Bookshelves and a Pantry..

In the past few weeks I have talked about caulking, closets, pegs and Packers, but today I want to share with you a wonderful pantry that Bob made for me under the stairs. The space under the stairs is usually wasted or stuff is chucked under them, but I wanted a nicely organized pantry. One reason is because I have a very small kitchen at the cottage, and the other reason is because I like to keep food staples on hand.

First off, we finished this lovely set of bookshelves which were built into a recess in the basement wall. We planned and measured and painted and this is the end result. We are pretty happy with it since it was wasted space. I am sure we will fill them up fairly quickly.

So, over the course of a couple of weekends, we cut painted and mounted enough shelves to keep me happy. Besides the bookshelves, we made this lovely pantry.


This is the door under the stairs. As you can see it is not very wide and you can also see the bookshelves on the right.








Once the door opens,  it looks  like this: It has a tall thin shelf on the right with a wire rack, a plastic bag holder and wide wooden shelves below. I also put a little hook back there--no telling what I might like to hang.

The left side has a rack to hang towels, aprons or maybe even a bag of onions or potatoes. We put up another wire rack and were thankful to hit studs.

I am thinking I might get a narrow wooden bin for onions and potatoes and put it under the wire rack on this side.

The back is wonderful. There are three deep shelves that fit in the angled ceiling line where the stairs come down behind. The wire racks were some old nasty looking racks Scotty picked up somewhere years ago. They were from an old freezer and the thought I might like them. He was right.







I scrubbed them down and they fit perfect on the shelves. I am thinking things like bags of rice, beans, chocolate chips and so on would fit in them nicely. I can see what is in them and pull them out easily to see what is in there.

On the right side of those shelves, in the area that doesn't pull out, I think I will put my canned goods, like applesauce, spaghetti sauce and so on.

The thing that was important to me was to have something that had a lot of shelves and storage potential and still have enough room to move around. I had a closet once that had racks on both sides and I cannot tell you how many times I got poked in the head or shoulder because they middle area was just too narrow.

I figure we can also add another four shelf wire rack on the left if we want to. I want to live with it a while and see if I think we need it, or maybe another type of shelf will seem more important.

I liked this plastic bag holder. I stuffed it with old grocery bags after I took this picture and they stuff in easily and pull out easily too.

Bob took the photo below after the work was done. I needed a little rest. I can hardly wait to fill my pantry will all sorts of great groceries.

 

On a totally different note, I have two adorable granddaughters. Here are a couple of photos you might enjoy.

Allison and Uncle Scott, a couple of weeks ago

Bob and Elinor

Allison ready to go home in hat and scarf knit by Aunt Kari.

Eli chewing on wood toy. She is really trying to get some teeth.

Take care,
Jill

My Cheeseheads...

If you know me at all, you know that we are Packer fans. I mean, it is so well known that I was walking last week with my hoody on with only my face peeking out and the Fed-Ex man stopped, rolled down his window, and wished me luck for the Superbowl!






I was thinking I hadn't really been a fan that long, after all I really knew nothing about professional football till I got married, but since I said "I do," I have been a Packer Fan. And, since that was in 1975, I guess I have been a fan a good long time.

 We actually made a couple of trips to Lambeau Field during the off season. Went to the Packer Hall of Fame, toured the stadium, raided the pro shop, stood outside the locker room waiting for Packers at a mini-camp to sign stuff for Scotty and attended Draft Day the year Aaron Rodgers became a cheese head.












There was some booing then because the Green Bay fans wanted to believe that Brett Favre would reign forever.

Scotty  with Lombardi Trophy.

Then, a few years ago, Chad bought us all tickets to go to an actual Green Bay Packer game in Lambeau Field in December. Ahh, Packer weather. We could tell it was Packer Weather because Kari sort of got hypothermia and scared us all.

Back when Scotty was seven [and the other boys 19, 16, and 14--Kari was 10] the Packers won the Superbowl. Since he was about five he never wanted toys for Christmas, just Packer clothing. That was back in the pre-internet days when getting Packer clothing was not easy. I remember giving a seminary family who was going back to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving $30 and asking them to get some clothes for Scotty, whatever they could find.


Years ago when our American flag that hangs on our front porch  was getting ratty I asked for a new flag for my birthday. Imagine my surprise when I opened the package from Scotty to find a Packer Flag. He had NO IDEA I meant an American flag.

Eating Klondike bars after Sunday's win.

 

 So, this Kentucky family, transplanted from Michigan and Florida, had one of our most memorable nights this past Sunday when the Packers became the World Champs. I usually don't get that into a game, but I can tell you I had an upset stomach most of the second half.
 
There was great rejoicing as the final seconds ticked down and the ball was intercepted. There was jumping, yelling, laughing and a few tears were shed as the Packers won!
As Coach Vince once said,
Winning isn't everything. It's the only thing."

Jill

Pegs...

Pegs in main room, we added valances later

My name is Jill and I am addicted to pegs.

OK, I said it. I LOVE Shaker Pegs and Bob and I have gone rather wild installing them in our cottage.

For those of you who don't know about the Shakers, they were a progressive religious group that prospered in the 1800's and had a large settlement about 15 minutes from our home. It is now a restored living history village, well worth visiting if you are in the Lexington/Frankfort area.

Two rows of pegs in small bathroom.

They were known for their rather wild dancing during worship, their commitment to celibacy, the equality of sexes and races, being the first to sell garden seeds in packets, the first to sell flat [rather than round] brooms, their oval boxes, simple-yet beautiful architecture and pegs to keep workshops and living spaces neat.








But what I want to talk about today is the pegs. Bob and I love Shaker pegs and have  them in our bedroom at home and have painted our home the same blue and white that is used in the Meeting House at Pleasant Hill Shaker Village.

We extended them all the way left from the window. Great for hanging coffee cups on.

In our cottage, which is about 580 square feet, we used 180 pegs! We were pretty amazed ourselves that we could use so many.










Making the most out of the space inspired us to put them in every room and I even have them in my closet!

 




I have some right under my clothes rod on the both sides so that I can hang up my nightgown in the morning and any clothes I take off and want to re-wear the next day, like my jeans.

Shoe pegs. My shoes can hardly wait till the glue has dried in the freshly made peg rails.

Pegs for coats when you come in the door.

I can also hang my purse on a peg so I will be able to find it. We also put pegs around the inside of my closet 12 inches from the floor so that I could hang my shoes on them. Bob thought I was a bit over the top with all these pegs in my closet, but he decided to put 6 in his too.

Now, if you are thinking this looks like something that might make your house, or maybe a room in your house, more functional, I am here to give you the benefit of our experience in the best way to make peg rails.








First off, we buy the pegs. We have used different types over the years, but I have been most impressed with the ones we bought from Shaker Workshops this year. We bought the hard maple pegs and they are the finest quality we have ever used. I highly recommend them.

OK, first off I paint all the pegs. I put one coat of primer and one coat of the finish paint on top. I got my primer tinted to be the same color as my finish coat, but my friend Linda reminded me that if you buy Benjamin Moore Aura paint, you don't have to prime and one coat does the trick. I will remember this next time I do pegs.

I used to use a regular 1" paintbrush  but this year I used a small foam roller and it worked fantastic. I use egg cartons to hold them while they dry. It is a bit tedious, but it went faster than I thought it would. I do all 100 pegs at one time.


Next I paint 1x4 boards, priming first, then putting on the top coat. You don't need to paint the backs because these will be screwed or nailed to the wall. Then we measure the size we need for the different walls, saw to the right length, and label the backs with the location. We don't do the whole house, but try to measure and cut several boards at one time.

After this, we decide how far apart to put the pegs. On a long wall we usually do 11", but for shoe pegs only 5" and about 5" for towel pegs too. It depends on what you will use them for, but those are our basic measurements. If our board is 38" and we want them 11" apart, we figure 3x11=33 so we will have 5" left over.







Then we measure 1/2 that distance [2.5"] from the end and drill our first hole. This way, the pegs will be centered. Bob has a drill press, which makes it easy, but you could use a regular drill. Make the hole big enough to be able to pound in your peg. For the pegs we used, we made 1/2" holes.
 
Bob makes a template that has a beginning hole and then another hole at 11" so that he can match up the beginning hole with the last hole he drilled and easily drill the next hole exactly 11" away without measuring. This makes for accurate spacing, quickly.


 Then  he glues each peg and puts each one in a pre-drilled hole. We use a carpenter's wood glue. He pounds them in. Usually we use a rubber mallet, but I think the boys had our with the sport's equipment so they could pound in Cricket wickets, so we used a hammer with a sport sock over it.  It worked great.

After he is done gluing and pounding them in, I use a warm wet rag and wipe the excess glue off from around each peg. 

Now this looks rather precarious [below], and it was, but this is the only photo I have of Bob screwing them up. He uses drywall screws and tries to hit a stud and we always check to be sure the rail is level before we screw it up. You could nail it too, but we use the drywall screws. Bob pre-drills every hole before he drives the screw in, so it is time consuming. Here he is balanced on a narrow ledge that runs along the top of the stairwell to the basement. It was a bit tense for a few minutes. 

The secret to success is to have a great stud-finder and this one is amazing--the best we have ever had... We have no idea where we found it, but you can find this type on Amazon for about $10. It has a really strong magnet and actually sticks to the wall when it finds a nail or screw under the drywall. No batteries, just a great hard-working piece of equipment.

After we finish putting up the rails for the day, Bob goes around and patches over all the screw heads [he sinks them into the wood] with some wood-fill. The next day he will lightly sand and I go around with a small paintbrush and paint over all the wood-fill and over any glue that you can see or any place that needs touch up. It goes pretty quickly and really finishes the job up nice.

And that finishes the job.WE eventually put two rails on this wall because it was so high and boring looking. I intend to hang some family photos here and will probably hang them from the pegs.

In our bedroom Bob made a little Shaker shelf [something like this] and we have the alarm clock on it. He has made bookshelves that hang from the pegs too. They are quite versitile.

Well, I guess that is all there is to know about pegs. If you have questions, feel free to email me.

Take care,
Jill

I am not 25 anymore--or why Grandma's are not new mothers...

Ergo babycarrier--whoever invented this is a genius.

Jen went on a business trip for a few days so Bob and I were thrilled to be asked to keep Elinor for three days while she was gone. It wasn't too hard because Cris would pick her up each evening and bring her back each morning.


Jen is mostly a full time mom, but also works from home during Elinor's naps and in the evenings. But, she does have to travel once in a while. 

As you can imagine, we had a lot of fun, but I had forgotten how much energy it takes to care for a nine month old.

Bob was out in his office and both babies were crying. 

 

When he came in he whispered "Where is your camera?"

Later, after short naps.

Elinor is a baby that loves life--, is enthusiastic, inquisitive and really wants to walk [not crawl]. She will not crawl--but she thinks she can walk. But she can't. So, there is a lot of catching her when she falls, trying to get her to sit a play - then she tries to climb up on whatever she can grab and tries to walk, then she falls and the whole things starts over again..

And did I mention, that on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon 6 month Allison joined us! 

Uncle Scotty lent a hand on Thursday. Allison snuggled right down.

Jen was supposed to come home yesterday afternoon but we had a rather nasty snow storm and though her plane got to the airspace over Lexington, they could not land because of visibility. So, they took them to Knoxville and chartered a bus to bring them to Lexington that way. I think it took about 5 hours to the airport and our roads were horrible. Eventually, Cris picked Jen up at the airport and they got back safe and sound to our house and a sleeping daughter. They stayed the night and left this afternoon.

Allison in the toy basket.

We really enjoyed our time with Elinor, but I know why women don't give birth at 50--it is exhausting--but being grandparents is a joy like no other. ---Jill

 

Elinor helping me check my email.

Girls playing with Grandpa.

Elinor and Grandma--she loves her Pooh Bear.

Hot Breakfast for a Cold Day...

Well, like 70% of the US, we are covered in snow today. Frankly I love it, but it may be because I work from home and don't have to drive in it. The roads look OK though. The grandgirls will be coming for the afternoon, so I made supper already and am ready to spend some one on two time with the cutest babies ever.

But, breakfast is what I want to talk about today. I like oatmeal, kind of, but really like steel cut oats. They take a long time to cook, but you can shorten the time quite a bit if you start the night before.

Put 1/2 C steel cut oats in a pot and add 2 C water and bring to a boil, then put a lid on it, take it off the burner and let set overnight. In the morning scoop out what you want, add some milk and warm it up in the microwave. Delicious. This is two servings.

But, today I made Michigan Baked Oatmeal which is an old recipe I hadn't made for years. My sister, Gail, emailed me yesterday saying she had made it and it was great. I found this recipe in a book of breakfast recipes used at Bed and Breakfasts, so it is pretty universally liked.

So, for these cold snowy mornings, straight from the Bluegrass from a born and bred Michigan girl:

Michigan Baked Oatmeal

About 5-6 large servings

2 C old fashioned rolled oats
4 C milk
1/2 t almond flavoring
1/4 C brown sugar
1/2 C sliced almonds
1/2 C dried cherries
1 large apple, unpeeled and grated [or chopped fine]

Preheat the oven to 400°.  Coat a 3 qt casserole dish with PAM.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well.  Put in baking dish and top with more almonds.  Bake uncovered for  45 minutes.  Serve hot. What is left over can be refrigerated and then re-heated in the microwave or pan fried in a bit of butter.  

I love this served with a cup of hot Darjeeling tea, but a cup of my Famous Hot Cocoa would go great with it too. 

Take care,

Jill

Here's the hot cocoa recipe in case you missed it:


Jill's Famous Hot Cocoa

Mix together in a 2 quart pan:
1/4 Cup dry baking cocoa
1/4 Cup white sugar [for sweeter cocoa make this a heaping 1/4 cup full or about 1/3 cup]
1/4 Cup water
1/4 tsp salt [optional]

Boil for 1 minute, then add:
1 quart milk
Heat till drinking temperature.
You can add some cream to this, or some whipped cream to the top. Kari and I usually add about 1-2 Tablespoons of real butter with the milk to give it a creamier taste. You may want to add 1 tsp of vanilla before serving.

This makes about 4 large cups of cocoa. Kari got too impatient waiting for the cocoa to heat, so she heated the milk in the microwave while she was bringing the cocoa, sugar and water to a boil on the stove. That way, when it boiled, she could put in hot milk and the cocoa was done in no time at all.

Hi Friends,

I have had a few people ask about why  I haven't posted on my blog in a while and I have to admit. I have been really busy, with grandchildren and with Kari coming home for Christmas and just with the business that comes with day to day living.

As many of you probably know, I make soap and some other products. This year I made and sold more than ever and had a great season. In addition to making soap I developed a formula for a solid cake that is sort of like chapstick for your body. I call it a Butter Cake and I thought it would be something I could sell in addition to my soap since I have all the ingredients for soapmaking already.

Well, they turned out to be very popular and I make and sold about 150 during the Christmas season. That helped to keep me busy.

Allison and Elinor are growing fast I have the privilege of caring for them from time to time. Elinor is on the verge of crawling and Allison is sitting up. They are both just so cute and adorable. I can't believe I have turned into the typical bragging grandma. Who would have thought?

At any rate, if you would like to keep up on the progress of our cottage, drop me an email. I will probably post some more cottage photos and progress reports in the future, but for now, I am forgoing posting progress here.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas holiday. All the kids were here for Christmas so it was wonderful.  We watched all three Lord of the Rings extended version movies--which we hadn't done for a few years. It was a big commitment-- but Kari, Bob and I enjoyed them immensely. We made hot cocoa every night and I thought you might like the recipe. This is an old fashioned hot cocoa, not too sweet.

Jill's Famous Hot Cocoa

Mix together in a 2 quart pan:
1/4 Cup dry baking cocoa
1/4 Cup white sugar [for sweeter cocoa make this a heaping 1/4 cup full or about 1/3 cup]
1/4 Cup water
1/4 tsp salt [optional]

Boil for 1 minute, then add:
1 quart milk
Heat till drinking temperature.
You can add some cream to this, or some whipped cream to the top. Kari and I usually add about 1-2 Tablespoons of real butter with the milk to give it a creamier taste. You may want to add 1 tsp of vanilla before serving.

This makes about 4 large cups of cocoa. Kari got too impatient waiting for the cocoa to heat, so she heated the milk in the microwave while she was bringing the cocoa, sugar and water to a boil on the stove. That way, when it boiled, she could put in hot milk and the cocoa was done in no time at all.

Take care,
Jill