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Come behind the scenes at Dizzy Busy and Hungry for a #KitchenTour and see Kristin's kitchen in Voorhees, NJ.
We had a bay window installed a few years ago and it is my absolute favorite part of my kitchen. It lets in so much light, and it looks out over our gorgeous, woodsy backyard so I can easily enjoy watching our many wildlife visitors, such as deer, turkey, and sometimes even foxes!
Tell us about your kitchen?
My kitchen is a good size, with an eat-in area and room for a big island. It also has a desk area which is the heart of the house, since I plan all my meals and make my shopping lists there, and keep track of the family schedules, pay the bills, and basically run the household operation.
What have you done to make your kitchen cosy, functional, beautiful or inspiring?
Last year I decided to buy a small cabinet (essentially the size of a medicine cabinet) and installed it on one wall in the kitchen to function as a charging station. My husband cut a hole in the back and we fastened it right over an outlet, so we can plug our devices in, close the doors, and not be bothered by the mess of charging cables all over the place! It is so functional, I love it! Another thing we have done that makes the kitchen very functional as well as beautiful is to install vinyl tiles for the flooring. They look just like gorgeous slate tiles, but are not as hard and cold. And they are so easy to clean!
How do you keep organized while cooking?
My biggest strategy is to continually clean up while I am cooking. I hate to get something in the oven or slow cooker, and then turn around to a huge pile of dishes in the sink! So I try to wash dishes as I go in order to avoid the big cleanup effort later on. One way to do this is to plan ahead and make sure my dishwasher has plenty of room available before I start any cooking project. Most things can be put in the dishwasher, so that makes the whole process easier!
Any tips & tricks for organising your pantry, fridge and ingredients?
This isn't the most innovative tip, but again my best strategy is to keep up with it and not let it get out of control. So I make sure to have a place for everything and put everything back in its place after I have used it. I also have little boxes where I keep items that are in small envelopes or bags, such as dip and dressing mixes, or half-used bags of almonds, pecans, etc. In addition, I installed spice racks on the inside of a few cabinet doors, which has been a HUGE help in keeping my spices organized and within easy reach.
Do you do a lot of cooking and what are your favourite dishes to make?
I do cook, although during the week I don't spend a lot of time in the kitchen since I am working during the day and running the kids around in the evening. So most of the dishes I make are quick and easy. A few years ago I started blogging my favorites so that I could easily reference my recipes online and also share them with my friends. Chicken Potato Bake and Slow Cooker Cauliflower Mac and Cheese are a couple of our favorites!
Where do you turn for new recipe ideas?
Many times I get inspiration just from trying to figure out what to do with extra ingredients or leftovers that I want to use. For example, I just recently came up with a recipe for Quick Parmesan Garlic Bread when I wanted to use some leftover rolls that were a bit stale. Another recipe, Cheesy Zucchini Spinach Quesadillas, came about as I was trying to use up some fresh spinach and zucchini that I knew were not going to last much longer!
Do you plan out your recipes for the week or do you like to be spontaneous?
Actually, I am a little of both! I typically plan the main entree for every day, so that I can make one trip to the grocery store and I know I will have everything I need for the week ahead. But I rarely plan the side dishes, so those are generally spontaneous. I always make sure to buy lots of fresh veggies and I always have things like rice, quinoa, noodles, etc on hand, so every night the side dishes I make are usually based on whatever mood I happen to be in that day!
If you had three wishes, what would you do to make this your dream kitchen?
1. I have been wanted to tear down the wall between the kitchen and family room to create more of an open concept, which would make it easier for me to spend time with the family even when I am cooking.
2. I would love to have a little bump-out in the eat-in area, to give us a little more room for the kitchen table and an even better view into the backyard.
3. I would love to have a larger, walk-in pantry. That would be lovely!
Whose kitchen would you love to explore? Send us a message!
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