Thursday, February 10, 2011

Kitchen Tour

I was able to get home tonight from work in time to make dinner.  Usually, on work nights it's "get your own" which means a bowl of cereal for me and a can of soup for Brett.  But tonight my last meeting of the day finished a bit early so I scooted on home and headed to the kitchen after chores.

When we made the move from suburbia to our little ranch, it involved building our own home.  We bought an empty piece of property, a big meadow, and built there.  Brett researched house plans and diagrammed out the layout.  I cared about the kitchen, the barn and the arena.  The rest -- Brett's baby.  Our builder had a cow over the kitchen.  Brett told him that we would scrimp on the rest of the house but that I was to have my Viking stove, etc.  So, here's the kitchen tour and tonight's dinner...

I wanted it big enough for all my gadgets, but small enough to work in without hiking from one end to the other.






For the center island, I wanted a big wood table.  The top of this is maple and it's a great work surface.  I wanted lots of room.  Our builder couldn't believe that I didn't want granite with a sink.  He actually put plumbing in for a sink in case I ever "come to my senses."  I have not, for one minute, regretted having a big wood work surface.













The biggest splurge in the kitchen is my Viking stove.  It has four burners with a griddle in the middle.  I use the griddle for everything from French toast to warming tortillas.  The stove doesn't work perfectly -- the transition from gas to propane caused some trouble -- but, for the most part, I love this stove.  And, I think it is just the most gorgeous thing ever.
If you look to the left of the picture, you can see the barn.  I love that the kitchen opens to the great room and, past that, the horses.  I didn't want a kitchen that isolated me from the rest of the house, friends or family.






The other thing I had never had, but always wanted, was a walk-in pantry.















The other side of the kitchen faces north with windows our to the dog area.  You can see my espresso machine -- well used.  My two serious addictions are horses and espresso.  I buy my coffee beans green and roast them myself so they are exactly how I like them.  Very dark, but not burnt.  Is it morning yet?  I'm ready for a shot!





Dinner tonight: rack of lamb, couscous with butternut squash, raisins and cashews.

...and a good Austalian shiraz.

9 comments:

  1. Who wouldn't love that kitchen! And the stove! And the workspace (not to mention being able to see the barn). And that dinner was not too shabby either. You live very well.

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  2. Annette, love, love, love the kitchen! And I must say that I am really impressed with the dinner (on a work day, no less). Beautiful...thanks for sharing!

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  3. Beautiful kitchen, and I cannot believe you whipped that dinner up after working all day. Why aren't you a chef?? Or, are you a chef?

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  4. Thanks everyone and, no, I'm not a chef. I just love to cook. Brett's son is a chef and I do badger him with questions and follow him around when he cooks. Probably my biggest influence has been the old Julia Child cooking shows - and her cookbook. I love how she says "bon courage!" and goes for it - who cares if the food burns or gets flung around - have fun - go for it!

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  5. OH! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!! I need you two to design my kitchen LOL! It's funny, the first thing I noticed in that first picture was that amazing stove. I'm glad you wrote about it or I'd be asking about it :)

    This is a kitchen after my own heart.....

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  6. My entire kitchen is roughly the size of your pantry. It's very cozy when The Frenchman and I are in there together cooking. That's a really spectacular kitchen and I like open space concepts too. You roast your own coffee? Wow.

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  7. Wow, that's one beatiful kitchen! And I love the view of the barn as well.

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  8. Ha - Brett's telling tales Annette!

    Love your Viking stove and walk in pantry. Both on my wish list for my future kitchen - just bought the property last August so it will be a while - but a girl can dream can't she. Your kitchen is lovely :)

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  9. That's a dream kitchen. Oh what a pantry. Love your wood work space too! I would gladly skimp on most parts of the house for a kitchen like yours to. I spend most of my awake hours in the kitchen. So cool to just look out the windows & watch the creatures as you cook. Blessings!
    Lara

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Thanks so much for commenting!