In My Kitchen – January 2014

Happy New Year to all – I even got the year right although I’m sure I’ll go back to writing 2013 once today is over. Special New Year’s wishes go to Celia for hosting the In My Kitchen monthly feature.   Not only is the IMK a fun post but I’ve found some wonderful blogs and blogging friends thanks to Celia.  Be sure to check out Celia’s IMK first post of 2014.  Celia, thank you again and since we aren’t quite into the new year here, I’d like to ask you – how is 2014 looking so far?

In my kitchen this month, I’ve got a tree casualty…

This sad looking fuzzy reindeer ornament is sitting in my kitchen while I ponder whether or not he can be repaired.  You see he’s missing an antler and an ear because the cat batted him off the Christmas tree and the dog grabbed it to show me what a bad cat Moe is.  Unfortunately, once Lola got the reindeer, she didn’t want to give him up and he lost a few parts in the tussle.

Of course in my kitchen this month are some fantastic gifts…

This is one of the coolest cheese boards I’ve ever seen and is a gift that Tim, my daughter’s boyfriend chose.  It’s made in Italy and made of alder wood.  I love the grain and bark.  Now, resting on that cheeseboard is not a cheese knife but something that I really could have used on Christmas Eve as I was shucking about 24 cherrystone clams!  Do you think someone could have remembered and said “hey, let Mom open one of her presents a little early”?  That is a very nifty oyster shucking knife which opens the shells and has a rounded tip so you can loosen the clam from the shell.  Oh well, maybe we’ll see how it works out with the next batch of Clams Casino.

This is a gift from an Irish lady who my husband works with – homemade Irish bread and some Irish butter to go with it.  I can tell you both were superb!  I melted the butter on a slice of this bread and made a lunch of it.

I enlarged this shot of a special gift from my daughter which is a cutting board that she had made with our favorite and famous Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.  It’s a special recipe for her because I always had a plate of these cookies waiting for her after her first day of school.

Another special, hand crafted gift is this brass candle holder.  It has so much pretty detail and the church windows open.  I put a little tea candle on the stand behind it to light up the church.

How these egg coddlers have made it this long without a chip, I’m not sure but we’ve had them for decades.  You just plop an egg in each one and set them in a pot of boiling water for coddled eggs, my husband’s favorite.  It’s interesting that I had this post almost complete when I read Celia’s and noticed that she has an Evesham Gold water jug posted that would make a great match to these!

And finally, in my kitchen is something a little sad but full of sweet memories.  This large, heavy, leaded crystal heart has been hanging over my sink (now over the new one) for years.  It’s a special birthday gift from one of the sweetest, most generous friends I’ve ever known.  Gail was diagnosed with cancer just 3 months before I was and unfortunately died much too young almost 4 years ago.  Her smile would light up a room.  She was the best friend and confidante anyone could ever have.  Although I miss her terribly, I remember her positive outlook and generosity and think of her every day when I look at my crystal.  I think it’s fitting to include this in the first post of the new year to remind me that life and friends are precious and should always be loved to the fullest.

Wishing you all a very special, happy, and healthy New Year – Diane