Friday Foto Friends...Come into my kitchen...

Well friends, it is time for Friday Foto Friends again...and I was thinking about something all week after one of our friends made a comment in last week's Friday foto Friend's post that I should show more of my kitchen...and my response to her was that I feel like I've shown a lot of my kitchen through the years in various posts,  all you have to do is type in the search bar on my blog page the word "kitchen", and it will pull up anytime the word "kitchen" was used in my posts. But that could take a long time to read through all of them, because it seems like my kitchen is a prominent place in my home and life and writing...much of our real living takes place in our kitchen!


(No cleaning was done in the preparation for this post...this is the real deal...) You may recognize that window and sign above from my header. The sign was created especially for me by my son the builder/sign maker.  Why that particular verse? Because  that is what it seems to be outside that window...all of heaven and nature are singing every day!

Anyway, that got me to thinking that this week I would show a few kitchen pictures, but then I would like to challenge the rest of you to do the same in your future posts.  It would be fun to see your favorite spots in your kitchen...and maybe even some of your not so favorite spots...things you'd like to change...or things you have recently changed.  I know another of our friends, Creations by Cindy, is currently doing a kitchen makeover at her house...and she's been sharing the progress...so why not do this?  Sound like fun?  It will be fun to see how many of you read this and accept this challenge sometime in the future!!! Please let us know when you do!

I shared this little poem in one of my previous "kitchen" posts, but thought this would be a good way to start off these pictures today:

My Little Kitchen Prayer

"Bless my little kitchen, Lord

I love its every nook

And bless me as I do my work,

Wash pots and pans and cook.

May the meals that I prepare

Be seasoned from above

With Thy Blessings and Thy Grace,

But most of all, Thy Love.

As we partake of earthly food,

The table Thou hast spread,

We'll not forget to thank Thee, Lord

For all our daily bread.

So bless my little kitchen, Lord

And those who enter in,

May they find naught but Joy and Peace

And Happiness therein. "

Author Unknown

So...why don't you "Come into my kitchen and chat with me while I prepare a pot of tea?"  (needlepoint created by my Grandma Mursch many years ago, and given to me from her home after she passed away since I was the one who also liked to drink tea!)

How about a Blueberry Bran Muffin to go with your cup of tea?

  I used the recipe on the Publix BranFlakes box, but I didn't make the topping that is on this recipe...and I also substituted 3 tablespoons of applesauce for the 3 tablespoons of oil in the recipe...other than that everything was the same, and they were delicious! I also used the large muffin tins instead of the usual normal cupcake size.

So now that you have a muffin and a cup of tea...let's start the tour...

I will start in one of my favorite spots...the rocking chair and reading corner.  Actually, my kitchen and dining room are connected, separated only by an island, so I can't very well show you just my kitchen without including some pictures from the dining room as well.  

This little corner is my favorite spot to sit and read, sip a cup of tea, look through cookbooks, or even visit with a friend while waiting for supper to cook...or after supper is over and I just want to hide away from the rest of the "world" for awhile. I love that this window looks out onto our front porch and front yard, where I can watch the birds, deer, and possibly see a bear now and then walk by!

 The bookshelf is filled with lovely little books about teatime, as well as cookbooks and other kinds of gift books of poetry or devotionals for women.  My son the builder built the bookshelf for me several years ago, and I dearly love it!  The Tea Time Calendar on the wall is an annual Christmas gift from my sister!  Some of my favorite teapots and cups are also on this little shelf.  

Looking to my right from the rocking chair, you can see the antique china closet that belonged to my husband's grandmother, "Nanny Martin", also the picture of her sweet little "pink house", along with part of my doll collection, and other odds and ends. (This picture was taken around Christmas, hence the Christmas tablecloth!)

 When I took this following picture earlier this week, we had just celebrated my youngest son's birthday, so here is the remainder of his birthday cake...  The white china closet is the one I refinished/painted a year or so ago (I've lost track of time). I thought I did a post about this, but I can't find it, so maybe I didn't...anyway that's it...it was a job redoing it! It was an ugly brown formica body, with some real wood on the doors, and I painted it white and distressed it to look old, since it is old. My son added the crown molding to the top to give it more height and style...  The curio cabinet to the right is full of "curios"...I may do a different post on that sometime...

 Next to the china cabinet is my husband's grandmother's Hoosier cupboard, that I also refinished many years ago...now that was a real job!  And speaking of real jobs, please notice the floor...that was another major project...

And speaking of islands:  The island is probably the hub of the whole kitchen/dining room. This is where we bake cookies and cakes, prepare  many meals, and serve buffet style for our many group/family gatherings.  There has been a lot of love and activity around this island...and yet, it is probably the one part of the kitchen that needs to have a major makeover...

 The island countertop is made of painted plywood, and I have added some large ceramic tiles that were samples to use as a more durable surface for cooking and serving hot dishes.  The cabinet base is very old and not in great shape...needs to be redone from the inside out. I am waiting for my builder/cabinet maker son to create a new top for the island and possibly new cabinets as well underneath some day.  I have some ideas for using reclaimed wood for the top, but that may change.  Anyway, until then it still functions and serves the purpose very well. I cannot imagine this kitchen without it!

 As we move over into the kitchen side of the room, here is another of my favorite spots...the tea cupboard and beverage station... This cabinet was the subject of another post years ago...

 This is where I make my pot of tea every morning...(and the coffee pot is next to the tea pot, but that is for my hubby, not me! LOL)

 On either side of the kitchen windows over the sink are these cute little old fashioned corner shelves, which I have loaded with doodads and knicknacks and bird houses and stuff to dust...

 And this cubby hole above the microwave is another place to display bean crocks and an American Flag serving tray...

 Of course no kitchen would be complete without a refrigerator covered with magnets and pictures of grandkids/family and other important stuff... Right next to that is another cabinet my son built for the kitchen...this holds some vintage dishes and of course, "Pinky the Flamingo" cookie jar...

 Looking back to the other side of the kitchen is the entrance to the laundry room, and straight through there goes into our master bathroom, which is also a kind of "utility" area, where I have an extra refrigerator and my sewing machine, in addition to our bathroom!  Definitely a "multi-purpose" room!

My most favorite spots in the kitchen have to be the windows above the sink, and the deep window sills.  This is a great place to display my little "friends", as well as a "fairy bouquet" from the Secret Garden... 

 This little plaque on the windowsill reminds me daily of this blog..."Remember...When God closes a door, He opens a window!"

 This is also a place where I pray for our family and friends, and remember our precious son Matthew... (the fisherman was a decoration on Matthew's birthday cake, his last birthday with us before he passed into heaven at the age of 41.  Matthew loved fishing, and it cheers me to think of him like this. I wonder if there is fishing in heaven?)

I spend a lot of time at these windows, looking out at the birds and bunnies and whatever other beauties God puts on display...  (roses from the garden...)

And look who showed up today (Thursday) for the first time this spring?!!  Yep, "Mrs. Ruby Throated Hummingbird" is back!!!  So happy I had already put the feeder out just in case...

And there she goes!!!

I hope you have enjoyed this little tour of my kitchen. 

It is definitely the "heart" of our home... 

a place where love abides.

Now let's buzz over to see what our other Friday Foto friends are cooking up at  Deb's place, Breathing in Grace