Everybody loves a good before and after (my kitchen, but not the after)

I’m sorry to inform you that this is not the after but merely the progress.

Despite the hubs and myself working our little butts off the whole of last week, that between a termite infested house, wooden floor repairs and a kitchen redo (see kitchen before here) that we are not yet done with our kitchen.

So, herewith some progress pics. Because a progress post is better than no post at all.

Getting much worse before it gets better.

Starting to look promising on the side of the kettle. #lovingmynewkitchenalready

To date, we have

• replaced our old stove
• taken out the extractor fan
• ripped out the old sink and cabinet
• rearranged (the old kitchen cabinets were freestanding) the cabinets and put them on legs to make them standard height and in so doing created space for a dishwasher
• installed a new countertop to standard kitchen countertop depth
• installed a new tap
• installed a new (now double) sink
• installed new hardware

We still need to

• make and install the corner door
• finish painting the cabinets
• give the saligna top another light sand and seal
• install our white tile backsplash

It is going to look so kick ass once we’ve installed the tile.

Eventually we’d like to

• buy/ get the dishwasher that we reworked cabinet space for (not pictured here, it is to the left of the sink)
• get a silver cookerhood
• install shelves on either side of cookerhood
• get a real wicked chandelier up in there

#sorryforyellowinstahaze

#sorryforyellowinstahaze

I’m terribly pleased at how amazing this has turned out so far. I’m over the moon with my kitchen and even more excited at the hub’s crazy skills.

Hubs, I wouldn’t want to go through termite turmoil or a kitchen redo with anybody but you. If we can do this, we can do anything. Thank you for my new kitchen. I am the luckiest girl in the world.

My Must Make List* and a kitchen update

C’mon in. Pardon the mess, I’m busy making breakfast. Also, don’t mind Poppy. She’s keeping an eye out so the eggs don’t burn. Let me show you my new stove.

Pretty hey? Awesome. I love it too. Remember what it used to look like? I know heh? Massive improvement. I’m dying to take down this white extractor. But I haven’t really MADE time to get it down so I guess I’ll have to just live with it this week.

Anyway, I wanted to tell you that the night before last I picked spinach by torch light after work and made spinach and feta quiche. Is that what you call organic? Now I olny need to get a goat and a few chickens… You won’t say I live in the city…..

I adore the thought of keeping chickens, but loving the idea and actually keeping chickens is two entirely different things. Lily might ‘catch’ the chickens and be terribly proud and impressed with herself like she was that time she caught a woodpecker. “I can care for and sustain you too mom.” Shame, that was horrible.

Anyway, I’ll label the chicken keeping idea as a thought to revisit again in a few years.

So, back to the story, I made spinach and feta quiche. For 2012 I intended to learn to cook something new every month. That and figure out how to do the basics well. When I look at the things I’ve tried my hand at it compiles a nearly impressive little list, but there’s so many more things I’d like to make and experiment with.

So far I’ve tried my hand at (in no particular order)

• spinach and feta quiche
• bobotie
• banana bread
• chocolate, vanilla, bran and cappucino muffins (these are different sessions, not a new flavour: that would be gross)
• butter chicken
• disaster haloumi
• pavlova
• lemony spinach carbonara

I’m compiling a list of recipes/things to try cook so I can simply choose something, go get the ingredients from the pantry and do it instead of wondering what might be nice to try make next. What do you think should absolutely be on a list of things all self respecting citizens should be able to cook? I mean, I’ve never even made pancakes! I reckon I better put some basic basic simple things down in between the fun stuff and just do it. Better get going then.

Things to possibly cook (and learn to (eventually) rock) in the kitchen:

• pancakes
• souttert
• melkkos
• my mum’s rosemary-lavender bread
• eggs benedict
• poach eggs
• tomato soup
• something with puff pastry
• peppermint crisp tart
• find a killer pizza base
• pesto
• homemade chicken burgers
• lentils bobotie
• biryani
• paella
• potjiekos so I can use the potjie I got from my gran
• cheesecake

What’s the best thing you’ve put together lately? Care to leave a link to a favorite recipe? Or what on earth can I do with all the spinach growing in my veggie garden!?!?!?

*not before I die, or to be completed before the end of this year. Simply a list of things I’d like to make. No pressure. PS I’m not done with the list and will keep editing it as I please. 🙂 Its my blog after all right?!