also do a Photo Clean-Up of the room.   I take a picture of the various areas of the room on my phone and make notes of things that I'm not 'seeing' any longer but somehow they glare at me from a photo.  I can tackle an area in spare moments usually and get things sorted out rather nicely.  In fact, I think I'll make that my cleaning plan for every zone.  

Kitchen: 

 

Remember all those lists I planned to make as part of my April goals?  I'll add one more: I want to rearrange my grocery funds and have a specific amount each month for stocking up instead of the see and grab purchasing I've been doing in the last year.

I find that most days John and I are eating a light lunch but about 3:30 we want a snack.  I'm going to take time to choose a few ideas for nibbles, appetizers, pickity bits, whatever you want to call them.  I'd like to have things that incorporates items I typically have on hand. One that I have in mind at present is those homemade cheese cookies.  I can mix that dough, divide it and freeze.  

I will continue to work on the expired items.  I have basically the same items I had when I wrote last week: coconut milk, canned table cream, another box of pudding, another can of peaches (the last one!!), a can of fruit cocktail, and the deviled roast beef.  Hmmm...I wonder how that would taste spread on crackers?  Might work as an afternoon nibble.

I think I have a cast iron Dutch oven in the cabinet above my fridge.  I was talking to John about eventually buying an enameled cast iron Dutch oven but if I have the cast iron pot there's no need to make that purchase.  If it's there I'll get it seasoned properly so I can use it.  

I also want to get that list of warmer weather meals made up because I know we might have had frost to end this past week but those long hot days are coming.  I want meals that are lighter, don't require hours of cooking or prep, which can be prepared in toaster oven, or on stove top.  I also want to put a few easy meals in the freezer that don't require heating the oven.  Perhaps smaller portions of things we like.

Meals:  

Kielbasa and German Potatoes

Gramma's Fried Chicken, Homemade Mac n Cheese, Green Beans, Salad, Rolls, Peaches n Cream Pie I

Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Steamed Broccoli 

Chicken Tikka Masala, Rice,  Naan, Cucumber and Tomatoes Yes a repeat from last week. A full jar of sauce and two chicken breasts is really too much for just the two of us, so I'll divide it.

Shepherd's Pie, Fruit Salad, Snickerdoodles I use a sugar cookie recipe as my base for this cookie.  I'll divide the dough and put some in the freezer because it is very versatile and will be nice to have cookies ready to bake.

Lentil Tacos,  Avocado, Lettuce and Tomatoes, Salsa and Chips

something different, either an old recipe or a new one.  I'll keep you posted.

Personal:  

We aren't leaving any time shortly for our trip but I like to have things well planned so that I don't miss necessities.   So this week I'm going to get the non-essentials gathered, those things that we typically want only when on a trip like travel sized toiletries and certain kitchen items we use only when we're away, etc.  It just makes it a whole lot easier instead of having a massive time crunch at the end of the waiting period.

Pull a stack of books to read in April.  I lay awake last night thinking over my potential options.  I have a number of books I'd love to tuck into at present but I won't take time to read if they aren't right handy near one of my favorite sitting spots.

Play with my hair.  I love having it short and  I don't use a lot of product on it but now and then you want a fresh look.  

Go over my costume jewelry.  I've noted some of the pieces are looking discolored or shabby and it's time to figure out if cleaning will help or if they need to be moved out of the wardrobe entirely.

Drastically cut down on computer time.   Not writing time but the wasting time portion of it.  Right after I wrote out that desire last week,  I socked myself into mega rounds of Candy Crush Soda, sigh.  I'm not going to turn over my life to a silly game when there are so many better things  I want to do.  It's a fun pastime and it's mindless which is nice for a short period of time but I'm not giving over  hours to it any longer.  I can do so many more things with that time!

Get back to setting my alarm and rising earlier.  It seems to me I was sleeping pretty well when I was rising earlier and so I'm getting myself back to good habits all around.