It’s been a while since I’ve given you a tour of my kitchen, hasn’t it?
Well, don’t get too excited- it’s a total mess. We moved into our new house a couple of days ago and it’s been a whirlwind ever since. Boxes and junk EVERYWHERE!!! The picture above features my latest finds while unpacking today, including my favorite whiteĀ leaf platter…
Also, in my kitchen are my gorgeous new appliances.
Remember this post? Feast your eyes on my new stove!
I know. This thing is so old, I thought that those black discs were cover plates for the electric coils. They’re not. All that metal you see is the actual burner itself (complete with original grime). Even better, the cooktop doesn’t even run the length of the counter. There’s a huge hole! The previous owner covered it up with tile.
Perhaps I should just bake something instead…
Jealous? The best part is that it’s a double oven. You can’t see it from the picture, but I have 2 of these beauties.
All oven doors should be held up with one of these…
Surprisingly, everything works fine. It’s just really strange to get used to. We are currently dreaming of brand new appliances (and a sledge hammer) but for now, this will have to do.
While photographing this post, I took a moment with my little guy to regroup outside.
Something very special happened…
I discovered that our new garden is filled with juicy strawberries! How’s that for an unexpected find?
We picked and ate as many as we could, savoring each one in the warm summer sun…
They are incredibly sweet.
That’s what’s happening in my kitchen this month- ‘vintage’ appliances and a handful of strawberries! It’s a little funky, but we’re taking the good with the bad over here. Hopefully, when we’re all unpacked and settled I’ll have some new (and shiny) kitchen shots to share. A girl’s gotta get back in front of her stove!
Comments
Mel @ The cook's notebook says
oh my – that kitchen! Just think of how much fun you will have planning a new one. The kitchen in our house was awful (in a totally different way to yours), but practically brand new so I had to wait 6 years to get what I wanted. Hopefully your wait will be shorter! We bought a freestanding Falcon gas hob/electric oven – not sure if they are in the US, but it is brilliant. Am looking forward to the renovation posts :)
Emilie says
Hi Mel! The planning is my only hope!!! Thanks for the tip about Falcon. I’m not sure if they are here in the US, but I’m definitely going to look. Both you and Celia have freestanding units and I am very intrigued ;)
sherry from sherryspickings says
lovely strawberries. oh i can’t believe that oven. antique! and a wee bit scary.:)
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
My eyes widened at the oven(s)! Oh myā¦ the garden strawberries are a wonderful perk, though! :)
Emilie says
I know… I try to keep my eyes shut these days at the mere sight of it!! ;) xx
celia says
Ah well, as I think I said before, at least you didn’t have to pay for appliances that were ok but not great – it would have been harder to justify getting new ones then! This way, you have carte blanche…um..when you have the money, that is.. :) So exciting that you’ve been able to move already – that’s gone so quickly – and discovering strawberries in the backyard is like uncovering buried treasure, or finding leprechauns – it’s almost magical! :)
Emilie says
I totally agree- we’re researching some appliances right now, but there are so many styles to choose from. So confusing! We actually have the space to do a wider oven & stove combo compared to the standard size. I think I’m going to go with that so I can maximize my bread baking ;) How do you like your Smeg? And yes! Strawberries are like finding leprechauns indeed! xx
celia says
Em, I ADORE my Smeg. It gets heavy usage though – over the past 12 years, I’ve burnt out the back elements twice and the fan once (to be fair, they’re all consumable parts and were easily replaced). I’ve also had to replace the seals. It never gets cleaned (I wear my reading glasses when I’m baking, so I don’t notice as much), and the light is usually blown, but it works a treat. We have a five burner gas hob and an electric oven, and the whole unit is free standing, which I think gives a larger interior than the ones which are built in. I can bake four fruit cakes or eight loaves of ciabatta or a small suckling pig in there. I was in the appliance store the other day and was surprised that the Smegs now seem a cheaper option – Ilvys and other brands were all more expensive! :) PS. we bought ours as a second – it had some small dings and a wiring fault that was fixed on installation – and saved $1000.
celia says
Oops, meant to mention that ours is 90cm free standing.
Emilie says
Celia you are the best! I’ve always wondered about the Smeg oven. Thank you so much for all of these lovely details (especially the bread count!). Right now, we have a drop in cook-top, and then the (glorious) double wall ovens. I’ve baked in it a couple of times and it’s definitely hard to get used to. It’s just too tall for me! I end up having to use a little stool… Re-configuring the appliance set-up means cutting out cabinets, getting some new cabinets and I’m sure many unforeseen things in between. So that’s what we’re trying to figure out now. It’s a good thing that summer is here because most of the cooking has been done outside on the grill ;)
Laney (Ortensia Blu) says
Every cloud has a silver lining and in this case you have those beautiful strawberries and rosemary…buy geez Emilie, you’ve got a lot of work to do girl! (And what did they cook in the oven that needed a hook to keep it closed?)
Emilie says
OK?! Of all people to inherit a stove like this… and don’t even get me started about that hook!!! I think the oven door(s) lost all of their spring, so when you open them they shoot straight down. They weigh a TON. So I think they might have put it there for a safety precaution? xx
Yankee Kitchen Ninja (Julianne) says
Appliances (and more) are easy to replace — perfect location with garden, etc. is not. Hang in there!
Emilie says
Hi Julianne! I couldn’t agree with you more. That’s exactly why we bought this house in the first place. The location is wonderful, the schools are great, and it has a nice, manageable backyard. Appliances and all other cosmetic things can be fixed, but once you commit to a location that’s it. We are soldiering ahead, keeping in mind that someday it will all look great. Thanks for stopping by!! :)
Pam Green says
Haha well I like your attitude about the kitchen! I grew up with a stovetop like that and I remember my mom not quite loving it. :) I love the discovery of secret strawberries!
Emilie says
You did? Oh my… that thing is pretty easy not to love! I bet you didn’t have the lovely tile extension on yours ;) xx
Ale says
If you have strawberries in your garden…..everything is ok!! including your oven!
IĀ“ll be looking forward future posts, with the improvements made to your new kitchen!
Emilie says
Yes! I agree. I just need some chocolate to dip them in ;)
Emily says
Aw what a great find with the strawberries! They look absolutely delicious! :)
Emilie says
Thanks Emily! (love the name). I take my boys berry picking to the farm every year, but having them in your own backyard is a real treat. It’s making me want to plant other things like raspberries, blueberries, etc. Let’s just hope we can’t pick them fast enough before the birds get them ;)
Emily says
Yes, we do share a lovely name haha! I have strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries in my garden, but we also go to the local farm to pick strawberries. It’s a great feeling to pick from your own garden, but we never get as many strawberries as we’d like, I blame the squirrels! Good luck beating the birds and looking forward to reading more! :)
Emilie says
That’s wonderful! I was thinking about getting a couple of extra berry plants for the garden. At our old house we had wild raspberries which were amazing. They grew everywhere! I definitely enjoy getting out into the fields as well to do some berry picking. Now, if only it would stop raining over here :(
Elizabeth says
Those strawberries look divine! There really is nothing like them straight off the vine like that! PERFECTION! I think I would have cried when I saw that oven, but you are amazingly soldiering on! Thanks for a peek inside you kitchen this months even though you have just moved house! I look forward to many more. Liz x
Emilie says
Thank you Liz! You are very sweet. Sometimes it’s hard to see the bright side in all of this, but to savor a moment picking berries with your little one seems to melt the troubles away. I’m looking forward to sharing some updated pictures as well- it’s going to be a LONG road that’s for sure. But it’s going to be exciting and brand new :)
Lois says
We’ve moved 14 times, and although I’ve never had a kitchen quite that bad there have been some that made me cry. Glad you can see the bright side–not much better than berries in your own yard warm with the sun (except maybe a tomato!).
Emilie says
Wow! 14 times? It’s amazing what you will find out there in different homes (my kitchen was originally pink too) But it seems like my kitchen takes the cake! The berries are absolutely wonderful, and I totally agree with you about a warm, summer tomato. There’s nothing like it! The smell is incredible too… :)
cheri says
Wonder what other wonderful things you will find in your garden? Those strawberries are gorgeous!
Emilie says
Oh, I know… we also found the biggest bush of rosemary (it’s like a tree) you’ve ever seen, fresh oregano and a couple of other things that I’m a little unsure of. Apparently, everyone in the new neighborhood likes to garden so I’m sure someone will know. Thee’s nothing like homegrown veggies :)
Mimi says
Horrors. I don’t think I could do it. Maybe when I was younger. Well at least you have berries!!!
Emilie says
Horrors indeed… when I first saw the appliances, I approached them as if they were a dead animal- slowly, carefully inspecting with caution. Quite the site. Thankfully, everything works however it’s a lot easier to grill these days!
Sandra says
OMG…that stove…OMG that oven (and not only one)…oh boy! I think I cried just a little, but then I saw those strawberries. What a really cool thing to find in your new backyard. Just keep those happy thoughts on a brand new kitchen…it will only be a matter of time ;)
Emilie says
Yes! I have the pleasure of dueling ancient ovens. Can’t a girl bake her bread!!! Oh well… The strawberries are definitely a nice distraction- it just needs to stop raining so we can pick more. Looking forward to getting out into the big fields as well :)