Well we have been moved into the kitchen and using it for almost a month and what a relief and absolute joy it is to use our new wonderful space and appliances! We are still getting used to where things are and how to move around the most efficiently, but that will get better over time. It’s been an interesting process of unpacking all the things we haven’t seen or used in months, because we didn’t have an oven. Jeff did such a great job planning the drawers that it was very easy to find a home for everything, especially for “Dashiell’s” things: he has his own area of the island that includes the prep sink, for a drawer for his knives, and a drawer foe his kid-sized baking tools.
The first thing we baked was from The Great British Bake Off–Mary Berrys’ Cherry Cake, of course. We baked it in our new speed oven but I wasn’t sure which setting to use and mid-way through the bake I changed settings since it wasn’t rising well. It recovered but I think we could have done a better job on the texture. Still, it was consumed in its entirety in about 3 days…
The dishwasher is quite amazing and is so quiet, the first time we used in, we weren’t sure it was running. The oven on the range “just works” as we like to say in software–you turn it in and it heats up and I am very impressed so far with the results. The first thing I made was a roasted chicken which turned out golden brown with a nice crispy skin. Out last oven always cooked a little cool but the thermostat in this one seems spot on.
The cooktop: what I can I say? 6 powerful gas burners! A griddle! It’s every cook’s dream and I couldn’t be more pleased. It is getting use multiple times a day. Yesterday I was cooking for the week using 4 burners; the griddle was in place from breakfast the day before (no need to move or clean!), the crock pot was cooking beans, and the rice cooker was steaming rice. The food processor was shredding zucchini and making cauliflower rice…all that activity and still space to sit and relax! The efficiency is a massive improvement. I can get a lot done and still have time to run out to the store for that forgotten item, or play a game with D. Heaven!
Now that the kitchen is functional, it takes a lot of pressure off the rest of the remaining project. The work crew can come and go as the majority of their work is outside. The back porch is in the process of being built up and then concrete will be poured over it, for an aggregate look, to match the existing porch landings.
Here are some catch-up snaps; some are old but didn’t included in the last posts. I particularly like the first few that show Jeff installing cabinet lighting. Also new here: exterior of house is painted including arbor and new back door, external lighting fixtures are up, and canopy is in over arbor.
Finally!!! You did a wonderful job making your new space extremely functional and stunningly beautiful! The cabinet lights are icing on the cake. But who is that tall handsome 6th grade biker?