Fall Kitchen Tour: Stop #1 - the Mid-Western Kitchen

Welcome to the Fall Kitchen Tour!

This week you're going to see some pretty cool kitchens.

And then there's mine.

I know there are other kitchens like mine. The sink is clean - sometimes. The counter is usable - sometimes. The dishwasher is empty - only long enough to put the next batch of dirty dishes in it.

My kitchen is lived in.

We have six adults living in our house. We all have different schedules and different cooking styles.

Oldest son likes meals he can stick in the microwave...at 10 PM. And when he's done eating, everyone else is asleep and the dishwasher is full of clean dishes. So where do his dirty dishes go? Yup. In the sink.

Yes, there are dirty dishes. Even with frozen meals.

My dear daughter is next. She's a fabulous baker and works retail. So her meals can be scattered - she'll pack her lunch while she eats her breakfast, leave in a whirlwind rush to get to work by 9:00, and add her dishes to her brother's pile. Sometimes she's home for dinner, but often she's also fixing something quick when she gets home from work or symphony rehearsal.

Fabulous baking....

...vs.a quick supper after work. Which would you choose?

#2 son works full time, early mornings, and goes to school full time in the evenings. His empty coffee cup usually greets me in the morning. He'll grab something at 2:30 when he gets home from work, and then he's busy doing homework or going to classes.

A nutritious meal before hitting the books.

#3 son goes to school full time, days, and works part time on evenings and weekends. He loves to cook at strange times like 9:00 at night or 8:00 Sunday morning. His specialties include braised salmon with a plethora of spices, and a bacon/potato/apple/egg concoction that's pretty good.

(Sorry, no photo here. Youngest son actually had a date, so no supper at home!)

What that means is that I don't have any beautiful kitchen pictures to show you. I have a narrow window - somewhere around 9:00 AM - where the dishes are done, the sink is clean and the counter MIGHT be cleaned off.

But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Epilogue!

Just like in most good romance books, there has to be an epilogue, right?

I had my camera ready for that brief window of time today when my kitchen was clean.

Ta da!

Look quick, because it won't last :)

One thing about this kitchen that's different from any other house we've lived in is that it's part of the living area. I'm standing in the living room to take the picture, and our dining area is just to your right. That makes a small kitchen seem much bigger, and I like it more than I thought I would when we first moved in.

On the other hand, there's no hiding anything in a corner of the kitchen when company comes over. Everyone can see everything!

So, who would like to join me for a cup of tea?