In My “New” Kitchen – March 2016
Did that just happen? Where did February go? We even had an extra day this year! It’s time again for In My Kitchen, the monthly round up of the goings on in my and many others from around the world kitchens.
I’m very excited that my actual kitchen is just about finished, here is a peek, I’ve retitled this post In My “New” Kitchen because it is now fully functional which is so exciting. Just some painting and touch ups to be done and for the internal stairs that are opposite to be finished. I’ve tried to go with a tropical style as it’s indoor / outdoor living up here. I will do a post on the whole kitchen soonest, promise!
Our fruit bowl seems to be the dumping ground for all things random without a home, do you find that?
The relentless heat (even the locals has said it’s unusually hot this year, the humidity!) has put some of the farmers market stall holders off lately but I did manage to get this small, but interesting, haul the other weekend.
Fresh free range eggs, honey straight from the hives of a very bearded character named Col, starfruit, dragonfruit (to match my toilet wall paper), dragons eyes which are similar to lychees (good for cocktails) and some herbs for my little vertical garden that I’m trying to grow on the back deck. Most of my first attempts died in the heat (notice the common theme here?) so I’ve had to replace a lot with succulents but I’m hoping these ones will last! On the front deck I’m growing dwarf lemon and lime trees so that G&T’s and mojitos are covered!! All essentials in tropical living right!?
We had some friends from France staying for a few days, the delightful Cathy from Peregrination Gourmande and her sweet daughter. One of the best parts of blogging is the friendships created, this was our first meeting in real life after about 18 months of being internet friends. As lovely in person as she is on line. She gave us some fabulous French books including a cook book of yummy treats to try out & practice our French (mine is very rusty to almost non-existant!) we made them a chia pudding with my granola and a coconut yoghurt as it’s hard to come by in France. We are both going to attempt to make coconut yoghurt, anyone got a recipe to share? I also whizzed up a watermelon, carrot and orange juice to start the day with a tropical feel!
With school back and routine returned I’ve been baking for the lunch boxes…
This one bowl yoghurt slice was a traditional CWA recipe that I adapted to 2016 tastes making it refined sugar free and it still tastes great.
I’ve taken to sneaking some vegetables into cakes for my fussy one (not really sneaking but because she is so fussy I had excess pumpkin to use up and in the cake it went!).
Pumpkin Sultana Loaf – it will be pumpkin scones next now that I’m a Queenslander!
These Lamington Bliss Balls simply have to be tried, they are so good. I can say that as it’s not my recipe!
I’ve had a few kitchen fails too. I attempted these tomato basil crackers, the flavour was great and they were fine straight from the oven (when I took this photo) but I nearly broke a tooth when I tried one an hour later. I used gluten free flour which I think is a no go with these bickies, will try again soon. Any tips?
Then there’s always dinner isn’t there!
I shared these Sticky Pork Skewers with a Miso Slaw on my weekly link up Your Weekly Feed which is slowly getting more and more delicious meals linked up each week to help relieve the mundane of “what’s for dinner tonight?”. I bought a tub of Miso paste when I was last in Sydney and it’s been getting quite a work out. I also made Miso Roasted Fish for dinner one night.
Do you like miso?
A friend of mine just opened a Korean Supermarket in town (Seoul Mart) and she gave me some Sea Tangle Noodles to try. Have you ever seen them before? I hadn’t but I can see them being eaten a lot from now on! Just so we can say we are eating sea tangle if nothing else!
And that is a wrap from In My Kitchen for this month. Please pop on over to Maureen at The Orgasmic Chef who is hosting the In My Kitchen link up at the moment. There is always so much to look at and so much inspiration from amazing cooks and foodies around the world.
Also because it’s Tuesday I’m linking up over at Essentially Jess #ibot where I get my weekly reading sorted, so many interesting things that people write about, and fun!
Anything new going on in your kitchen? Any dinner ideas to share? Are you more a savoury or sweet person?
Your kitchen looks unreal – love the butlers pantry! Your outdoor area just screams ‘Queensland’ I love the tropical feel and all that white! Gorgeous photos x
Thanks Ashlea I love the butlers pantry too, am so excited to actually have one!
Oh wow kitchen looks amazing! Cannot wait for more pics and to see all the yummiest you’ll crate in it. And those lamington balls.. Omg! Xx
Thanks Shannon, those lamington balls are the business, so good!
Looks incredible Vicki xx
Thanks Helen, I’m really pleased with it, even though it’s so hot!!
Wow your kitchen looks just dreamy and everything coming out of it looks super yummy!
Thanks Sammie, I love that it’s practical and looks just how I wanted it to! x
The kitchen looks absolutely stunning Vicki! Yes, we also have the same fruit bowl problem 😉
LOVE the dragon fruit wallpaper in your loo – I can imagine the builders rolling their eyes at you! Your kitchen is my dream kitchen – what a great outlook you have when you’re washing up 🙂 Super busy month for you in though it was a short one.
That wall paper is a bit of fun. We are very lucky with the views in this house.
Savory girl for sure! Though I am a little partial to the odd sweet treat. Your kitchen looks amazing!!! You must be so happy with it. xx
Thanks Nicole. I’m really happy with how it turned out, it was an empty space beforehand so it was good to be able to start from scratch.
I love your kitchen and your butler’s pantry!! It’s looks amazing! We have the same issue with the end of our bench where tv remotes, keys and all other bits of crap congregate. I love a clean bench. It does my head in sometimes!
I love the butlers pantry too, thanks Bec. If we can’t find something it’s usually in the fruit bowl!!
I have to say I’m insanely jealous of your walk in pantry, oh how I really want one! I love my kitchen and loathe it at the same time, it was the reason I bought my house 10 yrs ago because it was big {bigger than I’d ever had anyway} and had been renovated. Although I also hate it because its brown. One day I’ll get my dream kitchen. I love yours. {visiting from #teamIBOT}.
Hi Toni, this is my first walk in pantry and yes I love it, I sometimes just go and stand it in!
Oh my GOD I have SO much kitchen envy right now. EXACTLY my taste!!
It was a labour of love but I’m really pleased with it, thanks Hugzy.
Your new kitchen is beautiful – and is that a butler’s pantry I see? Super Jealous! What wonderful things in your beautiful new kitchen this month!
Thanks lovely yes it was an empty space so I went for the butlers pantry. I love it.
Love the open shelving and the wine glass storage! Very nice ! Like your vertical herb garden too! Yay that it’s all done now! xx
Handy to have easy access to the wine glasses! The poor herbs get so hot.
Your kitchen looks awesome! I love it!
I’d love to see a recipe for those bickies. Tomato and basil is right up my alley.
Thanks Jess, I will work on the recipe so you don’t lose a tooth!
I love the idea of growing potted herbs on the wall like that. And your kitchen is lovely. It’s such a treat to have a new updated kitchen!
It is such a treat, the house is old so we have ended up to a total overhaul which wasn’t originally planned but I’m so happy with it.
Most of us have one or two new things to blog about — a whole new kitchen is really a change. I’d love to hear about each little choice!
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Hi mae, I will do a whole post on the kitchen soon I promise, it was fun to do, the rest of the house is another story though!
I loved your kitchen and your cooking so much. You have the kitchen your cooking deserves! We say that for kids in French but this suits for kitchen also right?
The only thing frightening is the strange monster sink that eats up all the food trash! But that s ok it s just culture shock! Haha! In the plane I saw a movie “burnt” about a chef. Inspiring… Ok I m late for March but count on me for April for this serie ! Xx Cathy
HA HA! The insinkerator is very needed around here!. It’s a lovely link up to be part of.
Oh your kitchen looks amazing Vicki!! Loving the white space and tropical looking backsplash!! How rewarding!! You must tell me how your vertical garden goes. We have a similar type wall I think (Hardy flex is it called?) – not sure how it goes with water – but it takes the rain so must be ok!! Haha! Looks like you had a ball with Cathy and her daughter – best thing about blogging is the friends you make FOR SURE!!!
Thanks Jo. GT wants to chop the palms down outside the window but I won’t let him it would ruin the view! I got the vertical garden pots from Bunnings and made it so I water the top ones and it drips through to water the ones underneath and then the same with the planter box (from Kmart!) and that drips through to the tub below. None of it seems to go on the actual wall so all ok. Had a lovely time with Cathy, such nice people.
The new kitchen looks wonderful- jealous- but as for the deck- wow. What a lovely spot.
Thank you Francesca. The deck is a bit of a sanctuary, it’s very hot here though so the poor plants are struggling!
Victoria, that kitchen is gorgeous! Sleek and stylish yet comfortable. Love windows as splash backs such great way to open up the space. Enjoy you lovely spaces, both the ins and the out ones!
Thanks so much Maree, I’m really pleased with how it turned out, very functional too!
Congratulations on your new kitchen, Victoria! Your photos of your home look like they are out of a Home & Gardens magazine. Wow!
Thank you for the intro to dragon’s eyes and the yogurt bars. (Saving the recipe!)
Miso with fish is fantabulous and familiar due to my 18 years in Japan…But the Korean sea tangle noodles are new and intriguing!
Thanks so much, I’m enjoying the decorating part of the renovation now! The Sea Tangle Noodles are intriguing aren’t they as are the dragon eyes!!!
I have kitchen envy! How dreamy your new kitchen is, especially the butler’s pantry. Funny you mentioned lychees, I just got lychee juice for cocktails! It’s hard to get the actual fruit here so juice it is.
Thank you Gretchen, I’m loving the butlers pantry, sometimes I just go and stand in it for no reason!!! Lychees in cocktails are great aren’t they?
Love your vertical garden – was it a kit or did you put it together yourself?
Thank you. I got the top 3 rows from Bunnings, they come with the pots and the frame to attach to the wall. The one underneath is from Kmart as I wanted something for the pots to drip into.
Excited to see your new kitchen, still planning mine. I especially love the window splashback, fabulous outlook if you’re chained to the sink. I tried vertical herbs too. I think mine died not from the heat but the lack of direct sunshine. Round 2 is much happier now the sun has dropped a little in the sky.
We are very lucky to have a lovely outlook for all the windows. I have managed to kill a succulent if you can believe that, maybe over watered!!!!!! I hope your plans are coming along it’s quite fun seeing it all come to fruition.
I can’t wait for the full house tour! I love your french doors opening up to that stunning balcony. x
Thanks so much. The doors came with the house, one of the few things we haven’t changed!! We are lucky with the balconies.
Your kitchen is a knock-out. Love all the clean lines and surfaces.
Thank you Jennifer. I spend a lot of time in it so wanted it to be nice!!!
Your new kitchen is amazing! So gorgeous. All those nice clean prep areas and great storage. Enjoy it lovely!
This is my first time with IMK so I’ve just discovered your blog. Loving your recipes and tasty stories on here! Great post x
Welcome Laura! Thanks so much for stopping by.
Oh I am jealous of that dragonfruit! A Queensland friend actually gave me some cuttings but it will take years to turn into a producing tree!
The dragonfruit is great isn’t it. Perhaps I should try to grow a tree too.
Wow Vicki – It is flipping gorgeous hun! Sooo when can I move in 😉 xx
Hi, your kitchen looks amazing, I really love the bench space and the beautiful window.
Thanks so much, it was worth it in the end!
I LOvE your new kitchen
The window splashback
The butlers pantry
The colours
All of it
just gorgeous.
And outside
Don’t get me started
Just gorgeous!
Thank you so much, we had some good bones to work with, especially outside!
What a beautiful kitchen!! Love your walk in pantry, the layout, cupboards, above storage for wine glasses and a great counter for everyone to sit at – you’ve got your dream kitchen, congratulations Vicki! Love your herb vertical garden on your back deck too – herbs do grow better in pots 🙂 Great goodies for #IMK xx
Thanks so much for the kitchen love, we are really enjoying it. The herbs are suffering a bit in the heat at the moment!
i love the sound of sea tangle noodles. and i do like miso. a friend told me recently she made sugar free brownies with miso. not sure i could go for that:) it has been a long hot and dry summer in brisbane. goodness knows when the cooler weather is coming. hope it cools down for you up there.
Hmm not sure about miso brownies either but would be willing to try! No sign of it cooling down! Thanks so much for stopping by.