A Working Kitchen

Years ago, I was visiting with a friend about how some folks decorate kitchens.

She told me that hers was a "working kitchen."

I've always remembered that.

And I've evidently followed suit.

I don't really decorate the kitchen.

I don't do themes anyways, and I like things that are useful.

Maybe I don't decorate because at any given time,

you can almost tell what the season is

by what my kitchen looks like.

(See the entirety of my decorating~ the oil can with flowers and pumpkin.)
Right now,

it's rather easy to detect autumn 

by the bucket of spuds, collection of winter squash, the miscellaneous hunting gear, and tailings of canning tomatoes.

It's been slim-pickins for hunting season this year.

Between last winter and wolves (and cats and bear,) the game has suffered.

We even stayed a night up on top 

to see if being up high at dawn would show us anything.

We got snowed on during the night - yowza!

Not ready for that yet.

Anyways, on the way home, I asked Mr.LB if he would mind if we stopped at a little produce stand that's on the way.
It's quite a ways from anywhere, and I like to support such folks if I can.

We did and what a bounty~

For $28 we got: 2 huge spaghetti squash, 1 huge mystery squash,

3-4 lbs. plums, 17-20 lbs. of tomatoes, 5 lbs. red spuds, 1/2 gallon of fresh apple cider, and a peanut-butter cookie for me (yum.)

I went up for a hunt this morning and made it back many vertical feet later

about 12:30 and went to work on the tomatoes.

They are now sauce and cooling in jars on the counter, 

and there is a spaghetti squash in the oven. 

I saved some seeds - hoping to grow some of these biggies myself next year.

Those seeds are in a bowl on the table to dry.

The kitchen is where we seem to congregate when there's company.

Some of my fondest memories growing up are of peeling spuds or cleaning string beans with extended family in the kitchen.

I think that's something that's missing in many families today.

There really is a role for everybody.

The older folks can still chop walnuts and show the little ones how it's done.

You've probably gathered by now that we live along old-fashioned lines.
Years ago, a significant amount of ones time was devoted
to the growing, gathering, and preserving of food not only for the family
but for any livestock as well.

The value of working with your grandparents or great aunts and uncles rather than just seeing them at parties or holidays is unmeasurable.

We use our kitchen.

And if you happen to stop by about meal time, 

you'll of course be welcomed to join us, 

but don't be surprised if you are asked to chop carrots or slice tomatoes. 

You see, it really is a "working kitchen"

and that's all the decor we need.

If anybody knows what kind of squash the mystery squash is,

please do tell.