Because of this, I get the opportunity to get creative in the kitchen without the hassle of chopping and cleanup!
So, for my curious friends, I'm going to post some pictures of the completely unpacked kitchen and then tell about the delicious recipes I've been cooking up!
The best view of the kitchen. It shows off the nice flowers and my perfect kitchenaid mixer!
A good view of my new staple canisters. I used to have black ones from my MIL, but I hated them because I could never stick a measuring cup in there! These match our kitchen and fit out needs much better!
We don't have a kitchen table yet but we do have a bar area where we normally eat. Those stools were expensive @ $17 a piece. They were necessary...and expensive! You can also see the sage we bought at the farmers market hanging above the sink. It smells lovely!
Our kitchen has interesting storage issues. Because cooking is a part of my career and a huge hobby, I have more kitchen equipment than the average person. We did not have enough room to store pots and pans so we used these shelves instead. It's also nice to see all of my cookbooks (which get regular use) at eye level! OH YEAH - and if you look carefully, you can see my new purple steam mop! IT'S AWESOME! Oh yeah, and I love magnets. If you've ever sent me a picture in the mail for a holiday or a save the date, its on there! The door next to the fridge leads into the laundry room/half bath. Those pictures will come next!
We have a dishwasher - which is awesome! The not so awesome part is that the dishwasher is smaller than the hole that was cut for it, so it always feels like its going to top over....but still, we have a dishwasher! We also have a broken silverware drawer. There is no front, and the depth of the draw area is longer than the drawer itself, so it falls in and is SUPER LAME. It's been fixed several times so I am about to resort to heavy duty glue or something. So, I've been cooking up a storm since I've moved to Utah. On Sunday's I sit down and make a weekly menu. Then I use that as the basis for my shopping list. It helps us save money and keeps me on track at the store.
Here is a delicious list of all of the recipes I've made for the past three weeks. YUM-O!!!
- Angel Hair Pasta with Mushroom Marinara
- Bacon and Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo Pasta
- Chicken Burritos
- Huevos Rancheros **
- Blueberry Bran Pancakes
- Very Veggie Chili Wraps*
- Turkey Enchilada Pie*
- Mac and Cheese
- Crusted Honey Mustard Chicken*
- Chicken Pitas w/ Yogurt Dill Sace
- Couscous w/ Turkey Sausage and Almonds
- Baked Ziti
- Thai Green Curry Chicken
- Baked Chicken with Dijon-Lime Sauce*
- Roasted Pork Tenderloin*
** - Denotes a kitchen failure. I had rice cooker issues and it messed up the rice. We made that same rice today for the Thai Green Curry Chicken and discovered that the brown rice we were using was riddled with husks! We won't be buying that brand again. Also, I might add that I don't handle kitchen failures very well. I get quite pissy...and that's putting it lightly. The rest of it turned out fantastic and was delicious, according to Aaron. I was too pissed to eat it and enjoyed a delicious bowl of cinnamon life cereal.
I wonder how many days I can go without repeating a recipe? I'm going out of town next week so I won't be cooking here. I'll be cooking for my friend Christy and Matt and their new baby "L". But, I do know what I'm making next week. I should take pictures!
Ta-ra!
Marissa
