Features
Come behind the scenes at Hungry Happenings for a #KitchenTour and see Beth's kitchen in Ohio.
The most amazing feature in my kitchen is the 9 foot long island that runs down the middle of the room. I love having plenty of space to work.
Tell us about your kitchen?
My kitchen is actually divided in two sections. The main kitchen is 24 by 12 feet and my candy making kitchen is 24 by 11 feet. They are the busiest rooms in my house being I work from home developing recipes, making food crafts, and chocolate. I have stools at the end of my island, so my family and friends can hang out with me while I work.
What have you done to make your kitchen cosy, functional, beautiful or inspiring?
My kitchen is really functional and quite beautiful with wood floors and maple cabinets. I have so many kitchen gadgets and appliances that there is no room for much else, but fortunately my kitchen opens up into my living room that has a gallery wall filled with paintings created by my mother. They are so special to me because she made each of them just for my home. Recently I did create some inspirational art work for the wall in my candy kitchen. There are three frames hung next to each other, all with inspirational sayings. "free-dom - n. doing what you like" "Hap-pi-ness - n. liking what you do" "am-bi-tion - n. wanting to succeed" They remind me of how blessed I am to make a living doing what I love.
How do you keep organized while cooking?
LOL! I don't. Fortunately, everything has it's place in my kitchen, so I can easily find what I need as I'm cooking. I'd love to be one of those cooks who cleans as they go, but I'm not. After a meal, my kitchen looks like a tornado hit it. So, I always have big messes to clean up.
Any tips & tricks for organising your pantry, fridge and ingredients?
Divide your kitchen cupboards into sections for baking and cooking. In my kitchen the cupboards and drawers that are closest to the oven have all my baking supplies. The cupboards to the right of my stove have my spices and oils along with all my pots and pans. When I'm baking I don't have to run all over my kitchen to find things and the same is true when I'm cooking. One of my favorite features in my kitchen is a long drawer that holds all my tin foil, plastic bags, and plastic wrap. It's right in the middle of my island, so I can easily grab what I need after I prep my food.
Do you do a lot of cooking and what are your favourite dishes to make?
I love to cook and often make Italian recipes, however, now that my kitchen is used daily for making treats, I find we eat a lot of salads and raw fruits and vegetables because they don't require much prep or clean up. I spend way too much time cleaning dishes, so our meals have to be quick and easy.
Where do you turn for new recipe ideas?
Cooks Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen is the very first place I look for new recipes. All of their recipes are thoroughly tested, so I trust when I make it for the first time, that it will work out.
Do you plan out your recipes for the week or do you like to be spontaneous?
I am a spontaneous cook for the most part. If my kitchen is clean and I'm in the mood for a specific meal, I'll make it even if I have the ingredients on hand. I have to admit that my refrigerator and pantry are stocked well at all time, so I can make things on a whim.
If you had three wishes, what would you do to make this your dream kitchen?
Wish #1 - have a walk in pantry with a lot of open shelves. Wish #2 - have one large sink that is big enough to soak my skillets and baking pans Wish #3 - have a beautiful and powerful range hood
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