My husband wondered if I had mentioned how affordable our kitchen remodel was — I think we did the whole thing for less than $2,000.

When we moved in, we had ugly linoleum and we had BROWN cabinets with — get this – FAKE RATTAN  in the center (where there is now glass). We also had a huge cabinet over the counter facing the dining room instead of a nice open space.

We ripped down the cabinets between the kitchen and dining room and then painted the remaining cabinets all white.
My Dad and husband cut out the rattan and bought some inexpensive glass for the glass fronts. The rattan on the bottom cabinets was replaced with panel board (also painted white). Above my stove, we put in some sheet metal with holes. Eventually we are going to put our ipod station in there with speakers so we wanted it open.

My French Cafe curtains were found at the thrift store. Over the kitchen sink window, I took a vintage table runner I had and cut it in half to make cafe curtains. The shelf is from Ikea and I just clipped curtain hooks to its rails …

Then we did the floors and backsplash ourselves.

I think that is about all we did besides the golden harvest paint.

Note: I kept the door off the spice cabinet because I foudn that it was constantly open anyway — I was in there so frequently it was always left wide open. I probably should put my olive oil in a dark, cool place but for now, it is right there within arm’s reach of the stove.

The tiles on the backsplash are from Mexico. My mother had brought them home for me as a gift about 3 years ago. She thought maybe I could put felt on the back and use them as coasters or even hot plates. When we went to remodel, I had the perfect plan for them.

Here is a look at my food stores right now:

This is my pantry, essentially, my food cupboard. It contains dried pasta, canned whole tomatoes, tomato sauce; tomato paste; blue corn chips, peanut butter; dried chilis; dried beans, sugars, flours, salts, coffee beans and oatmeal.

Pretty self explanatory what you see here: vinegars, yogurts, butter, condiments

Yep, that is box wine with a regular bottle of wine behind it. You’ve come a long way baby. Box wine is vastly improved from when I was a kid in the 70s (so I’m told!)

Also milk,eggs,  juice, water, fresh fruit, tortillas, pita bread, some Italian sausage defrosting in bag on bottom shelf, some salami and cheese in one drawer; a bunch of different lettuces from my CSA share in the crisper, think that is about it. Also, my husband bought a bunch of juices I would never buy (I just don’t have money in my grocery budget for something like that).

Usually after my quarterly Costco trip this has more frozen meat and frozen whole chickens, but it is getting slim. Also, usually have a big container of Haagen dazs but hubby went shopping and got the drumsticks — his favorite. Also used my extra bonne maman jars to store homemade chicken stock.

concentrated juice, some coffee beans, corn meal, breadcrumbs and ice packs (I have two little ones)

open cupboard by stove

Spices, oils, vanilla, honey, things I use every day when cooking

Fruit Basket/Platter

Self explanatory

LIMONCELLO

Oh Limoncello, how do I love thee, let me count the ways ….

Well normally I drink limoncello in the summer because it is the perfect summer evening drink. I keep the bottle chilled in the freezer and then shortly before serving put some small glasses in the freezer to chill. Right before serving, I dip the rim of the glasses in lemon juice and then sugar and pour a few fingers of the liqueur. Yum.

I buy my weekly bottle of wine on Wednesdays when all wine is 15 percent off at my local liquor store. Today while I was in there, I saw a gift box of Limoncello that included two cups from Deruta. You can see here that I have a Deruta platter. I am tempted to go back and buy a second gift box while the store still has them.

In the photo, you can tell my kitchen is under construction. The backsplash with my Mexican tile is new, but if you look closely you can see it does not yet have grout on it — that is happening tonight. But you can see how the deruta cups go with the theme of my kitchen. I also have other pottery that is blue and yellow and my walls are that same yellow.

Laundry

Months after Marsi guest posted HERE about making your own laundry detergent, I finally ran out of my costco brand and went to buy the ingredients today. I also bought a tin at the thrift store to keep the detergent in and a cheapo cheese grater so I didn’t have to use my food one to grate the soap bars. By the way, rumour has it that Marsi makes a killer limoncello, as well.

SPICES

I have a lot of spices in a small kitchen. I buy most of my spices in small bulk plastic bags and realized I had a kitchen drawer full of these bags, so I put my old Bonne Maman jars to use.

The drawer is to the right of my stove. On the counter above the drawer, I keep some bulk oregano in a glass jar and some bulk salt along with garlic, sugar and cruets of vinegar and oil.

Directly above that counter, is an open shelf with some smaller jars of spices.

Then, nearby in a glass-front cabinet, I keep some of my bulk spices that I refill into smaller containers: such as dried whole peppers, dried red pepper and peppercorns.

As you can see, I’m a little fanatical about having an organized kitchen.

Outfit:

Red Mossimo Target tee

Levis

Multi-colored beaded necklace (garage sale)

Turquoise sandals (Target)

Menu:

Breakfast: cafe au lait

Brunch/Lunch: I forgot to eat for awhile this morning because I was busy with a sick child and so for “brunch” I had about a dozen triscuits; a few with peanut butter, a few with pepper jack cheese and a few with red onion jam; also some leftover asparagus.

Dinner: Pasta Fagioli; wine

 La Bella Cucina

Last week I talked about a small wardrobe and how it works for me.

Well all those same principles apply for my kitchen. The wonderful Anne Barone writes about both: a slim armoire and maintaining a slim pantry.

Because it is small, I have to costantly declutter to  keep my kitchen very organized and efficient. A few years ago, I knocked down some shelves to open up the kitchen into the dining room. After losing all that space, I realized I could live with MUCH LESS kitchen junk. At first I kept it in the basement to see if I would miss it. I didn’t.

I pared down my utensils, my bowls, my appliances, etc.

 Then when we decided to put glass fronts on the cabinets, I realized it was even more important to pare down and keep my kitchen neat and uncluttered. On my counters, I have a coffee maker and a toaster on a silver tray. On the counter by the stove, I have spices, oils, vinegars, sugar, etc. Other than that, I have nothing else sitting out besides a tray for fruit, a butter dish and a phone caddy for our mobiles.

 Outfit: It’s a Target day

Target Mossimo black tee

Target black jersey skirt

Target turquoise jeweled sandals

Multi-colored beaded necklace from garage sale last week

Menu:

Breakfast: Toast with cream cheese and red onion jam; cafe au lait

Lunch: Salami, avocado and pepper jack on a sub roll (picnic at the park); grapes, radishes with butter; water

Dinner: Penne pasta with olive oil, garlic salt and fresh parmigiano reggiano; leftover brussel sprouts; romaine salad with honey mustard vinaigrette and avocados; glass Pinot Grigio

Salad Recipes

I was surprised and flattered to see that some of my friends over at a yahoo group I am part of had been reading my blog and were interested in seeing more recipes posted. When I started this blog I had completely intended to include more recipes and so I was happy to see this reminder.

As Diane and Millie of this group mentioned, I do eat a lot of salads. My favorite vinaigrette comes from one of my favorite other blogs –  EuroChic. Ages ago she posted this vinaigrette and I use it constantly — thanks Bobbi! My all-time favorite salad includes it. It is simple, but always a winner:

My Favorite Salad with Honey Mustard Viniagrette:

1 Romaine hearts chopped (I know every cook in history says tear the leaves, but I always chop ‘em and they seem to work just fine) If it is just my family I will use one heart, for larger family gatherings I will use 2-3 and double or even triple my viniagrette recipe. (we usually have about 23 people for our get togethers). I rinse the leaves 3-4 times and spin  them in my salad spinner — an indispensible object in my kitchen.

1-2 avocados, chopped or even sometimes mushed. Sometimes when I toss my salad if the avocado is really ripe and soft it just “mushes” onto the leaves and becomes part of the leaves and dressing, which is sometimes really nice.

Vinaigrette:

I take a mason jar or bonne maman jar and put:

– 1 tablespoon Dijon on the bottom (I just use one of my soup spoons)

- 1 tablespoon honey (we buy this in bulk from Costco along with the olive oil there!)

- 1 chopped garlic clove

- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil

Then I shake it and pour.

This is an easy salad to bring to a family gathering because you can mix the dressing ahead of time. Unlike my standard “everyday” family dinner vinaigrette which is made in the salad bowl right before we eat. That one  basically involves red wine AND balsamic vinegar, olive oil, oregano, a dash of sugar. As most of you may know, the key with vinaigrette’s is it is always 1 part vinegar (or lemon juice) to 3 parts oil and whatever else you want to add.

Here’s a basic Vinaigrette recipe Robert Arbor gives in Joie de Vivre:

1 garlic clove

salt, pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon

Red wine vinegar

Olive oil

He says to put the finely minced garlic clove in a bowl with a generous pinch of salt and 2 grindings of fresh ground pepper. Add mustard and vinegar (1-2 tablespoons). Mix, let sit while you wash the greens. Next, add oil (3 parts to one part vinegar). Stir constantly as you add the oil. Taste. Adjust seasonings.

Variations include adding: 2 teaspoons honey or juice of half a lemon or a splash of orange juice

Another favorite:

I am blessed to be part of a huge family who loves nothing more than getting together, so I am almost always the one asked to bring a salad. Here is another one that is a favorite at family gatherings.

Lemon Vinaigrette on Greens

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup olive oil

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

4 cups torn romaine

Note: Again, I cut the romaine. What I do if I am bringing this to a get together, is mix up everything in the vinaigrette EXCEPT the onions and parsley. So I bring a bowl of lettuce, a jar of the vinaigrette and a container with the chopped onion and parsley and then assemble the salad there. If you add the onion and parsley ahead of time it can turn brown or mushy or gross. So I put it in the dressing jar right before tossing and serving.

Outfit:

Mossimo black tee

Levis

Black velvet French Sole ballet flats

Vintage Mexican silver choker

Menu:

Breakfast: Homemade bread toasted 1/2 slice with butter and peanutbutter and 1/2 slice with apricot Bonne Maman preserves, cafe au lait

Snack: string cheese

Lunch: Salad inspired by a blogger I can’t recall. (If you know who I’m talking about can you let me know. I didn’t bookmark the blog and don’t remember it) She was visiting a friend in Belgium and they had a salad for lunch with green beans, radishes, slices of olive, avocado and hard boiled egg with a honey/mustard/lemon juice/olive oil vinaigrette. I added romaine and salami to mine. I also had a mini Rice Krispie Treat.

Snack: I usually try not to snack, but did twice today. I had more string cheese and another mini Rice Krispie bar

Dinner: Chicken Scallopine with a white wine, lemon and italian parsley sauce; red potatoes boiled and then dressed in a viniagrette; fresh bread with butter; wine

Walking

Now that I feel better this week, I’m trying to walk as much as I can. I walked to the library on Monday, my daughter’s school yesterday and to the wine store today. It feels great to be outside again.

More from Style Beauty Trimness

Marsi mentioned earlier she hoped I would post more about this book and I am very happy to do so.

One section I found interesting was the one on “Trimness” which really talked about eating habits.

The first thing the author says is make sure you think long and hard about whether you truly want to/need to lose weight or whether you are just being too hard on yourself.

Now, if you do want to lose weight or maintain, here’s what she says:

“The first and foremost secret is to eat. Yes. I did say eat. Eat everything you love. Dine as though you were royalty. Be luxurious. Enjoy real creme in your coffee. A glass of wine with meals. Real butter, cheese, bread, sweet fruits, luscious desserts. Do not consider yourself to be on a diet. Consider it to be a glamorous lifestyle, a means of self care, maintenance of yourself, anything, but not a diet. You will not encounter a Parisian who is “on a diet.” Parisians think the idea is crazy. Life is too short. That coupled with the fact that being “on a diet” simply provokes one to cheat. Just try teling yourself that you cannot eat something and you will become obsessed with the longing to have that very something! Which means you will cheat, over-eat, feel awful and never accomplish the weight loss goal that you may have. Therefore do not deny yourself your favorite foods. Have your favorite things to eat often. The real secrets are not what you eat, but how you eat.

Staying slender comes from valuing oneself and taking good care of oneself. Things like a spritz of perfurme, beautiful lingerie, clothing and shoes, and a pleasant demeanor all say that you care for yourself. That you value yourself. That you are willing to have good daily habits in order to be the best you can be. This attitude enhances slimness. If poeple do not like themselves very much, slopping around in sweats and uncombed hair on the weekends, they are not very likely to be slender either. An appreciation of overall beauty definitely causes an appreciation and awareness of the figure.”

The author goes on to say that it is crucial to eat on a schedule. Here’s her typical menu for the day:

9 a.m. breakfast: coffee with real cream; 2 slices toast with real butter and preserves; Yoplait yogurt; fresh blackberries

12 p.m. luncheon: pizza slice;  fresh greens with garlic, oilve oil, walnuts and fried potatoes; fresh cherries; miniature cupcake; red wine; evian water

4:30 p.m. afternoon snack: something pleasant to drink. today it is my family’s special recipe of creamy hot cocoa made with 8 oz skim milk, 1 tbl of real unsweetened cocao and 2 tbl honey; fresh Kiwi fruit; 1 raspberry creme filled cookie

7 p.m. dinner: mushroom pasta in creme sauce; bread with real butter; cheese; fresh strawberries; red wine

I’ll post more from the book on another day.

Outfit:

Ann Taylor Loft dress (thrift store). This is one of what I like to call my “Italian Mama” dresses.

Black Dansko sandals

Large silver hoop earrings

Menu:

Breakfast: one pancake with syrup, large glass of orange juice, large glass of apple juice, cafe au lait

Lunch: Salami and pepper jack cheese with dijon on 1/2 a sub roll, one apple, chips and salsa

Dinner: Pork chops with apples, brown rice, green salad 

This meal is a favorite in our house. It may be too sweet for some. And it is definitely not on someone’s Low Calorie List, but here it goes:

Pork Chops with Apples

1. Heat oven to 3oo degrees

2. Brown pork chops (I use anything from 2 chops to 6)

3. Place around 3-4 peeled, cored and sliced apples (any kind. I use braeburn a lot) in a greased baking dish.

4. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. The recipe calls for 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon, but I usually use more of both.

5. Dot with butter.

6. Top with browned pork chops.

7. Cook at least 90 minutes or until meat thermometer registers that pork chops are cooked throughout (can’t remember what temperature that is — it shows on my thermometer cover).

One Lovely Blog

Stephanie over at Bonjour Madame gave me this award today. How sweet. She definitely has one lovely blog that you should all check out. It is eye candy.

This is my first time at this, but I would also like to return the compliment and pass the award on to my favorite fellow bloggers:

Bonjour Madame

Eurochic

The French Corner

Paris on the Cuyahoga

Already Pretty

There are links to all of them under “Friends” on the righthand side. All very worth checking out.

 I don’t have a photograph of my outfit today. I quickly got my child’s sickness and have been feverish all day. After a shower, I changed out of my pajamas and into some black velvety sweatpants and a black tshirt with pink rhinestones that read “mamma italiana”.

We frequently have friends and family “drop in” our home. Something I love and I always am excited to give them a cup of coffee and homemade biscotti. Everyone knows if it is Saturday morning, I will cook up some homemade pancakes for them as well. Well today, being very sick, we did have some friends stop by — a male friend and his child. They didn’t come in because I was ill, but it was nice that when I answered the door I didn’t have on pajamas or a ratty old tshirt and baggy sweatpants.  I also felt comfortable later when I had to go outside and quickly water my tomato plants, herbs and flowers before hopping back under the covers.  We live in a neighborhood where just stepping out your backdoor you could run into several neighbors and other people you know driving by.

Menu: small dish yogurt with strawberries, blueberries, bananas, 1/4 cantaloupe and cafe au lait

snack: biscotti, coffee

lunch: leftver potato cheese gratin and small green salad and cherries

dinner: 4 oz rib eye steak on barbecue, watermelon, green salad, smores

NOTE: Full disclosure. I forgot to put that last night after dinner I had two small scoops of Haagen Daaz carmel cone in a sugar cone. : )

Marketing

There are few things I enjoy more than visiting one of our area Farmer’s Markets with my French Market Basket and filling it with locally grown fruits and vegetables and locally produced cheeses and meats. During my “ideal” week, I start all my shopping there on a Saturday morning. I try to find all the items on my shopping list that I can there first before I visit the local market. I try to make it a solo trip so I can browse all the flea-market type vendors as well, checking out the homemade soaps, one-of-a-kind jewelry and scarves and items in the chic clothing stalls. I always stop for a latte, sitting at one of the many outdoor tables, reveling in the morning sunshine and doing some fun people watching.

When I must go to the grocery store, I bring along several black canvas totes and a few colorful woven mesh bags. I also have several small, wheat-colored drawstring bags I use for any produce purchases at both the supermarket and the Farmer’s Market so I can avoid plastic bags. I dislike them for obvious environmental reasons, but also aesthetically.

I bought all my bags at ecobags.com a few years back. At first, I received strange looks at my local markets and even some irritation from the clerks, even though I tried to make their job as easy as possible, by making the numbers on the produce stick out of the bag. I remember telling a family member that in a few years everyone would be bringing their own bags. Now about one-third of all the shoppers I see bring their own bags and the market actually credits you five cents for each bag you bring from home. 

I love Anne Barone’s Chic and Slim books and along with what I’ve read in other books on European lifestyles, I have embraced the “slim pantry” philosophy.

I shop seasonally and pretty much avoid anything with high fructose corn syrup and very rarely buy anything that is processed.

I don’t stockpile, but do try to shop several times a week. I do make quarterly trips to costco where I stock up on items such as olive oil, frozen meats (whole chickens, Italian sausage, pork chops), Dijon and whole bean coffee.

Here is my shopping list. I print out copies and keep them on my refrigerator for handy reference, circling items when I run out of them.

 Behind the shopping list, I also keep a chart of what is in season: