How did it get to be a new year already?! The holidays came and went, now is the aftermath of cleanup. More importantly, school begins again in a few days. Yeah! Anyway, it’s time to join Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for another In My Kitchen post.
Things were busy here as usual over the holidays. Josh’s mom was here for nine days so we were up to our usual chaos plus a houseguest. Everyone had fun and now it is back to reality. We baked lots of cookies and several cakes as gifts and some to keep. In all the madness though, I realized I didn’t get a single picture. So this month it seems there are no food pictures for my IMK post, but believe me, we ate plenty this month. And all delicious!
This month did bring lots of new items to our kitchen. Both Josh and I got several gifts now living in the kitchen. This also means temporary chaos as we made room for everything. Let’s start with the big stuff, all new appliances.
First is the fridge. This required some work to get in as our space was too small. Several years ago Josh built in a wine storage next to the fridge for our wood anniversary (yes, we usually stick to one of the the traditional gifts if it works). Unfortunately that took up the extra space we now needed for a newer and bigger fridge.
He managed to make it fit well. He sawed off the entire side wall and moved it several inches, all to keep our wine storage. The good news is that I actually now have a little space to keep a couple cookbooks.
Then comes the new range. I love it so far. It has a proof setting which is wonderful for bread baking. It is also convection which is great for baking. Our Christmas turkey turned out wonderful! And best yet is that the top is induction. Boiling is now so fast! No more heating up the house as much, that will come in extremely handy in the summer. On the top is also a new griddle, handy for making the boys their beloved French toast.
We also got a new dishwasher and the microwave is only a few months old. The biggest hassle was emptying the fridge to move it, putting everything back in the new one. THEN I emptied the fridge that was already in the garage and put all that stuff in the one that just came out of the kitchen. It is now in the garage. The fridge that was in the garage is now in Josh’s garage.
Josh now is living the life, his new MASSIVE garage/workshop is close to finished and he has a fridge to hold lots of beer in it. He also got the old range. Sounds almost like he has a kitchen in there, but he actually uses the oven for car parts! Actually, he also seasoned the new cast iron pans in his garage so we didn’t smoke up the house. No appliances went to waste, we just need to unload the old dishwasher on Craig’s List or find a charity. It works, just doesn’t clean well.
This is a new organic cotton tea towel. Our family is big on cycling so this is the perfect design for us!
My wonderful husband got me these forks to use as props for the blog. Clearly I will need to come up with some posts to use them soon!
My beloved Meissen teapot. My parents brought this back for me from a trip to Germany YEARS ago, long before I was married. Somehow I always forgot to pack it up when I was at their house. I finally brought it home and love it. We’ve already had several pots of tea and I look forward to many more.
Guess I was wrong, I did manage to get a picture of food. We’ve made pizza several times in the last month and this is one of our new creations. It has cantaloupe jam, goat cheese and prosciutto.
I’ve made several batches of homemade eggnog and the boys love it. Jack insisted I snap this picture of him with my phone. Milk mustache has nothing on an eggnog mustache!
This was actually in my parents’ kitchen. They received a gingerbread house kit from their contractor (clever idea for a house contractor) and we let the boys go wild building and designing. This is their masterpiece.
It was a busy month indeed. This is all we managed to capture, life was too hectic to bother with a camera. Or it was very cloudy and rainy, horrible lighting for photographs. But alas, only another month until our next post. There are many more new goodies to include in the next post.
Thanks again to Celia for hosting the In My Kitchen roundup. Head on over here and see what is happening in everyone else’s kitchens.
Feeding My 3 Sons 
It’s so nice to have new appliances, I got a new oven a couple of years ago and I still love it! Those forks are so cute… Where did you get them? And I love that gorgeous teapot… Thanks for sharing! Liz xx
The forks are from a vendor on Etsy, can’t remember which one right now. There are lots of shops on there that have fun stamped cutlery. The teapot is one of my favorites, I just love blue and white ceramics!
Love your new appliances!! They are awesome and the forks too! 🙂
Thanks Michael! The forks are definitely fun. The appliances, well we are definitely enjoying them.
Such cute little boys in your kitchen and life. The cutlery props are interesting too, never seen these before.
I look forward to using the forks soon, once I decide what to make! Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for sharing. Love the forks and that teapot is beautiful. Hope your new appliances travel well. I’m currently researching for when I get a new kitchen and I’m very disillusioned at the reviews. Pizza looks very inviting too. Canteloupe jam eh? Interesting, will have to research that one 🙂
Researching appliances is definitely confusing, good luck. The cantaloupe jam is delicious, it has a vanilla bean in it so what could be bad about that?! With lots of cantaloupe in the garden that was another useful way to use it up.
I’m in love with your new appliances! I could do with a refrigerator with an icemaker right now – it was 44.1 degrees Centigrade here in Adelaide yesterday! You certainly sound like you had a busy and fun filled Christmas – the best kind! Happy New Year from Australia!
Thanks you for stopping by! It was busy but we managed to have fun too. We have several more months before it gets that hot here but the boys are a,ready enjoying having an ice maker in the door! Happy New Hear!
Ooooooh, shiny new appliances…. delicious! How cute are your sons! And I love those forks! Happy new year and thanks for the peek into your kitchen : )
Thanks so much. I can’t wait to use the forks, just need to decide what to make now.
oh I adore the forks, any idea where they are from?
Etsy. There are several shops there that have hand stamped vintage silverware, it could be dangerous if you start looking!
Hi Gretchen, I love the forks and it looks like the boys did a great job on the gingerbread house.
Thanks! The boys definitely had fun with the gingerbread, even with the roof crashing in the first try!
Gretchen I love everything you got and love that back splash 🙂 Have a great 2015!! 🙂
Thanks Amy! The backsplash is fun indeed. Thanks for stopping by and Happy 2015!
Beautiful and shiny new appliances, how wonderful to have a new kitchen to start 2015. Love the teapot as well. Happy New Year.
They won’t stay shiny long, little hands love touching them. Seems I am always cleaning appliances after the kids go to bed now! Happy New Year.
What fun, new appliances! We moved into our house 4 years ago and one of the first things I cooked in my brand new shiny oven was a pork roast. Big mistake! it spat out fat onto the door and I could have cried. My shiny oven twern’t so shiny. Oh well, that’s what ovens are for. Making delicious food and memorable memories. Enjoy yours to its fullest Gretchen, cheers Kirsty
At least you used it! They never stay clean for long do they?! The memories are always wonderful, even failures in the kitchen. Happy New Year Kirsty!
Looks like a fresh new kitchen for 2015, lucky you. I lov the process of getting to know new appliances though it can be hit and miss. Love the eggnog Mo. That’s a very cheeky face!
Jack can be a cheeky boy! Luckily the new appliances haven’t caused many problems as far as learning temps and settings. We had a couple dark pancakes but that’s about it. The roasted chicken and turkey were excellent so I won’t complain! Thanks for popping by our kitchen.
too much fun! It’s all awesome, but those forks especially made me smile 🙂 And congrats on the shiny new applicances–woohoo!!!
I can’t wait to use the forks! I have my eye on some spoons too! New appliances are definitely fun and luckily the learning curve on the stove/oven hasn’t been too bad. Just a couple dark pancakes! Thanks for stopping by Liz.
Lovely post, Gretchen! Your new fridge is so shiny and big, and has the one attachment I covet – an ice and cold water dispenser. Your Josh sounds very handy – what men will do to keep their wine storage. 🙂 And it sounds like he now has the dream man cave! Beautiful new oven, love the idea of a proofing setting. And is that a dedicated tea pot warmer? Your treasured pot is looking very comfortable on there! 🙂
It is indeed the dream man cave. Too bad he isn’t done yet! The end is near I hope. Just install hardwood floor in the wood working shop and move all his stuff out of my garage, then I get more storage space! Josh’s next project is to build me a new pantry, I love having a handy husband! The proofing setting is definitely a welcome bonus to the new oven. Yes, that is a tea warmer. I have several I have brought back from multiple trips to Germany. They are very heavy (solid glass), this was before baggage weight limits were so low and strictly enforced! I have several sizes and they also work for keeping hot dips or warm dishes hot, just requires a tea light. Thanks for popping by Celia.
What a nice kitchen you have now…and your husband did a great job of making everything fit.
It does come in very useful having a handy husband!
What a clever husband to make those changes to keep the wine rack and fit the fridge in. My husband knows where the petrol cover is on the car and that’s about it. Good thing he’s a good programmer because he’s crap at being a handyman. 🙂
Love your teapot and the mustache is brilliant.
The boys do so love eggnog! I certainly enjoy having a handy husband. Growing up my mom and I were handier than my dad so times a welcome change to have someone around who can fix and build things.
lots of fab things in your kitchen. i would kill for a new fridge! and yes the forks are so cute.
eggnog moustache- great stuff!
Thanks! Still deciding what to make for the forks!