Summer Project: Outdoor Kitchen

Something that's been on our project list for a long time is an outdoor kitchen. Dan has been grilling meat on his wood-fired grill for years, so expanding the outdoor cooking possibilities makes sense. Under cover makes sense too, although I think many modern outdoor kitchens are out in the open. But we want to be able to use it when it's raining, and the carport seems like the perfect place. 

The carport would be a good place for an outdoor kitchen.

So, what should go into an outdoor kitchen?

• barbecue grill
• stove
• pizza oven
• cold smoker?
• someplace to store my solar oven
• work/dining table

That's what's on our list. We have the grill, so we've been looking at cooking surface for pots and pans (the stove), and a pizza oven. Here's what we've come up with.

For the stove, we're going with the Walker Wood Fired Masonry Cook Stove (that links to where we bought the plans). Here are some front and back pictures from one of Matt Walker's videos.

Oven and fire viewing window side.

Firebox side.

The selling points (from his website, link above) were

"Incredible efficiency and smokeless performance, with an easy temperament. Easy to use, quick to light, and stable to cook on. . ."

The plans are highly adaptable; for example, we probably won't include the fire viewing window. And we've been able to source almost everything we need locally. It would almost be perfect, except that the oven is smaller than a standard size oven, more along the size of the oven in my wood cookstove. And the problem with that is that it's too small for my pizza stone. Hence the addition of a pizza oven!

But! This is not going to be the typical cob style pizza oven that is so popular. This is going to be a J-tube oven. 

From the building plans

I got a free copy of the plans for supporting the passive greenhouse video Kickstarter last year. It's made from two 55-gallon metal drums, so it will be plenty big enough for my pizza stone or a week's worth of other baking. The selling point was how much less wood it uses than a wood cookstove oven. 

So, there's our summer project! Or at least, that's that's the plan for our summer project. All subject to change, of course. 😺

Summer Project: Outdoor Kitchen © May 2021

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com

February Photos

Here are this month's photos that never made it to my blog. Until now!

February Photos © February 2021

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com

Spring Cleaning: In Praise of Baking Soda

I've always tried to be conscientious about my cleaners, especially since we sometimes use our greywater for watering things like fruit trees, corn, and bushes during a long, hot droughty spell. In fact, I did a blog series several years ago, analyzing the cleaners I used and what I could purchase locally that would be greywater friendlier. At the time I was looking mostly for ready-made products to buy. Turns out, it was a whole lot simpler than that. Here's what I've learned.

First spring cleaning project - bathroom. Here's my tub. 

Bathtub before

Some of you may remember when we remodeled our bathroom (back in 2013). The bathtub was original to the house, which was built in the 1920s. It's an old clawfoot style, and while we liked it, the original finish was chipped and scratched. The surface underneath was rough and stained. Dan bought a kit and refinished it. It looked great for several years and then started to chip off. The surface underneath was terrible to keep clean. I've been using Bon Ami on it for years, but it still always looks dirty. This time, I decided to try something different. 

My tub cleaner was a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.

I dabbed it on, let it sit for awhile, then scrubbed hard.

For cleaning rags, I like old cotton socks. These are the ones that are too far gone to darn, so I cut off the toes to mend more salvageable socks and use the rest for rags. The loopy inside of the sock is pretty good for scrubbing. Here's what the tub looks like after cleaning...

I was thrilled at how well this worked! So
much better than my commercial product.

After the bathroom, it was on to the kitchen. I found the baking soda made a wonderful scrubbing cleanser alternative for the kitchen sink. Then I found a video on using baking soda to clean the oven. I was really impressed with her results and had to give it a try. 

Oven before.

First, I swept out crumbs, then I made my baking soda paste.

It's just baking soda and water, mixed to a spreadable paste.

I blopped it on with a clean paintbrush.

I let it sit and work for about 24 hours.
It's recommended to keep it damp.

The back, sides, and door wiped up easily. The bottom,
however, required some scrubbing and scraping.

Can't argue with the results!

I've always hated cleaning the oven because of oven cleaners. I've been burned because they are so caustic and they smell terrible! It's such a relief to find something effective and safe. Plus, baking soda is a standard pantry stock-up item for me. Cheap, and with only a cardboard box to deal with as waste; better on both counts than the stuff in a spray can! 

I also use a lot if vinegar when I'm cleaning (learning how to make my own!). It works great on mirrors and sinks. If the sink needs scrubbing, I use baking soda. Washing soda is fantastic for a perking cycle to clean the coffee pot. Salt is my favorite for cleaning cast iron skillets and cutting boards. And I'm not so lazy that I don't mind applying a little old-fashioned elbow grease. 

Do you use natural cleaning products? What are your favorites, especially for stubborn areas?

Spring Cleaning: In Praise of Baking Soda © Feb. 2021

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com

Solar Project Part 5: Back Porch Preparations

[I changed the title of this series from "solar pantry" to "solar project," because we changed our original plan. Part 1 of the series starts here.]

So the plan is to move the freezer from the pantry to the back porch and put it on solar. That meant we had to do some rearranging on the porch to get ready. Like most other big projects, that meant a number steps - both planned and unplanned.

About eight years ago, when we were remodeling the kitchen, we took a detour to create a temporary remodeler's kitchen on the back porch.

November 2011 photo of my "temporary" kitchen.
Since then it's been my canning and summer kitchen. 

It served us well, because it took us another year before the kitchen was finished (before and after shots here). Once the kitchen was done I left the electric stove on the porch for canning and whatever summer-time cooking we don't do with my solar oven or Dan's grill.

About three years ago we moved the cabinet in the above photo into the new milking room of the old goat barn. In its place we put shelves.

Very handy for canning pots, coolers, laundry supplies,
my dehydrator, campfire cast iron, and recycling bins.

Now we're planning to move the freezer to this spot, so the shelves needed to be moved. That set off a cleaning binge, and while we were at it, it seemed like a good time to finish the trim around the doors and paint the walls. Years ago I put a coat of primer on the walls, but at the time we were more eager to get on with finishing the kitchen rather than the back porch. So this is how it's looked for the past eight years.

Funny how you can live with something for
so long that you don't even notice it anymore.

Dan put up some trim and gave it a coat of paint.

It feels good to finish something 
that's been unfinished for so long!

I wanted to keep at least one shelf unit on the back porch for my canners, large pots, and recycling bins, so I put it next to the stove.

New home for my my canners, canning
& cheesemaking pots, and recycling bins.

We never use the door behind it, so this seemed like a handy place. Well, it was the only place! I used to have a small table there and I'll miss that, but this solution won out for practicality.

Improving ventilation to the back porch was the next task. I used an old metal box fan in the window for years and that worked well. Then the old fan died and the new plastic one just doesn't have the strength to vent the well, especially when I'm canning. Our solar attic vent fan has worked so well that Dan installed a similar one on the back porch.

Another wall we didn't finish when we did that
side of the house. Made it easier to install the fan!

While he was working on that I started to clean out the freezer in preparation for moving it. Quite a few of the items I mentioned in Solar Pantry Part 2: Analysis could be vacuum packed instead of frozen.

I find healthy ingredient crackers and cookies at a local discount
grocery. At 50-75₵ per box they make good stock-up prepper items.

I couldn't believe how many boxes I had stashed in the freezer!
They stay fresh and moth-free when vacuum packed. How-to here.

I also use my freezer for small harvest amounts, like tomatoes, figs, and berries. I rarely get enough at any one picking for a canner load, so I pop them into the freezer and can them when the weather turns cooler. I do the same with bones for bone broth. This year I'm getting everything processed early to clear out the freezer.

Crock pot of pizza sauce cooking down.

Once Dan is done with the fan, he'll finish that wall and then we'll move the freezer. Of course, progress seems slow going right now, but that's what happens when a seemingly simple project ends up with a lot of small steps! But all the steps are good ones, and it will be nice to finally finish the back porch. It's been a good September project.

Next in this series → Back Porch Progress

Solar Project Part 5: Back Porch Preparations © Sept 2019

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com

Potholders! Thank You Mama Pea!

I am pleased to announce that I am the delighted winner of Mama Pea's potholder giveaway.

Fronts

Backs

Aren't they absolutely perfect for my new kitchen? The only problem is - they are too pretty to use!!! My potholders always end up dirty, raggedy, torn, worn, ripped, stained, and smudged with wood cookstove soot. I can't do that to these! Instead?

4 potholders ought to make a collection, right?

The chicken potholder on the left I bought from a WARP (Weave A Real Peace) sale. WARP sells items handcrafted by weavers and textile artisans in communities-in-need. My potholder was made by a Guatemalan weaver. The sheep potholder on the right was a gift from my mother, but I have no idea where she bought it.

I love them all.

Potholders! Thank You Mama Pea! © April 2013 

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

The Best Coffee in the World

Remember these?

Stovetop percoaltor

I used to have an electric percolator, eons ago, before drip pots were all the rage. Now drip pots are the standard in coffee makers. It's hard to find anything else. I reckon it was the newness of it (why are we humans always so enamoured with the latest in gadgetry?), plus the promise of faster coffee?

There was a box of junk left here when we first moved in, and inside the box was that stovetop percolator. Finally this winter we decided to give it a try. It took a little experimenting, but oh my goodness, if you're a coffee drinker there is no better coffee in the world. The coffee is rich, hearty, and hot. My drip coffee machine doesn't do that.

And the second best coffee in the world?

French coffee press

Coffee made in a coffee press. Do they still call them French coffee presses? That's what it was called when I got my first one, eons ago, when we were preparing for Y2K.. We have two now, one that makes two or three cups, and the one above, a one cup model.

With wood heat, we almost always have a kettle on, so hot water is available. We've found 10 minutes of perking to be good for us with the percolator. Pressed coffee takes less time than that, only a couple of minutes. It's the closest thing to instant-gratification coffee we have. The press could be used for loose tea too.

We only use these in the winter, as a non-electric way to make coffee. In summer, it's back to the drip machine. We don't actually drink a lot of coffee, however. A cup in the morning and a cup after dinner usually. But it's nice to have good coffee to drink. How about you? What's your favorite cold weather beverage?

The Best Coffee in the World © February 2013 

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

Kitchen Remodel Announcement: DONE!!!!!

Welcome to my new kitchen! Come on in & I'll show you around.

At long last, the kitchen remodeling project is done. As promised, here are before and after photos, lots of them. Because there are so many, they are smaller than I usually put on my blog. You can click or double click for a larger version. With each set of photos, I've included pertinent links to my remodeling posts. You'll find close-ups and project details in these.

The before photos in this post are not of the kitchen as I first saw it. You can see that here. It was the worst kitchen I'd ever seen. To make it functional we moved the stove and fridge, and added a cabinet as a peninsula. We lived with that for over two years. Dan was willing to make the kitchen the first project, but I needed to live with the layout and think about what I wanted:

Aug 2009 - Analyzing my kitchen - what I liked, what I didn't
Jan. 2011 - Proposed floor plan & notes
April 2011 - Working out some details
Oct. 2011 - Designing storage space

Since this is a 92 year old house, you may be curious as to what we left original. The floor plan remains the same; we did not add any square footage (though we thought about it). The tongue and groove boards on the ceiling and inner walls are original. Everything else we added, replaced, or changed.

So. After that long introduction, let's start our tour with the back door.

Before. Shot taken Summer 2009
All photos can be enlarged

After

Before

After

The tin ceiling was our splurge, but affordable for such a small area. The larger window and windowed back door add much needed light to the room. The door and both windows are energy efficient ones, which really makes a definite difference in the room's temperature.

The biggest problems here were structural. One was the post in the middle of the room. It was left after a previous owner tore out a load bearing wall to enlarge the original kitchen. The second problem was water damage under the window. This was seen initially in the tongue & groove boards in that corner. Further investigation revealed that the rim joist under the window was badly rotted as well. It had to be replaced.

The idea to move the door came about while trying to figure out how to include a dining area in the plan. Once we knew where the wood cook stove would go, there wasn't enough room in the window corner. Moving the door gave us just enough room for a small table and two chairs. Plus it gives us a straight shot into the kitchen from the back porch door.

My little dining nook

The dining area is snug, but allows for good clearance between the corner of the table and the corner of the cookstove. We have enough room for a meal or a coffee break, yet remain out of the traffic pattern to and from the back door. The little cabinet above the table was in my grandmother's pantry when I was a little girl. I use it now to store salt, pepper, toothpicks, cat snacks, napkin rings, etc.

Close-ups, details, and project photos for all the above can be found in the following posts:

Feb. 2011 - tore out the built-in wall cabinet
Aug. 2011 - milled ceiling beam to replace post
Aug. 2011 - removed floor tiles & replaced post with beam
Aug. 2011 - added support posts for the beam
Sept. 2011 - installed new back door
Sept. 2011 - replaced the rotted rim joist
Sept. 2011 - replaced the window
Sept. 2011 - insulated the outer walls
Oct. 2011 - new window meant new siding & painting
Dec. 2011 - wallpapered the dining nook
Jan. 2012 - installed the tin ceiling
Jan. 2012 - alcove lighting, phone jack, painted back door
Oct. 2012 - started on the dining table and chairs

Moving to our right...

Before

2 years later. I know it still looks
crookedy, but that's my camera!

Originally, we were going to put the wood cookstove where the back door now is. This is a much better location because heat can radiate into the dining room. The ceiling fan helps with that. The stove also keeps the bathroom behind it nicely warm. The pot rack with light is very handy. Because the kitchen floor dipped and sloped so badly, more structural repair was needed before we could install the wood cookstove.

Dec. 2011 - making a level, noncombustible base for the cookstove
Jan. 2012 - wood cookstove chimney installation
Jan. 2012 - installed pot rack (among other things)
March 2012 - problems with the original kitchen floor
March 2012 - preparing the old floor for the new floor
March 2012 - installing the plank floor
April 2012 - staining the new floor
April 2012 - applying the polyurethane
April 2012 - new floor finished
June 2012 - cast iron pot rack (& other odds & ends)

If you're wondering if I cook with wood all year long, the answer is no. The cookstove is used only during cold weather for heat, as well as cooking. My summer cooking and canning are done on my back porch, which also serves as my laundry room....

My summer-canning kitchen & laundry room. It was
originally set up as my remodeler's temporary kitchen.

If this sounds inconvenient, it really isn't. My kitchen, dining nook, and back porch together total 266 square feet, which is smaller than today's average American kitchen (said to be 300 sq. ft.) Being able to keep the heat and humidity (especially from canning) out of the house in summertime is well worth it. I have everything out here that I need for summer cooking, canning, and cheese making. The washing machine lid makes an acceptable workspace and the utility sink is handy.

Moving again to our right...

The French door opened to "the addition"

Pantry door was moved back into the hallway

The original kitchen was 11.5 by 11.5 feet. At some point in time, someone built on a 12 by 14 foot addition (photos here). It contained a small pantry, bathroom (before and after photos of that here), and office/study. The French door was installed then. We converted the tiny pantry into a utility room, and the study into a new pantry.

The French door was in the way unless closed. Because there is no ductwork to the bathroom however, the door had to be left open to heat and cool the room. We considered removing the door altogether, but I wanted to keep the pantry unheated. We decided to move the French door farther back into the hallway, as the pantry door. That left the utility room and bathroom more easily accessible. To tie the hallway into the kitchen, we gave it the same wide plank flooring.

Nov. 2011 - relocating the pantry door
May 2012 - added shelf above the door

Next....

Kitchen corner before

Kitchen corner after

This is a much more convenient place for the fridge. I allowed enough counter space to set things going in and out of it. And do you see the framed out square in the ceiling above? That was a stove pipe hole, so we know that this corner was where the original cookstove resided. One thing that couldn't be changed, was the location of Riley's food bowl. He was very particular about that.

Before 

What a difference, eh?

You can click (or is it double-click) to enlarge

I love everything about the new set-up. Dishes, silverware, glasses, etc., go to the left of the sink, coffee and tea making supplies on the right. I especially love the longer window, with it's better view. Details for these before and after photos:

Oct. 2011 - moving breaker box & installing new meter
Nov. 2011 - installing the decorative ceiling beams
Nov. 2011 - Hemming my handwoven dishtowels
Dec. 2011 - tearing out the base cabinets, T&G wall, & insulation
Dec. 2011 - New window, insulation, and drywall
Jan. 2012 - Modified the kitchen cabinets to fit the wall
Feb 2012 - leftover tin ceiling panels as cabinet door panels
April 2012 - installing the base cabinets
May 2012 - installing sink & plumbing
June 2012 - trim for the sink window (& a bit about peaches)
June 2012 - making a kitchen utensil rack
Aug. 2012 - Installing the dish rack

Before

After

My utensil rack has worked out really well. The corner cabinet has taken some getting used to as storage, because of it's odd shape.

My workstation. Everything is handy.

This is my workstation. It's out of the traffic pattern and everything I might need is close at hand. All my baking supplies are in the wall cabinet, knives in a drawer on the left. Dan woodburned the doors on the wall cabinet for me; for some close-ups of that, click here. The shelves and baskets are very convenient. The stool under the peninsula is a life saver when it comes to preparing foods for canning. My cutting board hangs under there as well. The peninsula is 36 inches wide, so I have plenty of room for every project. Cookbooks are centered on the shelf above, making them convenient from either side.

From the coming-into-the-kitchen side.

On the other side of the peninsula, I store everything we need for breakfast or lunch: cereals, chips, crackers, napkins, etc. Also bread baskets, cooling racks and pans for the toaster oven. Very convenient.

Nov. 2011 - Tearing out the old wall cabinets
May 2012 - new kitchen wall cabinets
May 2012 - lining cabinet shelves without shelf paper
May 2012 - building the kitchen peninsula
May 2012 - more shelves for the kitchen
June 2012 - lightening and painting trims
June 2012 - adding the pull-out spice rack

And the last set of photos...

Before

After

Jan. 2012 - new inset for key holder door

I know that was a ton of photos (I admit I was tempted to add lots of detail close-ups but refrained!) Also a lot of links (lots of close-ups of details there). I won't pretend that our remodel could pass for being professionally designed and done. I'll also confess that there are a few spots that still need trimwork. But it's done, it's comfortable, it's functional, it's welcoming, it's pretty. In a nutshell, we're very happy with it.

Kitchen Remodel Announcement: DONE!!!!! photos & text © 

November 2012 by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/