Making the Kitchen Work as Hard as I Do
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- Опубліковано 1 гру 2023
- It's been a long time coming! I'm hoping that a few upgrades in my kitchen will make it a much more functional and orderly place for us to work.
We're going to be adding a new kitchen island, reconfiguring a bookcase, turning a "home management center" into a working appliance pantry, painting cabinets, upgrading appliances, etc. Messy, but very exciting!
Ideas? Suggestions we should consider? Speak up now! Do you want updates as we go?
Let me know what you think!
xoxo,
Carter
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How exciting! My thought would be to add oulet plugs on the ends of your island. When my kids and their families come for a holiday, we can set up crockpots to keep food warm, or we can cook together with the small appliances. I love your program and you are such an inspiration for me!
Yes! Outlets at each end are definitely in the plan! Happy to have you here, Gloria!
Very exciting! Something I have discovered after putting my air fryer in my pantry, is the need to exhaust the heat and smells. If there is any way to add something as small as a bathroom exhaust fan for your new pantry area, consider that. Good luck during the construction. Love your channel and learn something new all the time.
Very smart, Clarence! I will talk with the kitchen consultant and carpenter about that. Glad to have you here!
5 years ago, remodeling our kitchen was the best thing we ever did, and certainly the most expensive. It was completely ripped out all the way to the floor joists and to most of the wall studs. All new appliances including a 36” gas range, all new custom built cherrywood cabinets, modified arched entryways, countertops obviously and new tile floor. It’s insane how expensive a full remodel is. Three months later we fully remodeled 2 bathrooms, replaced every door in the house, and installed wood floors throughout except for downstairs. Also new ceiling lighting. But the best part of it all was getting rid of that glass top stove and replacing it with a nice large gas dual-fuel range. After having this 36” range I’d never go with anything smaller. You get spoiled with them. Our contractor was a dream. Have fun! Can’t wait to see it!
It sounds fantastic, PDX! I totally agree with you on the 36" range. Fortunately, that's the size I have now, but I sure would have like to have bumped that up another notch! Probably good that I don't have room for a bigger one. 😏
We bought an old old house about 12 years ago to rent out. We made the 2nd floor into an apartment. After spending a ton of money on it we decided to sell our home and move into the upstairs apartment. We slowly worked on the downstairs little by little. This year we finally got the 1st floor done. I now have a large canning kitchen, a huge sewing studio and an extra bedroom and good sized bathroom. It sounds odd but I spend most of my mornings downstairs sewing or canning. My garden is right outside my kitchen door. When I go upstairs I can leave my cooling jars in a nice clean kitchen downstairs til the next day. All of my canners, huge pots and extra small appliances are stored out of sight. Having a whole kitchen dedicated to preserving is a blessing. My upstairs kitchen is plenty of room for daily life. I'm excited for you. It will be so much easier to navigate.
Christal! Your canning kitchen sounds like a total dream. I just love the way you have done the unconventional to suit your life so perfectly. Brilliant!
Organizing a kitchen is such fun. I keep all my platters in an upright rack in high cabinets. I also use these wire racks in deep drawers for casserole and large baking dishes, narrow platters, quiche dishes, etc. to sit on their side. That way I can easily reach just one and not have to move anything else. I'm 77 and can't lift heavy dishes anymore. Love your show.
Totally agree, Susan! I love the idea of using dividers in the deep drawers as well. You have tall wire racks for that? Did you retrofit those, or was it designed that way?
I just bought regular free standing racks you would buy to hold cookie sheets. They come in many sizes and some are adjustable to hold wider items. My base cabinets are two /three drawers deep. Love your show!
@@growandpreserve
Thanks for the info, Susan! I should look into that for the drawer below my ovens.@@sburrowbridge
That island is by far my favorite part of your kitchen!!!!!
I showed it to the person that built my wall pantry and asked if he can duplicate it.
Thanks! I love it too. As I said, it will remain as my casual dining table. I'll be sure to film from there on occasion.
One of the things I've always most admired about your beautiful kitchen is the island.
You'll just have to come to dinner, Lois! You can see it with its new purpose.
I'm excited for you to get the kitchen just like you want it, to be more functional for you. I've missed our canning sessions. I'm gonna be busy this weekend, making and canning some Christmas Jam and homemade breads for gift-giving. Broth was the last thing I did, the day after Thanksgiving. I'll be in my element once again. :)@@growandpreserve
It's always good to get back in the kitchen for some canning, isn't it? Have fun!@@blessedbeyondmeasure318
I always thought you’re kitchen was beautiful, and still is, but after you pointed it out I can definitely agree it isn’t functional. I had my farmhouse kitchen remodeled (last done 1995) summer of 2022 and it’s a canners dream. So much room/counter space! We had a very talented designer and contractor. Our home is dated late 1830’s and I went with a modern farmhouse look.
Oh my! Your remodel sounds wonderful! It's hard to think of changing something that looks good, but truly, functionality in the kitchen rules for me. Hopefully it will end up both beautiful and functional. 🤞
Currently building new house. Thought I might share one thing. I am having a platter area in my new pantry with vertical slots to slide platters in so I don’t have to stack any longer. I have so many large and heavy platters for entertaining and got so tired of having to lift and move and then put back again. Don’t know if you could incorporate under your island and area like that. Your changes are gonna be great! How exciting! Can’t wait to see progress in action! Thanks for sharing! Always fun! Missed your utube last week. : )
Mary W
Yes! Thanks so much for the reminder, Mary. I actually added this to the pantry of my last house, yet somehow completely forgot about here. I will talk with the carpenter to see if we can still do this.
Hope it works out how you would like it to! : )
Funny about the backsplash. I often look at these "showplace" kitchens and think, the person who designed this doesn't actually cook! Consider narrow vertical shelving for your platters. Then you won't have to move anything! Congratulations on the new space!
Yes, Jennifer! I don't know why I didn't think about narrow vertical shelving for the platters. I did that for oven pans we moved in. How did I forget?
We did major reno. Raised ceiling took out walls, new floors, windows and cabinets and appliances. Took me 40 yrs to get my dream kitchen but worth the wait!
Oh wow! You did the works!
One thing we did on a remodel was to add the soft close cabinet hinges on the doors - love them!
Agree! I did that as well.
Hello again Carter! We’ve missed you!
Hey, Vicki! Have you not been seeing videos? I only took a week off to spend the holidays with my kids. Some folks have not seen my videos in their feeds for the past few months. Please let me know if this is still happening.
@@growandpreserve I honestly look for you daily! You are a favorite! I believe the last video was almost 2 weeks ago!
Vicki, thank you so much! I did skip Thanksgiving week, but I'm back to posting every Saturday now! @@vickiwestlund1837
Honestly I just discovered your channel this morning and I’ve binge watched it most all day. Love your channel! I plan to can many of the items I’ve watched today. Thank you. But honestly I thought while watching you work in your kitchen I kept thinking your kitchen makes you walk a lot to get to from sink/prep area to the stove/oven around that table in the middle. Although I love that table in the middle - your kitchen would look like a huge very wasted space without it. So I’m very happy for you that you’re getting this done! Can’t wait to see the finished space! And for me I’ll get to watch it later today or tomorrow! (I started with the one that I discovered this morning then moved to your oldest videos and moved forward)
Welcome, Gayla! So glad you're here! You are so right about the old design of my kitchen. I just had an email that the fridge has been delayed again until late May. I'm holding off on the new kitchen reveal until it's in because the old one with funky handles looks so out of place. Hopefully soon!
Excited to see how your kitchen transforms! Also, I use my Instant Pot to cook all my grains, rice, wild rice, barley, quinoa, and dry beans when I don’t have any canned up in my pantry. I also save a couple chicken carcasses to make broth for a soup or to freeze. I know you can a lot of broth, so you may not use it for broth, but I enjoy a smaller quantity to use right away or put in quart freezer containers to freeze. I use it for certain soups.I’ve also cooked winter squash quickly when I didn’t want to heat up the oven. I also like the fact I can put frozen meat/roast in there and it comes out nice and tender and flavorful every time. This is the only way I make hard boiled eggs, they turn out perfect every time. I was without a stove for a couple months when mine broke and we had to order a new one and really appreciated my instant pot. So, I’m pro instant pot😊. Enjoy!
The egg piece may be its saving grace! I will give it a try. Thanks, Angela!
l love using my instapot for making bone broth. lt took 48 hours on the stovetop down to 3 hours in the instapot & comes out very gelatinous. That alone is worth keeping for me, but l do use it for other things like rice & homemade dog food. I like your design ideas, very exciting! Congrats!
Thanks, Summer!
Hi Carter love your beautiful kitchen😊You mentioned if we had suggestions for your remodel. Here it goes lol!
You mentioned you don’t use your top oven and it works: take the bottom oven out put the top oven in the space where the bottom oven was. Then where your top oven space is opened put a shelf in there for your serving bowls and below put your platters/pie dishes etc below. Keep your cookbooks where you love them!!! 💜The island where you were going to put your beloved cookbooks put an extra dishwasher there. Perfect for your sanitized canning jars to have easy access for filling. This could save you a lot of time and walking while processing your food. The older we get anything helps lol.I love your rebel canning videos 💜👍
Oh, Cherry! I wish I had asked before everything was in the works. I would have loved to have put at least a drawer dishwasher in the island, but with the dish and silverware drawers on the other side, the prep side cabinets are not deep enough to sub out for a dishwasher now. What a great idea though! Your oven solution would have really helped my budget! I have ordered another double oven with side opening doors that should solve my problem. I'm coming to you BEFORE I plan my next project!
Carter you are so gracious 😊what a great solution side doors on the double oven. I will remember that if people (short) like us are remodeling their kitchen💜So excited for your finished kitchen’s reveal. Blessings for everything to go smoothly😊
Regarding the length and depth of your island you can use wall cabinetry on one side of your island and base drawer cabinets on the other side. Your carpenter will need to frame the wall cabs off the floor to create a toe kick space. Finish end panels will need to be installed on each end.
Yes! That's essentially what we're doing. Perhaps you need to come consult on the whole project, Sheryl! It sounds like you've done this a time or two.
Carter you are so delightful! I am brand new to canning and you make it so easy. You are a great teacher and everything you do is so very organized and well thought out! I truly appreciate all that you do!
Thank you, Sheryl! I'm so happy to have you here.
I started with expensive Italian ovens to match my stove top. Spent a year without oven! These Bosch are wonderful, cook so well! You will love them! Best of luck!!!
Great! Mine will be Thermador...but close enough to Bosch. Hope I am as lucky as you!
Love the updates you are doing to your kitchen.
I love your cabinet with the ti fronts. And to me, it would make a great place to store your recipe books. Bending down to look for a book on the bottom of the island will be hard to read the titles.
I know this from experience.
Love the inspiration that you give me on every episode.
Canning and Preserving can be so fulfilling.
Thanks, Patricia. You have a good point about bending down. I may have to play with moving things around a bit.
I would love to see the remodeling . Cant wait to see your new and improved work space.
Thanks!
Well kitchen remodels are always exciting. Good luck with yours. We are pulling our much worse kitchen apart too. Up ur current kitchen it’s very high end. My current kitchen was done with the cheapest materials and lowest end fixtures possible. We already got rid of the front door which entered straight into the kitchen and now that goes through what was the main floor bathroom. We are converting that to an entranceway and that allows us to expand the kitchen to make it two feet wider gaining about 18 square feet plus a second window which is already in. Being frugal but handy, we have already milled all the wood for our cabinets and countertops from wood we milled ourselves and it has seasoned for a couple of years already. We finished the basement and added a small kitchenette down there where I currently film my frugal frau videos. I will link your videos as appropriate. While we have our kitchen apart which also includes the dining area, and a sitting room I will have to rely on minimum cooking downstairs on a 2 burner electric cooktop and the wood cook stove I already installed in the new dining area when it isn’t too messy up there. This remodel will probably take most of the winter as we are doing all,of it ourselves and we also do much of the work with only hand tools. Our aesthetic is to re-create an 18th century style home though of course we will have a refrigerator and gas stove in addition to the wood cook stove. Our goal is to minimize our use of any electricity since it is expensive here in NE Vermont.
What a fabulous plan, Sukey. Congrats to you on having the ability to do all of it yourselves. Keep us posted!
@@growandpreserve also wanted to mention.. good plan with the farm table Island. It would drive me nuts to have to dust the appliances., so using it as the casual dining table is a good use for it. We will be making our entire Island top 6’ x5’ into a massive cutting board.
To do that we will make sections in the woodshop as each section is done as far as the planing etc. goes we will bring the big pipe clamps upstairs and glue the sections together. The oil finish goes on after we clean that up and give it a final hand planing. On the prep side it will get marred, stained etc. as ours is truly a country working kitchen, not to say you do not work hard in your kitchen, you do. I have all the new appliances sitting in the sitting room… in my previous kitchen I had a double drain board double sink… massive… but I sure loved it. I have the same for this kitchen too. My husband built the cabinets and counters around it ( legs removed… they just screw in ) and then it is transformed into a built in sink. Having as many meals or cans of items easily combined on a stove top will be a huge help during this process. Keep on canning and defying the USDA… I think they want us all to purchase crummy processed food and of course we canners refuse to do that! After the remodel is done we will get our own small breed pigs as we live in the country on acreage.
Sukey, You have such an amazing plan for your kitchen. I'm in awe that you two are doing this on your own. Kudos to you!@@sukeywatson1281
It sounds great! When we retired we downsized. I hate it. lol. No storage or room in kitchen or places to put my ‘tools’ (mixer, dehydrator, slow cooker, instant pot, etc.) so I know you will love your new beautiful kitchen and storage. I can watch your videos and dream. 😬
Yes! This was a downsize for us too, especially in the kitchen. Shrinking pains are real! 😏
No one deserves a great working kitchen more than you! I love your videos! We just moved into a 1000 square foot, one floor home so the kids could have the big farmhouse. That made me really think hard about what to keep and what not to. That cupboard with the platters, do you need each and every one of them? Etc. I like your plans. Personally, I'd toss the Loomi out. You're basically turning your "compost" into dead powder and from what I've heard, it does nothing to enrich the soil.
Consider the aging process as you plan as well. Shorter trips, less reaching...
I'll be doing the purging for sure! The Lomi has a garden setting that doesn't heat enough to destroy the good stuff. So far, my garden appears to be happy with it. We'll see long term, but for the moment, I love it.
How exciting! I'm a shorty too and understand the struggle of being able to reach inside an oven. I thoroughly recommend looking for a wall oven that has a door that has side hinges or a bottom hinged door that retracts underneath the oven for easy access. I had one of these in the first unit I lived in when I moved out of home and it was the best thing!
Yes! I did order one with the side opening door. My neighbor, who is about the same height got one recently, and I love it. Thanks so much, Rebecca!
@@growandpreserve oh fabulous!
I've missed you too! I just keep watching all your previous episodes! I just finished canning 8 quarts of turkey broth (roasted the bones & veggies first) and 7 pints of turkey soup. My kitchen WOULD BE very functional if I could keep everything cleaned up! It seems there's always a mountain of dishes to do. I miss my husband, who used to be my main dishwasher. You'll love your new and improved kitchen!
I'm so sorry to hear that you have lost your husband. Staying ahead of the dishes is always a challenge for me too. It sounds like you have made the most of your turkey this year!
Make slots for your platters and stand them on their sides. Easy to pull out and put back in the cupboards.
Good grief! How did I not think of this? Excellent suggestion! I'll talk to the carpenter about it. Thanks, Jenean!
Yes!!
You might be able to put two pie dishes in each slot.
I'll talk to the carpenter about it. Thanks!@@jeneandeering9552
Carter I am so excited for your kitchen remodel. Use your island to set up a make shift kitchen in dining room or wherever using electric skillet and air fryer? Teach us (me) about curry, stir fry, bowls, tacos, salads, or whatever using pantry staples.
Suggestion: What is behind the wallboard under your stairway? Perfect place to easily insert a book case. That would free up space in your island for another set of drawers or appliance cabinet.
Uh oh. Now I want an electric skillet, Donna! That's a terrific idea. And wow to the under the stairs idea! I'm not sure that's in my budget this round, but you certainly have me thinking. I expect that whole corner under the stairs is wasted space. Now I'm wondering if it wouldn't be the perfect spot for a dumbwaiter, as it is right over the area in the crawlspace between the grow room and the canning pantry. That would be so much easier than lugging all these heavy jars up and down! Love all your ideas for videos! Taking notes. Thanks, Donna!
@@growandpreserve Wow dumbwaiter that would be convenient. Good thinking..
Never hurts to talk to contractor. You could do demo or grunt work to save $$$$
I have planted the seed with David! Hopefully it will germinate! @@donnamullins2089
Talk to David with a jar of the pickled peppers he loves. Tell him there is more where that came from. ha ha @@growandpreserve
🤣@@donnamullins2089
I'm excited for you and jealous!! I live in an old house (early 30s, late 20s). I would give my right arm for your kitchen as is, LOL!!! My kitchen is so dysfunctional. I have 3 cabinets over the 6' counter, 1 below, 2 normal drawers, 4 so deep, its insane. They're original and I don't want them changed. I make do because I love the house with all it's faults!😊
Loving your house overall goes a long way toward making it work for you! Good for you! I like my house ok, but I love my neighbors so much that I'd rather modify what I can here rather than move to a house that's "perfect".
I think the key to using your instapot more, is having a second liner to switch out, and its like $40 for a second inner pot but it makes it so much more functional, especially on a batch cooking day.
I agree! A second gasket is also nice to keep flavors from mingling, too.
Lots for me to learn here! Thanks for the tip.
@@growandpreserve not nearly as much as I'm learning from you, my biggest issue with canning has always been how to use some things. there are more things I can now because you've been showing how to use them! Loving your channel!
I love that. Thank you! @@bhavens9149
I guess I have a totally different opinion on things. I see tons of cabinet space in the kitchen. The "island" can be treated with a sealer so it doesn't stain. Everything else is an organization problem. I'm not exactly a minimalist but I do keep clutter down to the minimum. It's your house and money so obviously do what makes you happy. But personally I would start with minimizing the clutter then get it organized. I would love to have your kitchen!
First of all welcome to TN! I am a native to the middle TN area and I kinda like it :).
For me, I would love to see your process of transition. I would also love to see the foods/meals you cook during reno. FYI, it maybe a great time to explore the Instapot recipes and share. We are on the tail end of reno here in our home. In 2021 we downsized (1,000 sq ft) and it has been an adjustment as I had a lot of 'stuff'. I will be praying for you guys.😂❤🎉 You will love it for sure on the other end.😊
Thank you, Gail! Middle TN here as well. Also a downsize. What an adjustment! I am definitely going to give the InstantPot a fair trial, and I'll certainly post my progress (or lack thereof!). January will start the Pantry Challenge, so it should be the perfect time to see if I can make do with whatever I have at the time.
I feel your remodeling pain. We remodeled our bathroom from May to 1st part of July. Then we tore off our front and back porches. Where our back porch was, we added a 9-1/2 ft by 25 foot multipurpose space that is a mud room, prepper pantry, and space for extra cabinets and extra frig and freezer. One cabinet will be used to store some appliances and I will be able to plug in there to free up my kitchen counter space. It is almost done and we are now getting ready to increase size of living room and so everything will be torn out and replaced. I’m thinking it will take us about 3 more months. I hope anyway!! It will be great when done, but is a pain while we are doing it. Good luck with your remodel!!
Glutton for punishment, Denise!
you will love your pantry I love the glass door that have pantry spelled on the glass doors so beautiful and elegant
Yes. I love that look too.
Instantpot has been great for things I would never do otherwise: cooking beets, spaghetti squash, and hardboiled eggs. Bone broth for sure. Lots of fun one-pot meals out there (nom-nom paleo has some nice ones).
Thank you, Anne! I had forgotten that nom nom paleo had tons of Instant Pot recipes. Perfect. Maybe I'll try some of those in a video. I also need to try HB eggs in there. I have never been able to get them right stovetop. great ideas!
If you're going to use your current island as your breakfast table, you may need to remove the lower shelf, or your stools will not be able to be pushed in, to get out of the walk area. Maybe it could be shortened on both sides?? To keep the top from absorbing moisture, it should be sanded well, and have several coats of food safe oil put on top, just as you would do for any wooden salad bowls or wooden spoons, etc. The constant washing, sucks the moisture from the wood, and if it's not treated about once a year, the wood becomes weak and absorbs all kinds of stains! Best wishes with all you kitchen changes! I believe it's always best to live in a space, before making any permanent and expensive changes! 😁
Great advice, Lisa! Thank you.
How exciting! I can’t wait to watch the progress of your new kitchen.
Thank you! I am so ready for it to start.
How exciting!!! Can hardly wait to see it finished!
Thanks, Rebecca!
So exciting! I can't wait to see all the new changes completed. Your home is beautiful!
Thanks, Lori!
The best thing I ever did for my short self (5’3”) was have two sets of three drawers that I put my cutlery and crockery in. They are situated under my cooktop (hob) and are so accessible. I only have one overhead cabinet that contains my crystal ware, is I’m too short for safe use.
I’ve been spoiled with kitchens really as my ex husband used to build the kitchens to my height, and I’ve taken that into this home too. My kitchen is u shaped and has a long run of countertop with plenty of plug sockets. I too love my cookbooks in the kitchen!
It sounds perfect, Angela! I'm so glad you love having your dishes in drawers. It'll be new for me. Do you use dividers or something "grippy" in the drawer to keep them from sliding around?
@@growandpreserve plastic grip that came in a roll from IKEA - works wonders.
Excited for you about the remodel !! Sounds like it’s going to be amazing . Just a suggestion .. in the new built out cabinet for your platters , could you put a foam or felt bottom with a rack to put your platters in sideways as a stand alone for each one ? Like you would slide sheet pans in a rack ! Just a thought that might make it easy access to each one . I am hooked on your canning videos and how you use your canned products! Thank you for sharing so much .
Thanks, Bridget! And yes, I did make the change to have vertical slats in the platter cabinet. I LOVE it. Can't wait to show you when it's finally done!
It's going to be terrific! We had custom, Amish-made cabinetry built for our kitchen. It is worth every single penny we spent. All bottom cabinets are actually drawers. This is the best idea I've ever had! Some appear to be doors but, once open, both levels of the entire expanse of cabinet pulls smoothly out completely. Where possible, there is not the typical single cabinet, though it appears to be...there are actually two. In addition, there's no separation inside the cabinet which allows the use of the whole area. The corner Lazy Susan's do not have center posts. You can use the entire space; it's actually a turn table. Perfect! Upper cabinets appear to be several cabinets in a row. Wherever possible, upper cabinets are open inside through the entire space. Outside there are 4 doors, as is usual. Once open, the entire space expands through without any separation. There's so much more usable area throughout. I dearly love what we've done.
Vallis, what an amazing job you've done! Your kitchen sounds fantastic. I love that all your cabinets connect. Totally agree with you on pull out drawers. By the time this is done, most of mine will be drawers as well. It makes so much more sense.
Hi Carter,
First, your kitchen is beautiful as is! But, being in the midst of changing things in our kitchen, I do understand that we all need things to meet our personal kitchen needs. For me, it's been challenging because of being sick and having never done anything like this before. We've been doing this one project at a time. So far it's coming together quite nicely. The new island will be such a game changer for you. Mine has just made life in the kitchen so much more enjoyable.
Outlets at each end of your island...game changer for sure!! Just a thought.
Enjoy the the ups and downs and challenges of the process as your stunning functional kitchen becomes a reality!!!
We waited 3 months for the refrigerator and it was the wrong one! Just one of the little hiccups that come with the territory of projects like these LOL 🤣
We're all going to enjoy this journey with you! ♥♥♥
Thanks, Vicki! I'm so glad to hear that yours is coming together nicely. I'm sure it will be fantastic, and I know you will enjoy having your canning pantry handy. I definitely have outlets planned for each end of the island. Everyone warns about appliance delays and mix-ups, so I'm expecting something to go wrong there for sure. I suppose we'll cross that bridge when we get to it! I so hope you are feeling better.
@@growandpreserve
Thank you Carter, I'm feeling better. It's something that I will learn to live with and manage the pain through massage therapy and exercise.
One other thing I really am enjoying with what's been done so far, pull out shelves in the bottom cabinets.
Being short sure can mess with ya huh?🤣LOL! I'm 5' so I understand what you were saying.
Yes! I have pull out drawers now in the cabinet below the microwave. I'm also converting the big cavernous cabinet below the rangetop to drawers for pots and pans. So much more useable space! I am so sorry for your continued health battles. It is so scary to realize just how tenuous good health is. My thoughts are always with you, Vicki. @@vickiiluvboxers4191
Oh Carter, your kitchen is so nice, neat & clean! I'll get mine looking fabulous and then the kids come home - ha!
But I'm so excited for you to get your kitchen remodeled to fit your needs. I think it's so exciting and cannot wait to see the final results. I'm sure it'll be a little bit stressful during the remodel, but so worth it once finished. Congrats!!❤
Thanks so much, ArkansasSquaw! I know what you mean about trying to keep it clean. For me, it's David...every time he walks through the kitchen, I have to pick up or wipe up after him. 🙄
Your remodel sounds wonderful. My suggestion for your platters would be vertical dividers (number to be determined after purging) so you won't have to stack them. I like the idea of drawers instead of cabinets on your island. Much more user friendly. Could you make a Butler's pantry out of either of the out-of-kitchen areas for storage?
Yes! A couple of folks suggested the vertical storage for platters. I have made that brilliant adjustment. I'm with you on drawers versus cabinets! I forgot to mention it in the video, but I'm also turning the cabinet under the range into drawers for pots and pans, like I had in my last kitchen. I consider the area where my dishes are currently stored to be the Butler's Pantry. My current plan is to move all the bar and entertaining glasses into the center glass front cabinet. One of the side cabinets may end up with all of our plastic/paper outdoor stuff. The bottom two cabinets are china and vases. That leaves me with a small upper cabinet and roughly one and a half drawers undesignated. Any thoughts on what makes sense for those spots? Or would you use the whole thing differently?
@growandpreserve Where are your linens (placemats, cloth napkins, napkin rings, those type of things), and candles if you use them? They might find homes there.
Currently those items are in the sideboard in the dining room. I should go through there to see what might make sense to move around though. Thanks for the ideas! @@danniemcdonald7675
Exciting! Can't wait to see the progress!
I love your channel ❤️. I found your channel about 6 months ago. I'm excited about the remodel of your kitchen updates. 🎉Congratulations 🎉❤
So glad to have you here, Sandy!
Can't wait to see your new beautiful functional kitchen.
Thanks for sharing. I can’t wait to see the results.❤❤❤
Sounds beautiful!
Our plates and silverware are in drawers in our island. Dishwasher dead centre of island, open it up and unload right or left. We designed it to accommodate our special needs son and little chores he could do. Now I would never put plates in an upper cabinet. I hope you like it as much as we do.
Great to hear, Janice! How do you keep your dishes from sliding around?
Love the pie safe!
How exciting - I'm so happy for you. Can't wait to see all the changes!
Thanks, Butter! Me too!
I am excited for you, Carter! The things we have to do to make our kitchens functional every day is a shared annoyance. My home was built in the 50’s and looks to have been redone in the mid to late 90’s. The cabinets fall short of the ceiling by over a foot and get filthy on top (so I lose all that storage). The dishwasher is also my center island and has to be rolled over to the sink and connected manually with every use. I have to use my laundry room as a dual use pantry (where fermentations go to die) and also for canned goods and canner storage. I have all of my large platters and table linens on the enclosed patio in an old pie cabinet and everything gets so dusty, which I also hate. The worst thing is that I only have TWO easily accessible counter level electrical outlets in my kitchen. I daydream about how I will redo my kitchen. Looking forward to seeing the process and final product. It will be so worth it.
As an aside, I use my Instant Pot several times a week for critter food, for my school lunch food prep (rice and chicken), to make yogurt, to make bone broth, and to hard boil eggs (they peel so much easier) so I couldn’t go without mine. I rarely use my crock pot and my old water bath canner, so they are stored in the garage.
We have some similar challenges, Kari. That outlet on the end of my counter (workspace area) is something I had to have added because I didn't have a single one in a space I could use for an appliance. Sometimes I really wonder what folks are thinking when they design kitchens! You might need to give me w=some lessons on making yogurt and hard boiled eggs in the InstantPot. I could see doing both of those fairly often.
@@growandpreserve boiled eggs is 1-1.5C water in bottom of the pot with raw eggs on a rack or in a mesh basket set inside. Set timer to 7 or 8 minutes on MANUAL high pressure (vent closed) and let sit for 7 or 8 minutes natural pressure release when done. Release any remaining pressure and drop hot eggs straight into an ice water bath to cool. Put in fridge for later or peel immediately and enjoy. Softer yolk 6 minutes, harder yolk 10 minutes. Whites are not rubbery. Easy.
Yogurt is harder to type here, but I’ll try. I will email you if this doesn’t work. 😂
Milk goes in to the pot. You can use Fat Free, 1%, 2%, 4%. We usually go through 1/2gal or a 1gal of 1%, but it doesn’t actually matter for this recipe. Press YOGURT and ADJUST until the screen says bOiL. Put lid on (vent open) and bring to 180F (I just check with a thermometer) stirring occasionally to make sure milk doesn’t scorch on the bottom. Once to temperature, pull out inner pot and submerge pot of hot milk into a large mixing bowl or into the sink basin that has cold water in it and let milk cool to at least 100F or lower. *while this is still hot, you can sweeten the milk with allulose and vanilla or just leave it plain. Once at 100F, temper a few tablespoons of plain good quality store bought yogurt into a separate cup and dissolve it into some of the warm milk from the pot. This is your starter culture and this step is really just to loosen up and thin out the store bought yogurt. Once it is thinned out, then pour the entire contents of the slurry back into the pot of
Oh my! Copied and printed. I will work on this for sure. Do you have any thoughts on using coconut milk instead of cow's milk for the yogurt? I love yogurt, but commercial coconut milk yogurt is loaded with stuff I don't want and pricey to boot!@@karikelly2797
@@growandpreserve I have heard that coconut milk can be used to make yogurt, but it has to be full fat coconut milk or cream? I’m not clear on what the issue with dairy is for you, but I do know that the yogurt culture consumes the lactose in milk so that even people who are lactose intolerant are usually able to eat most yogurts. It seems like you’ll have to add a gelatin or a thickener to get the yogurt to the right texture since there is no lactose to consume, so you’ll have to research what to use for that. I also think that the fermentation time is going to be much longer. I read somewhere that cashew milk is actually better than coconut milk for making yogurt (and this is much easier to make at home), but I have just never tried it. I’m excited to hear if it works!
My issue seems to be more than lactose. I've been dairy free since 2012. In the past several months I have finally been able to reintroduce small amounts of goat cheese, but every effort so far to bring back cow's milk has had bad results. I will try the coconut milk first and go from there. Will keep you posted! Thanks so much, Kari.@@karikelly2797
Put your SCOBY in the refrigerator and it will stop growing. Mine has been in a glass container for 2 years just waiting patiently for me to make kombucha again! The remodel will be wonderful!
You're absolutely right. I will stick it in the fridge until its new home is ready. Thanks!
Oh how fun!! We remodeled our kitchen about 15 years ago. So many things I would do different now. You should look into having the space underneath the bottom cabinets turned into drawers. That is otherwise wasted space. That is where people are putting platters, bake wear, etc. I look and see if I can find examples and email you. I would put more deep drawers and less regular cabinets. I can’t wait to see what you pick out and the colors you will choose. Also under cabinet lighting is a must. Do you have a Pinterest page. I could send them that easier, so you can see what I’m talking about.
Thanks, Cindy! We originally had toe kick drawers in the plan for the island, but in the end I needed to re-allocate that money to the bookshelf, which was more than I expected. And yes to deep drawers! I forgot to mention it, but I am also exchanging the cavernous cabinet below the range top for deep drawers for pots and pans. By the end, I should have mostly drawers. It just makes so much more sense. Working on the island and countertop colors now. You should see all the counter samples I currently have smeared with tomato paste, cranberry sauce, cherry jam and coffee. We'll see which ones clean up perfectly after a few hours! I do have a pinterest page: www.pinterest.com/atlantashopper/kitchen-reno/ I would love to see any ideas you have.
@@growandpreserve what a great idea to check out the durability of the countertops.
Sounds like some nice ideas.
The thought came to me it might serve your likes better to have the current island have a counter top added on top instead of using the butcher block top as is, be it as your breakfast nook seating you mentioned or if you were unable to do the center island you spoke of, which sounds amazing by the way.
This will be fun to watch your transition. Wishing you the best!
Good thought. I'll have to investigate.
this makes me so happy for you!!!!
Thanks, Dana!
I can't wait to see the upgrades.
Thanks, Lisa!
I’m excited for you!
How exciting to be getting a kitchen makeover.. can’t wait to see it finished. I absolutely love your canning video’s. Happy New year. 2024 🎉
Thanks, Deborah! I can't wait either! I'm expecting lots of progress the next couple weeks!
It's goin to be fabulous when it's done!!! Nothing better than a new kitchen where you can work and stay organized. We'll be here when you have time. Very happy for you ! ❤ Always love your videos Carter !
Thanks, 57Chevy!
I don't know how the algorithm lords smiled on me, but I am so excited to have happened upon your channel. I have so many questions and comments on some of the other videos I binged, but on this one, how do you like your Lomi? I usually skip ads, but watched one after seeing yours. I'm intrigued. I have an outside compost pile already.
Welcome! So glad to have you here. I love my Lomi. I run it several times/week. I also have a compost pile outside, but it's a lot farther away for daily doses of eggshells, kale stems and coffee grounds! I don't think you could see it in the video, but down below it, I keep a large bucket to collect what the Lomi produces. When it's full, I spread it over the garden beds and start again.
@@growandpreserve Thanks! I may consider it then as my compost is not convenient.
I’m new to your channel and so happy I found you! You have the most excellent and detailed canning instructions I’ve ever seen. Thank you! I’m excited to see your new kitchen but most excited that you will be able to cook and function more efficiently! Merry Christmas!
Welcome! So glad to have you here! Merry Christmas!
You are welcome. Have fun creating...have patience...and enjoy the results!😊
I have a bosch double oven side open like a door! Like you I’m short so trying to lean over regular doors is impossible. I looked at Wolf French doors by oven was small. I hope your kitchen remodel is faster than mine. Of course I gutted and started over- 6 months!!! Can’t wait to see results!!!
Terry, yes! I went for a double oven side open door as well. A neighbor just got one, and it's perfect for solving my problem. So glad to hear you like yours! Part of the reason I scheduled it over Christmas was because no one else was booking carpenters, etc. Hoping that helps me keep it to 3 months. We'll see!
I need an oven door to open then slide like a bread board into a holding slot. Vertically challenged with a small kitchen.
Would love to see your reno process. Need to redo mine.
Can't wait to see it when it's done! The waiting is the hard part :)
Yes, it is!
Carter!! What a fun and exciting project!! Have fun!
Hey, Mel! Good to see you!
@@growandpreserve thank you Carter.
You could cut the legs down on your island table to make it regular height, so you don't have to use barstools.
Thanks for the idea, Billie!
Awesome video, Carter! Great tour and solid explanation of your ideas. Looking forward to seeing the progress. Does this mean the 3 rivers pantry challenge for January is postponed or canceled this year? I think, cookbook reviews, small appliance videos, grow room over winter are all good ideas for videos during construction. Maybe garden layout plans as well. Take good care, Carter 😊
Fantastic ideas, Shannon! I'm making notes. I think the pantry challenge is definitely on for this year. Hoping I can do better than a jar of stew and a spoon!
I have the same problem with tall ovens because I'm short too. If I was to replace my ovens I would seriously consider the more commercial type that has doors that open like cupboard doors so I don't have to reach over a hot pull down door.
Yes! I am getting one that opens from the side. My neighbor has one I've played with a bit, and it's perfect.
Hi Carter! I can’t wait to see your vision come to life! I’m not a huge instant pot user either but it is good for making rice in half the time.
Hey, Red! Always good to see you! Hoping that if the InstantPot is more accessible (not in the garage), I'll start using it.
Themador great brand, you should be very happy! Best of luck!
I am sooo excited for you!! I use my instant pot daily it seems. I love using it to keep my jars warm while canning, making broth or warming up soup etc. Someone mentioned vertical slots for platter storage. That sounds like a very good idea. The island is the key. Lots of outlets, a sink, a good amount of work space, storage and DRAWERS!! It seems like there are never enough drawers! You have it figured out Carter. It sounds like it will be almost perfect❤ I'm so happy for you!!
Thanks so much, Jeanne! I might need lessons on the InstantPot! Totally agree about the island. I really feel like it will be a game changer.
Love your videos so much, so won't care about your remodel mess. I'm just happy you will get the kitchen you need.
Thank you so much, Carol!
I'm super excited for you Carter!!! And I do have a suggestion! Where you plan on putting your platters... make at least one shelf with vertical dividers and store the platters on their sides. Trust me, horizontal stacking never works for that kind of stuff. I know you're thinking that spreading it out on more shelves will fix the problem, but stuff has a way of multiplying and breeding, and before you know it you have another huge stack! If I had a chance to design a new kitchen, I would make it so platters, baking sheets, glass casserole pans, and cutting boards are all stored horizontally. I have one cabinet I had my hubby create dividers for, and I must have 20 cutting boards of all sizes, a roasting pan, and 3 quarter sheet pans in the space that 2 pots fit before. I can pull out just what I need without having to shuffle anything around. I need a new stove, but all the new ones have teeny tiny drawers underneath because they now make all ovens to be airfryers (which drives me crazy because I only use my airfryer to avoid turning the oven on!) and they put all the heating elements within the frame instead of exposed in the actual oven compartment where the food goes. So to keep the oven size the same, all the newfangled stuff is eating up the drawer space. My kitchen in much smaller than yours, and I have nowhere else to store the 4 casserole pans, muffin & mini-muffin pans, 6 half sheet pans, and broiler pan. I have heavily purged my kitchen, and what is left I am not willing to be without. We even converted our unused dining room to a 2nd kitchen, where I have more counter space for the airfryer and coffee machine, a huge sink for both processing garden harvests and for washing my big ole roaster and other big pots. But the cabinets also store my canners, roaster, instant pot and other bulky items, and I can't make room for the stuff in the oven drawer. So I'm putting up with a crummy old oven despite the fact that my hubby has been eager to get a new one. I dread the possibility of this one dying and us having to wait forever if the one I finally settle for is on back order. At least once a week I say that whoever designed my house must never have cooked a day in his life because there is so little storage space! Anyway, I'm eager to watch the transformation of your space! And I've love to see what you prioritized putting in the cabinets in the actual kitchen more than dishes and silverware! I keep mine close to the stove/oven to make serving food easy, and I try to keep all the every day pots and pans in the main kitchen to make unloading the dishwasher easy. The big items that won't fit in the dishwasher are in the 2nd kitchen, which has the bigger sink. You seem pretty organized, so I'm sure you have it set up the best way possible, but it strikes me odd that something that gets used every single day was banished to storage outside the kitchen!
Yes! You are so right. When we moved into this house I did retrofit my baking sheet and cutting board cabinets with vertical sections. I don't know how I missed that on this one. I will talk with the carpenter Monday. It's not so much that I prioritized other things above the silverware and dishes, but that I did not have cabinets that actually fit my stuff. Literally. The woman who lived here before kept her dishes on the bookcase. I don't remember seeing her silverware. There is one drawer beneath the microwave that would have fit my silverware, but with the plates having to be down the hall, it made sense to put the silverware there too. I will be very glad to get it back in the kitchen! Your second kitchen sounds amazing, Karen. I would love to have a second kitchen for a sink, dishwasher and stovetop for canning!
You should definitely get electric outlets on your island. We moved to a new place that had electricity in our island and you wouldn’t believe how often it’s used.
Yes! I have an outlet on each end of the island. I had to have one added to my workspace area when we moved in because I had nowhere to plug anything in.
I can’t wait to see your new kitchen. Don’t worry about the mess we all understand that. It will be so nice when it’s all complete.
Thank you, Jill!
How exciting to get an upgrade! Where are your spices going? I always have a hard time finding a good place for them.
Such a crucial item, aren't they? My most used spices currently live in the upper glass cabinet to the left of the rangetop. Lesser used spices are in the pantry. The current plan is to keep both spots as is.
I love my instant pot. Maybe you could find some things to cook in it during the remodel
I'm going to try!
I completely understand the frustration with a non functional kitchen. Mine is very non functional but it's a rental. I have my larger items in the spare room. That's where the food storage and cast iron live along with all of the canning equipment. I'm in the reorganizing process (again). We don't have a garage or kitchen cabinets. We have 2 upper that are regular size, 2 mini uppers so narrow that I don't know why they exist and 2 normal lowers, 1 under the sink and a narrow one next to that. 3 drawers. They are all clustered together on one side and the rest of the room is empty. So we brought in a cabinet for the pots, pans and lids and a cabinet for food, my most used appliances, and everything else that ends up in there
I totally get the frustration, Lisa! It does sound like you've made it work as best it can for you. I went to the Southern Living Showhouse yesterday. It had several kitchen cabinets that were crazy narrow. We were all just standing there trying to figure out what someone would do with them.
@@growandpreserve practically nothing 😅 one has a few glasses that we use once in awhile and my canning funnel and lifter. That's all. The other has some kitchen towels and odd baking things like sprinkles and muffin cups.
Clearly one doesn't need to know anything about cooking in order to become a kitchen designer!@@lisapop5219
If you could stand your platters up somehow it would make them more accessible. That's how i store my pans.
Yes! So smart.
I redid my whole kitchen - full tear out - in the 90's. Twelve weeks is the minimum, I bet. As much as I dislike them, get paper plates, plastic cutlery, glasses, etc. I had to do dishes in the bathtub and that is not fun. The only appliance I had that worked during that time was the refrigerator. I suggest you don't pack your Instant Pot (there is a lot you can do in it, just dive in), your air fryer, and if I remember correctly, it looks like you have the Breville Air - countertop oven. You can do tons with that. I didn't have any of that way back when, lol. I cooked out of an electric fry pan and a small portable microwave for 14-15 weeks with two kids. Let's just say it was interesting. Can you set up a work area in your garage? Just a table with the countertop oven, air fryer, and Instant Pot? If you don't have a small portable microwave, I would get one - mine saved me many times. I don't have an attached garage so I couldn't do that so I just did most of my cooking on my back enclosed porch. I did my kitchen in the winter like you are doing but I'm up in Michigan and it gets pretty cold up here but I don't think you get the extreme cold weather we do here so the garage may be doable. Basically, you are going to be camping for most of that time - just in your house. Oh, your BBQ will be very helpful as well. Good luck and it will be wonderful when you are done! And, btw, I still can't eat a Hot Pocket to this day from that experience lol.
Oh, Diane! Wow. Maybe I am totally fooling myself, but I'm expecting to have reasonable use of my kitchen through much of this. Perhaps I do need to work on some contingency plans! I don't know how you did what you did with two kids!
@@growandpreserve That would be ideal if that's the case. I would call my contractor and find out. Remember contractors will hedge their bets (cough, cough) so maybe believe half of what they say, lol. I had good guys but some things were out of their control which added time to the project. Oh, and don't pay the final bill until the whole job is complete and you are satisfied. They may try to get the final payment and then finish the job and then you are stuck. Ask me how I know about that one - thankfully it wasn't the kitchen when I had to deal with that!
Great advice! Thanks, Diane!@@DianePahl
I've been debating on new countertop and adding a cupboard for cookbooks that will be a eating bar The lighting went out and he got the new light up today My kids want me to get rid of my oak cabinets and replace with white, but I love the wood. My floor was replaced with marble tile three years ago so I'd like a marble ish countertop. I'm going to stick with Formica as I'm very rough on my countertops and I'd hate to break quartz or granite I love all the space in your kitchen, but if it doesn't work it just doesn't work. I think I've rearranged at least three times and well it's frustrating to say the least. My cookbooks are in a bedroom, my pantry in 3 linen and coat closets. You will inspire me to rethink, redo, and thus I am looking forward to see all of your new changes and ideas. Thank you!
Hey, Connie! Thinking it through and planning is half the fun, but dealing with it while it's not working can drive you nuts. Glad you got a new light up today. That could definitely be challenging!
@@growandpreserve I was canning with a harbor freight light switch lol. A girl has to do what she has to do lol
Thanks for sharing your kitchen! It's beautiful, and I'm so happy you'll be able to find your own flow in there. I also have tried but can't love my instant pot 😮
So glad I'm not the only one who doesn't love my InstantPot!
@@growandpreserveI love my ninja. Never had a instant pot. Do you know why you don't like it, can you give reasons?
Good question, Sam! I don't think it's so much that I don't like it but more that I don't really eat many of the things I see cooked in it. Generally speaking, we don't eat beans, grains, cheesy things. For meats, I lean toward already canned meats if I want the "shredded meat" texture. For bone broth, I either do a giant batch for canning, or I reach for a jar on the shelf. Kari mentioned doing hard boiled eggs and coconut yogurt in there. I could see doing that. I'd love your input, Sam. @@samstevens7888
@@growandpreserve my ninja right now I mostly use the oven/bake function cuz my main oven is still broken trying to decide if I want to buy a new one or fix this one. I like that the ninja is a real all in one. I use the air fryer function alot. I do like cooking stews, a joints of pork for shredded pork in the pressure cooker. I like that I can brown meat then pressure cook it all in one pot, with the pot being non stick the clean up is really easy. Switching between the function is easy. As I said I haven't got or used a instant pot so I'm not sure how different they are.
Good point about the ability to brown first. I wonder if a multiuse tool like the Ninja might be a better option. Could it replace my toaster/convection oven and my air fryer as well. I could see donating 3 appliances to replace with just one. @@samstevens7888
You do have a beautiful kitchen Carter. But beauty doesn’t make it functional. Can’t wait to see what coming to the kitchen! Good luck that everything goes smoothly
Thank you, Debbie!
Never seen one like that, interesting concept though.
Do you have wall space to build a platter wall? That way, you can place your platters as a wall decoration.
Wouldn't that be gorgeous? Unfortunately, I have very little wall space.
I’m happy for you, Carter! There’s nothing more frustrating than when a space doesn’t function well enough to help you get a job done.
I hope you’ll bite the bullet and use your Instant Pot more 😂 But regardless of what’s ahead of you, we will be here and we’ll root Y’all
on! And if you need a shoulder to cry on we will be here for that too 😉
As always, it’s a joy to join you here 😊
Karen
Karen, you're such a doll! I will try to love the InstantPot. Hope there's no crying during the remodel!
Turkey soup base? Is there a video on it or recipe you’d be willing to share? I have another turkey in the freezer I should use up.
Sorry I didn't film it, Joan. My kids were still here when I started it. I keep it super simple, just broth and large pieces of mostly dark meat turkey. At serving, it can be turned into turkey and rice soup, turkey veggie soup, or turkey and gravy.
There is nothing like a kitchen remodel to get better functionality. It is hard to be without a kitchen when you cook from scratch. We bought our homestead 3 years ago and it’s a brick home built in 1978 the kitchen was high end for that time period as the cabinets are custom sizes you can’t buy today and the appliances were JennAir which are super expensive and they still work but the functionality of the kitchen does not work for me and this is next on our agenda to tackle
I know you'll do a wonderful job on the kitchen remodel, Dani. You are so thoughtful and meticulous. Keep me posted!
Please donate all your old appliances to a re-use-it place in town ❤
Always!
Carter, Can you please tell us about the Lomi? I saw them at Costco for $299. I think they are there on a Road Show, so they won't be there for long.
Awesome price! I love my Lomi, Leesa. I have a compost bin in the back corner of the yard, so I tried for quite awhile to just keep a small bowl on the counter to run out to the bin often. But my bowl was always overflowing before I remembered to take it out to the bin! Next thing I knew, the cat would be walking around with a kale stem or an eggshell in her mouth. The Lomi makes it so easy. I just put stuff right in there and run it every other night or so. I run mine on garden setting so the temp stays low enough to maintain some minerals (plus, they have tabs that add micro-organisms for the soil). I empty each run into a bin below the cabinet. When that fills up, I spread it over a couple garden beds and start again. Do know that you will need to replace the charcoal every few months and buy those tabs I mentioned every couple of months or so, depending how often you run it. Those items are available on Amazon, if they don't bundle them in the Costco deal. It makes about the same amount of noise as my bread machine, and it doesn't heat up the place. Let me know if you decide to get one!
When you are at the kitchen sink, what view do you have? Is it a family room or what? My instant Pot is used for mostly bone stock and I make barley in it and freeze it in individual servings for my canned beef vegetable soup. I can make bone stock in 2-3 hours depending on what bones I have. Turkey Stock and vegetable stock take 2 hours and pork bones I do for 3 hours. I just did those in the last month. I actually have 2 Instant Pot. One 6 qt and one 8 qt.
Generally the back of my husband's head! Yes, I look at the family room.
@@growandpreserve😂😂😂
Just a quick comment about your center island table, a product called "waterlox" will be perfect for you and you won't get stains etc on that wood. ps. I have a old farmhouse table style island and this is what i used in the satin finish.
Outstanding, Deborah! Thanks so much for that. I will certainly need to protect it once it becomes the breakfast table as well. I've just added it to my Amazon cart.
@@growandpreserve you're welcome, i love your kitchen and am in the same situation with my own . we have lived here 3 yrs now and have done a ton of remodeling and since the lot was a new build we have been so busy building gardens and berm with 20 new tree's and other landscape stuff all summer that the kitchen is now only about half done.. and as i speak hubby is working on a new greenhouse build.... we tend to do things piece meal inside the house and full steam on the outside.. it's crazy and i can't wait until it's all completed. and finally - don't worry about the construction zone with your vid's, we get it and we're not hear for how your kitchen looks. You are a pleasure to listen too and learn from.. Keep up the great job! Ps - your vid about gift ideas etc that was a fab vid! Loved it!
Thanks so much, Deborah!@@deborah894
we all doen that good luck
I absolutely love it, great job. I'll definitely stick around, improvements are always welcome, never fear. God says in the bible 365 times, no fear! We love your content. And Thank You.
Thank you, Marcia!
Consider air extraction in you new pantry
Where are you going to put your freeze dryer? And do you have any idea where you will store your freeze dried food?
Good question, Pat! We have a large closet upstairs that stays cold year round and has a window. I've just been using it for off-season clothes and sports equipment. The electrician will be here week after next to install an outlet. I'm hoping that the carpenter can remove the desk area (that will become the appliance closet) carefully enough that it can be used as workspace in the FD closet. We'll see! I will likely keep the freeze dried food up there as well for now.
@@growandpreserve You definitely need a cool space. We live in East Texas and we get a lot of warnings from our freeze dryer that it is too warm and that it will slow down the process. One thing I did not think of when we purchased our machine is the space it would take up to store the freeze dried food. I store a lot in of the dried food in various sizes of glass jars with oxygen absorbers and also vacuum sealing them in case of a seal failure. I store freeze dried meals in mylar with O2 absorbers so they can be taken with when we go traveling. The Mylar bags take up a lot of space.
I do like being able to freeze dry ground beef because my canned ground beef even in a marina sauce has a metallic tang to me. I also having freeze dried guacamole, cheese, peppers and onions. I also like being able to freeze dry soups if they are getting close to the two year mark and not been eaten.
Good luck with your kitchen remodel and your new freeze dryer when it arrives.
You bring up some very interesting points. Pat. I expect it will take me awhile to figure out how I will primarily use the FD food. At the moment--and subject to change--I can see the occasional meal for a road trip, but we really don't get away very often. I can also see using it as a way to preserve things I would normally keep in the freezer because they don't can well, like mid rare steak bites, pork tenderloin, etc. I also like the idea of having rotisserie chicken ready to go for a salad topping. Of course I'll do herbs for daily use, probably peppers and onions as well. Much of that will likely be sealed in jars. Otherwise, I really see it as back up storage for meats, eggs, a few veggies. This stuff I see in mylar, either upstairs with the FD or in the basement with the canning pantry. I'm sure I'll find more uses for items as I get into it. What do you think of the guacamole? People either seem to love it or hate it. @@patwinkeller9254
We love the freeze dried avocados! Every time I catch a good sale, I buy a huge batch. I peel, mash and either make them into guacamole or mix with lime and freeze them on my freeze dryer trays. We love Tex-Mex food! So it is great to have it on hand for topping tostados, tacos, quesadillas or enchiladas. I would suggest that you try a single tray or half tray to see if you like it. I have some small trays that I got from Amazon that will fit two trays to a shelf. Good for leftovers and trying out small portions. We have a medium freeze dryer.
I definitely need those half trays. Brilliant! Off to search for them now.@@patwinkeller9254