Before and After

I've mentioned renovations quite a few times here on MLM, but I'm not sure I've ever really given an idea of just how much we did. It was a three-phase operation: Phase 1 was our master bathroom, Phase 2 was our floors, and Phase 3 (most relevant to this forum) was the kitchen.

Phase 1 went very well. There were a few very minor bumps in the road, each easily solved and none of which put us more than a day or two behind schedule. We took the bathroom down to studs and slab and started over, everything new except the toilet. It turned out fabulously, with a larger shower, deeper soaking tub, feature wall of stone, more cabinetry, and small layout changes that made a world of difference.

Phase 2 involved more work, both on our part and the part of the workers. Hubband and I packed all of our things, and moved every piece of furniture out of the first floor. The garage was full of our furniture, the bedrooms upstairs were stuffed with boxes; there was even a bookcase on the front porch. He and I moved into a guest bedroom at Mom's for about a week and a half (Thanks Mom!) while the workers came in and chiseled up the wood floor. (Yes, chiseled. It was glued down.) They had the old floor up in 3 days, and laid the new floor in just 2 days. We spent the next few days cleaning the house with the help of some wonderful neighbors and setting things to rights again before we could move back in.

Phase 3, the kitchen. The phase that involved the most planning and the most thought. The phase with the most bumps in the road! There was some confusion over cabinetry pieces, a few minor things that were fairly easily fixed. The biggest issue was the range. To make a long story short, after much research and thought, we settled on a very particular model, which we were assured was in stock. The night before we were scheduled to take delivery, we received a call telling us that there had been a mistake, the range was not in stock. It was, in fact, back-ordered. It would be two more weeks before we got it. Then, a few days before that delivery, Hubband called to double-check. Oops, the company rep said two weeks? He meant four. Hubband demanded that we be provided with a loaner range in the meantime, which eventually we were. They ended up pulling something close to what we ordered out of their showroom. It was very disappointing, but I've found myself curiously at peace with it. I spent a lot of time cooking with my Mom, and I've gotten to challenge myself by figuring out ways to make meals with a wall oven, a microwave, and a single gas burner that's outside, attached to the grill. Now that we have the loaner stove, I'm playing with that a bit, and discovering that there is definitely going to be a learning curve. Before we get into that, though, how about a before and after photo?

Before:

Note the nice color, but plain style of cabinets, backsplash made of various shades of tan porcelain tile, and icky shades of beige countertop.

After:

All new cabinetry (the old was recycled, given to a friend to redo their kitchen. Countertops were recycled as well.) including a large hearth/mantel style hidden hood. The backsplash is a continuation of the countertop, natural stone. We moved the refrigerator, placing it next to the existing full-size wine refrigerator and placing a microwave, wall oven, and hidden warming drawer where the fridge used to be. The range has increased in size from 30" to 36", from four burners to six. We installed an LP tank and gas line. In the 'Before' photo you can see the extent of the island; it ended at the pillar on the left. In the new kitchen, we've added more cabinetry there and extended that end to create an integrated eating area, as well as a very large workspace. I love that now when we entertain, guests will be able to sit at that eating area and talk to me while I cook, but not have to worry that they are in my way. I think we've added a lot of character to what was a very bland and standard kitchen. I love it.

The first thing that I made with the loaner stove had to be pasta, because I was finally capable of boiling a whole pot of water in a reasonable amount of time! Bacon, caramelized onions, butternut squash, with a splash of white wine, fresh thyme, some chicken stock, and a pinch of cayenne.

I Read Nie-Nie

I wonder if you've heard of Nie-Nie. Stephanie Nielson, she of the paper silhouettes , back-to-school-dinners, and nearly fatal plane crash. A woman of faith and a woman of hope.

Have you heard of her sister, C Jane? Courtney Jane, who took in three of her sister's children while Nie recovered, who rejoices in the little things but isn't afraid to talk about wanting some big ones.

Both are Mormon, (I am not) both are mothers, (I am not) but both are very inspiring to me. They are unafraid to discuss their shortcomings, unafraid to discuss faith and loss, body-image and love, cake and Mormon-inspired vegetarianism. They will also willingly delight in a fabulous pair of shoes.

I've been reading both for well over a year, and I'm not really sure why I've decided today to blog about them. Maybe it's because I noticed this morning that when I don't have much time, and cannot check in on every blog I've bookmarked, those are two that are never skipped. I always check in on Nie and C Jane and their families.

Do you read Nie Nie?

Big Sur

As discussed back in JUNE (shame-face), we headed from San Francisco down the Pacific Coast Highway to get to Big Sur.

Eventually we found our resort for the night and after being scared out of our wits by a man that popped out of a tree*, we checked in and were driven to our treehouses:
After ooh-ing and ahh-ing at our amazing accommodations, we decided to take a walk around the secluded property, and there were gorgeous views every way we turned:
Part of the property is a redwood forest, and it was truly amazing to encounter these giants. I remember being shocked at how straight they grew:
After a fabulous dinner at the resort's restaurant (I forgot my camera. Let's blame jet lag, eh? At this point I had been awake, traveling, and enjoying to the max for an absurd number of hours.) we went back to our respective treehouses, and Hubband started a fire for me in the treehouse's beautiful stone fireplace, step one toward our goal of a fire every night. We only enjoyed it for a short time, as sleep was soon to come, but it was wonderful. The next morning, we enjoyed the views for a little while, then bid adieu to this amazing place to continue south, to Hearst Castle. We stopped for breakfast at a little place I had researched called the Big Sur Bakery. Simple and unassuming, you'd never guess from the exterior what lay within:
Ricotta-asparagus tarts with kalamata olives, apricot-studded coffee cake, multiple flavors of danish, huge cookies, scones, cinnamon buns, croissants, and other assorted trays of deliciousness, all freshly baked! Fabulous coffee too. All in a rustic little wooden building attached to a gas station. Breakfast was fabulous, and we picked up ham and gruyere stuffed croissants to save for our lunch. We jumped back in the car, and continued south.

*No really, a man popped out of a tree. Mom and I were already slap-happy at this point, and were laughing out of proportion to the actual humor of anything. Poor Hubband. Then we pulled into the resort, Hubband was telling us to calm down, and A MAN POPPED OUT OF A TREE. He was the security guard of the resort, checking to be sure we had reservations, but his hut was an enormous tree trunk that perfectly blended in with the landscape. At that point, we all lost it, and to this day we feel that we were accosted by a Hobbit.

Surfacing

*Crickets chirping*

Wow. June 25th. I'm a little ashamed that June 25th is the date of my last post. This year has been so incredibly busy, and gone by so quickly. We've been renovating our home since mid-July, including the kitchen, so the cooking has fallen by the wayside a bit. Thank goodness for having Mom close by. We had to move into her house for about a week during one stage of the renovation, and have been eating dinner there for several weeks while waiting for the new kitchen to take shape. Everything was supposed to have been finished today, but of course, there's always a hiccup, and that hiccup just happens to be my new range! Backordered, so it won't be here for two more weeks. I must admit that this renovation has gone incredibly smoothly, and if there had to be a hiccup somewhere, I'm grateful it was just a backordered appliance, instead of a plumbing or electrical disaster. Grateful, but still wishing I had my range.

I need to get back on the right track, and putting up a list of things to come is one way to keep me honest. There will be posts to come about our California vacation, about the baking challenge I set for myself during Phase I of the renovation, and before-and-afters of the kitchen. They will all be mixed together.

If you're checking in, thank you for sticking with me through the silence!

California Dreamin'

Things remain busy here at Chez Marshmallow thanks to planning for some upcoming renovations, but I still apologize for the lack of posting. I need to work harder on making time for this. 

Our recent trip to California was a welcome respite from all the things going on here recently, and we enjoyed it fully. We began by flying to San Francisco on a Sunday morning; thanks to the time difference, we left here at 7 am and got there at 9:30 am, leaving us a full day to play. We found our bags and engaged in some Tetris-like calculations to fit them all in the car, and then took off in search of some authentic Dim Sum. Doing some research before the trip, I found that a restaurant called Ton Kiang kept popping up as a great authentic place to go for dim sum. Literally meaning "a bit of heart",  dim sum began as small snacks to be eaten with tea, but has become an experience all its own. Small plates of various preparations are carried around on trays or carts, as the server pauses at each table to tell you what they've got. After struggling to find some parking, we found that the restaurant was already full and bustling at 11:15 on a Sunday. By the time we were midway through our meal, there was a line out the door. 

I only took one shot of the table, as I'd forgotten my camera in the car (bad blogger!) and was using Mom's. Also, I wanted to get back to eating. We had a wide range of dishes, including roast duck (with bones, our least favorite) spicy long beans, shrimp-stuffed scallops, green chive & shrimp dumplings, egg rolls, calamari, foil-wrapped chicken, pot stickers, BBQ pork buns (both baked and steamed) and egg custard tarts. The pork buns and the calamari were my personal favorites, although the pork bun/Hambow in Seattle still wins as best, merely for the reason that it had a better ratio of meat to bun. The calamari was amazing; super tender with a thin batter so crisp that it crackled when bit. The egg rolls were also perfectly fried; they positively shattered when you bit into them, and weren't greasy at all. The green tea was a refreshing and appropriate accompaniment. After an incredibly satisfying lunch, we got back into the car. 
We traveled over what is probably the most famous bridge in the country and headed up to Muir Woods to see some redwoods. Fortunately, we arrived into the most beautiful day the city had had in quite awhile: mid 70's, no fog. Unfortunately, this meant that Muir Woods, the closest and most accessible National Park to many San Franciscoans, was packed. The closest parking space we saw was more than a mile from the head of the trail, so we headed out again and stopped to take a few photos of the beautiful vistas that to road to Muir Woods provides. 
We headed back into the city, toward the piers, to get to the Ferry Building Market. The architecture of the old building was beautiful:
and the vendors were amazing. Summer truffles and fresh porcini anyone? I was so tempted. We browsed, oohed, and ahhed, but we knew that few things would survive the trip home. We settled on some chocolates from Recchiuti, bread from Acme, and sweet treats from Miette. The chocolates were delicious; Hubband and I shared some fleur-de-sel caramels and some burnt caramel hazelnuts, while Mom tried the chocolate peanut butter balls and Key Lime apples. I felt that I couldn't go through San Francisco for a second time without trying their sourdough, which is what we ordered at Acme, while Mom tried their 'Not-so-cross' buns, which she loved. 
Hubband got a vanilla cupcake with strawberry buttercream from Miette. He enjoyed it, but I felt the buttercream was too whipped; it was nice that it was so light, but buttercream (to my mind) should also be rich, and this one had so much air whipped in that it was closer to whipped cream than frosting. I got a few macarons, which were fairly forgettable. The chocolate-lavender had far too much of the latter ingredient. Instead of an accent, it was an herbal punch to the mouth, and was rather unpleasant. The hazelnut was very mild, but nice. The salted caramel was the best of the bunch, but that's a hard flavor to mess up. The texture on all three was good, however. 

Armed with treats and some bottles of water, we settled in for our ride to the next destination: Big Sur. 

Happy Harvest

Well, we're home. The trip was amazing, but I'm still in the process of acclimating to being back home, as well as organizing the 700+ photos I took, so posting about that is going to wait, just a short while. 

In the meantime, check these out!

My first morning home I went out to check on my little tomato plants. First off, they're not so little anymore! They've really taken off, and have set quite a bit of fruit already. My earliest yielder is an heirloom variety called 'Lime Green Salad", shown above along with one early graduate of the 'Porter's Dark Cherry' plant in another container. I got three from the LGS plant, two chubby rounds and one lovely semi-oblong, classic heirloom shape. Deeee-licious. 
I enjoyed them simply, with a sprinkle of good salt and some fresh mozzarella for lunch. It was a nice little welcome home from the garden. 

Something A Little Different

Here's a little something different. About a month ago I tried to improve, or at least germinate, another skill set: sewing. Hubband's cousin is expecting a wee bundle of joy, and the organizers of her shower asked that everyone decorate a onesie for the baby. I decided that instead of just breaking out some tie-dye or puff paint, I would attempt to sew the baby a matching onesie and stuffed animal set. I already had the pattern for small stuffed animals, so I shrank it down to 30% or so and used it for the onesie as well. I think they came out quite well for was what basically my first solo project. 

Here's another view, with a better angle of the onesie. 
Fun! There were some tight spots, as the pieces were so small, but I really enjoyed making them. I hope Hubband's cousin thinks they're as cute as I think they are! 

Things will be quiet around here, again, as I'm heading out for a much-needed vacation! I will have LOTS to share upon my return however....shall I drop a few hints? No, the anticipation is more fun!