10/03/2013

The Truth about my Kitchen


Some time back, I had reason to post a photo of my kitchen, and this is what my kitchen looked like in that photo.



This was the day of the Guga, if y'all remember.

A couple of folks actually commented on how lovely and tidy my kitchen was, and this made me, erm, slightly uncomfortable. 

I am not keen on giving anyone a wrong impression of who I really am, you see, and all this talk of my tidy kitchen made me feel I had to own up. Yes, I have to own up to having tidied the island specifically for the photo. All the stuff was actually hiding on the floor when I took the photo.

Well, that's not true, but my kitchen definitely does not look like this normally.

And just because I feel the need to 'fess up; and just because I feel the need to keep things real; and also just because I know my Mum doesn't read my blog and so it's safe to make this admission online, I'm going to show you what my island looked like this evening.

Y'all ready for this?



Here's the island. You can just about see the colour of the worktop.

I wasn't long home from my trip to town, and some of the shopping still had to be put away, but instead of getting that done before beginning other tasks, I decided (as is my wont) to plough into other jobs.


We have vegetable peelings. I decided I'd make soup tomorrow, and I'd steep the Broth mixture overnight, and to pass the time and seeing I had nothing else to do, I thought I'd peel the vegetables, ready for tomorrow's soup.



At the same time as the vegetable peeling, I was whipping cream. It's actually cream and yoghurt, because that's the filling I like in my Pavlovas. You see, I'd made individual Lemon Meringue Tarts yesterday and had loads of the meringue left over, so I made some individual pavlovas. They were sitting in the oven waiting to be eaten, and so I had to prepare the filling.



Oh, now we're back to the soup.



Into tomorrow's soup will go carrots, turnip, onions, leeks, cabbage and kale.



Beside the broth mixture are the washed strawberries. 

That's normal, right? Strawberries and broth mixture - they were made to go together.



If I take a photo from this angle, you'd almost be lulled into thinking there was nothing intruding on the pavlova, strawberry and whipped cream. Except there's a wee round, silver thingy edging into the bottom-right of the photo. That's one of these thingumijigs you put at the bottom of the radiator pipe, and it's perfectly normal to have one (or maybe two) of these on the island when you're filling pavlovas and making soup.



The pavlova doesn't look as appetizing from this angle, does it?



On this side of the island, we have another bundle of stuff. Part of the Wee Guy's arsenal. A photo of Sparkle, the Guide Dog we sponsor. (She's not as bonny as Jackson - we've told him that, so he doesn't get jealous. But she is way smarter than he is. I mean waaaaay smarter. We haven't told him that, lest he end up with a complex, needing therapy, and feeling the need to sue those who gave him the aforementioned complex.)

We also have: a juice jug; a tub of Stork; a jar of pie weights; my mobile; Conn Iggulden's Bones of the Hills, the third in his series on the life of Genghis Khan. The series is absorbing and fascinating. Iggulden is a fabulous writer, and here he writes on a fascinating figure from history.

And maybe if I keep talking about Iggulden and about Genghis Khan, you will forget all you saw from my kitchen ...





20 comments:

  1. WOW...your food looks fabulous! The dessert...even the veggies you've prepped for tomorrow's soup! I spied the leeks right off...I have quite a love for leeks! Had fun visiting here again today. :-)

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  2. Yay! A kitchen full of life!!!

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  3. I agree with Laurie, this kitchen is "full of life"! I always think to myself that a neat and tidy kitchen is a sign of pre-made dinners and processed food. Cooking/baking means you need to make a mess, but it'll go away (eventually!).

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    1. I'll have to remember that phrase ... 'It's full of life' - yep, sounds good ;)

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  4. He he, it is great. I love all of your projects, and am delighting in the mess that goes with it. Its a happy mess. We all have them to be sure... or we wouldn't be real.... or we would have a full time maid... or we wouldn't cook or we wouldn't have a family. Your soup is inspiring and sounds wonderful. So do the Pavlovas. I like the idea of whipped cream mixed with yogurt. It would be nice if you post the recipes of both.
    Love and Blessings,
    Pam

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    1. ... a full time maid ... Oh Pam, that sounds good!

      I'll post the recipes soon ... just for you ;)

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  5. Well, I think I need to come see for myself. Makes Sarah homesick...erm, well, not homesick (seeing as she IS home!) but, um...home-on-the-croft sick. I think she's looking for plane tickets, boat tickets, water skis, a good pair of flippers and an oxygen tank...(probably a wet suit would be advisable too!)

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    1. The island was much tidier when Sarah was making her *delicious* cinnamon rolls.... Oh boy! We'd almost pay for her ticket just to have some more of them!

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  6. Just love this post - the truth is we are really busy, and often one must go where the mind leads!!! What impresses me is how prepared you are in advance.... soup for tomorrow!!! Dessert practically made!!! In my case a million things are going on right now, just to avoid the piles of dishes on the table from last nights dinner for eighteen... How long before anyone notices that there are no more dishes in the closet and that I am helping them with their sewing projects, rather than doing the dishes!!! Wishing you have a wonderfully busy weekend!!!

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    1. Oh, I definitely know the feeling of doing a hundred other things when there is an 'undesirable' job waiting in the wings!

      Dinner for *eighteen*...! Wow - that must have been busy!

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  7. Phew. That is all I need to say. Angela x

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    1. Had I given the impression my kitchen would be different? ;)

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  8. What is a kitchen that's pretty to look at but unusable? Obviously, you USE your kitchen, and you use it well. Your kitchen in use is much more interesting. My kitchen is tiny and it's a jumble of things that have no where to be, but need to be somewhere...so they're "where ever".

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    1. Well, you're right there - we sure do USE it!

      I used to have a tiny kitchen and I love my present one, but I can't believe that no matter how much worktop space I have, it all seems to find a way of being covered!

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  9. LOL, bravo! I am delighted by your full of life kitchen. I would feel so welcome and at home in it. I would be tempted to dig in and get my hands dirty with you - baking is so much fun. And with kids - how can we NOT have their paraphernalia all over the counters?? As having a boy about the same age as your wee guy, I right now have about 8 paper targets littering my table. Some used, some to be used. ;)

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    1. Oooh, that'd be nice ... I'd send you to the sink and getting you washing up! And the boys could do shooting while we work ;)

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  10. This is so refreshing. I love both ways that your kitchen is. We selfdom have ours straightened up for very long. Each house we have had, our kitchen gets smaller and our family gets bigger. I love how you shared the prep work, great food and great moments. Blessings from our house to yours.

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    1. Thank you, and blessings to you too :).

      Scottish heritage? I see a thistle there on your badge ...

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