so katie, what does your kitchen look like?

This is my kitchen.

Notice the old lady linoleum and the lack of counterspace (and the chili cooking away on the stove during the Michigan v. Michigan State game). We have no dishwasher, but fortunately our oven is relatively new and works pretty well. The birch-colored ikea table is home to our microwave and toaster for now, and has yet to be adorned with bar stools (so there is no seating in the kitchen). We are on the first floor, and lighting isn't super great, so we'll see how pictures go moving forward.

This is the corner of the kitchen where Eric has promised me more counterspace will go.

I’ll believe it when I see it.

This is the pantry. And the view to our paved "backyard".

The pantry contains mostly baking stuff and dry goods, such as:

• Brown, white, and confectioners sugar
• White and whole wheat flour (King Arthur brand always)
• Spices: salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, chili powder, allspice, poultry seasoning, thyme, curry, etc etc (way too many for me to list from memory)
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips (Ghiardelli)
• Nutella
• Maple syrup from Holiday Farm (Dalton, MA)
• Hot chocolate
• Rice vinegar
• Soy sauce
• Vegetable oil (olive oil is above the stove)
• Cans of tuna
• Whole canned tomatoes
• Fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 3 jars of Molte Bene tomato and basil pasta sauce (from Whole Foods, best pasta sauce I have ever had)
• Granola
• Couscous
• Rice
• Oatmeal
• Pasta (shells, fettuchine, spaghetti, angel hair)
• Annies Mac and Cheese
• Rice Chex, Honey Bunches of Oats, Special K
• Wheat crackers
• Candy apple kit
• Reusable shopping bags

This is the refrigerator.

It’s pretty empty now, but contains:

• ½ bushel of apples from apple picking in Boxford, MA last weekend at Smolak Farms
• Apple Cider
• Milk
• Lemonade
• Beer (Ipswitch Harvest, Wolaver’s Pumpkin, Ithaca Brewing Company, Harvest Moon, and assorted leftovers)
• Eggs
• Salad dressing (Hidden Valley ranch and basalmic vinagrette)
• Jam (four fruit, apricot, and strawberry)
• Coarse grain and regular Dijon mustard
• Organic Chicken Stock
• Butter (salted and unsalted)
• Shortening
• Cheese (port salut, jarlsburg, gruyere, tallegio, parmesan)
• Heavy cream
• Yogurt
• Heritage tomatoes, picked at Smolak Farms
• Frozen leftovers: Ina Garten’s Mac and Cheese, Chili
• Frozen Ground beef
• Frozen peas and frozen corn
• Frozen lemonade
• Ben and Jerry’s Mint Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream
• Soco Lavender and Honey Ice Cream
• Pumpkin Frozen Custard

The fridge is a little empty—usually it has far more vegetables and usually some more fruit or leftovers—grocery store trip is in the works. My tea collection and cinnamon streusel muffins that Eric's girlfriend made last Sunday are on top.

This is where we eat! The “Kandinsky Dining Room.” (There’s another Kandinsky on the opposite wall.

…and this is where all our non-beer wine and liquor lives.

As for tools, I have all the knives, cutting boards, pots and pans I could need. However, I do not nearly have as much as I want. If I had my druthers, I’d have a:

• Candy thermometer
• Full Cutco knife set
• Food processor
• 3 more baking sheets
• Tons of cookie cutters
• Food mill
• Cheese cloth
• Bundt pan

And most importantly, more counterspace.

Next up, homemade applesauce!