This Kitchen is Making Me Thirsty

Well, it's finished.
We might have a mountain of painting to do, but the kitchen itself is complete. And what a kitchen!

If you fancy reminiscing click over here for photos of the space before our renovation.
Having never renovated before, I had no idea how incredible it would be to work in a kitchen of my own design. The colours warm my heart, certainly, but it's the layout and bench space which is the real treasure.
Our kitchen installer 'found' five extra inches of bench space when he was here, as one of our plumbing bulkheads had shrunk since we'd measured. This extra space is being put to good use making pizza dough and I'm determined to return to my pasta-making days of old in the coming weeks.

We had a party for Canada Day a few weeks ago and it was lovely to be preparing food and chatting with friends as they sat at our kitchen counter. So much room!

Husband and I are returning to our cocktail-loving ways of last winter, and we started by making this amazing sangria for the party.

Poppet helped prepare all the ingredients, so glad the thought of tasting it made her pull a face. You can find the sangria recipe here, though we multiplied it by six to fill our gorgeous 'vat' (a house-warming present from a friend who knows me too well).

 

In fact, she is quickly becoming my sous-chef, and I'm determined to push her cooking skills over the coming weeks. She is enjoying her new-found kitchen confidence and I'm thrilled that she can finally stack and unload a dishwasher properly. The kitchen can be a lonely place, but our new space is so inclusive and airy.
I can potter away and still be a part of the action.

The action, for the time being, is the World Cup. It's been fun not having to miss a game because I'm making dinner.
Husband has been painting like a mad-man, for which I'm truly grateful. I lost my painting mojo about the time I painted the stairwell ceiling and it's yet to return. For now, he's spending his weekends on basement ceilings and skirting boards. He even started on our black front and back doors. There's no stopping him, and that's just fine with me.

I am busy getting my workspace set up in the sunroom (until the basement is finished) so I can teach camp next week and start working on some stock. It's been hard to find the time or desire to do so with my lovely kitchen calling to me with it's evil siren song, but I'm getting there.
Meanwhile, there's always cocktails. If you'd like some inspiration in that regard just click over here to my Drinky Poos Pinterest board which is full of them.
I think the honey rum fizz looks rather dandy...