Home is...

your new neighbor (and member of your church) bringing you homemade sausage spinach soup.  It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks with Thanksgiving and then a move to Cameron, North Carolina, where I've accepted a call with a lovely church. In the middle of unpacking, trying to get all those necessary things for setting up house and getting ready for upcoming services, cooking has kind of (pardon the pun) been put on the back burner.  

I did manage a quick cauliflower parmesan pasta the other night, but this gift of soup in a large mason jar was just the height of hospitality.  And, y'all, that soup was good.  I found a little loaf of honey brown bread at my grocery store and together, they were comforting, filling, perfection.  I promise I'll put this adorable kitchen of mine to good use soon!  You really don't want to see the mushroom risotto I made last night: it tasted divine, but having used red wine in it, it turned out to be a mauve color.  And the words "mauve" and "food" just don't get along very well!  

Here's a sneak-peak tour of my kitchen.  I'm renting a house from a lovely couple in the church and I adore it.  It was built in the 50's and so still has some of those same appliances (which are really better made than ours are now!).

 I LOVE this range.  It has an oven on the bottom, and those cook panels on top can all be changed.  When I got here it had two coiled burners on the left, but Doris Jean (the darling lady who owns the house with her husband and raised her children here) came over last night and showed me all these amazing attachments for my cooktop.  I love the flat surface burners.  I'm not sure what it's made of, perhaps porcelain.  The grill on the right also has other attachments, too.  I've got to get some pancakes on that baby, quick!  When a man came to install my new(ish) fridge, he said how popular ranges like mine are.  Apparently they're hard to find and everyone wants one!  But my kitchen toys don't end there...

 a second oven!  In the brick of the fireplace.  So handy and it retains heat beautifully.  I love that it lights up on the top if you push a little button.  I suppose that could be called vanity lighting. :) 

 A man in my church sold appliances for 25 years and was able to track down this gently-used wonderful fridge for me.  I love it!  It has wooden paneling on the doors.  I'm resisting the urge to paint it some bright color...for now.

I've been wanting a large natural wood cutting board and found this beauty at the place where all the wonderful things live TJ Maxx.  

And, of course, we have the perfect percolator the 'rents gave me.  It brews coffee in about 3 minutes and makes strong (but not bitter), really hot coffee.  (Ignore the crazy lady in her bathrobe.)

I promise I'll get really cookin' soon, y'all.  I'm so delighted to be here: such generous, compassionate people, pine trees surrounding me, reclaimed barn pine wood floors...and TWO ovens!

What'cha cookin' these days to stay warm?  Do share!

Bon appetit,

lilrevchef