Dollhouse Kitchen Epehemera

I spotted this set of dollhouse kitchen hutch and sideboard furniture in an antique shop window in Chestnut Hill, PA a couple of weeks ago. Very tempted to buy, but I'll have to settle for the photo until after the holidays. Maybe it will still be there, who knows? (sorry about the heavy reflections in the shot)

Finished AOK Umber Showroom Kitchen Display

The finished display, from the plan done in August, with some modifications/deletions. Brightened up with a mixed glass tile backsplash that picks up the German Bronze tones in the knobs and pulls of the hardware. It works nicely too with the beautiful, genuine butcherblock countertop. Shown with open base cabinets:

Pots & pans pullout left; "Super cabinet" right; wastebasket pullout, center.

…All closed up and tidy.

NEW Showroom display coming soon…

The DuBell Medford NJ showroom is in the process of getting three new kitchen displays. I put together this version for the small L-shaped Aristokraft which will showcase upgrades, organization, super base cabinets with pullouts and so forth. Our manager is considering butcherblock for the counter surface, which has been trending lately. Real photos to come, once the install is complete.

www.dubell.com

Wyebrook Farm, Chester Co. PA

Frank and I took a day trip a couple of weeks back on a beautiful Sunday afternoon before the monsoon rains of this damp summer rolled in (note the clouds gathering in the otherwise gorgeous blue sky) to Wyebrook Farm in Chester Co. Pennsy. Can't say I wasn't completely charmed by the place and the concept behind it. Worth the drive absolutely. Go. Eat. There:

http://wyebrookfarm.com/

Organic Ketchup. Mason jar bevs.

The wood-burning outdoor cooker awaiting farm fresh meat.

The original 18th c. farmstead. 

From their website: "At Wyebrook Farm, we provide an alternative to the industrial food supply. By creating a diverse polyculture on our farm, we produce the healthiest animals and best food without the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, hormones or antibiotics."

Corbel-icious

These are enormous, real deal 19th century architectural corbels adorning a regentrified into–I'm guessing but not quite sure from the name–website developer's charming HQ in the NoLibs of Philly. They would simply not fit on the pretty, Chamberlain-style doors in seashell white with suede glazed finish Kitchen Craft island I just finished up this week.

Brooklyn Flea at Schmidt's in Philly Retro Range Find

Wouldn't an artisanal pickler/gluten-free cupcake baker and/or homemade preserves canner just die for one of these? I know, right?

And I came across this functioning one on Houzz. A bit overwhelmed by it's industrial-chic hood vent, but I'm still charmed by the nostaligia.

Kitch(en) Toys R Us…

I'm reverting to childhood lately, with the recent acquisition of two kitchen-related molded plastic toys. The chunky fridge is a late 1980's piece of tschoke that was sold as a funky desk accessory combo to hold pens and a custom-designed (which are missing) pair of scissors in a slot on the back. I found it in a vintage shop in Asbury Park a couple of weeks ago.

Next up is a Hallmark Holiday 2013 creation, purchased with my birthday "Gold Crown Rewards" coupon today in Medford Lakes, NJ. Both items are adorning my niche desktop in the showroom at work now.

Work In Progress

Couple of concept perspectives roughed in for a new showroom display. One features the popular apron (farmhouse sink-friendly) base cabinet, along with a plate rack above it. The other has a small desk-ht. level knee drawer accented with corbels, and an organizer shelf and end-run cab directly above.

El Kabong!

Errr, Kebab. Frank's delicious shish kebabs, generously garnished with rosemary stems from our own "herb garden" ready for outdoor grilling. Nom.

More Canadiana

A trip to the Great White North would not have been complete without these two staples: Poutine–a French Canadian version of french fries but smothered in hot brown gravy ("sauce brune") over cold, fresh cheese curds.

And their milk, sold in clear plastic packages by the liter-ish. No carton, no bottle, no tossing away of plastic jugs. The bags are dropped into a reusable, open-top container, the corner is nipped, and voila! "Bag 'o Milk"!

Brooklyn (Gowanus/Park Slope) = Hipster Heaven at the charming Bar Tano

Saturday night Frank and I fled NJ and drove up to Brooklyn to see comedian Greg Proops perform his live podcast–which will air beginning Monday 6/6/13 on the internets:  http://www.gregproops.com/blog/smartest-man-in-the-world-podcast/

Beforehand we took my Brooklynite friend's suggestion for an affordable and friendly Italian bistro–Bar Tano at 3rd Ave. & 9th St.:
http://bartano.com/

Great service, nostalgia-inducing decor and decent prices too considering we were within the confines of the Big Apple.

Quick trip to "America's Attic" earlier this month…

Comedian Kathleen Madigan says visiting Canada is like going up to your attic and finding all the great things you forgot were there. In my case, it's my brother Bob, his wife and grown children. We spent one cloudy, chilly day in the town of Almonte outside of Ottawa and I enjoyed a delicious cafe au lait in the traditional simple white bowl. Nom.

Blooming Lilacs in May

Frank prepping for afternoon BBQ, with freshly cut Lilacs from the back yard set out on the peninsula.

Eat (and cook) Like You Give a F**k!

Found these guys via Twitter and they are the beast when it comes to novel, cutting edge, pull-no-punches food writing, F-bombs included. They are blowing up online this week. @thugkitchen

http://thugkitchen.com/

Nose to the Grindstone

A luxurious, beautiful May weekday morning, called for a short roadtrip to nearby Medford, NJ. I stopped at Kirby's Mill, a national historic site, built in 1778 to mill wheat flour, buckwheat and rye flour, along with cornmeal and chicken feed. It remained in some degree of operation into the 1960's.

http://www.medfordhistory.org/

Multiple Entryway Complications

View of desk arrangement w/ window cabs/valance above.

View with pass-thru wall opening

A Trip to the Islands…

Island w/ prep sink, radius top and corbels

Island w/ knee wall and slight overhang

Island with functioning end cabinets. 

(note: soffits not shown)   

Kitchen Hygiene Pointers

My advice: do. not. put your bare feet on the island countertop surface. Even if it's quartz for goodness sake!

GoopYou is a hilarious Tumblr send up of Gwyneth Paltrow's (of "oh no she didn't really write her cookbook" fame) GOOP digital media site. The author often pokes great fun at Gwynnie's collection of personal chefs and backyard woodburning pizza oven.

I can't recommend it highly enough if you can stomach the high-snark content!

www.goopyou.tumblr.com

#FurnitureFilms Tweet #humor

Followed this hashtag on Twitter today. Pretty funny contributions.
Mine is kitchen-relevant of course!

Pawpaw fruit & Bartram's Garden

Despite having lived in & around Philly all my life, today I finally visited the Historic Bartram's Garden with Frank in tow. On the west bank of the Schuylkill river, the original 18th c. house and barn sit on a bluff that includes the restored herb, fruit, flower and tree specimen gardens of John Bartram (1699-1777) who settled the property and maintained a lifelong interest in horticulture. 

I was intrigued to learn about the indigenous Pawpaw tree on the property (widely cultivated by Native Americans). It bears a strange, banana/mango-type fruit that is edible, but currently not widely propagated or marketed. Maybe it will make a comeback with the Foodie culture's help…

http://www.bartramsgarden.org/

Galley Kitchen with two facing walls

Elevations with simple, Shaker-style cabinetry

and a little Spring color.

Some "mini-bar" configurations

Snippets of floorplans, detailing unique configurations.

There's "always a Frank"! My Personal Chef!

Whipping up Beef Wellington "minis"

and, in more, much needed "other news"

I linked Blog to Pinterest, with the help of Miss Mimi!

In mercifully *other* news…

This image displays the tweeted out link to a charming Brunelleschi Brothers' project utilizing appliances in retro aqua colorations:

NJ Beach Kitchen

Three small color perspectives.

No, it's NOT the Radon!

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/24/opinion/sunday/is-your-kitchen-a-health-hazard.html?smid=tw-share

…it's the proximity to excessive consumption!