Who Knew?

Top shelf: Dry Ingredients and Baking.
Bottom shelf: All Gluten-Free.

 

I've had to re-organize my kitchen.

Going gluten-free requires more than dietary changes. In order to eat well, one must cook. And, bake. That requires ingredients. GF bloggers and creatives provide a road-map that is so valuable--the Gluten-Free Goddess and Aran fron Cannelle et Vanille, to name two who have been on my radar for years. Not just because they live gluten-free, but because they are amazing cooks and photographers; artists, truly.

So, as new ingredients piled onto my kitchen island, they overflowed the pantry basket I designated to contain them. I've spent a bit of time this week shopping for the right storage containers. Containers that incorporate design, utility, and visibility. I do not want these expensive ingredients disappearing into the dark recesses of my small pantry.

I've spent odd moments pondering the same principles--design, utility, visibility--looking for the best solution. Luckily, I'm a process-oriented individual. I can usually work through needs vs. options and find resolution; at least the solution that streamlines and works for me.

The answer this time is these from Crate and Barrel...

 

These are not brand new to our family. I regularly use three sizes, plus bowls for pantry and freezer storage. We've actually used these as drinking glasses in the past.

Creating the above storage shelves required that I re-organize another cabinet, as well as my pantry shelves.

 

Baking and Food Prep Equipment

Re-organized Pantry to accommodate baking pan storage.

 

This project took me about two hours this morning, and quite a bit of time shopping and processing over the past week. I've ordered more 21 oz. jars and lids from Crate and Barrel to further organize the gluten-free dry ingredients.

 

 

The Painter, Finally

All we needed was a rainy day so Lenny could set aside an outside job and show up at our door. Preferably two rainy days in a row. Yesterday he called me at 7:30am and asked, "Does today work for you?" Yes!

Logic would have said, "No. My husband is hospitalized and I'm stressed." I said, Yes!

Lenny showed up at 8:30am and began work on our winter ice dam damages--great room ceiling (20 ft. high) and two small wall segments, the entire master bedroom, and one wall of the garage. As soon as I could manage it, I was on my way to the hospital to be with CA.

After a long day away I returned to a completed great room, master bedroom ceiling and baseboards, and a primed garage. Disarray, sure, but real solid progress. Today it will all be done. A very bright spot in our current medically stressed-out world. Very bright.

Benjamin Moore, Captivating Teal.

 

I think we'll love the color. It'd been the very relaxing Benjamin Moore's Sea Mist, but we've gone one tone darker to Cativating Teal.

Next project will be freshening the doors on our first floor, and finally getting our peninsula's face and legs painted-- Bejamin Moore's Aura, Dove White.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Herb and Vegetable Shears

 

Found these originally at the market in Cannes. The guy did a hopped-up Vegi-Matic style demo. It was impressive. Think I paid €5, but it might have been €10 because I hesitated, and bought just the one pair. Later, I found 4-blade shears in a kitchen store in Antibes for less €€ and bought them for JE and MK.

 

The best part of this particular purchase is the nifty blade cleaner. I find it indispensable. But, that's just me. I've now seen similar shears at Sur la table.

 

Refinished Corian

Almost 13 years in this kitchen. I've done a lot of cooking, entertaining, and projects.

It became clear that our peninsula counter was insecure. Not shy! But, not safely balanced and braced.

It's taken awhile to figure out and line up the appropriate contractors, but once the carpentry work was done, the Corian guy came in and re-caulked the seam between the counter top and backsplash, and polished everything to a better-than-new finish.

 

In the early Fall, we'll have the painters in and everything will be BM Dove White. Before then, we'll have 6 Fun Kids here for a lovely visit, so we'll paint AFTER their stay.

 

Progress... Finally

From this...

 

 

To this...

 

 

Next incremental step happens June 21st when the Corian guy refinishes and recaulks the countertops.

 

Then, the painter.

 

Bracing Idea

So... Months and months of trying to figure out how to add support to our angled peninsula counter-top. Not a question of aesthetics, but of gravity. There was a distinct and potentially disastrous slant. Turns out the heavy Corian piece is supported by a 4" wide half wall of mostly drywall and caulking.

 

Loved the look of substantial wooden corbels, but slowly realized the extreme angle on the left side allowed no room for the corbel.

 

 

Inspiration photos from Houzz...

 

 

Finally, on Houzz I found a solution...

 

 

 

 

And, the right carpenter to make it happen. A perfectionist who was greatly troubled by all the out-of-plumb hindrances. But, 8+ hours later, we have...

 

 

Now, we get our Corian refinished and re-caulked. Then the painter will finish it with Benjamin Moore's White Dove, eggshell finish. Like this from Flickr...

 

 

 

Funny how much money a practical solution costs. I'd originally planned on changing out to a farmhouse sink, but real life intruded and I'm settling for keeping my much-hated white porcelain sink.

 

 

In another lifetime, I'd have the nerve for something like this (also Houzz).