Hello, Susie Homemakers…welcome to this month’s Where Bloggers Live 07.2020 where I’m sharing my kitchen. My cocina, küche or cuisine in Spanish, German and French, if you prefer. Last month’s post where I shared my outdoor space was one of my most popular posts lately. That makes me smile. If you missed it, please check it out here. As much as I had hoped we were beginning to come out of our Covid cocoons last month, I am just not thinking so today. The number of Covid cases in El Paso are growing by 300+ daily. Gratefully, the hospitalizations, ICU patients and those on ventilators are not increasing anywhere near as quickly. But still!!!
WHERE BLOGGERS LIVE
Before we get started, just a word about Where Bloggers Live. This fun series is kind of like HGTV’s “Celebrities at Home,” but…with bloggers! Who doesn’t like to peek behind the scenes and see inside people’s homes and lives? In the coming months, this group of 7 bloggers will be sharing our vacations (what vacation, you ask) and closets. Hope you will join me then, too.
Just a reminder: Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After occasionally uses affiliate links. This means that if you click or make a purchase from a link provided I may receive a very small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.
But today’s theme is mi cocina. So, let’s grab our aprons and measuring spoons and check it out.
My Kitchen
Raise your hand if you feel like you have become Betty Crocker or Chef Boyardee or Rachel Ray lately? I wish the dishes coming out my kitchen were worthy of any of those cooking gurus. But they aren’t. And with each day we are in ‘stay at home’ mode, the better Hamburger Helper is looking and tasting! Lauren gifted us a Hello, Fresh meal and I loved it. PC and put it together on a particularly stressful day and I was so glad to have clear-cut directions and an extra pair of hands for the gouda vibes burgers we made.
Saw this funny on Pinterest and had to share.
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Welcome
We are back door buddies, right? You wouldn’t come to the front door when you visit. So here’s the view of my kitchen, where all the *magic* happens, if you are coming in from my outdoor space and the pool. Don’t worry about wiping your feet. We track in grass, leaves and junk all the time.
You might notice right away that the patriotic decorations have come down and my summer cactus themed things are up in their place. And there’s the highchair for Camila and the booster for Lucia that know no seasons! They stay out month in and month out.
Let me show you around a little.
We eat at this table just about every night of this world. It is bar height which I wasn’t sure about when we bought it but love now. And the (faux?) slate top is wonderful, too.
I ordered these summery placemats on Etsy a couple of years ago. The other evening, Lucia was quite taken with the pocket on each one. If I ever set the table like a civilized hostess, I could put our silverware in there. All bunched up together. Because who remembers on which side of the plate the fork goes? And who cares? See the little cacti?
A couple of years ago, we purchased 2 bar high chairs for the island. Little did we know at the time, that the island would become my Prince’s office off and on for 10 months or more. First, when his job was going away and he was working at home looking for a new job. And then for a couple of months this year because Covid. His was the chair without the booster seat.
Closer Look
Let’s look a little closer at my decorations…isn’t that what a kitchen is for? To display seasonal decorations? I keep my 2 tier tray on the island and change it out for seasons and holidays. If you don’t decorate much but would like to up your game, I suggest trying a tiered tray. Dollar Tree is a great place to find inexpensive (cheap) decorations and it is fun to change things up each holiday. Target’s dollar area is another good place to get cutesy things.
Tier Tray
Cactus Garden
We have cactuses growing on the tops of all of our kitchen cabinets. Anyone else have that trouble? I promise I do dust up there!! Click for a closer look. You can find similar cactus pillow covers to mine, here and here.and some darling potted cactus here and here.
Quiet Time
This little area is an extension of my desk and blogging work space which is officially in my loft. I have my quiet time books, my Bible and Bible journaling things here during the summer. I can grab them and head out onto the patio for my daily devotional.
My mother-in-law, May, made the framed “Be a light for all to see” picture. The photos are 2 of my faves of Cady in blue and Lucia in pink. They are both so joyful in them.
iPad Stand
I bought this wooden iPad stand (similar, similar) so I could refer to recipes on Pinterest while cooking. Yes, I do a little cooking in my kitchen. Now and then. But I don’t just tell anyone. Hey, check out that cookbook. “Your Victory Lunch Box,” copyright 1943. A gift from May. Isn’t that a keepsake?
You know how I like a good World War II book!
Our home is 12 years old this month…happy birthday! When we had it built, I had the option of granite counter tops or tile. Probably every other woman in the world would have chosen granite. But I liked the tile. And it has served me well.
When I built my little house in 1991, I had the option of white cabinets but went with natural wood. In 2008, when we built this house, dark wood was all the go. But now I see so many gals whitewashing their wood. I love the clean look of the white but I figure if I wait long enough, the dark would will come back in fashion.
One of my hobbies is cleaning! Love a good spring cleaning. In fact, as I am writing this, I am doing my weekly house cleaning. Type a little, clean a little. I shared some of my spring cleaning tips, here.
Helpmates
Before I call this a post, just wanted to share a few things that make my kitchen upkeep a little less taxing.
Plastic placemats on the frig shelves. These help so much with spills. And little plastic bins to corral tubs of margarine, sour cream, yogurt and jars of pickles and salsa.
This snack rack on the inside of the pantry door. Let’s face it, when you are hungry and need a snack, you don’t want to have to search for it. Especially after midnight in the dark.
Yeah, that’s a lot of chips. And popcorn salt.
See those racks for my canned goods. Lifesavers. And space savers. As well as the lazy Susans (I take exception to that – my middle name is Susan). Bought mine at Walmart (similar). On the top shelf, I have Walmart plastic bins for pasta. Have the same thing for cereal. And if you look closely, right above the lazy Susans, there are 2 under the shelf baskets where I store bread and buns. No more funky shaped bread for sandwiches at our house.
I do most of my chopping and food prep on the island. But our trash cans are around the corner in a closet off the kitchen. Got tired of running to the trash can with my hands full of onion skin, celery leaves, banana peel. So I bought this collapsible trash can for scraps and this one for recyclables.
Two Tips
Last night I was worn slick. We had Monte Cristo sandwiches, tater tots and corn on the cob. Hardly a time-intensive dinner. But what I saved in time I gained in calories and Weight Watcher points. Anyway, I didn’t feel like scrubbing the glass bake ware that I had cooked the tater tots in. But it wouldn’t come clean. Finally remember the old trick of using a fabric softener sheet on top of the baked on food in the bake ware filled with water. Five minutes later, the tater tot tidbits were gone.
Another trick I use when company is coming…which is never. Or when I am taking pics of the appliances for a post… WD40 on the stainless steel. Shines those babies right up, without a lot of elbow grease. You’re welcome.
So, there you have it. My kitchen. Off to figure out dinner now!!
Your Turn
Turn-about’s fair play so tell me a little about your kitchen in a comment below. Is there something you particularly love about it? Compared to the galley kitchen in my little house, this kitchen is a dream. I couldn’t open the oven and the dishwasher doors at the same time in my old house. What a treat to be able to do that now.
Hope you will take a minute to visit the blogs of the other gals in this great group. I am excited to see their kitchens, too.
Bettye at Fashion Schlub
Daenel at Living Outside the Stacks
Em at Dust and Doghair
Iris at Iris’ Original Ramblings
Jodie at Jodie’s Touch of Style
Julia at When the Girls Rule
Leslie at Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After
Then make plans to join us the second Friday each month for other editions of Where Bloggers Live. Here are the posts we have planned for the remainder of this series. Hope you will mark your calendars and plan to stop by for each.
- August 14: Vacation/Staycation
- September 11: Closet Tour
Enjoy a restful weekend, my friends. Stay well.
Hugs and kisses,
Okay, I love your kitchen and some of your tips are great. I love the plastic place mats in the fridge. Why haven’t I thought of that? If I ever go out again, I’m getting some.
Grace & Peace,Iris
http://www.IrisOriginalsRamblings.com
Ha!! If you ever go out again…more truth than poetry. Hasn’t this been the craziest time. So sick of sickness!!
HI, Leslie – Thank you for sharing your kitchen with us. I’ve already picked up some great tips on this tour. When we lived in Beijng I had a Barbie-sized kitchen (seriously)! Back in Canada, our kitchen is not huge, but it is gigantic compared to what we had. I am extremely grateful for the open space!
Ha!! A Barbie kitchen!! My former kitchen was slightly larger than that…maybe a Cabbage Patch Doll-sized or American Girl-sized? We had 2 big dogs and when they would help me cook, there was no room to turn around. Truly. Miss those pups.
Sorry, can’t raise my hand, I hate cooking! Your kitchen looks inviting. Love the tiered tray and cactus decor! Didn’t know the trick about WD-40.
The WD40 makes my stainless look brand new. Thank you for the kind words. I still enjoy my decorations but imagine someday it will be too much trouble to climb on the counters to decorate.
You have such a cosy kitchen! I like the cactus decorations and the placemats too, so lovely and colourful! 🙂
I’ve never seen a tiled benchtop before, how fun! Maybe it wasn’t a thing in Australia? Not even the older houses I know have it – maybe I just haven’t been in enough houses though, hehe!
Hope you have a nice weekend planned ahead of you! 🙂
Thank you, sugar plum. I don’t think tile benchtops are very popular here but I thought they were unique and fun. The grout has been a bit of a problem but they are otherwise easy to clean and keep up.
Hi Leslie, The very first thing I notice in the pictures is the highchair and the booster seat. It looks just like my kitchen. Unfortunately, everything is still very worrisome, therefore staying in our Covid cocoons.
I am always curious about how people live. Years ago, I watched Oprah where she would appear at people’s doorsteps hoping for a look inside. Of course, I would freak out if it was Oprah on my doorstep.
Leslie, your kitchen looks very inviting, cozy and roomy. Great additional tips. I like the idea of a few extra bins. I need to pick up some functional, pretty bins/racks for part of my writing space. I am starting to accumulate piles of paper. Not great for feng shui and setting the mood. Thanks for sharing some great gems. xx
Thank you, Erica. I like seeing people’s homes around the world. I know my blogger friends in Europe mention that our homes here in the U.S. are very different from theirs. Wish they would do some home tours so I can see the differences.
What a cosy kitchen! I never had a kitchen where we could also eat in. It always appealed to me!
Thank you! This is my first eat-in kitchen, too!!
Hi Leslie – how lovely to have a glimpse into your house. I do hope you’ll link posts like this up with us at #MLSTL because I often forget to visit for a while and feel like I’m missing out on your life. Loved all your explanations and the signs of the grandgirls all over the place. The kitchen is such a friendly and central part of the home (whether we cook a lot or a little) and yours feels very warm and inviting.
Thank you so much Leanne. I will try to link up again soon with #MLSTL. I think we both treasure our grandgirls. They are what life is all about.
I love those placemats! I still have my 4th of July decor up, but I’ve had my son home all week and we have been having a little staycation so there really wasn’t time to take it down.
Glad you have had your son home to spend time with you. The decorations can wait. I really hated packing up my 4th of July things but I love my cactus summer things and it was nice to see them again.
Charm! That’s definitely what’s missing in my kitchen, but is quite evident in yours.
All of your sweet touches make it so homey and welcoming. I was blaming those missing ingredients on our the cherry overload, but I’m seeing from this tour that maybe it’s the touches mine is missing.
Our counter is the favorite place, too, btw… the comfiest spot!
Also, great cleaning and organizing tips! I’ll be putting those to work ASAP!
Thank you, sweet Em. I keep thinking that I am going to stop decorating (PC would rejoice) but then I dig out the box of goodies for the upcoming season or holiday and I get all excited again. With fall approaching…my favorite season…I know I am good for at least one more go-round.
Love! Love! the cactus theme. Those denim pocket placements are the cutest thing. I will definitely use the WD-40 tip on my sink. I have a wooden highchair that is at least 50 years old. My mother got it to use for me. Hubby & I refinished it when I got pregnant to use for our daughter. I’ve used it for the Grands though the years.
What a treasure your wooden highchair must be! We refinished my crib for our first born but it didn’t follow safety requirements for the amount of space between the slats on the sides. We used it anyway…awful parents that we are.
I really like your kitchen. I’m a fan if dark wood cabinets, maybe because I had 5 kids. No finger prints. Your kitchen is so organized – love it! I use baby oil to wipe out my sink and the faucets.
Thank you for sharing your baby oil trick for the sink and faucets. Going to try that!!
Ha ha, love the “what’s for dinner” graphic! I was never a confirmed “meal eater,” so “nothing for dinner” is not that uncommon over here! I also love vintage cookbooks. They’re just so charming, even if the recipes are ridiculous! I have a 70s one something like 101 Ways to Cook Hot Dogs, and a 40s one, “How to Cook for 300 People,” or something like that. The 60s and 70s were such an interesting culinary era, with the advent of frozen and convenience foods…all the recipes using Cream of Something soups, the basics, etc. I wonder if there’s a History of Cooking book (I’m sure there must be), that would be a fun one to research!
I love your plastic containers to wrangle all the flotsam and jetsom jars, I should do something like that.
And wait, what? Fabric softener sheets to remove baked on food? WHAT??
Thanks for sharing your kitchen with us, Leslie!
Bettye
https://fashionschlub.com
Thank you, Bettye, for the thoughtful comment. Wouldn’t a history of cookbooks or cooking be an interesting read!?
I have so enjoyed being a part of this group and linking up with you gals each month. Will be sad when this series
ends!
I LOVE seeing other people’s houses – and I especially love seeing other people’s kitchens. Yours is warm and inviting & your pantry is so well organised. I have to admit to doing no real decorating in ours although get so mad when my husband insists on filling the benches with stuff that I have to clean off all the time before I cook. Sigh. Thanks for the peek inside yours (and I love that vintage cookbook…)
Thank you, Joanne. So glad you stopped by!! It is fun getting glimpses into each other’s lives and homes.
How have I never heard that trick of the fabric softener sheet?? I need to hang around you more!!
And you know the wood style will come back again…just like everything.
Thanks for sharing your space, and of course I brought in some grass with me…haha.
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Thank you, Jodie. I have sure enjoyed being part of this group.
I seriously feel like I’ve spent half of quarantine in my kitchen. I’ll remember 2020 as one room only! Yours is super cute. <3
Thank you!! Aren’t you just sick of cooking?? I think when we can finally go back to eating out (comfortably without worry), I am going to want to eat out for an entire week. And will probably gain 10 pounds but then I can go back to the gym and work it off. Thank you for coming by to visit. Heading over to your blog now.
It should not co.e as a surprise that like you, your kitchen is warm and inviting. Honestly when you just said that you track grass in and not to worry, I immediately fell in love. Naturally I am kind of a neat freak but something about summer, friends gathering and children going through just relaxes me. Love all of your decorative touches. Missed stopping by.
bosbodaciousblog.blogspot.ca
You are so sweet. I am a neat freak, too. And when we bring in grass I get a little anxious but if you brought in grass…or my grandbabies, it would be a-okay!! I would just be glad to have you visit. Thank you for the kind words about my little decorations. They are fun to put up.
Oh no! I can’t see any of your photos 🙁
Is it just me?
I can’t see them today either Deb. But I did when the post first went live. And they are worth seeing! I hope it gets resolved soon, so you can enjoy them as much as I did.
Thank you, Christie! I had a weird blog issue but I fixed it all by my lonesome. Yay!!!
No, it wasn’t just you…I had an issue this week with my blog. But – guess what???? I fixed it myself. I feel so smart and grown up!
WD40 huh? I need to try that! I’m constantly battling my stainless steel appliances and my children! Arg! It’s so difficult! I need to try that trick with the dryer sheet too! You are full of great ideas!
Thank you, doll. The WD40 is amazing on the stainless.
Hello Leslie! I hope some day when I come to El Paso (you know when COVID-19 is a distant memory and we’re actually allowed to visit people), you will let me stop by for a visit. Your home is so inviting! I feel like we’re friends already, so we really should meet in person. Thanks for all the cleaning tips. You are a wealth of information. ❤️
Thank you, Christie, for this sweet message. I would love to meet you in person!! We are friends so sealing that friendship with a meet-up would just make us closer.
What a pretty kitchen! If I had that kitchen, maybe I would be more inspired to turn out delicious dishes every day. As it is, I never want to see my kitchen again after this pandemic. I am so tired of eating food I cook myself! I will never take a restaurant meal for granted again once (if?) we return to “normal”.
Thanks for the fabric softener tip. I will remember that one!
Oh, I agree!! I am sick to death of my own meals. Lauren gave us one of her Hello Fresh meals and even though I had to cook it myself, I didn’t have to think about what we were going to eat that night. And whether I had everything I needed to make it without going into a store, in a mask, and trying to stay 6 feet away from everyone else in order to get the cilantro or green onion I didn’t have but needed.