Making the kitchen your space.

What makes the perfect kitchen for you?

My dream kitchen is as follows:
Huge open kitchen
dark hardwood floors
matching cabinets (to the floor that is)
Stainless steal appliances
Huge Fridge
A pantry the size of Texas
Double gas stove (restaurant style)
Pretty wall color

I haven't thought about this much as you can see....ha ha.

But as I sit in my apartment, I have a kitchen that is so small there is no where to put anything, cooking Thanksgiving dinner is a nightmare....and the half broken stove is nothing to write home about.....

BUT.

I have learned to love it. Not for what it is, but for what I can make out of it.

The best ways to give your house a "homey" feeling

...is to bake something sweet. You can light candles all day long, leave them burning till there is nothing left, but it will not replace the homemade cookie smell.

....Try to make it a point to invite the kids in the kitchen to help you cook or bake.

(At age 5 I started peeling potatoes and by age 10 I was making whole meals....)

...Make meal clean-ups a family affair. Working together will not only help you get it done faster, but is also give you a chance to teach your kids proper clean up as well as give you more time to chit chat.

I may not have the fanciest appliances. And I may only be obtaining things like, mixers, food processors, and such for church bakesale (ha ha)....but fancy or not, it gets the job done, and it is done well.

Here is a poem I found, I think it fits my kitchen, does it work well with yours?

My Little Kitchen

God bless my little kitchen
I love its every nook
And bless me as I do my work
Wash pots and pans and cook.
And may the meals that I prepare
Be seasoned from above
With Thy great blessing and Thy grace
But most of all Thy love.
As we partake our earthly food
The table before us spread
We'll not forget to thank Thee, Lord
Who gives us daily bread.
So bless my little kitchen, Lord
And those who enter in
May they find naught but joy and peace
And happiness therein.

poem found here