Sunday, January 8, 2012

Kitchen Wrap-Up

Well it's been a quiet week here in Lake Wobegon, my hometown.
Wait a minute, that's somebody else's opening line.
It's actually been a delightful week here at the castle.
While seeking out homemaking inspiration, I discovered some lovely new blogs , including Jeannine's Grace and Peace, where she writes about her family's Epiphany celebration (a holiday I now have a hankering to celebrate).   She is also a fan of Queen of the Castle, which of course makes her my new best friend. :)
(What?  You haven't read Queen of the Castle?  Click here to see what you're missing.)
With the zeal for decluttering that seems to hit me this time of year, I spent a bit of time cleaning out and organizing one of my kitchen drawers, discovering some napkins, napkin rings, and other assorted treasures I'd completely forgotten about.  I even put down new shelf paper, seeing as the old stuff had been in there since my two manly sons were in diapers . . . Yeah.  That was quite some time ago.

I made some interesting pumpkin-studded bread.
Let's just leave it at "interesting," shall we?


And I discovered this wonderful book, The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn, which I think would make a perfect housewarming gift for young people moving into their first apartments, or newlyweds, or anyone, really, who is even a little bit interested in food and who never got the chance to go to cooking school.  I've been playing in my kitchen for decades now, and I still have soooo much to learn.  In this book, I'm learning about different methods for cooking meat, and different ideas for vegetable cookery. Whether you're a novice or somewhat experienced in the kitchen, there's something in this entertaining book for you.
So I leave you today not with a recipe, but with these inspiring words from author Kathleen Flinn:
"So who says you can't cook?  Not every meal has to be from scratch, nor does everything you consume have to be organic, locally sourced, and pasture raised.  Try to find a comfortable place somewhere between Tuna Helper and Top Chef.  If you burn, scorch, drop, overcook, undercook, underseason, or otherwise put a meal together that's less than a success, in the end it doesn't matter.  It's just one meal.  You'll make another one tomorrow."
So bon appetit.  Enjoy your warm, homey kitchens, wherever they may be. 

13 Comments:

Blogger ~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

That book looks so interesting! I'll look for it! ♥

January 8, 2012 at 4:12 PM  
Anonymous Barbara H. said...

Love that quote. If I stopped cooking or got discouraged every time I messed up a meal -- well -- we'd all be a lot thinner and very hungry.

January 8, 2012 at 4:56 PM  
Blogger Joanne said...

That quote is fabulous! And so true. We all have eh meals, but who cares? There's always another one to make better! And if not...there's always ice cream.

January 8, 2012 at 6:22 PM  
Blogger ~~louise~~ said...

Hi Lynn,

I adore your sense of humor and your book reads fabulously. Shall I say, "it's so YOU." Since I don't worry or even consider such things any longer, I think it would best be served to my daughter who seems to be in between the new soap operas of the day, (ie) Facebook and the trials and tribulations of a husband who is away making a living two weeks out of the month. Since, I live here and she lives in Idaho, knitting grammies just won't do. (Marion does send the kids all kinds of neat crocheted items though:)

I'm so glad to see some self promotion going on at your end. You go girl!!! I'll let you know when I order the book. I may just read it myself first and "regift" it to my daughter, lol...(she's on my no no list at the moment:)

Thanks for sharing, Lynn...

January 8, 2012 at 7:01 PM  
Blogger Jeannine said...

You are too sweet, Lynn!

Love the "interesting" comment! My mom uses that one all the time...not necessarily a compliment!

I liked the peek at the napkin folding book...maybe I can get one out of the library and set my daughter on that project!

January 9, 2012 at 6:01 AM  
Blogger Farm Girl said...

I need to do some rearranging in my pantry. I bring in so much food during the holidays and I use so much that my pantry's look like a cyclone hit them.
So do my drawers.
I don't know if you ever learn all there is to learn about cooking. I know I don't cook like I did when the kids were small and styles just change. I can be lots more adventurous now. Now they eat everything. So do their friends.

January 9, 2012 at 6:51 PM  
Blogger The Bumbles said...

I made an "interesting" bread myself over Christmas - most of it fed the birds. Oh well - they don't seem to mind my oopsies! Happy New Year to my favorite cook :0)

January 9, 2012 at 7:01 PM  
Blogger Valerie@chateaualamode.typepad.com said...

Yes, I've made many interesting recipes that have turned out "interesting". Thanks for your sense of humor. We certainly can't take ourselves so seriously, especially in the kitchen.

January 10, 2012 at 2:34 PM  
Blogger Nellie said...

Wonderful quote! Let's not take ourselves too seriously.

January 10, 2012 at 2:49 PM  
Blogger The Blonde Duck said...

That bread looks better than the rolls I bungled up last night!

January 16, 2012 at 4:37 AM  
Blogger The Blonde Duck said...

Hope all is well with you!

January 25, 2012 at 4:22 AM  
Blogger ~~louise~~ said...

Just popping in to say HI!!!

January 25, 2012 at 4:37 AM  
Blogger Michelle said...

Sounds like something I need to read!

March 6, 2012 at 12:19 PM  

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