Log Home Tour part 2: Kitchen

Welcome to the Providence Lodge home tour!

  We began our tour with the porch and entry,

 and now we are headed to the kitchen, 

the hub of activity here in our neck of the woods.

The kitchen is 12 x 24, with the main work area being 12x12.  

The whole kitchen is a conglomeration of salvage materials.

  The cabinets came from a remodel  

the commercial wolf stove from Craig's List,

 the sink and faucet from Habitat for Humanity,

 the light from Goodwill,

 the frig from a scratch and dent warehouse 

 and the island is a fabrication of mix and match that a wise friend assembled for us.

  The crowing glory,

 I think, is the Home Comfort wood cook stove given to us by some friends.

  I just had it fired up yesterday, 

with the coooooold morning temperature to warm the house and make our breakfast porridge. 

Walking from the entry and going left, 

you come into the kitchen this way. 

The wood cook stove is on the far side of the island, facing the dining area.

Here is a closer look.

The island itself is nearly 4 feet wide and over 5 feet long.

  The primary purpose of this , with its stainless steel top, is for the processing of meat, mostly deer, 

which makes up the majority of our meat diet.

On the sink side of the island is the baking area. 

 Cookbooks are at hand right on island top, 

and I keep a wire basket with the tools I most often;

 rolling pins, glass measure, grater, and measuring spoons.

  I find this most handy.

Hand crochet dish clothes are stored at eye level next to the sink. 

 The sight of a pile of them makes me smile simply because I adore most anything hand made. 

The other side of the island next to the stove stores serving dishes and mixing bowls.  

With this large of a kitchen, I do find myself walking about it a fair bit, 

instead of the usual efficient work triangle,

 but I don't mind, I like the big work space that allows several of us to be hands on simultaneously.

The dinner bell hangs on a column near the entry and close to the door.

  I am always using it out on the porch to call the children in for supper.

At the end of the kitchen nearest the door

 is the breakfast nook that now houses the desk and small table.  

This area is great for overflow  when we have company for dinner,

 games, school work or other projects as to not crowd the dinner table,

 such as sewing, crafts, and big research projects.
This too is the area that has had the most alterations over the three years,
 but I think we've got it figured out now.

The decor in the lodge, if you can call it that,
 is mostly a collection of natural materials;
 antlers, plants, birds nests, pine cones, animals skins,
and one of my favorite pieces  here in this kitchen area,
a large wasp nest.  
Very romantic.
  If you have seen the BBC movie Wives and Daughters, you know just what I mean.
(smile)

The only non wood heat in the house,
this little gas stove from Lowes is a life saver when we are gone from home or
when the weather gets nasty cold and we need the extra heat.

I also found these curved iron plant hangers at Lowes for only a few dollars.

I am steadily increasing my indoor plants, so needed some of these.

Here a few last pics of work in the kitchen.

Love the 6 burners for canning season!

The large island provides plenty of room for two projects at once.

Although the oven is not full, you can still see that several loaves are baking at once.
  I believe we have had 13 pies in the oven at one time.
 I also like the gas heat.  The oven has a pilot light, which is just ideal for drying herbs and fine vegetables, such as chopped green peppers or onions, overnight.
 We have learned to leave a note on the stove top that we are drying inside,
 lest someone come along and preheat the oven for cooking without looking inside.  (chuckle)
 This has happened more than once.

Lastly, some cute little eager helpers. 

 I keep several tiny aprons and  old stools around 

so that the littles can easily participate in all the fun 

and activity that is constantly going on in the kitchen.

Between our little growing homestead here in the woods
and the fact that I dearly love feeding people,
you can see why I said that the kitchen is the hub of activity.

Join me next time as we continue the tour
and see just how many people we can squeeze in around the table in
the Dining room.