Kitchen Cleanup
This week, my Kitchen Life revolved more around what I did to my kitchen than what I did in it. Which got me thinking that maybe I should share a photo of the room where I spend a lot of my time. But before I do, I must explain that much of our home—including this all-important room—has been in remodeling mode for more than a year. And believe me, that has made it incredibly challenging to undergo a conversion to real-food preparation methods all at the same time! As you will see from the photo, we aren’t finished yet. (Note the pieced-together old pink Formica and plywood countertops, which will be in place until we can someday afford to replace them with granite. And you’ve gotta love the rustic look of the walls that remain untextured, unpainted and—if this is a word—unbacksplashed.)
No, I am under no illusion that my kitchen looks great. But it’s getting there. Really. You should have seen it before. (I don’t have a photo handy of what it used to look like, and if I did, I’m not sure I’d share it.) 
I think the thing I’m most proud of is the fact that we (well, Shawn, really) did much of the work. The tile floor (which replaced a very outdated cream-colored tile with burgundy grout that Shawn laboriously broke up and removed) and the recessed lighting (which replaced two hideous fluorescent-tube fixtures) were installed by outside subcontractors. And when we discovered that our old cabinets were solid oak buried under layers of paint and dark stain, Shawn asked a friend with a finishing business to strip and refinish them. But Shawn built the island unit to match the existing cabinets, replaced all the hinges and added knobs and pulls. He also removed an ugly soffit that once filled the prime decorating space between the cabinets and the ceiling, and tore out the existing unnattractive backsplash. He rewired a dead phone line and reconfigured the exhaust/venting system on the new microwave before installing it. (I’m not a big fan of the microwave oven, which removes most—if not all—of the nutrients from the food it cooks. I use it mostly to heat water and to time what I’m cooking on the stovetop. But it turned out to be a better option than an oven hood to provide an exhaust outlet. Plus, it saves counter space and adds resale value—though I have to say, after all this work, I don’t plan on moving. Ever!)
In addition to all of the construction work going on, my kitchen had been cluttered up for quite a few months with unpacked boxes filled with everything from cookbooks to linens and utensils, as well as large bags of bulk grains and beans that I couldn’t cram into my pantry. This past week, I finally tackled it all. I unpacked, organized, discarded and donated until everything found a place where it belonged. I scrubbed the entire floor by hand and then sealed the tile grout. It was exhausting and invigorating at the same time! It helped me to catch a fresh vision of what my kitchen might someday look like (when we eventually have the new countertops and backsplash, a new sink, barstools, curtains, a few shelves, and whatever else we add to the list). And perhaps more importantly, it has helped me enjoy actually being in the room that requires so much of my time. My kitchen might never grace the pages of Better Homes and Gardens, but to me, it’s looking pretty good!
This post is part of the Tuesday Twister blog carnival hosted by www.gnowfglins.com. To link to today’s Tuesday Twister on that site, click here.
9 comments
I think it looks great, Sonya! You and Shawn are doing a marvelous job! When our dishwasher was broken for a few months, things got backed up in my kitchen. And while I know that’s nothing like a remodel, on the other hand – it doesn’t take much to make one feel like the kitchen isn’t working well. I’m happy for you that you tackled the boxes and the pantry spill over. You’re marvelous for remodeling your kitchen and your diet in the same year.
The kitchen looks awesome! The island makes such a difference. You are inspiring me to tackle one of my items on my to-do list that just seems to keep getting ignored and transferred to another list: cleaning/organizing the pantry. Isn’t it nice to have a husband who can do all that handyman stuff, like Pa Ingalls? As soon as you guys are done, we are coming over for that taco dinner we were supposed to do so long ago, so set an extra five spots at that table!
I love your kitchen! I’m sure you will enjoy working in it.
You’re right, Wardeh! A clean kitchen definitely makes for a happier cook! Of course, after I photographed my kitchen yesterday morning, I picked up my Azure Standard order that afternoon. Needless to say, I’ve got some more pantry organizing to do!
Love,
Sonya
Thanks, Wendy! Glad to be of some inspiration! And yes, husbands like ours are extra handy!
If you wait until we’re done to come over, it might be awhile. So we’ll plan a date soon. And this time, the tacos will feature homemade corn tortillas, grass-fed beef, sprouted pinto beans and raw-milk cheddar—that is, if you’re game for trying our new way of eating! 
Love,
Sonya
Thank you, Millie! I am enjoying it! I just hope I can keep it this way.
—Sonya
How can one not be game for this way of eating, especially after seeing “Food, Inc.” and reading Michael Pollan’s books? You had me at everything leading up to but excluding the raw-milk cheddar. I’m still a little afraid of the raw-dairy thing. Which reminds me, I should send you Natalie’s research paper on it, as well as Nicole’s on hormones and livestock. If only we had all this knowledge when we were that young. Then again, when we were that age, our food supply wasn’t nearly as corrupted as it is now. We may have been eating Hamburger Helper, but at least the hamburger part of it was probably from grass-fed beef. Heck, I used to sneak pieces of it raw! Nowadays, raw meat in our kitchen is like the plague!
I think your kitchen looks great! Good move keeping the oak. I have to say that granite is worth waiting for. We like it so much in our kitchen that we are planning to replace our bathroom vanity tops with it. Ours if five years old and still looks perfect.
Thanks for the encouragement, Jeff! We’ll have a finished kitchen someday, I know.
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