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This Week In My Kitchen :: Blog Hop

5/22/2014

16 Comments

 
Capturing my love of whole foods, combined with the activity of a bustling kitchen.

A weekly collection of photos from the center of my home. 

*     *     *     *     *

fresh elderberry lemonade on a hot day {wholly rooted}
blooming tea, strawberry rhubarb season, gift making {wholly rooted}
GF/DF Rhubarb Upside Down Cake {wholly rooted}
ramps! eggs for the garden {wholly rooted}
Blue-Banana Mocha Maca Smoothie {wholly rooted}
It's not what you've got, but what you do with it... {wholly rooted}
urban organic gardening {wholly rooted}
top to bottom:: fresh elderberry lemonade on a hot day (and silly boys drinking it), blooming tea, strawberry rhubarb goodness, gift making for Winter 2014 Tend Magazine, GF/DF Rhubarb Upside Down Cake, fresh ramps, eggshell saving for the garden, Blue-Banana Mocha Maca Smoothie, my kitchen, and what I've been doing most of this week.

This week finally warmed up and we have been outside planting planting planting. My kids love our new hammock and will lay in the shade reading and chatting while I work in the garden. I love chatting with them, hearing their stories, all while I dig. They help out when they are in the mood and they squirt me with the hose in between. Ahem. We have been saving eggshells and coffee grounds from the kitchen all week for the garden, and are using them as we go!

I wasn't in the kitchen as much this week. So much planting. And the looming deadline for the Winter Edition of Tend Magazine which means wrapping up all of the loose strings and taking photos of holiday gifts and goodies. It has been hard to think WINTER when it is 86ºF outside. But also, my husband has been on a business trip all week. That means I find myself not really wanting to cook anything for myself and craving mostly salads and fresh peas and then cooking fun crazy foods and snacks for the kids all week. They struggle when he is gone, so we focus on fun. Of course we also had to make fresh lemonade this week in this heat, and put some in the ice cream maker for slushies. Yum. 

The ramps are in, and have been sitting in my fridge all week. I keep changing my mind about what to do with them.  I think I'm going to pickle them. We shall see! 

And my kitchen. Oh, my tiny, tiny, dark kitchen. Every week people show their lovely bustling busy bright shiny sunny kitchens. Ahhhh. I have not shown my kitchen in what, 8 weeks?  I have lived in this house 10 years and the kitchen was obviously not designed to be used. Ha. I think a lot of modern homes are designed for freezer to oven/microwave living. No room for people in the kitchen. No room for prep and cooking. No real pantry. My kitchen doesn't have any windows and can only comfortably fit one person at a time. Since we cook and can and make together a lot, much of that is actually done in the next room - the dining room! Of course I do realize that many in the world have smaller kitchens, and I am very grateful to have even the space we have. I do dream of a big bright family hanging around the island kitchen some day (who doesn't) with chef level appliances. But what is the saying? It's not what you've got, but what you do with it? So I am showing you my kitchen - a lot happens in that tiny space! And we have adapted many things to accomodate our lifestyle (hallway "coat" closet is second pantry space, extra freezer in the garage, dehydrator/herb armoire/culinary herb cabinet/hydroponics in the dining room, etc.). I feel good that our house uses less energy/water than average, and has less empty lawn than average. The trade off for a small kitchen.  And a smaller kitchen means less to clean, right?

What is your favorite part of your kitchen?

**

Be sure to visit Heather at Beauty that Moves to link to everyone on the blog hop this week!

16 Comments
Mother B link
5/22/2014 06:05:13 am

Ohhh my!! All your food looks soo good!! And you garden looks beautiful!! I will definitely be stopping by frequently!!

Reply
Elvira link
5/22/2014 06:37:20 am

The expression of your boys! I absolutely love your stills. I do love my kitchen, but I lack counter space. If we ever redo this, kitchen island it will be if that's technically possible. The loveliest thing is the kitchen window and the very rural feeling I get when looking outside to the garden while doing the dishes.

Reply
Denise link
5/22/2014 03:44:25 pm

Aren't they funny? Silly boys. The favorite thing about my last kitchen was the view out the window. Ahh.

Reply
Kimberly link
5/22/2014 06:57:20 am

The best thing I love about my kitchen is what comes out of it!! The food, the love and the sense of nurishment. I complete agree with you and space and kitchens, mine is tiny also, and looking at your picture it seems you have more counter space then I do..I have about 24-30" of workable space, my oven is right next to the entrance from the outside, which everyone uses, there is no triangle arrangment in our kitchen we do have an eating area, but if you want to open the frig someone has to get out and move the chair out of the way. I usually keep the chairs on that side of the eating area against the wall so you can walk out of the kitchen into the rest of the house. It was not very well designed and I would love to knock down the wall between the kitchen and dining room except its a support wall, so right now I don't have the extra cash laying around for a total redo like that..most likely will never happen in this house, but I'm ok with that, as long as the food coming out of this small space is delicious I can live with it.

Reply
Denise link
5/22/2014 03:46:11 pm

I have about 42" of counter space. Which in theory means I could have 1 person at the counter while one is at the stove, but nobody can move from there (one person has to move for the other to get to the sink, pantry, fridge, etc.). ;) And I agree, the best thing is what comes out of the kitchen!

Reply
Kristin link
5/22/2014 09:02:47 am

Wow! What an inspiration you are! What a cute shot of your boys :)

Reply
Erin link
5/22/2014 09:18:21 am

Even if your kitchen is not "ideal", you make great food and take beautiful photos in it! I'm endlessly astounded by your creative eye.

Reply
Debby Emadian link
5/22/2014 09:36:03 am

cute boys...I love elderberry and elderflower too. I'm wondering what 'ramps' are...just off to do a spot of googling to find out...
Thanks for letting us peep again...
deb

Reply
Denise link
5/22/2014 03:51:22 pm

I think every area has their own name for ramps. I have heard wild leeks, ramps, ramson, wood leeks... They taste of both garlic and onion!

Reply
Peggy Hostetler
5/22/2014 10:25:26 am

What darling little boys :-)

Reply
Faye link
5/22/2014 11:20:52 am

Such lovely photos and the food looks great.. Cute little faces in the first pic.. xo

Reply
Marcela : Naturally Fun Days link
5/22/2014 11:52:38 am

I love the photos of your kids... perfect! As all the other food photos, look so delicious. The fresh strawberries and rhubarb, the smoothies, the eggs, your garden. Thanks for sharing your kitchen making this week.

Reply
Kim link
5/22/2014 12:29:02 pm

Oh gosh, those two little guys are cutie pies.
Everything coming from your kitchen looks super yummy and so healthy. Ramps are something I have only heard of, but know nothing about. I'll be interested to see what you end up doing with them.
As for the kitchen, my mom always said that the best meals she has been served seem to come from small kitchens.

Reply
Josie link
5/22/2014 10:31:07 pm

Rhubarb cake and hammocks, slushies and planting ramps...it all sounds so lovely. Thanks for sharing.

Reply
C.
6/2/2014 08:10:06 am

I do hope that the elderberry lemonade does not contain actual lemon its derivatives. You spoke before of your intolerance to citric acid in your family and made very clear that such intolerance was to even the most minute amount. It is a good sign if he is drinking the lemonade without issue, as it could very well indicate that he no longer has the intolerance.

Reply
Denise link
6/2/2014 02:01:24 pm

Hi! You have a great memory! :) After much trial and error, we discovered his citric acid intolerance just may be to the artificially produced individual ingredient when it is made using mold and/or corn (some citric acids produced as an additive are manufactured using both of those). He reacts to the use of artificial citric acid, but he does not react to actual citrus and its naturally occurring citric acid! Interesting, right? As long as we use real lemons, he has no reaction.

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    whollyrooted.com

    denise cusack

    I am a certified aromatherapist, clinical herbalist, organic gardener, plant conservationist, photographer, writer, designer, artist, nature lover, permaculture designer, health justice activist, whole foods maker, and mother of two unschooled teens  in south central Wisconsin. 

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  • Blog
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