Life happens in our kitchen. Every day.
Which means it’s always clean but often a mess.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Our human friends like to hang out there and share their stories.
Dog friends like to sleep there and sometimes snore.
In the autumn, potted plants move in from the verandah.
English ivy sits on the window sill, Scotch Bonnet pepper sits on the floor.
Within a couple weeks, we’ll get dozens of ripe peppers….
… which we’ll give to relatives and friends. (I’m not a hot-pepper person, despite my Caribbean origins.)
Some days the whole kitchen smells of apples, cinnamon and other ingredients for pies….
…which DO include a tip of Jamaican rum, yes, and maple syrup too, since we’re a Jamaican-Canadian family.
Earlier, it was the fragrance of apple and mint jellies –
And as you can see, they’re still on the kitchen table — recent events having overtaken us…
Some days, the kitchen smells of herbs drying on a tray. Parsley, basil, rosemary and thyme.
And onions and garlic, fresh from the garden….
You’d think the kitchen is the only room in our old house.
It’s a wonder we don’t sleep there as well…
HAPPY HARVEST, EVERYONE (except for friends in S. Africa, New Zealand and Australia…. who for some strange reason are now planting their gardens and welcoming the springtime).
Cynthia Reyes 
That’s what a kitchen should be! Full of smells, chatter and laughter, not forgetting a bit of clutter! So homely and welcoming!
Alrighty then! I’ll remember that!
The best kind of kitchen of all. 🙂
Ah, thank you for that.
I agree with thelonggardenpath! Your kitchen is full of all the ingredients to sustain life and love with food, friends, cheer and a wee bit of clutter to remind us we’re not perfect. I tend to go overboard on the neat and tidy routine. 🙂
What a lovely thought, Brad. And a great reminder too.
And even to you too, my blogger friend?
Your Kitchen is just perfect Cynthia! 🙂
Julie: I’ll have to quote you when I’m feeling like a failure at keeping it tidy!
That looks like a lovely kitchen, bright and joyful! I like the yellow walls and warm wood flooring. Our kitchen is busy as well. We haven’t had a frost yet, and good things are still coming in from the garden.
I don’t think we’ve had a real frost yet, Lavinia. But we get plenty of frost warnings, so that Scotch Bonnet comes indoors. I like that: “good things are still coming in from the garden”.
You know what they say: A tidy house is the sign of a wasted life. I love a lived- in kitchen full of interesting things to look at and sniff. My whole house has a lived- in feel to it. OK, it’ s untidy. Mainly piles of books everywhere, in every room , and on every surface. And plants everywhere too. Still it’ s the way we like it. We don’ t do minimalist, we do cosy.
Hah!
Chloris – you gave me 2 quotes. One about ‘a tidy house’ and “We don’t do minimalist, we do cosy”.
Such fun quotes.
May I quote you?
Of course you can quote me, I made the second one up, but not the first one about the tidy house. That one I saw on a mug.
Ah! The kitchen is supposed to be the most warm and welcoming place in the house and your’s sounds absolutely wonderful.
It is a warm and welcoming place, which may be why people always entered farmhouses through the kitchen or mudroom door. No-one ever used the front door, which was probably saved for when the governor-general came to visit – kinda like the good china and tablecloths…
Nothing smells like home more than a baking apple pie for me!
I tend to agree! I have learned to make the crust from oats, coconut, cinnamon and a bit of sugar and butter and it is so good.
I wish I had a kitchen like that!! grin.
Hah!
Seriously though, it’s old – 40 years at least – and not at all fancy, and no granite for miles around. And that “island” is the bottom half of an old Mennonite hutch (the hutch, not the Mennonite, is old). BUT we are very thankful for it and some good food and laughter have been shared here.
Oh, but history comes to life in an older kitchen. I can hear the pots and pans sing simmering hot songs and the spoons spin tunes of long ago!
Aha! It sounds like the first verse of either a short story or a poem! Don’t stop now….
I have to cut myself off as I seem to be addicted to these sorts of puns… I would be up all night creating more if I didn’t stop myself! You gave me some very good material.
If you think you’re going to slide away from writing verse 2 – no way, Young Lady! I’ll be waiting…..
Okay – tomorrow – after a good night’s sleep – promise. grin. (Only because you called me young!)
You made me grin….
Responding to your reply to ‘inmycorner’ – a kitchen doesn’t have to be ‘state of the art’ it just has to be lived in. Most modern kitchens I’ve seen are not used just looked at. I love proper kitchens like yours – people, animals, books, food, plants – all jostling for space. I spend most of my time in mine (if I sit in the living room I fall asleep!) and most of our visitors sit talking in here while I cook. Don’t change anything, Cynthia!
I won’t. But aren’t those modern kitchens nice to look at in the glossy magazines? If I had one, I think I’d just swan around admiring it all day….. And yes – I can visualize you in your kitchen. Do you make any special things in the autumn?
Events overtook us, or I’d have made dozens and dozens of jars of jellies, and herb oils too.
Yes, I would love a modern kitchen as long as the sink was large enough and there was enough storage space. I’ve never had a new kitchen of my own; I’ve always had old ones – well worn! I don’t usually make anything in the autumn. I ought to and I say ‘I must make some chutney/jam’ etc but hardly ever do. For some strange reason I get very nervous about doing it. The one thing I can’t do at all easily is pouring mixtures into bottles and jars as my wrists are locked on one position and that seems to give me enough excuse not to do it! I could always make things when my husband is at home and get him to do it but I don’t!
Yes! a sink large enough and enough storage space, indeed.
I’ve never had a new kitchen either.
I understand and empathize with you about your wrists. When I was mixing the ingredients to make the pie, I was using those two large spoons, and my husband had to take over because my left arm won’t work properly. I said “Go away! You’re supposed to be resting and letting me make these pies!”
But I had to admit that I was thankful to him, because the arm got more and more painful. There are just some things in life for which you need two working hands and arms and I greatly admire people who have bigger issues but somehow manage without half the complaining I do!
I so agree with you and the kitchen being the “hub” of the house. Ours is the same way. Love your pictures and kitchen!! Hope things are settling down for you 🙂
Thank you very much for asking.
Things are getting better. Some days forward, some days back.
You make such interesting dishes for your family, that I can well imagine your kitchen is always active. How did you become such a good cook?
I’m still learning.
Growing up in a family with 4 kids going in different directions and with little money my mother always made do with what we had. I learned much of my cooking from her and both of my grandmothers. I cooked for our family after school with my sister as my parents both worked and it was a priority to have dinner together before evening sports, dance etc. I refined some skills when I was a waitress working with different chefs. There is still a lot of trial and error and somethings don’t make it to the table lol
Sounds like you had great examples to follow. So did I, but I was too busy climbing trees or reading books!
You say trial and error, but it seems to me that you’re aided by a great confidence that good cooks have.
“You know what they say: A tidy house is the sign of a wasted life.”-Chloris LOVE This…that is the way I see “home”:-) Thank you sharing your kitchen-:”Life happens in our kitchen. Every day.
Which means it’s always clean but often a mess.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”
Cynthia-you are always welcome to stop by my home, if you ever come to illinois-USA for I know now you would be “okay” with my kitchen it is more about the stories + people + animals-too( I have dogs + cats)….my home is lived in + loved a lot! It is a safe haven:-) Others that stop by + don’t see it that way, I don’t answer the door bell-lol
You made me laugh, Robbie. I greatly admire fabulous new kitchens, but I, too, feel most comfortable in one that is lived in and loved a lot, as you say.
yep..+ I walk past all those “house beautiful” magazines on the stands for I know it is an illusion-lol!:-)
I am in heaven seeing all those apple products. Delectable, delicious, delightful. And you are saying you don’t sleep in your kitchen? I sleep in mine. Not on purpose but if I sit down at the kitchen bench I often fall asleep. Guess there’s not enough going on in my kitchen, company-wise. 🙂 Kitchens rule, I say!
Kitchens rule, for sure. I have this image now of you falling asleep on your kitchen bench and having to be careful that you don’t fall off. Truth is, I’m never relaxed enough in my own kitchen to fall asleep. What if something burns! Or boils over on the stove!
I haven’t fallen off yet! I do burn the porridge and the toast. What you say? She falls asleep in the morning. No!No! I make toast at night, for a snack. And I usually cook up a big pot of porridge at night that lasts for a whole week. So if I burn the porridge I am not pleased with myself!
Life happens so quickly – I thought this is a great motivated exercise!
I love your post and you’re wright when you say “life happens in our kitchen” That’s true and that’s good. Nos cuisines et ce qui s’y passe sont un peu le reflet de nos âmes et du bien qu’on a envie de partager 🙂
Wow, Christiane. You’ve given us yet another quote worth stealing.
‘Nos cuisines et ce qui s’y passe sont un peu le reflet de nos âmes et du bien qu’on a envie de partager’: Our kitchens and what happens there is a little reflection of our souls and the good we want to share.
Beautiful. Thank you.
It looks pretty darn tidy to us! You want to see a messy kitchen? No wait… let’s not go there 😉
Hahaha… that’s worth a grin.
We shall have to compete for the title of messiest kitchen.
This looks like a beautifully lived-in room. I love those best!
It’s been lived in – a lot. It’s more than 40 years old, all wood, except for the counter, which is also old-fashioned.
… the herbs spice up the rhythm and blues and the knives play “chop sticks” with sharp precision….
Well done!!!
Cynthia, your kitchen looks warm and wonderful.
Blessings ~ Wendy ❀
Thanks, Wendy.
Funny: because I live with it, I see all the faults, but looking at the photos now, through the eyes of my readers, I can see that what comes across is the warmth, not the daily mess (or maybe both!)
Lovely, the pies look delicious!! Love apple pie 🙂 A home should be warm and inviting, especially the kitchen! Happiness is a home, made of love & laughter & good times with family & friends.
Have a great week Cynthia!
Michael
http://instagram.com/michaelswoodcraft/
So well said, Michael.
Have a great week too.
Happy harvest to you! Your kitchen looks inviting and full of lightness and joy. Thanks for sharing it with us.
You are very welcome!
Your kitchen looks so wonderfully well-lived in, Cynthia. I wish had the luxury to spend as much time in my own and make apple pies and jams and more. Happy Harvest to you, too!
jeanne
Ya know — I’m having to take a new look at my kitchen since all these positive comments. On top of the mess, it’s so old and some hinges are falling apart, etc. But it works, and it’s warm and friendly, and that’s a blessing indeed.
I admire those wonderful people too, who manage so well and never complain, so you’d never know they had troubles or disabilities. Have you tried mixing cake mix or pastry crust without spoons – just using your hands? I often find this much easier. I always try to use quite a low surface to put the mixing bowl on as well which means I don’t have to lift my arms up and make them ache.
i love your kitchen and so want to drop by and chat as you stir and chop and dry. Heart and soul exists happily there next to the snoring dogs and chatter. Be creative; make a mess- is my motto!
“Be creative, make a mess”. what a great motto, Karen.
If you ever come to the Toronto area, I sincerely hope you’ll visit.
How lucky of you to have peppers onions, garlic and other vegetables, fresh from the garden…. I love the organic style!!!.
All my best wishes to you and yours, Aquileana 😀
Thank you, Aquileana.
Oh, how splendid! I loved visiting my grandmother because her kitchen was alive with the smells of harvest and holidays. I miss her so, and this article made me smile 🙂
I’m so glad to hear this, Chasidy.
Reblogged this on Cynthia Reyes and commented:
I love Autumn! And I love this post. Enjoy!
Some of the best things about fall are all the various scents!
I love this post too! Is it a whole year since I last read it and is it a whole year since Hamlin was ill? I hope he is fighting fit again.
Hard to believe it’s a whole year. I’ve been a bit under the weather lately but will be back to catching up with your blog. Hope you and the family are all well.
I had thought you hadn’t been so well all this year – I hope you feel better soon. I pray that God gives you the strength and courage to keep fighting on. We are all well thank-you. Much love, Clare xx
Ah, my friend Clare. Thank you. Thank you for those prayers and good wishes. What a year it’s been!
You poor lady!
Kitchens have to be the best room in the house .. Yours is a treat Cynthia 😀
Thanks, Julie. I love that kitchen.
Scents of warm pies fresh from the oven, Jamaican rum and maple syrup … divine. As the eldest daughter of a family in rural Ontario, every Saturday the kitchen was filled with a powdery mist of robin hood flour as my mother and I baked pies, cakes and bread to feed our family of eight for the next week. Happy Thanksgiving Cynthia.
And a Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, Ann. Your memory brought images and aroma to mind — or, rather, brought me to that scene! Thanks for sharing it, Ann.
Lovely post, Cynthia!! You have such a pretty and homey kitchen, my friend! I can see why everyone wants to hang out there! I really like your moose pot rack, by the way. 🙂 You’ve described beautifully for us the wonderful sights, textures, and fragrances filling your kitchen during the autumn season. I’ve got to make an apple pie soon; I use my mom’s recipe, and we just love it.
Thank you for your visit, Cynthia, and I hope you have a great week!!
Blessings,
Denise
Thank you, Denise. Could you really make out the Moose on that pot rack? Send a slice of that apple pie way up here in Ontario, okay?
Your kitchen is so inviting, even the pup wants in! In my house we gather in the kitchen too. Must be an familiar memories from our childhood. Have a great weekend.
Thanks, Geralyn. Be well and keep writing!
Our kitchen is the heart of our home as well. It is where everything happens. I love your kitchen it’s so bright and relaxing looking.
Thanks, Tina. Hope the family is well and that you’re all enjoying the autumn.