More Kitchen Finishes

#1. The Cast Iron

I've been hauling this cast iron pot rack around for nearly 30 years, knowing someday I'd use it. Finally! Adam located the stud in the wall and used a hefty lag bolt to support the rack. It's located near the stove. No more digging around in bottom cabinets, dropping cast iron on my toe, holding my nose because the cabinet was damp and saggy and moldy and had mouse poop. No more!
#2. The Revere Ware

Our pots and pans were also in a lower cabinet before, and many naughty words were considered (and rejected, of course) while throwing said pots around, hunting for the right lid, the steamer, the double boiler. Grr. No more! Now they hang ready above the stove.

The S-hooks that hang all these pots on both racks cost $5 each. Yikes! We weren't parting with $45 for hooks, so Adam bought a steel rod for $4, cut it, and bent it into hooks. He made a jig for that purpose:

Sorry So Fuzzy. Smudge on camera lens.

 He bought and assembled this sturdy rod (below). An online video showed how to add a shelf above it, perfect for displaying a few pieces of china. I love the variety of natural finishes in the room, including this metal rod.

#3. About Those Shelves

 First, they're pretty. I'm proud of Adam for his carpentry.
Second, we absolutely love having open shelving. No more opening and closing doors for every single item in the kitchen. You need a glass? There it is, in front of you. Pick it up. You just washed a plate? Put it on the shelf. Company helping in the kitchen? They never have to ask, "Where does this go?" Seriously, I've known people who put labels on their cabinets because they grew weary of telling people where everything was located ... behind All Those Doors.

 People have said, "Oh, but all your mess will show." Actually, this is how our dishes looked in the cabinets too. Glasses together. Plates stacked. Cups together. I'm not a clean freak (obviously, haha). But keeping the shelves reasonably tidy should not be hard with just the two of us.

 Everything is so handy. And yes, I can reach all those pots easily:

 And the Revere Ware, without using tippy toes.

Adam did raise the stove hood a bit, and it looks much better.
#4. The Baking Table

 Adam had some rather bad news, dental-wise, this morning (as in ... expensive), but he didn't let that slow him down. He worked on the shelf for his Baking Table/Station. It's not so much a shelf as a rolling platform upon which the table will sit.
Here's the platform, made of scrap lumber left over. We have kept costs as low as possible on this whole project.

 He mounted the table onto that platform, putting locking casters underneath.

 The whole table fits nicely into its spot and serves as a perfect counter.

 When he's in a baking mood, it can wheel out into the kitchen and be locked in position. As in ... Wedding Cake Baking!

He'll add some separators underneath for the
baking paraphernalia, and get rid of the boxes.

 He will also beautify the outside edge of that platform later with a board stained to match the table.
While he worked on the table I made Vegetable Pot Pie.

I wanted Chicken Pot Pie, but we had no chicken in the house. We have no beef in the house either. We don't eat a lot of meat. I was disappointed, before I realized I could just leave the chicken out and use our many vegetables in the freezer to make a pot pie anyway. Frozen fresh from the garden last year, I included:
potatoes
corn
peas
green beans
tomatoes 

I also added:
onion
garlic
celery
carrot
plus, vegetable and chicken bouillon stirred into a roux. 

I had a pie crust in the freezer from making fruit pies a few weeks ago. And it turned out perfectly -- not runny, a delicious flavor, crispy/flaky crust. A good warm meal on a cold day.

In the kitchen we still have 3 shelves to put up, a backdoor to sand and stain, and a light fixture to find at the thrift store for above the sink. I think that's about it. 

I'll sign off with some pretty photos of a horse farm nearby. 

The trees and flowers say "Spring!" but the temperatures disagree. 32 degrees this morning. Brr! Stay warm out there! We are tickled pink with our kitchen. Adam says it looks Hobbitish. I think it looks a little magical.