In the kitchen

You know some days I could quite happily potter all day in my kitchen. It's a funny pokey little place, and there's chipping paint and mismatched shelves, and things crammed in and a significant lack of bench space. But it really doesn't matter, I just love being in it.



I love making food to feed my family. I like to be thoughtful about what food goes into our pantry, and into our mouths. I love putting ingredients together, a bit of this, a bit of that to create nourishing things to fill tummies. And I love the helping hands that are always right beside me. Often two sets of hands, but more often one set. I laugh to myself that I don't need a flour shaker - I had been on the look out for one at the opp shop - as I have a special automated one now.



After our house extension is completed, we are planning on converting our now lounge into a new kitchen. I must say I am very much looking forward to it, lots of big benches, and a walk in pantry (!), and room to fit all my kitchen bits. But if it didn't happen, it wouldn't matter, because it's not about the space but about what goes on in there that makes cooking so enjoyable.



I have been doing a lot of thinking about food lately, about what we eat, every ingredient, and how it affects us, and I just find it all so fascinating, and the more I learn the more interesting it becomes - and the more little changes we make to what we eat.



As small signs of spring keep appearing here and there I am starting to dream about getting started on my vege garden. We are blessed to live in a fairly mild climate and so the vegetable garden produces all year round really. But I'm starting to dream of tomatoes, lots and lots of tomatoes, I'm thinking about pasta sauce and tomato sauce and chutney and dried tomatoes, enough to fill my pantry and freezer and last me till the next tomato season, do you think I can plant enough tomatoes to do this? And basil too, I'm planting twice as much basil this year, because my frozen pesto ran out far too quickly last time.



I have lots of things to share in the kitchen/food department with you. Some great, recently discovered, and gifted books. And tasty recently discovered recipies, and old favourites too, that are bit my bit filling up my beloved recipe box (which is another whole story altogether).



So perhaps this rambly kind of post that I'm writing just now could be an introduction of sorts, to lots of lovely tasty foodie things to come :). Because, perhaps, do you think, a very close second to the enjoyment of making and creating and hanging out in the kitchen, is the joy of sharing with others about the making and creating and hanging out.



It would be nice if you were all a bit closer so you could pop over in person and taste the muffins we made on Sunday, and the crackers that we are gobbling up this week - oh and you could share your favourites with me too! - yes that would be nice :). But most of you are not, so I shall share here, as well as I can, and hopefully you might enjoy it as much as I do.