It became a running joke actually in the early years of us dating, that if the fire alarm wasn't going off, Maria wasn't in the kitchen. My yearly attempts at lemon meringue pies would send us into hysterics, I ruined just about every pot and pan we owned (thankfully most of them were hand-me-downs), and there was a steep learning curve when it came to cooking all things Gluten Free - cue the chalk board taste.
Luckily, when we moved to 82 Middle, something changed. I got better. In fact, I got so much better that I became the sole cook in the house. It was something about having a kitchen of my own.
This summer our culinary adventures took a turn. We learned to master the grill and either eat simply or eat takeout. In fact I have eaten just about the same thing for every breakfast and lunch in the last 4 months. Breakfast burritos and smoothie bowls for the win.
Thankfully, October has opened up a whole new world for me - we moved back into our kitchen!! Our gorgeous soapstone countertops were delivered and installed, Andrew finished building and installing all the drawers and shelves for each cabinet, our sink and faucet became operational (goodbye bathtub dishwasher - thank you Lord!), and ALL our kitchen belongings and food from the basement and attic were given a brand new home. And I started cooking again.
In fact, we had friends over for dinner on Friday night and the kitchen was humming. Full of fresh, fall smells, bubbling sauces, and free flowing wine.
This new space that we've created, its a DREAM. Probably the best renovation of our house to date. Open, bright and cheerful, full of storage, inclusive of the living room, and the perfect space for entertaining our friends and family. It has most dramatically changed the flow and energy of our little fixer upper.
It's not finished yet (full reveal next month!), but come Thanksgiving, this kitchen renovation will be one for the books!