176 replies to this topic

[judiu]

Kim, feisty is best! Do you know what a Feist is? It's a little mixed breed dog, bred to hunt small game, particularly squirrels. Feisty is second cousin to bitchy, and that will do the job! It's all in the attitude; "don't give me any shite; I know what it's about!"

[Smithy]

Ha, feisty! Yes, that's a great aspiration.

I remember once telling my brother-in-law that I hope to be an eccentric old lady someday. He looked at me, smiled, and said, "You're halfway there already."

It's funny, your telling about a supermarket that doesn't sell alcohol on Sundays. In Minnesota, none of them do. I'm still surprised when I go back to the West Coast and find wine in the grocery stores, and it isn't even hidden behind a counter.

Man, that lunch looked excellent. I just had dinner, and I'm still pining for those sandwiches. You sighed over the rice. Are you a super-big rice fan? Any particular types?

[Kim Shook]

It's funny, your telling about a supermarket that doesn't sell alcohol on Sundays.  In Minnesota, none of them do.  I'm still surprised when I go back to the West Coast and find wine in the grocery stores, and it isn't even hidden behind a counter.

Man, that lunch looked excellent.  I just had dinner, and I'm still pining for those sandwiches.  You sighed over the rice.  Are you a super-big rice fan?  Any particular types?

Smithy, that store doesn't just not sell alcohol on Sundays - they don't sell anything on Sundays - they aren't open at all. And they don't sell alcohol at any time !

I do love rice, but since the surgery it is one of the few foods that I can't eat at all and I miss it so much. I miss all kinds of rice and I don't think there is any kind (other than Minute) that I don't like!

Ok – time for the dinner report. While I was putting things together we had some goodies that we bought this weekend at our favorite Richmond hippy crunchy store – Elwood Thompson:

It’s rosemary crisp bread and two different kinds of chevre – Hot Pepper and Chives & Garlic from ‘Goats R Us’ – a goat farm in Blackstone, VA –about an hour from here.

Dinner was an all eGullet affair. I made David Ross’ Apple, Pear and Parsnip Salad w/ Toasted Walnuts, Bleu Cheese and Apple Cider Vinaigrette, our own Kendra Bailey Morris’ Chicken Divine and lucylou’s French Onion Bread Pudding.

Mise for the vinaigrette:


Mise and prep for the salad:


that’s some Point Reyes Blue – one of our favorites




Finished Salad:


Mise and prep for the chicken:








Finished dish:


Mise and prep for the bread pudding:


flipping the onions:








Finished dish:


Otis ate much earlier than we did:



My plate:


Each dish was a big success – everything tasted wonderful and was easy to do. The bread pudding was particularly swoony. The next time I make it, I’ll do it with a roast so I have some gravy to spoon over top! I think it would be especially fantastic with lamb!

The only problem with the chicken was that it had a flood of water in the bottom of the pan:

but it didn’t taste watery at all !

Well, I’ve posted my first dinner on my first blog and it is 11:59pm .

Mr. Kim insisted that I post the following picture, which he took as I served dinner:



I really hope this isn’t too much information. I tend to run on when I talk and it seems that have the same tendency when I write and post pictures.

[maggiethecat]

In the embrace of your fellow eGulls there is never, ever too much information. (So you know) Your dins looked outstanding.

YA alert: I really can't remember what Hannah Gruen cooked, but Nancy drove a snappy little roadster. Period.

I read Anne-with-an-e once a year. Actually, I'm really fond of "Anne of the Island" where she goes off to college in 1910(!) and cooks along with her girlfriends.

Does anyone member Louisa May Alcott's "Eight Cousins" and "Rose in Bloom" -- a brilliant proto feminist duo. Rose, an heiress, was told by her uncle she had to learn how to cook. Bread first, cake later. Burn marks on her wrists.

I'm ordering pink and white striped wallpaper. Huge bummer about booze on Sundays. Do NOT get me started!

[racheld]

Wow!!! To the double-OOMPH!! What a slumgullious dinner!! That apple julienne was just perfect, and it all LOOKED divine, not just the chicken.

And Nancy always came down to breakfast, dressed for the day, and sat down at her place, where Hannah always immediately set down "a tall glass of orange juice." That was even more a signal of their wealth than was that maroon roadster and all those hats; our OJ was made up fresh every few days from the small Minute-Maid can. The carafe was clear glass, sporting bright, colorful red flowers all around; the floral motif was repeated on the teensy-pie glasses, each of which held barely three ounces.

That was our ration, poured by me before the whole family sat down, the little Communion-cup of juice set precisely at the point of the knife. When I had a family of my own, we made up the BIG can almost every night, and usually drank it all out of nice big glasses the next morning.

When my oldest nephew was about two, I set him up on the counter as I was finishing the supper dishes. I washed the juice bottle, took the thawed can from the fridge, smicked off the top, and poured it in. Nephew did a quick double-take and asked, "How'd you DO that? My Mom scoops it out with a spoon."

Edited by racheld, 14 April 2008 - 10:19 PM.

[Pierogi]

Here’s a shelf and a half in the living room:

Oh. My. God. The "Family Circle Illustrated Library of Cooking". The *complete* set, in all its colorific glory.

I have those, too Kim. Up in the hardly-ever-used-but-don't-you-DARE-ask-me-to-get-rid-of-them cookbook storage area (which also happens to be the doggie TREETZ cabinet.......but that's another story).

I SO dearly and happily remember collecting those with my Mom when I was probably....13?.....14?....at any rate, a long, long time ago however old I was. They were premiums at a local grocery chain, and I so, SO looked forward to each new edition. They'd come out, and we'd bring them home, and I'd read them like a novel...cover to cover and make notes about what I wanted Mom & me to make next. We actually cooked from them a LOT back then, now, I probably haven't cracked one open in 10-15 years, but I should, if for nothing else but the memories and the channeling of my Mom.

Count me with the masses really, really looking forward to this blog, and congrats on the weight-loss. I have a couple of friends who've had GB and haven't been so successful....they sorta lost the discipline and it all went to you-know-where in a handbasket.

BTW, I have *plenty* of other duplicates of your library !

[Pan]

Kim, enjoy blogging!

I'm interested in knowing more about your bread pudding, as I've never had one that has mustard and onions in it. Was it more savory than sweet?

[Dana]

Perfect apple cuts, Kim!! WOW!! I'll bet that water in your casserole came from the spinach. If you'd blanch it first, the squeeze it, I'll bet you'd get much less. Do you always use gloves when you cook? If I put on gloves, my family would think I was ill.
I loved Nancy Drew, as well. I see several other titles that are in my 'library' also. Some times it's important just to 'have' them, isn't it??
As Charlton Heston said, ".... when they pry them from my cold, dead hands..." or something like that.

Edited by Dana, 15 April 2008 - 07:06 AM.

[prasantrin]

I'm making bread pudding tonight, too! I'll have to check out lucylou's recipe. I"m kind of winging it, because I had a whole lot of quiche batter leftover from the Bouchon quiche I made last weekend, so I'm using that.

I love the way you eat!

[Pierogi]

BTW, I made a savory bread pudding about a month or so ago. I'm not a huge fan of sweet bread puddings, but I liked this one. Mine had sweet, fennel-spiced Italian sausage chunks, onions (I think...maybe?), Parmesan (maybe?) and ultra-thin slices of fresh fennel bulb it in. I really liked it, but it got a bit dry because my bread wasn't stale/dry enough and so it sucked up too much of the custard. It's on my list o'-things-to-make-again, though.

But I *still* don't really care for sweet bread puddings. Strange, huh? Well, ok, I had one made with croissants once, and I think Bourbon in the custard that was pretty freakin' good, but on the whole I can take or leave 'em.

[mizducky]

Howdy, Kim! Just caught up, after a hectic weekend. Let me add my congratulations on your weight loss. And your blog is off to a most excellent start.

I am now missing idiosyncratic East Coast houses with bathrooms off kitchens and other idiosyncracies -- I've lived in a few myself. And I'm looking forward to more Otis action shots.

Will you have a chance to show us any of the regional food specialties of your area?

[artisan02]

I love my cookbooks and have a hard time giving them up, even when I don't cook a thing from them.  I use the old standbys like Joy of Cooking and Fannie Farmer and that sort for basic information rather than recipes.  For recipes, I go to Heritage of Southern cooking and Simple Fare a lot. 

Hey Kim,

Good to see you finally blogging. Wish I were there this year!!! Are you going to show folks some of the markets around there? And show them some good Virginia foods?

You mentioned one of my favorite cookbooks (I am an avid collector as well): Simple Fare. I just adore that book. I have his other books too, but that one is my favorite of them all. Do you cook much from it? It is my inspiration when I am trying to cook from the pantry and pinch pennies...

Christine, who is a Richmond, VA native

Edited by artisan02, 15 April 2008 - 12:53 AM.

[Domestic Goddess]

Kim those cheese knives are to die for...



Where did you get such fun items?

[hummingbirdkiss]

Kim you are beautiful! congratulations ..my sister of my heart had a bipass lost 200lbs and now is out of her shell!!! she she was always a fantastic cook ..but now she cooks better than ever ! she says it is because now there is not urgency for her to eat ...she enjoys the process more than ever ..

anyway your dog is darling your home is amazing..the food looks so good...your cookbook collection! well I have been collecting cookbooks for a long long time but I think you have me beat! everything emits such warmth ..thank you so much for sharing with us!

(eta my spelling is awful!)

Edited by hummingbirdkiss, 15 April 2008 - 04:16 AM.

[rooy1960]

kim-

i could eat your dinner for breakfast (had to check your blog before i could fix some AM grub)! man, all that looks so great. i just love the Goats R Us name- that is hilarious. i LOVE bread puddings; i made a pineapple pecan one not too long ago, which got me thinking about savory ones. i'd love to have that French Onion recipe. i, too, was curious about the gloves. can't wait to see what you will be up to next.

[CaliPoutine]

Yummy, dinner looks fabulous!!

I'm a big fan of wearing gloves when I cook anything that is slimy(ie: chicken) or smelly(ie: onions). I'm assuming thats why you were wearing them.

I too recommend blanching the spinach first. Its amazing how little spinach you end up with after that. It really shrinks down!!

I'm a huge fan of goat cheese, those look fantastic and I love the cheese knives.

[gfron1]

Not to make you self conscious but yeah...what's up with the gloves!?

And that's a nice looking ceramic knife. Do you like it? I assume so since you're using it.

[Sony]

Yay! Kim! Nice to have a little Richmond (my old digs!) wafting towards upstate NY....and beyond. Joe's, Elwood Thompson, and even the crotchety (umm....I mean feisty) Ukrop's (I know which one you're talking about- that cracks me up!) But the cookbook collection- what a revelation .

And I'm glad I'm not the only one who grew up with a powder room off of the kitchen! Ours was teeny-tiny and had a slanted ceiling (under the staircase). Guests would always mistake it for a coat closet! (We warned toilet-bound people to lock the door- there was an above-average chance of being walked in on otherwise!) But it certainly came in handy when we needed an extra sink nearby (e.g. when greens were soaking in our kitchen sink and someone had to wash their hands).

And I must add my sincere congratulations on your bypass and wish you continued success! It's nice to see you and Mr Kim enjoying food beautifully prepared by a beautiful lady. (Gotta love the dishtowel slung over the shoulder .)

And finally- what does Otis eat? Is he as tempted by your table food as I am?

[lucylou95816]

Kim, I am honored, you used one of my recipes. That is one of my favorites (on carb cheat days) that I go to and a favorite when we go to group gatherings, I am always requested to bring it. For the person that asked, yes, it is a savory bread pudding with Gruyere cheese and carmelized onions, very very good. I tend to add extra cheese myself.

That chicken divan looked awesome, where would we find that recipe, since it looks pretty decent for a low carb dish!

Lovely blog, keep having fun!

[Dejah]

THAT was an amazing "first blog dinner" post, Kim - right from your collection of cooking tools, to the finished dishes that Mr. Kim will be eating for several lunches if "your portion" is an indication, to the final shot of your microwave. Seems Mr. Kim has a sense of humour

I've always been interested in the ceramic knives, but have never used one. Do they ever need to be sharpened? I am amazed at your apple slices!

[racheld]

Just scrumptious! Every word and every picture, and especially every bite!!

Caro just shouted out an admiring WOW! for the bread pudding---I have a feeling it's on our menu, probably tomorrow.

In every picture, I find another bowl, spice, or something we have in common---I'm floral-y and apple-y and all that Home-y stuff. Just lovely and welcoming and warm---what a nice visit.

[David Ross]

Dinner was an all eGullet affair.  I made David Ross’ Apple, Pear and Parsnip Salad w/ Toasted Walnuts, Bleu Cheese and Apple Cider Vinaigrette.

Finished Salad:

Kim, wonderful blog so far and thank you for honoring my humble little salad. You done it proud. Looks delicious, as does the entire dinner.

[Zeemanb]

Kim, congrats on the weight loss! I am SO glad I opened this thread...after my gastric bypass I haven't been reading as many eG food blogs and am lucky to have stumbled upon this one. I'm finally "over" letting my friends and family see how small my meals are now, and it means a lot to me to see someone else post a pic of a post-surgery meal (and the vitamin regimen). At some point I'm sure I'll get over the awkwardness of telling a server how FANTASTIC the meal was as I ask for a box for 80% of it....

Glad to know there are other WLS folks who still love to cook (and have well equipped enough homes to showcase on eG ).

I recently reached the 130lb mark as far as the weight loss, and have decided that if extra skin becomes an issue and insurance won't approve removal I'll go with a totally different method......more tattoos!

Looking forward to updates......

[Carlovski]

Wow - I'm not only impressed by the weight loss, but also by the fact you have maintained a healthy interest in food. I am sure that many other people would have found it much easier to distance themselves from something you obviously take great delight in.

P.S
If you are worried about your kitchen not standing Scrutiny with Chris's then maybe I should do a foodblog - houseshare with 3 other guys and no dishwasher? That should be entertaining!

[mukki]

Yep, we have a 'powder room' directly off our kitchen.  Yet another thing that I hate about this room .

I can totally relate -- we have a powder room *very* near our kitchen. I just love it when guests are hanging out in the kitchen and one of them goes to take a leak without turning on the fan.

[Kim Shook]

I read Anne-with-an-e once a year. Actually, I'm really fond of "Anne of the Island" where she goes off to college in 1910(!) and cooks along with her girlfriends.

Does anyone member Louisa May Alcott's "Eight Cousins" and "Rose in Bloom" -- a brilliant proto feminist duo. Rose, an heiress, was told by her uncle she had to learn how to cook. Bread first, cake later. Burn marks on her wrists.

I love all versions of Anne. Walter breaks my heart every time I read the books! Anne and Diana's feast for the visiting author is a classic. Is that the meal where both of them and Marilla all sugar the peas? I do remember those Alcotts! Also - in Little Men, did anyone else covet the mini cookstove that Amy's daughter received?

Wow!!!  To the double-OOMPH!!  What a slumgullious dinner!!  That apple julienne was just perfect, and it all LOOKED divine, not just the chicken.

And Nancy always came down to breakfast, dressed for the day, and sat down at her place, where Hannah always immediately set down "a tall glass of orange juice."  That was even more a signal of their wealth than was that maroon roadster and all those hats; our OJ was made up fresh every few days from the small Minute-Maid can.    The carafe was clear glass, sporting  bright, colorful red flowers all around; the floral motif was repeated on the teensy-pie glasses, each of which held barely three ounces.

I was pretty proud of my julienne - here's all three of them - parsnip, apple and pear:


I remember those little cartons and they don't seem to make them anymore! I was actually looking for one this weekend for a retro congealed salad that I'm making in place of fruit salad for the weekend (jello counts for fruit below the Mason-Dixon line, right ?)

Oh.  My.  God.  The "Family Circle Illustrated Library of Cooking".  The *complete* set, in all its colorific glory.

I have those, too Kim.  Up in the hardly-ever-used-but-don't-you-DARE-ask-me-to-get-rid-of-them cookbook storage area (which also happens to be the doggie TREETZ cabinet.......but that's another story).

I SO dearly and happily remember collecting those with my Mom when I was probably....13?.....14?....at any rate, a long, long time ago however old I was.  They were premiums at a local grocery chain, and I so, SO looked forward to each new edition.  They'd come out, and we'd bring them home, and I'd read them like a novel...cover to cover and make notes about what I wanted Mom & me to make next.  We actually cooked from them a LOT back then, now, I probably haven't cracked one open in 10-15 years, but I should, if for nothing else but the memories and the channeling of my Mom.

Those Family Circle cookbooks are a hoot. I think that they are the ones that Lileks uses in the Gallery of Regrettable Food. They belonged to my MIL and I was so excited to get them!
And your savory bread pudding recipe sounds wonderful - we love fennel; I'll be using it later this week!

I'm interested in knowing more about your bread pudding, as I've never had one that has mustard and onions in it. Was it more savory than sweet?

lucylou's bread pudding was just amazing. The only sweetness was from the caramelized onions, so it was really savory. I have had them in restaurants, but none as good as this one was!

Perfect apple cuts, Kim!! WOW!! I'll bet that water in your casserole came from the spinach. If you'd blanch it first, the squeeze it, I'll bet you'd get much less. Do you always use gloves when you cook? If I put on gloves, my family would think I was ill. 

Thank you and Randi for the advice about the spinach - I'll put that in my notes when I type up the recipe and try that next time.
I'm sorry for what I call my 'cadaver hands'! Everyone is wondering about my gloves and I meant to tell you about it before now and just forgot. I wear gloves almost all the time when I am cooking, cleaning, etc. I am not some phobic, Michael Jackson, mask wearing wacko. I've always had extremely dry hands and when I was working at the store it got really awful - cracked, actively bleeding fingers - just agonizing, plus folks didn't like me bleeding on their food. My doctor prescribed Kerodex cream and the gloves at work. It was like magic. My hands cleared up in a few days and I started wearing them at home, too. I've really gotten used to them - I've caught myself mid-meal still wearing them !

Will you have a chance to show us any of the regional food specialties of your area?

I'm hoping that the restaurants that we are going to this week will cover this and I am going to try to get up early enough to get to the farmer's market, too! Since my focus this first blog is on 'new to me' recipes, I won't be cooking my old standbys which are pretty regional - fried chicken, long cooked vegetables, biscuits - but I am making a congealed salad this weekend and if that's not regional, I don't know what is !

artisan02 - I do cook alot from Simple Fare - it is a wonderful cookbook and I think I found it years ago at a discount bookstore. My go to Pot Roast recipe is from this book.

Doddie & Randi - I'm glad you like my shoe spreaders! Aren't they girlie? I love girlie stuff (as anyone could guess from my pink striped powder room)! I think they were a gift from my MIL and FIL.

Rob - I adore my ceramic knives. I have the big one, a little paring knife and a peeler. They are all awesome. Mr. Kim gave me the set for Christmas - really because they have pink handles and I am all about pink - he really didn't know anything about them. Serendipitously, they are wonderful and my favorite knives. I have hand strength issues and they are so light and easy to use. I only use my Henckels now when the job is rough or could conceivably shatter the ceramics.

And Dejah - re: the knives - I believe that they only have to be sharpened every few years - maybe someone else knows for sure?

Sony - nice to 'see' you again! Be sure to PM me if you ever find your are going to have a couple of hours in Richmond! Otis eats little packets of Pedigree wet food topped with some Pedigree crunchies. Plus whatever hits the floor! I said the other day that my next pug was going to be named Roomba! He is a passionate omnivore and would eat until he popped, if we let him. We almost never feed him people food because of his puggy tendency towards...um...rude noises. He is sweet, but not bright and sees the entire outdoors as a giant smorgasbord - grass, twigs, snow, squirrel corn, etc. - all have an irresistable draw for him!

zeemanb - I have just recently discovered your blog and am getting caught up reading it from the beginning! It's really great fun! We are definitely siblings under the skin - love of food, urban neighborhoods, politics, ethics, surgery, etc. I'm glad I found you! I know exactly what you mean about the doggy bags. I always want to explain why I didn't eat much in restaurants and am afraid the chef will be offended at my lack of appetite. Plus, I am still not exactly a small person, so when I say, "I have a small appetite.", I'm always sure they are thinking, "Yeah, sure you do"!
I did the showing everyone how small my meals were, too. That will pass. What hasn't passed yet is when I'm folding laundry and see how small my underwear is!


For everyone who wants the recipes for the things I'm making, I'll be posting them (properly credited, of course) on my webpage (link is below my name) as soon
as I have the time.

How about the promised explanation of my drinks and a house tour?

In one of the shots of my island there were a row of 2 lt. drinks on the floor. These are "my drinks". When you have a gastric bypass, you are not supposed to drink sugary, carbonated drinks. Most diet drinks are still fizzy. And, believe me, when you drink one, you know it. That foam just crawls right up your esophogus and is nasty. I know some bypass patients who have worked at getting back on carbonated drinks, but I figure, why bother going through the surgery if I'm going to find ways to break the rules. My stomach capasity will increase naturally anyway, why add any other ways for weight to creep up on me? So after I had the surgery, I was drinking just water or tea. That got tired really fast. I am not a coffee drinker at all, so I used to get my caffeine from diet coke. Someone suggested drinking flat diet soda. None of the dark ones appealed to me, but Mt. Dew and the lighter drinks are less carbonated anyway. I tried different things and found that Kroger's house brand version of diet Mt. Dew was something that I liked. I used to just let it go flat, but that takes forever, so I started just bringing it to a boil, cooling it and putting it back in the bottle. I love this stuff and always have it on hand.

Let's take a food related tour around my house. Here's the kitchen.
Pantry/laundry area:


Inside the belly of the pantry beast:











Moving around the room:





Counter Shots. Keep in mind that other than the island, this is all of my counter space.
My newest toy - it's a very large toaster/convection oven. I love it dearly, but it takes up a lot of space - that's about a foot of usable space in front of it:



The corner - cracker jar, Otis' NomNomNom (does anyone get this reference?) tin, the coffee bean suck machine (as opposed to the plastic bag suck machine which lives in the island and which I haven't used in months), the coffee maker/grinder and the beginning of the utensil forest (in one of the Oz books there actually is a village named Utensia in the middle of a forest and the inhabitants are kitchen untensils - lots of good food in Oz books, too - eeeek, another one of my mad, passionate collections I am confessing to):


The Utensil Forest:



The narrow little place between the stove and the fridge where lives the olive oil, garlic, sugar bowl, S&P, etc. - the stuff I need right at my elbow:

Notice the instant coffee - does anyone else at eG admit to having any of this stuff around? Mr. Kim and Jessica use this when they are in a rush and only need one cup - I don't drink coffee so it doesn't reflect on me! Also - notice my bacon salt - percyn recommended this stuff and I keep it by the stove so I'll remember to use it since it's new.

Here's the fridge - as you can see, we stick everything in the house on it. I really like a cleaned off refrigerator, but it just doesn't happen!


That shot is an outside manifestation of the chaos within. The fridge:









The freezer:


This is what happens when you open the freezer:



This is my freezer list - it is supposed to be an up to date list of everything in the freezer. It is usually current for about 3 days after I completely rehaul it:



We call this Banshee's cabinet. Called that because it's where our late lamented kitty used to eat her meals so that Otis couldn't get it. It was an old cruddy thing that Momma and Ted found in the garage when they moved. I painted it and it holds all my food storage stuff. A good shot of the world's ugliest floor is also included for your viewing pleasure:



Food Storage cabinets:
The pasta/rice storage cabinet and the oh-so-up-to-date list of contents:




Other stuff:



(see the Penzey's bottles at the bottom? We just got a Penzey's - will try to fit a visit in on the weekend!)







Spices:



That's it for the kitchen; now let's visit the rest of the house. In the dining room I have dishes stored in the china cabinet, like normal people:



But if you look closely, I also have a shelf that runs around 3 walls of my dining room that holds more dishes and serving pieces and pitchers (my wonderful FIL made this for me for my birthday one year). There is also more stuff in the sideboard.



This is my coat closet. We took the coats out so you can see it's real purpose:





Ok, now I feel really trashy.


Also in the living room is a small sideboard:

It's also full. Notice the teeny tiny little cake stand on top! Isn't it girlie ??

And just to show the full extent of my shame, if you lift the skirts of my side tables like Can-Can dancers:




Actually, that wasn't the full extent of my shame, because in the attic there are big, giant things (juicer, canning equipment, bread maker, etc.), but you're not seeing that - we have to go in there with a flashlight and the camera wouldn't work!

Whew! Well, no cooking for me tonight. We are going out to dinner - I'll be back later with a report!

[Chris Hennes]

Wow, lists of what's in the freezer! Brilliant! I hope you don't mind if I steal that from you...

[hummingbirdkiss]

OMG that is my freezer!!!! how funny the same things hit the floor!!! wonderful!!!

[rooy1960]

Wow, lists of what's in the freezer! Brilliant! I hope you don't mind if I steal that from you... 

hey kim-

thanks for the kitchen tour. i love the turntables in the cupboards, the baskets holding bottles and the side tables with skirts hiding stuff. like chris, i plan to incorporate your ideas into my kitchen. i, also, have to do the freezer list to stay on top of both freezers.

did your pig Chef come in pink? that is just too darn cute. i've never seen them in pink.

thanks for posting your recipes on your site. really looking forward to using them.

-leslie

[eldereno]

It is so refreshing to see a "normal house"! I am lucky to have more storage and counter space than you BUT I am far from being as organized as you, so have many piles of recipes I hope someday to file, piles of papers and mail that I have yet to sort, piles of clothes that I have yet to put away (my so called game room is now an extra large closet!!!!!). You are far from being "trashy" but, in fact, clearly making the best of all you have. Great place!

My neighbor, slightly to the south, I am so impressed that, in the middle of your blogging, you still find time to comment on other threads (i.e. Dinner). You must be getting no sleep at this time!!!!!!!!

I'm with you and enjoying every post!