A Peek into Marg's Kitchen

It's always fun to peek into someone's kitchen.  Today I will share some nooks and crannies that will possibly make you smile.  Our home is more than just a kitchen, it's a place where people come together to share life. 

A hallway from the back door brings you right into our kitchen.  And I love to hear the kids walk through the back door and say..."It sure smells good."  As you can see the kitchen flows into the family room giving me a bird's eye view on all the activity.  My cabinets are solid oak from the 90's era.  Any home interior expert would say..."they need to go."  But for now...there are other important things.  Our home is an L-shaped kitchen with an open floor concept which gives room for family and friends.   I also love the windows facing west which give for natural lighting.

The kitchen island expresses who we are, it's functional, practical and the granite counter top serves as a beautiful place to cook and bake or fold laundry, with five bar stools tucked underneath.

Off to the side of our kitchen is a rectangular wooden table with 2 leaf extensions from the ends which can seat fourteen adults comfortably with maybe a squeeze, but that creates the energy.

As you can see, there is lots of natural light and the large patio doors swing open to our back yard where we love to entertain winter and summer.   A natural gas fire pit adds just the extra touch of warmth to any event. This is my happy place.

In the summer our back yard opens up to serve many guests for many celebrative festivities.

Here's a more formal table setting for adults.  This table setting was prepared for Judy's 65th birthday in January.  I have to mention something funny about my husband as he was helping me serve.

While serving, he whispered to me in disgust, "You can't use these old pot holders.  They look horrible. Don't you have something better?"  Of course I had nice new pot holders.  So I gave them to him and he said, "They don't feel  right."  Meanwhile he burnt his hands and I said, "That's why we love the good old used ones because they flow with our hands."  So much for pretty potholders.

When I'm not entertaining, my dining room table can be used as an office.  It lends itself to a great place to spread out invoices, statements and organize them into folders.

A large pantry, with roll out cabinets is perfect and I love my double door fridge with the freezer below.  I like the freezer below except when a toddler opens it and the ice cream melts. I appreciate my double baking ovens with its electric glass cook top.  I value the sleek look of the stove and it's easy to wipe clean.  Just don't burn any sugar on the elements. They stain permanently. 

My large pantry serves more than one purpose.  Other than just storage it becomes a place where children love to explore.  One shelf is designated for children and sometimes I need to nudge them gently to find some other places to play.

My Island is the hub of our kitchen.    It is used for everything that you could imagine.  A Seacco coffee machine, is able to brew you a freshly ground cup of coffee from John's own signature blend which he roasts in his shop.  

A simple child's chair is attached (chicco)  which is so practical.   And what I love about this is that there are no legs attached and it doesn't take up a lot of space.  Plunk the little one in it and you are set.  Easy to clean up and it's perfect for this stage of life.

The island is built with pull out drawers with full extensions.   I love this one drawer for my tupperware bowls with one compartment only for lids.  It's easy to keep organized, when I don't have toddlers, but for now they are having fun.   Obviously, they are both pulling in the wrong direction.

With three young children, safety is a must, so we installed an iron safety gate around the fireplace.  It's taken away the anxiety of seeing small children being burned. 

We have reclaimed oak hardwood flooring which came from one of our farms.  It adds a beautiful finish and I love the simplicity, as they are easy to wipe and clean after we've had a family event.  A large carpet gives a way for the whole family to be seated on the floor as we all watch the little ones play.  There is lots of room for tussling and tossing.

Heated tiles in the kitchen add pleasure to our soles.  Once again with little ones playing on the ground they always notice how nice and warm it is.  How many times the kids come without socks. It's just perfect. I also have a vacumm toe kick plate in the Island and in my mud room, which is a must if you consider remodeling.  

Once again, as I said, our Island is the hub...and as you can see it serves well. 

• it can serve as a work bench for the men as they assemble rockets.
• a baking center for two little girls who love baked oatmeal
• a spot to grow an Easter garden
• wide open space to unpack all the Easter ornaments.
• serves as a buffet counter or an eating place for those hungry mouths.
• many times it serves as a place to change a quick diaper.
• it's also a spot that provides safety.

Last but not least, the other day I stepped out of the kitchen for a minute and came back inside with a girl on top of the island crying ... and I said "What's wrong?"  Well she had seen a spider on the floor, so as you can see this island has a special spot for all. 

Next week she'll be making Paska with me.
Our island is our gathering place.

What's your favorite spot in your kitchen?