Five Reasons to Love Warm Weather

1. Crochet. I love to knit, but it seems to take a backseat to crochet as soon as the weather warms up. Knitting elicits images of wooly warm yarn on bamboo needles by the fire. Crochet on the other hand is my staple fiber art during spring and summer, especially with cotton yarn. I'm making something super fun (but can't divulge yet since the recipient may also read this blog.) In the meantime, check out this Bullion Beach Blanket I made -- in case you missed it!

2. Hammocks. There's nothing quite as peaceful as swinging from a hammock on a lazy day. You can even knit in one (despite me just saying I crochet more in warm weather.) You can find out where to buy a very cool hammock here, at the bottom of the post. 

3. Craftiness. The winter isn't the only time to be crafty. Spring and summer bring forth a whole host of fun ideas. I raided my stash to make the simple wreathe below. 

4. Spring cleaning. Warmer weather means people are cleaning out their homes and attics, which means bargains galore in thrift stores and at yard sales. I just found the Golden Pine Pyrex Space Saver (top white dish) for $1. See more photos of this gorgeous holiday promo here. 

 5. Outdoor activities. Quite possibly my favorite -- longer days and getting to spend time outside. Watching the sunflowers bloom is a bonus.

Eastern Ukraine, circa 1999. It's time to return and get an updated photo in those fields!

What's on your warm weather to-do list?

 

Small Kitchen Hints

Last weekend, I promised to share my hints for living with a small kitchen on this post. Using a doll-sized space takes some creativity, but I refuse to let the size of my kitchen dictate what I can and can't cook. Is it frustrating sometimes? Yes. Would I like more counter space? Of course! Am I able to still whip up some yummy delights? Absolutely. 

Despite the small factor, I've managed to turn my kitchen into a fully functional cooking space.  So, as promised, here are my top five small kitchen hints:  

1. Decide on your non-negotiables. Pick a few things that you simply MUST have in your kitchen, regardless of how much space they may take, or even what they may cost (within reason, of course). I've always heard the phrase, 'Buy the best you can afford'. While I love thrifting, I wanted to get good quality non-negotiables brand new, at the price I could afford.

For me, it was a set of great knives, stainless steels pots and a cast iron frying pan. (The Italian coffee-top espresso maker is a given -- there was never any negotiation involved in that one.) 

We married overseas and had a small wedding -- I never registered for dishes, knives or appliances. I didn't register for anything, actually. We had nowhere to put stuff at the time, plus I'm a little anti-registry. 

Once I had my own kitchen though, I thought about my non-negotiables, purchased them and then was happy to get the rest of my kitchen stuff from thrift stores. My knives do take up a chunk of the counter space, but I can't imagine not having them accessible. The frying pan stays on the stove, and the pots stack neatly inside one another under the oven.  

2. Everything must be FULLY functional. Having a small kitchen means you can't really have stuff laying around that simply looks pretty. That doesn't mean you can't have pretty things. 

One look at Vintage Pyrex and you can see that my kitchen is chock full of functional and pretty things. Problem solved. I am particularly enamored with the refrigerator dishes. (See more reasons why here.) You can bake in them, store them in the fridge and lids make them stackable.

Fully functional, fun AND pretty. 

 
Plus, if you don't have the cabinet space, you can use any of your bowls for other types of storage... like yarn, for instance. 

Having functional and pretty things sometimes means getting creative. I continually swoon over vintage cake stands and covers, but I clearly don't have space for them. This past weekend, I realized that I had a glass storage container with a rubber lid that was the perfect size for the 8" cake I baked -- upside down! Even if you don't have a lid, any clear glass container would work for the size of your cake or pastry, as long as you put a plate underneath.

3. Utilize all available counter space. I don't have a dishwasher. I wash everything by hand, and I have a dish rack, which takes up precious space. 

If you're in the same boat and need more space -- wash and dry the dishes, put the rack away and use that counter space for a while until you need to wash the dishes again. I know this seems basic, but I can't tell you how many times I've stared at the kitchen, willing an island to pop up out of nowhere, when this little corner was simply waiting for me to put the dry dishes away. 

I've also seen things that you can put over a sink in order to get more counter space. I only have one sink, and am constantly using the water from there when I cook, so it wouldn't be practical for me. But I think if you have a double sink, it would be great! (They sell these at places that sell RV supplies... and really, what better example of a small kitchen than an RV?!)  

I do have a wonderful strainer the fits over the sink, so it often comes in handy when I need more counter space. 

Of course, use the obvious: your kitchen table. My dining table happens to be right in the kitchen, so I just move stuff out of the way and onto the table when I'm cooking. 

4. Use your oven for storage. I'm always surprised at the number of people who only have a baking tray stored in their oven -- or nothing at all. I have a ton of stuff in there -- in fact all of my baking, muffin and bundt pans, plus a few Pyrex casseroles have made a home in my oven. 

Of course it means that when I use the oven, I need to remove everything. I usually just put it all on the table or on my bed. (Place an old towel on the bed in case there are yuckies stuck under the pans -- unless of course you have a spotless oven. In which case you probably have an immaculate and large kitchen... and you're reading this for entertainment rather than actual hints.) 

5. Choose smaller appliances. Unless you are a baker by trade and the Kitchen Aid stand mixer was your non-negotiable, choose appliances that are better suited for small spaces. After borrowing my mother's nearly 40-year-old hand mixer for a few months, I knew I needed to look for my own. I found this Sunbeam one on sale. 

The whole thing packs into a mixing bowl with a lid. I keep it on top of my fridge. The lid keeps everything dust free, I don't have to hunt for another mixing bowl, and it takes up far less space. 

Along the same lines, I do have a blender that I love using. But unless it's the summer smoothie season, I keep it in the back of the cabinet and just use my smaller stick blender when I'm making soups and small quantities of blended goodness.  

Of course having a small kitchen doesn't mean you can't use other gadgets and gizmos. I have a giant dehydrator, a popcorn popper and yogurt maker, but they usually stay stacked in the closet until it's time to use them. 

Happy cooking, no matter what size of a kitchen you'll be using! 

Cable Knit Blanket Success

I do actually finish projects, although these days it seems like it's taking longer than usual! I gave an update on my recent yarn projects here, and I'm happy to say that the gray blanket is now complete! (You can find the link to the free pattern there as well.) 

The pattern called for four panels that you seam up afterwards. I made five -- either my gauge was off, or this yarn curled more than usual, because my blanket was narrower than I wanted it to be. 

It turns out seaming up garter stitch is pretty easy! I used this tutorial here from Knitty.  

Aren't the cables pretty? I love how soft and thick this blanket turned out, since you knit two balls of yarn at one time. 

I also crocheted an easy border around the edge to prevent it from curling even more. 

I just did single crochet around one time, then a simple shell stitch on the next round. 

This was actually a breeze to make once I got cracking on it. The pattern is easy to memorize and since you're making the blanket in strips, it seems to go faster -- imagine just making five long scarves instead of a blanket! 

The best part about this project was that I made most of it while hanging out with my mom. She had no idea what was going on with that gray yarn and needles -- most of the time it really did look like a scarf. 

Imagine her surprise when I gave her the finished blanket as part of her Mother's Day gift! 

Remember when you were little and brought home artwork from school? Or a lopsided pottery dish? Well, I don't think I've ever outgrown the thrill of giving someone a handmade gift despite my age. 

And I don't think my mom has outgrown receiving a handmade gift either. 

Mother's Day?

I'm not a mom, so occasionally I get an awkward 'Happy Mother's Day!' greeting from people who assume that I have children, or people who don't know me. 

I don't mind. I've been Auntie B and Miss Brenda and all manner of other nicknames to enough little people and teenagers to know that I've influenced them (hopefully) for good, despite whether or not I ever have my own kiddos.  

I'm not opposed to Mother's Day — I do think that moms everywhere should be celebrated and should get a day off.  

But does it all have to happen on the same day? 

I find the whole premise of Mother's Day kind of funny. I used to waitress, and often had to work on that day. Mothers of all kinds came in with their families. They waited in line forever, the service wasn't great because we were always so crazy and busy, the cooks were ready to tear our heads off, and usually the moms themselves seemed to be the most uncomfortable ones in the restaurant. 

The funniest part was that most of the women I waitressed with were actually moms themselves. Yet here they were, working to serve someone else's mom. Rather than dealing with a child's temper tantrum, they had to deal with the cook. (Frankly, I think their kids may have been easier to negotiate with.)

The whole thing seemed kind of ironic to me. 

So, years ago, I officially banned 'take mom out on Mother's Day'. It's not that my mom doesn't deserve a day off. Goodness knows, she's been through hell and back this year -- she deserves more than a day off. 

She also deserves my love and honor for her every day of the year. Not only today. 

My mom is an amazing and strong woman. I told her today she's always been the champion of my adventures, and my hero in the adventures she's gone through in her own life.

As a child, she was like superwoman to me. Superhero or not, she still needs to eat. So instead of flocking to a restaurant today, I made my mom brunch. 

We ate like pigs and drank far too much coffee. We joked that my brother would have liked the spread I put out for her. And then we cried a little. 

Years ago, when the Sailor and I first got married, we lived with his parents. That Mother's Day the siblings all visited at the same time. That was the last time that I can remember all of the family together in the same place — circumstance and distance make get-togethers difficult. I cooked made-to-order omelets for the crowd and remember my mother-in-law beaming from ear to ear at the table, listening to the chatter. All she wanted on that day was to have all of her children there with her. 

I think today, that's all my mom wanted too. 

So today, and the rest of the year, remember those moms who have lost children, whether young or old — or for the children they wanted to have but never could. 

Remember those whose mothers have already passed on — the ones who still wish they had a mom to take out on this day. 

Remember the adopted-moms in your own life or in your children's lives. They may or may not have their own children, but they've been there for you or yours.  

And above all, remember that while moms usually love their gifts and dinner out, they probably would rather have a hug and a phone call at least every Sunday — not just this one. (It goes without saying that they probably want brunch a little more often, too.)

Happy Mother's Day to the many women in my life who have influenced me, but especially to my own Mama.

Small Kitchens, Big Dreams

I love having my own kitchen, even though I joke that it's the smallest kitchen in America. (I'm sure it's not, but for the record, my counter space is smaller than my desk -- and that's not very big.)

When I finally moved into a place where I wasn't sharing someone's dishes, or using tea towels that I hadn't picked out (read that lament here), I was so ecstatic the space was mine that I didn't care how big or small the counter was -- I would make it work. 

I acquired my own tea towels, found nooks and crannies in cabinets for the ever-growing Pyrex collection, and I managed to cook an astonishing amount of food in such a small space.  

Occasionally, though I feel like it's not working. When I burn something, I have to open the front door -- which is only a refrigerator's width away from the stove -- to let the smoke out before the detector blares again.  
 
My tiny wooden doll from Bulgaria seems to stare down at me from the spice rack, as if to reprimand me for cooking in such a small space to begin with. 

Perched next to the Hungarian paprika, she herself is a size more fitting for my doll-house like kitchen. 

I have to remind myself that my kitchen is still much larger than many people around the world. My friend Natasha taught me that anything is possible -- even in a doll-sized Ukrainian kitchen. She has one of the tiniest kitchens I've ever seen. Yet I've eaten some of the most delicious made-from-scratch food from that kitchen. 

A while back, I saw a photo essay on kitchens in various parts of the world. I wish I had bookmarked it, because now I can't find it. 

I did however, find this gem during my search: a photobook project by Gabriele Galimbert, featuring grandmothers from around the world with their favorite recipes. There's some serious inspiration in many of those dishes -- and most of those kitchens don't look enormous to me.   

Over the years, I've also been inspired by the kitchens I've eaten in around the world. It's made me realize that we have fallen for a great lie in America in believing that the bigger the kitchen, the better the cook (I blame the Food Network, even though I too drool over their kitchens...) 

I don't think there is anything wrong at all with having a big kitchen. In fact, I'd love one myself. I dream of counter space that I can actually keep appliances on top of, rather than in boxes in the closet. I think it would be grand to have a place for all of my pots and pans so that they're not on the stove top 24/7.  

However, I don't think having a small kitchen should stop you from cooking, experimenting and generally enjoying the culinary process. My kitchen and I have made a mess together of homemade ice-cream, dehydrated apples, yogurt, bundt cakes, cupcakes, beef and chicken pies galore, stir-fries, French fries, brewed kombucha, soups from scratch and so much more.   

I think small kitchens can sometimes wield the most miraculous outcomes. So rather than dreaming of a larger kitchen, I'm dreaming up new dishes to make in my small one.

Later this week, I'll be posting some small kitchen organization tips. In the meantime, happy cooking!