Let me begin by telling you about my space. My kitchen has been a work in progress for the last 8 years! When we first moved in it was AWFUL! Old appliances, broken cabinet draws, UGLY linolum flooring that was stained, torn, bubbled and just missing in some places!
The “renovation” began with the replacement of the refridgerator. The first year we were married we had an old used fridge that was only held shut by propping 2 – 12 packs of sodas in front of it. Our first large purchase as a couple was a $1,000 fridge from Sears. It took us nearly a year to pay that thing off!
A few years later the dishwasher went! Now the term “domestic bliss” is sortof an oxymoron to me and I am certainly no “domestic goddess”. Housework is NOT my middle name! The thought of life without a dishwasher was very frightening! So we trucked over to Best Buy and got a great deal on a “floor model” dishwasher.
The first summer after I started teaching, I got bored. (WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!) So I decided it would be fun to paint all the kitchen cabinets. (Again, what was I thinking!) The existing cabinets were a medium to dark wood finish. I decided I wanted to go to a very light sage green sort of color. Well that ment that 20 years of grime had to be washed off first. Then all the cabinets needed sanding. Then primer. And finally paint! I also decided to put in new hardware! So all the hardware had to be affixed and the doors all put back in place. But I am happy I did it because the kitchen feels much roomier and brighter.
Next came the microwave. We had had a counter top microwave for years. I’d been eyeing an over the stove model for sometime and we finally splurged! So I ripped out the old hood and installed the new microwave ALL BY MYSELF! Yup, that’s right! My husband isn’t exactly the most handy guy in the world!
Then we got the bug to replace all the flooring in the house! Out came the nasty linolum and down went wood laminate floors! They are beautiful and SOOOOO easy to clean!
This Christmas I was finally able to replace my old broken stove with a new 5 burner that I wrote about a few months ago. I was actually satisfied with my kitchen finally. Don’t get me wrong! It is NOT my dream kitchen but it’s the one I have and I was finally at a place where I felt happy with it.
Then…back in March my husband was looking to put new windows in the house. This was another project we had been planning for years. We were at the store and Richie led me over to the kitchen section. He told me we could afford a new counter as well and to pick out whatever I wanted!!!!! YEAH!!! So my new counter, sink and faucet have been ordered! They are set to be installed in about 2 weeks! I can’t wait!
I don’t have any pictures right now but I will put some before and afters when the remodel is done!
Here is one of my most favorite recipes. I have posted it on my site before but it is worth revisiting! It is perfect for using up that farm fresh milk and eggs that are in the fridge!
Dark Chocolate Mousse
Courtesy of Bobby Flay
Copied from www.foodtv.com
Picture taken from www.foodtv.com
5 1/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
14 ounces cold heavy cream
3 large egg whites
1-ounce sugar
Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish, optional
Shaved bittersweet chocolate, for garnish, optional
Place chocolate in a large bowl set over a bain marie or in a double boiler at a low simmer. Stir chocolate until melted. Turn off the heat and let stand.
Beat the cream over ice until it forms soft peaks. Set aside and hold at room temperature. With a mixer, whip egg to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and continue whipping until firm.
Remove the chocolate from the bain marie and using a whisk, fold in the egg whites all at once. When the whites are almost completely incorporated, fold in the whipped cream. Cover the mousse and refrigerate for approximately 1 hour or until set. Serve in goblets topped with more whipped cream and shaved chocolate, if desired.
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To learn more about being a Farmgirl please visit www.maryjanesfarm.org.
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