Kitchen Remodel: AFTER

 

Ahhhhh, this is my new kitchen.  I am obsessed.  I can't quit baking. OMG.

Here's a sneaky of the way it used to look, just for a refresher.

Little stainless shelf above range was cut to size.

I inherited the idea from my friends, Adam & Jade.

It's an under $50 find from Ikea.  Love.

Why yes, I did plan the cabinet hardware to mimic

the appliances.  Again, obsessed.

The counter (peninsula) that separates the kitchen

from the dining room used to be a full wall, with

an arched doorway, that led into the dining room.

I am so thankful that we took that wall down.  

I am even more excited that the walk through

was roomy enough to support my metro rack 

of random things.  There is a chunk of 

kitschy, old lady that lives in my soul and she just

loooooves kitchen sh!t...

Let's be real, my favorite things are favorites for

great reason!!!  My grandma's juicer, random bowls

I found at garage sales or acquired from my mom, milk

bottles that held flowers at our wedding, a hand blender I scored a flea market

in Seattle, when I took the train up to see a friend when we were newlyweds 

in Oregon...and on and on.  I loooove this stuff. 

One of my favorite things about having this wall gone 

(yes, this was the wall), is the amazing sight lines. I can

see the kids playing in their tent (which was lovingly crafted by my in-laws).

 I used to have to peek around the corner every few seconds, just

to make sure they were playing okay.  Now, they play in peace, while I 

prep dinner.  Very much a win/win on that front. 

I am equally excited about the great work surfaces, which the old set up lacked greatly.  

The microwave/convection combo was a must have, as I didn't want to lose 

our limited upper wall space to a microwave, and I love the idea that I have 

an additional oven, when I am on a roll and can't shove everything into the

main oven.  Priorities, my friends...priorities.

 

Can you now even stand that a wall used to stand

here?  UH-mazing, right

So...come visit.  We'll get our bake on!!!

Kitchen Remodel: BEFORE

 

 Celebrating the one year anniversary that we moved into our house,

it is fun to report that the kitchen remodel is complete.  

This is a few snaps of the old space.  Yes, yes...it was a clean little space.

It just wasn't a functional space.

I never got used to electric heat cooking.  Pulling a gas line in for the 

kitchen remodel was at the top of my list.

It is a bit hard to see in this photo, but just beyond the sink island

was a gas fireplace that jetted out and created an awkward corridor.

It also blocked the views of South Table Mountain (and Coors Brewery...oh what)

from the living room. 

A little desk in the kitchen is a nice idea.  Although steps

off of the kitchen is a proper office, so this felt like a 

waste of space, where instead there should be storage.

the footprint of the kitchen is small enough, that every corner

needed to be utilized for functionality.

Here is the fireplace.  I do already miss it, on cold nights...

although I don't mind snuggling up in blankets.  I also enjoy the view

so much more.  There is a large niche in the wall, just to the left of 

where the fireplace used to sit.  Someday, that will house a gas fireplace,

as we had them turn the gas line, to accommodate that down the road.

Mountain view BLOCKER.  Bad design choice!

Okay friends, I can't wait to show you the new space...this week. 

the very hungry caterpillar CUPCAKES!

My sweet Benny turned 1 (yes, over a month ago...I so do not have my act together!)

I let my sweet 4 year old, Logan, decide what we would make for his big celebration.

She instantly said she wanted to make him 'the caterpillar who eats pie and sausage...'

It was on.  

 I started by baking off vanilla cupcakes.  Make the caterpillar

as big as you want (you could gather a ton of mini cupcakes for the

body and use a standard cupcake for the head).  I used

standard cupcakes for the body and a large cupcake for the head.  

No rules.

Next whip up the frosting. 
It is super easy and SUPER tasty!

Then get out your food color.  

ROY G BIV.  I loved teaching Logan about primary and secondary

colors, while we mixed the color gel into the frosting.  

Doesn't this need to be on the Weather Channel.  Hurricane Frosting!

Frosting, ready to go.  You can do this days in

advance, if that is helpful.

Use a knife and randomly spread the green

frosting across the body of cupcakes.

We have all read the book and he is whimsy, so

keep it that way with your frosting.

Red face.

I pulled a little yellow and blue frosting in, around the edges,

to mimic the look of the caterpillar (this step is not necessary, but

I think it gives it an authentic look)

While I was trying to figure out what to use

for the antenna, my husband walked by eating

sour worms (this is not a joke) and they were

PERFECT!  I snagged two.  I smeared the 

yellow on for eyes.

I popped a bit of green in the microwave for

5 seconds, it was easier to apply to the yellow of

the eyes, when it was heated a bit.

 

Unfortunatley, we didn't have any pie or sausage to decorate

the cupcake with.  We made do with some fruit we had on hand.

 I made Benny a cupcake, just so he wouldn't be covered in coloring.

He looooved it!