Don't you love that timer? Those numbers are large enough to read no matter what your vision challenges are and when it rings it sounds just like an old dial up telephone!
Not much has changed in our cozy cottage kitchen over the last 23 years. And that's a good thing! I've brightened the walls with an aptly named
Kayak Yellow paint, changed the window coverings from dated slate blue cafe' curtains with ruffles, to something a little more
SEA worthy. Recently I stripped off the old bright blue contact paper ( CIRCA 1970 something ) that covered the
warn out, marked up AGED TO PERFECTION wooden counter tops along with the character and memories of previous cottage dwellers. Now, glass stains cuts and dings shine through!
Walla! No more icky, sticky contact paper!
It was during our most recent stay that I casually mentioned to our daughter how much I love cooking in our cottage kitchen. With out hesitation she replied, "that's because it's an HONEST kitchen mom, you know, it's humble ". I thought, she's right! It's a bare bones kitchen.
We manage to make the most of the fact that we have no running hot water, microwave or electric coffee pot. You won't find an electric mixer or can opener either. With it's 1950's Hoosier cabinet, four burner gas stove, hand- held cheese grater, egg beater and bottle opener we do quite well. A tea kettle which does double duty heats water for doing dishes once a day in the old farmhouse sink and again at bed-time for washing- up cottage style!
Nope, I don't think Coastal Living will be knocking down our door anytime soon for a glossy magazine spread on how we live the " modern cottage lifestyle ".
Our frig is half the size of our roomy side by side at home yet we manage to create some tasty, good for you too meals with only the bare essentials on hand.
These cute dishes were a thank you gift from my cousin and her hubby after they joined us for Memorial Weekend a few years back and these vintage melmac/melamine dishes have been in this cottage as long as we have.
Storage is at a minimum, with one set of open shelves for dishes and another for dry goods.
( How bout that mix of organic and not- so organic food on my shelves? ) With two hungry teens and two er...uh... middle aged adults in the house I'm just more mindful of what I'm putting on the table these days.
I'm adding more fresh fruits and veggies to our diet and choosing organically produced food more often too!
I've found it's much easier to make slow changes than to toss your old UN- healthy ways overboard all at once! Call me a late bloomer with the whole organic idea...I've always "gotten it " and I've made several half - hearted efforts at it over the years. Maybe it's just a combination of a new phase of life and more time on my hands but this time around I'm having
more fun experimenting with new recipes and products since I discovered
Mary Jane's Farm,
the everyday Organic life-style magazine. She just makes it so EASY!
I arrived at the cottage prepared to try some new healthy and wholesome recipe's for my family.
I was feeling
very inspired armed with my new
Budget Mix and the
FARM KITCHEN special recipe issue! I won't keep you in suspense any longer...
From the Farm Kitchen Special Recipe Issue book I made the Strawberry Scones but substituted with some plump and juicy blueberries I had on hand. YUMMY.
Do you see what I see? Someone stole a blueberry right off the tip of a scone!
Now how am I supposed to look like a professional magazine stylist if I'm missing a blueberry?
I couldn't resist trying this simple cheesy oven baked Pan Bread topped with some spicy pepperoni!
1 Farm Kitchen issue of Mary Jane's Farm magazine
1 Box Organic Budget Mix, Unbleached White
1 Box Chill Over Powder
1 Farmhouse Organic Red Pesto Pasta
1 Outpost Organic Kettle Chili
It's worth every budget minded penny you'll spend and the recipe book will have you jumping into your fall cooking early!
You'll just feel better! I promise!
Deborah Jean
Happy and Healthy cooking to you from
An HONEST to goodness COTTAGE kitchen
Do you have an HONEST cottage KITCHEN? I'd love to see it!
Link to this post or send me a photo!
