The last time I was this excited over something it was covered in gravy.
Here's your first glimpse of me in my new kitchen.
The October issue of Canadian Living magazine is on stands now! And if it's not where you are in Canada it will be in the next day or two. I know. It's September. Early September at that. But that's the way magazine work and since it gives us all a chance to see my kitchen in print a month earlier than I thought I'm O.K. with it.
And yes. That is my dear little Cuddles sharing the spotlight with me. When Cuddles came close to dying a few weeks ago I thought … I won't even be able to open the magazine. It would be too much to bear. But that little Cuddles made it through her mystery illness and lived to see her magazine debut.
To recap:
In March of 2013 I decided to rip up my horrific kitchen floor and install VCT tiles. Black and white check. While the floor was up, I decided it would be stupid not to install heated floors while I was at it. With such a good lookin' floor I was suddenly embarrassed about my sink. Why had I never noticed the horror that was my sink? I should get a new sink. That one from Ikea with the apron front.
Only the sink didn't fit because my counters weren't deep enough. I could maybe get new counters to accommodate the new sink so as not to embarrass my floors. Floors are very sensitive that way. Everyone knows that.
Cut to a year later, my entire kitchen is ripped out, a new ceiling is going in, cupboards are being hoisted over fences, the fella has left and I'm pooping in a bucket.
WTF?
How did THIS happen?
I'll tell you how it happened. I'm like you, you're like me, we're all nuts. And that's O.K. That's how it goes in this world and the people who aren't nuts are boring.
I lived through a kitchen renovation and even though people told me I was going to forget all about how gross it was once I had my new kitchen I didn't believe them. In fact I pretty much silently cursed those people until I started cursing them out loud. With big, new curse words that only a kitchen renovation can pull out of you. But they were right. I don't remember any of the pain and every time I walk into my kitchen I still gasp and sigh and smile. Then I cook something and leave the dishes to clean up in a week or so.
When I realized this tiny little kitchen update was actually going to turn into a full blown renovation I emailed someone I knew at Canadian Living. Brett Walther was someone who I worked with when a different magazine shot my house a few years ago. I told him what I was doing and asked if he'd be interested in featuring it in the magazine.
He said yes. I said good. He told me I couldn't show my kitchen until it was released in the magazine, I said bad. But agreed, because I could understand his point. Canadian Living wanted the big reveal to be in their magazine. Who could blame them. The only problem was I couldn't take any pictures, or do any posts or videos that revealed my kitchen for a year. A YEAR.
That year is up. I still can't show you my kitchen but I CAN soon because the Canadian Living article is out now.
Kristy
I'm from the south. I love gravy.
The first time I ever made venison sausage and gravy, I ruined the whole pot using Kitchen Bouquet. A little tiny bit goes a very long way. Wish someone would've told me that before I poured it! It was vile!
Karen
Hmm. You may have ruined the venison sausage by adding venison. Hah! (I never grew to love venison) ~ karen!
Lindsay H
I love gray. Especially the Tabasco white gravy from Serious Biscuits in Seattle. They were kind enough to give me the recipe and now I make biscuits and gravy every weekend.
Chana
Oh Yeah! How could I not compliment you and your birdie! You DO look fabulous! I think it was very sweet that they had her in the photo. She really is a gorgeous chicken and wow she IS a cuddle loaf. Mozel Tov on your published success on kitchen reno. I just moved into an OLD house and I feel your pain! I do NOT see the light at the end of the tunnel I hate cooking here and dammit when I am done I better get into a magazine too. LOL!
Karen
Thanks Chana! ~ karen! p.s. Kosher! That's reason for celebration. TWO sets of dishes!! I have a thing for dishes.
dana
Love your cabinets. Love your handles. Not your love handles. Do you even have love handles? The black on the windows is really slick looking. Whats that curtain made from? Rough linen or burlap? You look gorgeous and so does Cuddles. My sister had her house photographed for Country Home years ago and she told me what a mess it was. They moved things around and generally made a mess of her house.
Karen
The roman shade is made with the one and only Rough Linen! There really was no mess with Country Living coming. One of Brett's (the editor) philosophies is to leave things as they really are. :) ~ karen!
Lynne
Holy crap - 49 comments and it's only 12:52 AM !!! I'm not a huge gravy person (sorry) but I did love my mother-in-laws gravy and yes it's always better when someone else makes it for you. Love the photo and am really glad Cuddles made the pic. Go Cuddles !!
Vicki
I do not like gravy. I have never liked gravy. When I was a kid, it was always served with mashed potatoes. I HATED mashed potatoes, so I never ate them, and due to the mashed potato association, I somehow decided that gravy was also made of potatoes which would make it grainy and gross. Of course I never ate it.
Now I am older and wiser, and know this is not true... but part of my tiny child brain still believes it. So I have not tried gravy to this day, and I continue to loathe mashed potatoes.
Kathy W
I like gravy, your kitchen, your dress,, cuddles and I want a free magazine, please.
Jane
Yes, I love all kinds of gravy....homemade kind preferably....and I have to say I make delicious gravy, but I don't do it much anymore. Too lazy I guess. I would love a copy of the magazine to see your kitchen. But for those of us who aren't lucky, hope you can share pics soon! You and Cuddles look so cute! Happy she is doing well. I really like white chicken gravy best, but I wouldn't want Cuddles to know that:)
Emily
I love gravy! Can't wait to see your kitchen :)
Barbara H.
Love gravy but since it's just me, I don't get to eat it too often. Probably all for the best, however, since aging seems to have added pounds every year. I'm so glad Cuddles has recovered in time for her print debut and would love a copy of the magazine. It's been a long year of waiting to see your new kitchen.
Linda G
I don't like gravy, but that leaves more for you! Right, ol' buddy? You and Cuddles look gorgeous as always in your kitchen. I'm a bit curious about everything BUT the sink in the title, since you did change it. Perhaps I'll receive my own copy and find out how they tie it all together.
Will you autograph the magazine for the winners?
Karen
Hmm. I hadn't really thought about that Linda G., but your the second or third person who has asked that. I might be able to work it out, but the problem is the magazines will be shipped from Canadian Living as they're the ones providing the magazines and footing the shipping bill! So it might be hard to do. :/ ~ karen!
Mel
How fabulous you are in that dress! So coordinated with your gorgeous kitchen, and of course Cuddles steals the show. Tsk. The worst "gravy" I've ever had was once upon a time, ten years ago. The Jones Soda people made a limited edition package of "Thanksgiving dinner" flavored sodas. My college friend Max got his hands on a set of them, and rounded up me & several other friends to share the experience. We each had about a half-shot glass full per flavor. Cranberry was tolerable; turkey & gravy soda was just as gawd-awful as you can imagine. I adore your blog, am so thrilled for Cuddles, and live in California and would thus love to be a prize-winning recipient of the magazine!
Susan
I love gravy.
My parent's first fight was over whether to add water or milk to the gravy.
Jean
I've been telling my neighbor's chickens about Cuddles. Betty White and Dixie aren't the least bit interested, but Whoopi was devastated to hear of her troubles. Whoopi has troubles of her own. She's low man (or chicken) on the totem pole and suffers greatly under the pecks of the rest of the clan. So what does this have to do with gravy? Well, I could have sworn that Whoopi squawked the word "gravy" the other day. It wasn't clear to others, but I am a retired speech therapist and I know "gravy" when I hear it.
And then of course, reality struck...maybe I was just fantasizing gravy...a not so seldom occurrence I might add. It began shortly after my kitchen renovation just two years ago. But unlike other sufferers, I left my home in Northern California and spent the whole time in Calgary with friends. Smart, eh?
Chana
*vomit I hope I get mag! I want to steal your kitchen ideas! Muahahahaha
Lisa
Yay for gravy! One of the best parts of Thanksgiving, we think.
I'm actually the one in charge of making the gravy for our family meal. These days I make two kinds - regular turkey, and a pretty darn good vegetarian gravy. Last year I pulled off a real coup - one of the guests was vegan and I adapted my vegetarian gravy to match her diet.
Amanda Renea
Who doesn't like gravy??? I *love* it so much. All kinds on all things. As for the kitchen, I can't wait to see it! Preferably a picture of you eating/cooking gravy in it!
Chana
I LOVE gravy! It's good on chicken, turkey, brisket, biscuits, Triscuits OH MY! I have no thriller diller to share. However, I DO suggest you master making gravy on your own. Before I took the Kosher route, I loved chicken fried steak with white gravy which had bits of sausage in it with a distinct high note of pepper. I couldn't afford to eat this every weekend at the restaurant so I found a packet of this exact gravy in the grocery store. How happylicious was I!!! That Sunday I rustled up some chicken fried steak and made the gravy. BALEEEECH!
it tasted like Milk O Magnesia with vomit stirred in. Accchhhhh ach ach. wipe the tongue, wipe the tongue, dry heave! Go online, watch food channels, scour Pinterest, learn the rue and you will rue-le! No powdered vonit allowed. :)
Kristy
A free magazine is totally worth my first post here!
I love your dress and Cuddles is absolutely adorable. Really, that's the truth. Not sucking up.
Now about gravy, I don't think I've ever had a real gravy. I've had something that my former in-laws insisted was gravy but was actually closer to turkey-scented school paste. I had an aunt that would make gravy that I loved, though I don't think most people would agree that it was gravy. It was usually meat drippings with a little corn starch to "thicken" it...though it never got thick. When warm it was always sort of runny, yet salty, peppery and delicious. When refrigerated it formed a gelatinous mass that may very well have been motile (I'm thinking pseudopods were involved). I swear nothing is more delicious than brisket gravy on mashed potatoes. Which could be something you could do with your 100 lbs of potatoes. :)
Erika Serodio
I became a vegetarian a few years back, and I love it. But I have and always will stand by my one exception - gravy. I could not imagine my life without the sinfully wonderful delicacy of delightfully crispy fries smothered in melty cheese curds and gravy!
Also, I've been waiting for your kitchen for so long! Emailed you this week asking about it. I can't wait to get my hands on the magazine!