Don't Try This At Home

Cookware: Le Creuset or Calphalon One?

I know I've asked this before about the pots and pans. Except we ended up just not getting around to buying anything. We are procrastinators at this house.

I was looking through the Williams-Sonoma catalog, though, and saw this set of Le Creuset pans. The 6-piece set has a 10" grill pan, 14x10 baker, 3 1/2 qt. covered braiser, and 5 1/2 qt. covered round Dutch oven. Now it says these are the pieces I'll need for my everyday cooking. Apparently the braiser pan can be used for browning meat, baking casseroles, whatever. So it's really like a skillet, but with a smaller handle (which I'm OK with).

Husband thinks we wouldn't be getting enough bang for our buck with that set and has chosen the Calphalon One 8-piece set instead. It includes 10" and 12" fy pans, 3 qt. covered saute pan, 3 1/2 qt. covered sauce pan, and 8 qt. covered stockpot.

Clearly these are very different collections, but the sets cost the same amount of money. Which would you choose and why?

I've always heard that Le Creuset is the way to go and it's cookware you can hand down to your grandkids and great-grandkids. Some people might think that's weird, but I actually would like to have some of my mom's old orange pots and pans just because it's what I cooked with growing up. I think my kids will feel the same way about our pots and pans because we cook together. And? The clincher? LC is dishwasher safe.

Or I could probably find a set for about the same cost at Bed, Bath & Beyond that's Calphalon and dishwasher safe if it really means that much to you.

(Update! SWEET! BBB has all the collections for even less money!)

WFMW: How Do I Clean Real Wood Floors?

Husband has installed wood flooring throughout our downstairs. The first time he installed it (in the living room, dining room, hall, and powder room) I was seven months pregnant with Wild Thing. It took forever and I remember celebrating Easter on cement and being careful where I hid eggs so Max wouldn't get lockjaw or tetanus from stepping on an errant carpet nail. Good times.

Then, with the major Kitchen Remodel of '07, we decided to put the same hardwoods in the kitchen. It took a significantly shorter amount of time because we were only talking about one room this time and most of said room is taken up with the most ginormous kitchen island ever recorded in modern history.

Let me back up a minute and tell you this crucial bit of info: I hate to mop. As in, please don't take your shoes off when you come to my house because you never know what you'll be dust-mopping with your socks and it's quite likely you'll stick to something and it will be impossible to tell what. Better guests than you have lost perfectly good socks at Casa de Chili all because I hate to mop.

My excuse, of course, has been that I have no idea what to use on these nice hardwood floors because isn't water bad for wood? And, really, I need step-by-step directions if I'm to be of any use at all. So what do you say? Do YOU know how to mop my wood floors? They are not Pergo or any type of fake wood. They're the real deal. Now, please save me from myself. I have people coming for dinner on Saturday and it would GREAT if they didn't have to stay glued to various spots on the floor all night.

To view more hints and tips, visit Rocks In My Dryer the original Works-for-Me Wednesday tipster!

Cookware: What Do You Recommend?

Update: Thank you to everyone for your wonderful advice! I'm looking into all the options. At least now I have a place to start. I knew I could count on my wonderful readers! Thank you!

Y'all, I have the best husband EVAR. He says that our new kitchen must have new cookware. What we have we have had since before we met in college. A few things we picked up at an estate sale after we were married for a week. So the new cookware? Count me in.

Except I don't know what's good. Can you help a gal out? Here is what I do know:

• I am too lazy to hand-wash. It's a nice idea in theory, but it will never be reality. Cookware must be dishwasher safe.
• I need something that can also go in the oven. I'm surprised how many recipes I have that call for putting a skillet in the oven.
• We have a gas stove and an electric/convection oven. I have no idea if that makes a difference or not, but there ya go.
• We usually just cook for our family of four, but once or twice a month we have three other families over.

I've seen the All-Clad stainless steel cookware, but haven't heard of anyone who's used it. Have you?

What do you use? Why do you love it (or hate it)? Why should I buy it?

The New Kitchen

In my family I'm not known as a chef. In fact, I think those in my family largely scoff at my kitchen abilities.

It all started when my mother was teaching me how to make spaghetti. By "teaching" I mean yelling directions at me from the living room where she was watching TV.

She walked me through cooking the hamburger meat, adding the sauce, etc. Not once did she mention boiling water to cook the noodles. I am nothing if not literal and since she didn't tell me to do it, I didn't do it. I was following her instructions. (This exchange was to be the first of many miscommunications between us. It may have also been the first time I'd considered becoming a technical writer when I grew up.)

Anyway, my family thought it was hilarious that I had made the sauce but no noodles. That story still comes up at holiday dinners.

I told you that story to show you this one.

My kitchen is just about done. We lack glass tiles above the backsplash over the counters, new paint on the walls, and both the electrician and drywall guys have a few things to do. For the most part, though, we're moved in and using it!

Here's our beautiful farm sink with it's apron. Oh, how I've always wanted one of these! We opted for the single basin instead of the double basin. I love it. It makes me singularly happy just to keep it clean.

Here are our beautiful quarter-sawn oak cabinets made especially for our kitchen. The color is to die for. I simply adore it. I love all things primitive and arts-and-crafts and I think I've finally achieved it in our kitchen. The dark wood is something I always migrate to.

 

The island. This is the most useful thing I've ever had in my life. It has storage, barstools, and plenty of room on top. Don't you just love the granite? It's a bit darker than we thought it would be; it's so hard to know how granite will turn out even though you pick it out yourself. Each slab is a little different. We are pleased that it blends so well with the cabinetry, though.

 

Our refrigerator (need to dust much?) and (finally!) our pantry. I have not had a pantry in the ten years we've lived in this house. I finally have somewhere to store our food! Joy! Rapture! The refrigerator is paneled to mimic an old-fashioned ice box. I found handles at a salvage store in Des Moines this summer, but I need certain screws to mount them. It's on my list.

 

Finally, our stove. The double ovens can be conventional or convection. The six burners on top are gas. There is also a built-in griddle (which I have yet to use). Oh how I loves me some gas cookin'. I'm not a huge fan of the stainless steel, but Husband was adamant. Overall, I think it's a nice compliment to the kitchen--fusing the new with the "old".

 

What's that? You want to know what I've been cooking in my fantabulous kitchen? Well, I'll tell you. Cereal and a lot of Scooby Doo Mac and Cheese. I never said I was a gourmet, I just like to pretend in my new kitchen. Maybe my family was right after all . . .

Kitchen Renovation Update

We now have a ceiling, drywall, and wood flooring in the kitchen.

Then, the cabinets came in!

Paneling for various things:

My new pantry (I had a shelf before):

Today my new stove and my new fridge will magically appear and be installed. Soon, I will have a sink and dishwasher. Then? Then my friends, I will be in cleaning heaven.

Oh yes. I have reached that stage where all I want is to live in a clean house without the dust that keeps settling. I have lofty ideas of running the dishwasher with every single one of my dishes before I put them in their new homes. I will mop until my back is permanently hunched. Furniture will be moved and moved again until it's just right and corners are clean.

You think I'm kidding, but I'm not. Husband and I sleep in our room at night, but every morning we are invaded with various workers and I am forced to seek the privacy of the playroom. I shuffle the children upstairs and think of various activities to do until we can safely come out without getting in the way. The last time I cleaned, the kids were in school. It became so fruitless I gave up. I tried dusting a few days ago, but two hours later it looked like it had snowed.

You can see the progress of our kitchen renovation via these posts:

• I'm Getting a New Kitchen!
• Kitchen Renovation
• I Really Love Him. I Do. But ...

I Really Love Him. I Do. But...

Y'all, Husband is a great husband and dad. Truly. I mean, he bought us tickets to Harry Connick, Jr. as a surprise and made a spa appointment for me at one of the most fabulous hotels we've ever stayed at. So, yes. He's wonderful. (And when I can put my Harry experience into words, I will post about that!)

BUT!

This is what I found last week when I went out to the garage to start stashing stuff in our new organizational cabinetry.

 

Yep. That's all the stuff that was in our old kitchen. He just didn't pack it up. That last picture with the QT matchbook? He took the tray of silverware out, but not the rest of the stuff.

His response to my obvious question of "What the hell?":

"I got tired of putting stuff in boxes."

Oh yes, ladies. He's mine. Eat your hearts out.

Kitchen Renovation

When we last discussed the kitchen renovation, we had only removed a wall. Since then we have...

Torn down the kitchen ceiling and cleaned up mounds of insulation. If you remember, we decided to take the ceiling down because we found out the beam we thought was load-bearing, was not. Yay! So we started tearing out the ceiling. About 3/4 of the way through, we found a beam that is load-bearing. Boo! Three hours of Team Nelson working hard...for nothing. The upside is that Team Nelson totally rocks and it has been easier for the plumber and electrician to do their jobs.

Taken out all the upper and lower cabinetry and appliances. Oh yes. I've been without a sink, stove, and oven for many weeks now. The South Beach Diet is in serious danger of becoming extinct because we have patronized Taco Bueno until we can actually speak Spanish. I do have a microwave, but no dishes (just paper plates, plastic utensils, and plastic cups). You would not believe how difficult it is to make dinner for four solely in a microwave. Thus the trips to Taco Bueno. We were even out of propane until yesterday. At least now I can beg Husband to grill us something.

Had the gas line installed for the new range/oven. The plumber also ran a water line for one of these! No more carrying the pot to the sink, filling it up, and carrying it back to the stove like a sucker!

Moved the removed kitchen cabinets to the garage for extra storage. This is my dream come true. You would not believe the difference this has already made in my marriage. It's not done yet, but it's getting there. I'm so happy to have the extra storage in the garage! All of Husband's projects are out of site! No more chemicals and paint out in the open!

 

I'm Getting a New...

KITCHEN!

Husband and I have been planning to gut our kitchen and completely re-do it for a year now. We were going to start the design process in October, 2006. Suffice it to say we are already behind schedule. We settled on our design one week ago. Our overall vision is a Mission/Arts & Crafts style. I'll post pictures as I have them to give you a better idea of what I mean.

In the coming weeks and months I will be blogging about our experiences with this project. As it stands now we have ordered custom cabinetry and ordered our appliances. The cabinetry should be here at the end of May. I expect June to be our busiest month.

Here is a before picture (taken waaaay back in October):

Tuesday two guys came and tore down the wall between the kitchen and dining room. I was amazed at how much light was let in by our French doors in the dining room. Without that wall to swallow up all the light, the kitchen is now completely bright! I love it!

Of course, even this little chore--which really should have been pretty cut and dry--opened up a new can of worms. We knew that there is about a foot difference in the heights of the ceilings in the kitchen (about 8 feet) and dining room (about 9 feet). After removing the wall, it was apparent that our kitchen ceiling is actually a false ceiling and was inexplicably lowered to be 8 feet. It's also stuffed with insulation for some reason.

Now that we know we can pull down the existing kitchen ceiling and raise it to match the dining room, we are going to do that. However, instead of paying another $1000 for a crew to do it, Husband and I will be getting our hands dirty over the coming evenings.

We are going to tear down the drywall and deal with the insulation (yuck) and tear down the beams. Then a drywall guy will come in and hang a new ceiling and an electrician will come and fix all the electrical stuff.

We are off and running. So far, anyway.