Celiacs in the House

When I bought my house way back in 1997, I definitely did NOT buy it for the kitchen. The house was built in 1905, and had last seen updates in the mid ’70′s. The kitchen was small and outdated, sporting lovely harvest gold appliances and hand-made, but not exactly hand-crafted, cupboards. Oh, and it had absolutely beautiful (ahem) brown and gold patterned carpet throughout.

Yep, I didn’t buy the house for the kitchen. Here’s a picture of my dad and I, preparing my first Thanksgiving dinner in my old, outdated kitchen.

First Thanksgiving

At the time, I didn’t really spend that much time in the kitchen. I was young – just in my 20′s – and I had no health problems to speak of. Oh, I still made cookies, back in the day, but they were most often of the white sugar, white flour tollhouse variety – nothing to write home about.

Luckily for me, years before I discovered I needed to be gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free, I decided to be super woman and attempt a total gut-remodel of my kitchen. I can’t say it was a solo endeavor. My mom and dad, my room mate, and my husband-to-be all lent a hand. But save for a final texturizing spray for the drywall, refinishing the maple floors (that were hidden under that carpet, a layer of linoleum sheeting, and a layer of linoleum squares – all of which we removed), and hanging of the cabinets, we did all the work ourselves – gutting, creating a new pass-through, removing a window, re-wiring, and installing a new sink and appliances.

An Overview Of My Kitchen From The Stairs

I have to say, I’m pretty proud of my kitchen these days.

It’s still a small kitchen, but I’ve found ways to make it functional. Here’s the pass-through. It lets in a ton of light, and makes up for the window that we took out to gain more cupboard space. Note the extra spice cupboard along the wall, and a magnetic knife rack – both great space saving features.

The Pass-Through to the Dining Room

Why an extra spice cupboard? Well, because apparently I’m a bit addicted to herbs and spices. Yes, that is two full shelves jam-packed with herbs and spices.

My Herb and Spice Cabinet

I’m particular about what appliances I leave out -appliances only secure counter space if they’re used at least weekly. For me that means a single-serving blender for my daily green smoothie, and the food processor – used for a variety of dishes, both sweet and savory. I also keep a wooden bowl on the counter that houses fruits and veggies that need to be stored at room temperature. (And, yes, that is about a week’s worth of bananas for my monkey son and me.) The kiddo’s gummy vitamins are also kept on the counter. Some things just have to be within easy reach. And, that notebook behind the bananas? It’s my new and improved recipe diary. It’s much preferred over the stack of loose paper, napkins, and backs of school brochures that I used to use. Why didn’t I think of it before?

Appliance Storage and Room-Temp Fruit & Veggie Storage

Which is not to say that my entire kitchen is neat and organized. Everyone needs one messy area, right? Mine is the bookshelf – formerly an ironing board “closet” – reclaimed as usable space long before I took up residence here.

The Ironing Board Closet Bookshelf

There are just a couple more details I’d like to share – little things that give my kitchen character. First up, this step ladder. It folds in half and converts into a chair. We found it at an antique auction and nabbed it. Best antique purchase ever.

Convertible Step Ladder

So, when I’m not using it to reach the above-the-shelf storage….

Above the Shelf Storage

The kiddo can sit on it and chat with me while I make dinner. Of course, the cats think it’s designed especially for them. I mean, who DOESN’T have a cat ladder to the counters? Ah, kitty cats.

At least THIS kitty cat behaves:

Kit-Kat Clock

One of my favorite features of my kitchen is this uncovered brick chimney. It’s original to the house, as far as we can tell. And that white circle behind the kitty’s head? That used to be a vent for a pot-bellied, coal or wood-fired kitchen stove.

Just imagine – how far my little kitchen has come, and what great food has been cooked here by all the families that have lived in my house before me!

Thanks for visiting my kitchen!