Indian Jambo!

So, instead of posting this recipe where I really should on my Mama Taney's Kitchen blog, I'm posting it here.  I know, I'm slack.  Whaddya gonna do about it? 
Tonight for dinner I made a dish I've decided to, from here on out, call "Indian Jambo" ~ why .. um, well, because what we were calling it wasn't really accurate, and it isn't Gumbo, nor is it Jambalaya, and saying "Indian Jambalaya" is a total tongue twister but I really liked that kinda vibe, so .. Indian Jambo.

I haven't made this dish in well over six months, despite the numerous times it has appeared on the menu list.  It isn't that something is wrong with the dish, it probably isn't really even that hard to make, it just doesn't sync well with me.  Or I don't sync well with it.  Or something like that.  The main reason for this is that when I make this I'm making actually making two entrees at the same time, along with a big ole batch of rice.  And, folks, I seriously just don't have that kind of focusing capabilities.  Squirrel!
Ok, where was I?  Oh yea, focusing.  *oohhh .. shiny.*  See, not good at it.  But, I do make the dish because it is really damn yummy.  It is also vegetarian and probably really good in terms of Ayurvedic diet stuff, and it makes a friggin' ton of food so we're set up with meals forever (which freeze & reheat well), which means it is actually a really, really, ridiculously cheap meal.  I'd do the math on this but I did it once and I just don't like math enough to do it again.  But it was really cheap in the end. 

So, since it is so yummy I am going to share it with you now.  This dish was inspired by Amy's Organic frozen meal called Mattar Paneer.  A friend had brought some over and we shared it and ended stirring it all together and it was really yummy.  I wanted to try and make it myself, and searched out the recipes. 



Indian Jambo!!  All blended together and magically delicious!



What I immediately found out was that Amy's version isn't just Mattar Paneer.  It is Mattar Paneer, Chana Masala, and rice.  So, let's break it down.  You'll need your regular ole pot/saucepan, two large skillets, and a big ole bowl.  Plus containers for leftovers.

1) Rice - Make a massive amount of rice for this.  I use brown rice, but feel free to use white if it tickles your fancy.  What I've found is that though you add more rice the flavor doesn't fade away, making the rice a really awesome way to stretch this dish out to the max.  I used 8 cups of water & 4 cups dry rice, giving me 16 - 20 servings of rice!  This amount is the maximum that my regular pot/saucepan will hold, which is quite convenient.  Make it just like you would regular rice.

2) Chana Masala - Here's the link to the recipe I used: http://www.fatfree.com/recipes/indian/chana-masala -- If you really want me to type it out harass me about it and maybe I will.  This dish can go in the smaller of the skillets (if you don't have two equally big ones - I know I don't), but it will need a lid.

3) Mattar Paneer - Again, here's the link to the recipe I used and if you want me to type it all out, well, see above: http://www.indianfoodforever.com/vegetables/matar-paneer.html - This dish is definitely going to need the biggest skillet pan you've got.  In fact, because I didn't pay attention (see way above as to why I don't make this too often) I ended up having to leave out some of the water and then made a mess on the stove when trying to scoop it all out.

Same dish, just now the photo is taken with a FLASH!  Woo!!

Ok, make your rice, make the chana masala, and make the Mattar Paneer.  If you don't have a groovy Indian store near you, or even just an Indian store near you, you can substitute extra firm tofu for the Paneer.  Absolutely no worries on that one. 

After you've got all three dishes prepped and made, start adding them in equal proportions to your big bowl.  I use the biggest bowl we've got, the one normally reserved for chips & football games.  For me the best way to make sure I'm schlopping equal portions is to scoop 1, 2, 3 scoops of the Mattar Paneer then 1, 2, 3 scoops of the Chana Masala, then 1, 2, oh hell, 1/2 the rice or so.  Mix well with a spoon. 
This dish is so large that I actually can't fit it all in one bowl till after we've eaten.  But, hey, it's all good because .. well, it's all good!!



Leftovers!!



Like I said, the leftovers on this dish are a plus in my category because it means future dinners that are homemade but that I don't have to really take any effort to get to the table.  The white container above Justin will take for lunch tomorrow.  The other two are holding way more than they look in the photo.  The glass pyrex dish (under the white container) will easily feed the four of us for dinner. 

Try it out and see what you think. 

Dude, Where've You Been?

~Dude!~

I know, I've been gone for a while. Or maybe it just seems like a while ... internet withdrawls are seriously a bitch. This will be a short post, because I really detest (and I think you do too) these types of posts. Deep down. Like asking some stranger how they are and they actually say something other than "fine" or "can't complain" ~ but I digress ... as usual ~ some things never do change.

This has been a rough Summer. The house is in a state of hell. I can't blog about it (um ... Freedom of Speech anyone??) because it's now gone the legal, court-based route. But there is some light at the end of the tunnel ... maybe it's just a skylight or a break between tunnels ... maybe you're now wondering how much I've had to drink at this point ("and that was without a single drop of rum") .. but the light is there.

We once again took Tristan to the West Virginia State Fair for his birthday and that was fun. We try to do trips from us rather than gifts, so far it's a cool thing. He showed less interest in the animals than last year and more interest in the rides. He even mustered up the courage to ride the roller coaster 'The Wild Mouse.'

However, after standing in line with Justin & Shannon (can you see them in that pic?) for 10+ minutes, he was denied because he was, quite literally an INCH too short. He cried and had to walk off the platform. I wanted to punch the carny working the ride. I resisted the urge.

So, this was his make-up ride .. which Shannon didn't get to ride .. only him. The tears dried up quickly.

Then we all rode the ferris wheel. The boys' first time ever on one, and the first time I think we've ever ridden a carnival ride as a family. I took this shot from the top, looking back on everything.

Other than that trip and our trip to the beach, we've been homebodies this Summer. I've been trying to learn to crochet. So far, I've made an unimpressively snazzy Hokie colored garland (I plan to gussy it up to proper standards). After that I was feeling full of myself and attempted a circle. First attempt produced a nice Hokie-colored knot. Second attempt .. well .. ok, so I ended up making a Hokie-colored Willy Warmer. I got the circling part down, just not the keeping it flat and making it a larger circle. Life hands ya lemons ... whaddya gonna do? And are you really shocked that I ended up making a cock sock? -- And yea, I just called it that. Admit it, you might have spit out your drink, but you're still not that shocked.

So, I'm still working on the LEARNING to crochet part. Hopefully no more projects that I can't (or at least shouldn't) take pictures of being worn. I've also been ripping up old clothing so I can make a rag rug. This is what really got me started on the whole crochet kick.

With cooler weather approaching I'm also taking stock of what is needed to help keep my family healthy and well. Keep an eye on my kitchen blog, http://www.MamaTaneysKitchen.blogspot.com for more info on how that is going.

For those keeping any sort of count, or general passing interest, our English Mastiff, Foster, is 7 days away from being 5 months old and weighing in at 85 lbs. I'll re-weigh him on the 11th though and let you know.

The chickens are still laying, but not a lot. They're back out in the yard and happy about that, but they're also molting and it tends to look like a chicken exploded out there. August's Egg Tally was 31 eggs (up from July's Tally) and our Year To Date Egg Tally is 356. Not too bad.

There's more to say, but I'll end it here. Football Season is starting, and so we're consumed by that. And Halloween is around the corner .. and I am plotting and planning the decorations already. Cooler weather brings me back to life.

Centering amid the Chaos

~Ok, the house doesn't actually look like this anymore, but it is how it feels a lot of the time still.~

The stress of remodeling is still upon us. Even though it isn't quite as messy as it was, it's still pretty cluttered and chaotic.

I haven't been talking much about the renovation and everything we're going through with Harmon because there is a lot going on that I'm not sure I really can talk about right now. Which feels like a violation of my rights. I should be able to express my own feelings, thoughts, and opinions. And shutting me up is a pretty hard-core thing (many people will attest to that), so it's been .. well, hard. I will post more when I know it is ok to though, I promise.

But among this hell, life must go on. You can't dwindle in it, you can't feel sorry for yourself. I've been following the updates from a gal I know who has cancer. She is so upbeat and positive and surrounded by love and support, that whenever I feel down I read her latest updates and feel grateful and empowered. Thank you Decca, you've always been an inspiration and you continue to amaze and inspire me.

But when the stress does get to me, I simply look at this:

I can't help but smile. I love Shannon's cocky expression, sure that all is well in life; and then there is Tristan's sweet face, but with tattoos on his arm lest you be fooled that he isn't a hellion too.

And looking at them, I know I can't let anger and frustration prevail. I must find a way to center myself and my world and be calm.

So, last night I broke down and splurged on two magazines. I did try to find their info online, but couldn't, so buying the magazines became justified. Some gals find sanctuary in Cosmo or Vogue, but I went to Lowe's and got a special publication from Better Homes & Gardens (yes, I'm obsessed with that magazine) called "Storage" ~ http://www.blogger.com/www.bhg.com/storageideas. With promises of bright colors, not clutter, no tumbleweeds of dog hair, and lots of wicker baskets, they assure me that life will be ok.

My second splurge was for a "This Old House" magazine ~ http://www.thisoldhouse.com/. "57 low-cost makeover ideas!" "15 paint schemes ~ 9 outdoor rooms ~ 11 kitchen upgrades ~ and more!"

Although magazines aren't usually a way to center oneself, I found these helpful. We're drowning in clutter and even some simple advice is helpful. Of course, I won't be rushing out to buy the $899 Stow & Go Hobby Cart from HowardMiller.com, but the idea of ottomans that double as storage is nice. And even those can be found for less than advertised, if not made at home. I also liked seeing different ways to store items bound for recycling. Currently we use old pickle buckets, but I feel like it looks like buckets of trash rather than "ooh, recycling!" ~ So there are lots of ideas to be gathered and time to mull them over, and this helps me re-group and find balance. To know that all is not lost, there is hope, and if you take your time you don't have to spend as much as they (those tricksy advertisers) want you to.

Other ways I've been trying to center myself involve the medicine cabinet and the kitchen. I read an interesting blog post (http://wholefoodusa.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/study-vitamin-d3-prevents-flu-better-than-vaccinesanti-virals/) the other day and have been seeking out kid-friendly, kid-approved cod liver oil supplements. We don't do flu vaccines around here, but since we do belong to the Y now I worry about the general "Y Bug" with cold season approaching.

This has taken me into re-examining our medicine cabinet. Along this path I stumbled upon another blog post: http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2009/10/stocking-your-natural-herbal-medicine-cabinet.html. Aren't blogs awesome? Passionate Homemaking, sounds good to me!

And, looking into the kitchen, I find myself yearning to get a huge stock pot of chicken stock going. http://mamataneyskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/02/jewish-penicillin.html ~ This is one of my favorite things to make. There is something soul-satisfying in taking things that would normally be tossed out with the trash in our society and turning them into something that will heal and restore us. I love it.

There is lots of chaos around us, but we must not give in to it. We must look it in the eye, smile, and stay calm & grounded. Chaos feeds on chaos. Center yourself and the chaos will prove not much more trouble than a cloud in the sky.

Remodeling Update - The Kitchen

The contract stated that work should take 3 - 4 weeks to complete. Work started on May 6th. We're now 10 days past the deadline. Let's focus on the kitchen for a moment.

~The lights haven't been put in yet, so this is a really dark photo. We will have to touch-up paint on the doors where sanding the new wall behind the fridge caused paint to peel.~

~Same basic shot, just taken with the cell-phone camera. Lights are in & we're very happy there is a dimmer switch!! This is with them as bright as they get, note the fan light still isn't on.~

~This Mexican Star light just got put up today! I've been wanting one for years, and we finally got one after our very antique pull-down, cast-iron lamp got broken. I think the star light looks better there than the other one would've, but that doesn't mean I'm not still mourning the loss of the other light~

The lights are now, FINALLY, all in. Really, I was beginning to doubt they would all get put up! The ceiling is done, minus the molding that will go around it. That should go up at the beginning of next week. Josh is, hopefully, staining the molding tomorrow. So, we'll see.

~Well, at least the new gas stove is in the kitchen and working! But check out the clutter & missing cabinet/counters!~

The stove finally made it's way out of the front room of the house and into the kitchen, where after about a week, it finally got hooked up. The new vent, which will vent the heat outside (the current vent just blows it all back in!) is still sitting in it's box in the front room.
This is my first gas stove. What do I think of it? I LOVE this stove. It's so cool, and it makes me feel like a proper cook. However, there are some downsides, at least temporary transitional ones:
1) Gas stoves put out a LOT of heat!! I was boiling potatoes today and felt like there was a roaring fire in the kitchen!! This fact is NOT helped by 90 degree and humid-as-hell days, nor having a house that doesn't have AC, nor the vent being in the front room. I'm REALLY keeping my fingers crossed that the new, more powerful, vent will suck a lot of the heat outside. Till then, I'm trying to count the blessings of being Southern and sweaty.
2) It friggin' takes FOREVER for water to boil!! The first thing I tried cooking was pasta. I put the lid on the pot (set to whistle when the water boiled). It never whistled, the water eventually over-flowed (which puts out the damn flame but leaves the gas on), and the pasta was very well-done! -- I'm hoping that, with time, I'll just get used to it and adjust my cooking times. I mean, I used to have really slow dial-up on my old computer and I learned to sign on, go make myself a nice cup of hot tea, and by the time I got back I might almost be online. It never bothered me. Hopefully this will be similar.
3) Things take longer to cook on the stove-top. This really isn't such a pain, just an interesting learning curve. But I wanted to include it as a "beware if you're trying to fry an egg or something" and you're not familiar with gas stoves.

I love my new stove though. Despite the current downsides, the stove rocks. The bottom drawer is a warming drawer by the way. That'll come in handy come the holidays!! AND, the stove is a 5 burner stove, with the 5th burner being a long oval burner in the center. The stove came with a cast iron piece to put there that is a griddle on one side and a grill on the other. Oh yea, it rocks.

One thing I am REALLY not liking though is the clutter. It is driving me up one wall and down another and straight into hiding in the closet or bathtub (I hide in weird spots). There is practically NO work room right now. We're out of spaces to store stuff as well because we can't put anything else in the dining room until the pantry cabinet gets put in the back hallway. Can't store it on the extra shelving in the laundry room until the tool cabinet gets put in the back hallway.
Every time I turn around it seems like I bump into something, knock something over, or lose something. It is depressing, aggravating, maddening (and not in the good way), and I am not certain how much more I can take. On my good days I feel like Tom Hanks in The Money Pit.



On the other days my sense of humor about it all is lost and I listen to Johnny Cash & Ray Charles sing "Busted" and I cry and sing along.



Harmon is building the kitchen cabinets this week, and they should begin going in on Friday. He's working on Saturday, which he ought to be saying he took off Monday for personal reasons, and hopes to have most of the tile laid on the counters by the end of the day on Saturday.
Today was a rough day, I wasn't amused and the delays are getting on my nerves. Which leads me to my next point: the extra costs of renovation.

Everyone says to expect it to cost more. So far, financially speaking, the extra costs have come in that some of our older appliances (deep freezer, old toilet) have suddenly had to be replaced. The true extra costs are on your nerves. The effect of the clutter. Of not knowing what is going to be happening from day to day. Of thinking that __x__ is getting done on Monday but it doesn't get done till Wednesday a week or two later.
Of the cost of take-out food!! UGH!!! I HATE TAKE-OUT FOOD!!! I WANT REAL FOOD!! This has proven a lot harder to accomplish than I thought. I thought I could work around them. I was wrong. Real food takes time. From day to day I don't know what I'll be able to access or when I will be able to access it. The deep freezer (where meat is stored) might be pushed with it's door up against the wall (so they can sand the floor under it). No getting meat out early enough for dinner there. The floor might have just gotten another coat of sealant on it. No getting into the kitchen to make some quick lunch today! Every time I drive to McDonald's to get food I am filled with disgust and anger. Mostly all of it directed at myself for not better planning so that we could've avoided having to go there. Excuses can be made, but when it comes down to it, they're still just excuses, and I am full of guilt and self-anger over it. And I long, long, long to make some good ole biscuits in my new oven. For the room to roll out the dough. For real food, slow food, homemade food.

Slowly, it is all coming along. The work that is done is fantastic. It is just taking a lot longer than I expected, despite warnings from those who've "been there and done that" that it would, that it always does. Guess I hoped that a tanked economy that nobody was building in would result in contractors that were happy for the work and would be trying harder to sell themselves.
The kitchen really is looking fantastic and I do love going in there and seeing the things that have been done. The dogs love it too. The tile floor is apparently much cooler than the wooden floors.

I will try my best to retain my sanity and not turn into the mega-bitch that many people know I can be and that my ex-husband REALLY knows I can be.

Remodeling - Before Pics & Contract Signed

Sorry for the long title, I couldn't think of a better way to shorten it. We signed the contract this morning for the remodeling job. We decided to go with David Harmon for very obvious reasons stated in http://thebluenymph.blogspot.com/2010/03/contractors-estimates-are-in.html. We've been very pleased with him so far and, while I must admit to being a little nervous as is normal at the beginning of any new voyage, we're really excited. The planned start date is April 19th. We expect it to take 3-4 weeks for the entire job to be done.
I promised to document it all, and to stay good to that, I'm going to post the "Before" pics now.



~The door to the left leads to the dining room, the door on the right to the hallway. You can see the chimney jutting out (the chair is in front of it). The chimney is going to be taken down, the flue put more into the wall, and the new fridge will be put along this wall.~


~The stove & oven will be replaced with a new gas one (the current one is electric), along with a new vent that will actually vent to the outside. This should allow me to cook & can much more efficiently and also keep the kitchen cooler when I cook! The stove will be moved to the left a little to free up the corner cabinets for a lazy susan. Currently the cabinet next to the stove (as well as the upper cabinets) go all the way back to the wall, making access very difficult. He's also going to build more counter space where the fridge is, and some complimentary cabinets.
Since you can see them in this photo, I'll include them here. The wine barrel is going to be replaced by an island with a butcher block top. The floor will be tile, the counters will be tile, and the ceiling will be replaced with a pine tongue & groove wooden ceiling. There will also be can lighting in the ceiling (though we're keeping all current lighting as well), and LED lighting under the cabinets.~


~This WAS a full bathroom. Currently we use it as a pantry & beer storage room. We've never cared for it as a bathroom, as it feels like you're going outside to .. well, take a shower or go. The plan?? This will become a laundry room & beer storage room. The doorway will be made bigger, so we can fit the washer & dryer through it. If the room doesn't end up looking just as cluttered I'll be friggin' amazed, mainly because the beer stuff just takes up a LOT of awkward room.~


~This is a shot of the hallway. I was standing in the doorway to the deck when I took it. If you look in the lower left hand area of the photo you can see the doorknob and, behind it part of the wooden clothes drying rack. There is space behind that wall where we currently have shelving.
So, back here he's putting in glass brick to replace the current windows. You can't really see them at all in this photo, but if you look in the upper left hand area you can see the light coming in. He's going to put insulation in the walls, refinish the floors, and build custom cabinets for me to use for my pantry items and for the other things we keep back there. The freezer will stay in the hallway, the washer & dryer will go into the "laundry room" & the trap door to the basement will remain a trap door.

And that is pretty much all of it. I'll likely create a Flickr set of the photos since there are much more than posted here.
Like I said, we're really excited about this, and eager to be working with him. He's always been on time, very courteous, willing to work with us, sharing ideas, and makes us excited about the project. Now excuse me while I go throw up these butterflies.

A Contest

I've started a contest on my Mama Taney's Kitchen Blog. Thought y'all might be interested and wanted to hear what you're thinkin'.

Here's the link if you'd like to participate: http://mamataneyskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/03/help-ideas-needed-theres-reward.html

Home Remodeling: Contractors & Choices

No photo today, just some reviews and thoughts.

First Up: Contractors

I'll be the first to admit that I am REALLY awful about looking around and getting second opinions. I tend to seek out referrals from people I know. If I like the first person I meet, they seem honest, and the price ain't bad, then I just tend to go with them. But, since this is a big project, at least to us anyway, we've agreed that looking around and getting estimateS would be wise.

The first guy I've met with is David Harmon. He came highly recommended from a real estate agent friend. While she hadn't personally used him, the word was good. I called him, he answered the phone & told me he had been expecting my call. Quite a nice surprise! He said he wasn't feeling too good that day, so it may be the end of the week before he could get out to see me, which was fine. Then he said to give him a couple hours to see how he felt. Much to my shock, he called back and wanted to be here at 3.
He arrived on time, brought a camera with him along with his other stuff and we went to the kitchen. I showed him the problems and he presented me with ideas. LOTS of ideas. Lots of DIFFERENT ideas. Like "have you thought about moving the fridge over here??" kind of ideas. And "since you need a pantry, what about doing this .." ideas.
Some of his ideas I had a knee-jerk "no" reaction to only because things have been the way they are for so long that this is just how they are. But I didn't tell him that, I tried to keep it to myself.
He ended up spending two hours here, mainly just talking over possible ideas, and taking photos. He told me to talk things over with Justin, to go out this weekend and look around at things (tile we might want for example) and he'd see us again on Sunday so that he can get a BETTER look at everything! He also plans on bringing samples with him.
~Ok Carrie, calm down, don't get giddy. Remember, you promised you'd get more than one estimate!!~

I also contacted Adam Cohen from Structures. We'd like to make this renovation as green as possible (David Harmon does a lot of green work too) and Adam is really known for that in the Valley. I called in the morning and left him a message. He called me back yesterday afternoon.
We talked a bit on the phone. Really, I need to learn to not answer the phone when I've been napping as I tend to feel like an idiot after the conversation is done.
He talked about what could be causing the possible leaks. I told him some of the other things we were looking at having done and our interest in being as green as possible. I don't think I interested him.
He told me that first I needed to have another guy, Rob Leonard (I think, stupid sleepy brain), who worked in their firm come out and look at things and do the numbers. Adam is apparently the designer. First you get the numbers guy, then you get the designer. Rob wasn't in though and Adam told me that he would tell him to call. Almost 24 hours later, still waiting. We'll see how long this takes.

So Far - Over-all feelings about possible contractors are that I liked "the little guy" much, much more. When talking with Adam I felt like I was dealing with a "big business." Structures IS a big business, but it was the feeling of dealing with a big business. I'm still going to give them a chance, but so far, they're not in the lead.


Choices, Choices -What to get, where to get it!

What exactly do we need?? Ok, well, we need a new stove/range. We need a new fridge. Then there is the countertops that we're looking at having changed from laminate to tile, and the flooring which we'll have changed from laminate "faux" tiles to either bamboo (one of David Harmon's ideas) or maybe tile.
David recommended that we go out and look at some things we may want on Saturday, so we can better get an idea of things. He recommended we check out Home Depot (apparently he can get a better deal there), but didn't put down Lowe's.
A friend commented on my "Ideas" post and mentioned the Habitat store downtown as a good source for supplies. Carole, I'm taking your advice!!! :)
On Saturday we'll head down to the Habitat store to see what we can find. We can't purchase anything now, which is likely to be hard, but I do plan on taking my camera. It never hurts to look, right? From there we'll head out to Lowe's and Home Depot to get ideas on materials - mainly tile. The idea is that the Habitat store will be our "Plan A" when it comes time to actually buy stuff and that the box stores will be "Plan B" in case we can't find what we want at Habitat. By the way, in case you don't know what I am talking about when I say Habitat store, or why it is good to check there first, follow this link - http://www.habitat.org/env/restores.aspx

As for the fridge and stove. We've been comparing selections and prices between the big box stores. Online shopping is just really cool and makes this part nice and easy. So far, Lowe's wins hands down for ease-of-use with their website and selection.
We've found a fridge that seems to be perfect, and is $500 cheaper than a comparable model from a different company. Not too bad. Good reviews too! Huzzah!
As for stoves. It is weird to me that a stove will cost me more than a fridge, but with as much as I put stoves and ranges through, I have criteria that need to be met. Lowe's and Home Depot have the same exact one I'm looking at, though it is currently on sale at Home Depot, making it $500 cheaper than the exact same model at Lowe's. Even if it weren't on sale it would be $400 cheaper. Wow, don't these guys try and watch the competitor's prices??

That basically sums up the first round of this new adventure. I will definitely keep you posted on how things go though.
Your thoughts and opinions are DEFINITELY recommended and appreciated!! Carole, if you hadn't mentioned the Habitat store it likely would've slipped my mind. If we end up shopping there, I'll be singing your praises for a while!!

Remodeling - the idea

There is a chimney that runs up through our kitchen and on out the roof, as most chimneys do I presume. It's base is in the basement, and there is a flue in it that vents out .. well, whatever gets vented out from the boiler heater.
It is a brick chimney, but the brick is very old and crumbling. I haven't actually seen that because the part in the kitchen is encased in drywall. But I am lucky, and Mom lived here before me, so I'll take her word on the matter.
This ole chimney though, or somewhere around it on the roof, is leaking. Paint is bubbling, water runs out when I pop the bubbles, there are new cracks, and I can feel the texture of the wall being different. We had a GREAT guy come out and try and fix our woes after the last snowfall, but they're back again. There is talk of possible hidden gutters and who knows what else.



The thing is, this isn't JUST an issue of the leaking roof/chimney. It is an issue of: we need a new stove, we need a new fridge, the kitchen doesn't have adequate lighting for us, and we need it to really suit us. If you open up one issue, you open up the entire can.
We're now contemplating a remodeling of the kitchen, which sent me to the library looking for books and ideas.

This picture kills me. Really it does. I LOVE that kitchen! So, what's the problem here, huh? The problem is that all the books and websites that you go to looking for kitchen remodeling ideas tend to show kitchens of this size. We have a pretty big kitchen, but still our kitchen isn't near 1/2 that size! And, I'm willing to bet, that most kitchens aren't either!

Does Size Matter?

Unless you live under a rock you can't have missed the recent talk and interest in small houses. Tiny living. I like that. Now, that doesn't mean I suddenly want to move our family of four (+ pets) into a 300 square foot house, but it is safe to say that I think we've got plenty of room right here, even if it doesn't always feel like it.
Pictures like the one above really depress me. As I poured through the books last night I saw one picture after another like that one. Then all the ones with the snazzy shelving. What I got, instead of ideas, was a checklist of things my kitchen didn't have, didn't have room for, or what just wouldn't work. Blech. No fun.
I even checked out a book on "Green Kitchens" which used the ridiculous term "daylighting." They used it as a noun and as a verb. I've been known to make up a word to suit the situation .. but really?? Anyway, even this book had those huge kitchens!

Reality Please?

Another thing that caught me was the ideas for use of space. In these beautiful and ample photos they suggested that you make the most out of space you might not be noticing. Ok, that is an idea that I can get down with!!
"Think Vertical" ~ Most of our ceilings are 10' tall, thinking vertical works for me! Give me those ideas!!! Wanna know what they're ideas were??

Look above the stove there?? Tell me - does that look practical or just pretty to you??? Don't know about you, but to me it just says "pretty and useless". Other photos hung large baskets high up. Beautiful woven baskets. I might use them, but when they're hung that high ... well, gonna still have to go with decoration. Climbing up to take them down to fill them or empty them or retrieve something, then climbing back up to hang them back up ... not to workable in an already busy kitchen.

Maybe reality doesn't make for pretty photos? Personally, I would disagree with that, but I know professionally, it may be so. That's damn sad.
When did my kitchen have to become an art gallery masquerading as a kitchen? On one hand, there is nothing wrong with that, but I don't think it should be the norm. The majority of our time is spent in the kitchen. Something is ALWAYS going on in there.

Is this a side effect of throw-away living and processed foods? Kitchens don't have to really be for working anymore? Does a designer lose designer street cred. if they design kitchens that are truly meant to be cooked in, lived in, messed up, and so on??

The search is on folks. I will not give up. A quest lies before me, a challenge to be met, and I will take photos so that we can remember what REAL kitchens look like!

Recipes!

For those of you who haven't noticed, I've started another blog online dedicated just for recipes. I was inspired when I saw other bloggers doing this, and well, personally speaking, some of the best recipes I've ever found have come via the Internet, and so I thought I would add some of my own out there as well. At all times I will try to give proper documentation as to where the recipe came from if it isn't one of my own personal ones. I also, very much, encourage feed-back on the recipes. This is how good recipes become great! If you scroll down the right-hand side of the blog you will find a direct link, but you may also click here: http://mamataneyskitchen.blogspot.com/ ~ Again, I very much look forward to hearing from you, as I always do on here as well!
Happy Cooking!