Love the kitchen! Thanks for sharing!!!
Looks fabulous Mel!
Hooray for you - that must feel great! LOOKS great.
Good on you, Mel, it looks fabulous! I submit that you consider hosting your own cooking show from that gorgeous setup!
I get the same satisfaction from organizing! I love my pot rack, which is considerably smaller than yours but holds all I need. I keep my lids on the top: do you choose not to so that you don't block light? I bet wherever they are, your lids are also quite ordered.
What a beautiful kitchen! If I had a kitchen like that, it would sure inspire me to cook more!
It absolutely sparkles. Well done, and hope you enjoy it for many years!
Wll done! Enjoy all your hard work.
Looks fantastic, enjoy!
I would post a shot of my spice cabinet Mel but it would horrify you!!! It horrifies me! It has developed a life of its own.....
Very admirable work on your part. It all looks great.
M.Lane
mlanesepic.blogspot.com
Looks wonderful! No spice rack is complete without Old Bay, by the way! I've been meaning to write to tell you that my mother-in-law is remodeling a house at the beach in North Carolina and she was trying to come up with ideas for a backsplash - I loved your mirrors, so I sent her your blog and she loved them too. She showed the picture to her interior designer and she said it would be perfect and she has someone coming in next week to do them! Thanks for the inspiration!
Lovely. And guests have a place to hang around and chat with you while you cook, something I always enjoy.
Your kitchen looks WONDERFUL. Do you need a wreath to put in there?
Love for you to do some "cooking tutorials" from your spiffed up kitchen.
It is great to see Old Bay in a pantry north of the Mason Dixon line!
Jealous of your spice cabinet. So jealous : )
I love the pot rack, it has such a great classic look about it.
Your pot rack is inspirational! We put small lazy susans in our spice cabinet and find that to be SO helpful....sometimes that one spice back in the corner is difficult to reach. Can't wait to see what you whip up in that wonderful kitchen!
Oh, as a logistical and organizational queen I can sooo appreciate what you did yesterday. And, I think I spy the Simple Human new recycling bin that I ordered just yersterday!
Wow, impressive!
I too cannot cook unless the kitchen is organized; this is fab! I knew your new mirrored back splash would make everything shimmer. I would kill for a complete set of All-Clad, Le Creuset, Emile Henry or at least Mario Batali
Martha would be so proud!
What a stunning kitchen.
Ah, a nice organized kitchen feels so great, no? I love the pot rack. We decided against one when we built our house (probably because we didn't have too many nice pots to show off), but now that we finally have our All-Clad & other nice cookware, I wish I had one, as all the pots/pans certainly take up valuable real estate in the cabinets. Great job organizing - it looks wonderful & ready for a great meal
That pot rack is divine! Love the kitchen - it looks amazing.
You need to fill your spice cabinet up with Penzey's Spices, they are the best!!!
http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/p...s/
shophome.html
There is something about the weather turning cool & crisp in Oct. that brings out the housewife in me, too. It just seems right to neaten up, clean out, throw out at this time of the year. See I'm not alone with this urge, too.
I do love an organized kitchen. However, the problem with ours is that I'm the cook, not the dishwasher.....and Amby has quite a different idea about where things go than I do. So everytime I come in to cook dinner, I have to search for things. And let me tell you, never a bigger fight was had than when I came downstairs to find Amby putting away the dishes and I exclaimed, "that doesn't go there!"
I was told I could DO MY OWN DISHES from there on out.....that ain't gonna happen! and so the daily dish search will continue....
do you ever really think about who you are? there are people in the direst of straights right now all over the world and all you can do is sit around worrying about the orderliness of your pot rack? are you literally insane? or just stupid? flashing your million dollar kitchen and insanely bourgeois pampered life is sickening, especially in times like these.
GREAT POST!
LOOKS FANTASTIC. ALL OF IT : )
cheers!
All I can think, Melissa, Thank god you don't live in California. An earthquake would see the pans all over the place. Looks lovely.
Hey Malacouer, Then why are you even looking at Melissa's blog Did you stumble upon it by accident and enjoy being mean. Lighten up, we all realize what is going on around us in the world.
Was going to post that you must order spices from Penzey's spices...but see someone already beat me to it! You MUST get one of their catalogs and browse - very old fashioned. Their basic spices such as cinnamon and chili powder are the best ! Additionally, they have mixes for making sausage, dips, etc so that you can make fresh with no msg, etc. Happy Cooking !
Wow! What a beautiful kitchen. Looks like a place the country squire can cook fabulous dinners for his bride. I really like the wood.
Looks beautiful - enjoy it!
I want to agree with Diana's comment. A blog like Melissa's in a day brightener. We all know that not everyone is as fortunate. These are tough economic times for ALL Americans---some more than others.
What I appreciate about Melissa is her good cheer and lack of pretention. All of us can benefit from an organized kitchen. It's a laudatory thing to have--and to aspire to.
Malaucoeu person - because things are what they are - it's what makes coming here such a nice visit away from the mess. But then we must have miserable people like you wreaking this for us as well.
Melissa,
Your kitchen looks amazing! I would love to see how you keep your closet organized and to hear any tips that you can share...I struggle with this!
Thanks!
Kate
Agree with Susan's comments about Melissa's blog. She is not pretentious, and appreciates her readers supporting her activities, including suicide prevention. It gives me pleasure in these stressful times to read her blog.
My entire apartment is about the size of your kitchen, Mel. [Sigh.] And, no, I don't begrudge you your good fortune, at all! You know how people used to flock to the movies to see Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers during the Great Depression? Well, you're my Fred and Ginger. Keep up the good work, Mel.
Ah, right now I am reading MFK's Alphabet for Gourmets and these images make me think of the meals the woman made in her own kitchen....may each meal you make be as sweet as you are, Melissa! Enjoy!
Your spice cabinet is the perfect place for a couple of lazy susans. You will find your desired spice so easily!
Your kitchen is beautiful and your organization is a great finishing touch.
Two comments: beautiful kitchen; Penzey's spices.
Great choice having Old Bay in your spice cupboard. It is perfect on so many things, try it sometime on classic chicken salad, delish! Best, Becs
I've found that a lazy susan tray in the spice cabinet keeps all of the million little jars and bottles within reach (so you don't have to reach behind jars) and nicely organized.
Can't wait to see some of your culinary creations!
Malaucoeu,
There are a thousand other blogs that you could visit & focus your - energy on. Mel happens to do TONS of charity/volunteer & fundraising work. She uses her blog to raise awareness to many causes (such as Out of Darkness). What she does in her free time & makes her happy should not upset you so. It happens to make a lot of others happy too.
That is a kitchen that is too pretty to cook in!
I had to comment again. Responding to "Malcontent"...Melissa's blog is about love of her husband, her dog, her family, and simple pleasures in life. Are you literate? If you read closely, you will know what matters to her most has nothing to do with a green piece of paper...just like for me and for her followers. In the end, if we dont love each other, we will truly be poor.
hey gang,
thank you for all the kind words; i really appreciate your loyalty.
i emailed Malaucoeur but never heard back... oh well. i hope they find what they're looking for elsewhere on the internet.
i'm glad to have readers who appreciate the positive, lighthearted nature of this blog (...even when the financial markets are dark and stormy).
cheers. ~mel
I have to make a comment about spice organization in a kitchen. I use a spice rack in a drawer It's a graduated hard plastic insert that lets each spice jar lie down--with its whole label exposed--if that makes any sense. There are four rows of spices visible---it holds a lot.
I bought my drawer insert at The Container Store.
Does anyone else use one of these to organize spices?
As a professor of scoiology (emphasis on social class and inequality), I find Melissa's blog to be most informative. It is a slice of upper class life without all of the pretense. Keep up the good work!
As a professor of scoiology (emphasis on social class and inequality), I find Melissa's blog to be most informative. It is a slice of upper class life without all of the pretense. Keep up the good work!
Interesting... the word Malaucoeur can either mean stomach ache or heart ache...I never quite understand why/how people take the time to write angry/silly comments to people they do not know.
Enjoy your new kitchen and all of the improvements to your country home; everything came out beautifully. Looking forward to your next Monty post.
It turns out that Chappy married a leader which is neat considering the historic societal accomplishments of his ancestors...
Mel definitely seems to fufill a traditional practice of "society women" in setting standards and leading... and oh how so modernly she does so.....
*)people always need respite from their worries... lack of respite produces excessive stress on the adrenal system which can in time lead to depression.... the depression will then reconfigure the chemical interactions of the body for the worse... And so it is with a buildup of negative emotions circulating in society... Think about all the cultures in the world with truly catastrophic social interactions... (or don't... and just rearrange your spice section for peace of mind)
In other words destructive coping mechanisms lead to a not so healthy downward spiral....
*)lots of us are inspired by her activities which we can engage in to some extent no matter what our income level.... enjoying our famiilies.....excercise for example... organizing and enjoying our living spaces.... looking for ways to enhance the quality of our existence... making it special... using creativity...
In other words these are positive strokes we take... Constantly comisserinating, to the exclusion of absolutely all else, about the woes of the world... of which there are an overwhelming number and of overwhelming character.... allows destructive forces to triumph... Not such a great outcome really....
For the monied classes to exhibit this kind of social generousity toward people of lesser meansor anyone
is generally considered good politics... and for good reasons...
So if you don't want to buy a $30 bottle of Domaine de Canton you might still be inspired to concoct a healthy beverage of your own making at home...with or without alcohol....
It's interesting that out of all the mos recent posts the kitchen has received 50 comments... Metaphorical for the need and desire for nourishment.....
Blessings.....
Is Malaucoeur----mal au coeur or mal a la tete or simply envious?
Found you through Mona and am loving your blog. I reorganized our kitchen last fall, but it needs to be done again. Your photos have inspired me!
I would like to think that perhaps Malaucoeur is going through some rough challenges right now and her anger came out throught this blog and was not ment to be mean spirited....which if the later was the case how unfortunate.
This blog is what it is suppose to me light, fun, enjoyable which we all need more of, as well as kindness.
Congratulations Mel, job well done, inside and out...your now ready and set to go for the Holidays and the joy and happiness they bring.
Enjoy !!
Great job organizing! Want to come attack my place next??
First....I love Mel's blog....mainly for MONTY..regarding Malaucoeur comment....very interesting...and the second reason I read Mel's blog is to read the comments....a real study in human nature....how many people reply which obviously are attempting to impress Mel ???? others which obviously are an attempt to impress other readers ???? in other words we all have an agenda....mine is the job of seeing sweet Monty and what appears to be a happy family...and YES in these very dire times something light
what a wonderful kitchen! i would want to cook there all the time! (well, only if someone else wanted to do the cleaning, because that is a pretty big kitchen and i hate kitchen cleaning it seems so sad to me when people are mean and nasty anonymously in blogland. what purpose does it serve?
And some of us just enjoy the Luxury
of commenting...
You ARE ready for the holidays..
I agree. Your my Fred and Ginger too!
I am familiar with the kitchen as i heard about it during it's creation. I really find it beautiful and a kitchen I can appreciate because of how well it's though out.
Use it in good health Melissa.
D
I am so jealous of your beautiful kitchen! My kitchen is shaped similar to yours but isn't as pretty. I really like your pan rack over the island as it makes much more sense to store the pots where you can get to them. I feel a new project coming on for my hubby!
Thanks for sharing! Kelley
Love the kitchen! If you ever need a real cabinet spice rack for those spices, try SpiceStack - a new spice rack that stores and organizes 27+ spices from the grocery store in one compact space. Check it out at www.SpiceStack.com and Happy Organizing!
Greetings Melissa,
You kitchen is wonderful! Enjoy it in good health.
I hope Monty is all right?
Best,
Sherri
Kitchen looks fab ... I expect to see you posting lots more of your cooking in the future
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