Almost Finished!

The kitchen renovation work is wrapping up.  There are some details... mouldings, handles, hooks, etc to finish up and the electric outlets and lighting to get to, but I spent some time tidying up and putting things away.  The big light fixture over the island still needs to go in.  I'm finally beginning to feel like I have a kitchen again!  I took a couple of photos to share...

We spent the weekend in Ottawa for a friend's 40th birthday party.  We went out to dinner at the Zenkitchen.  It was FANTASTIC.  We had the chef's tasting menu for 48$.  The meal began with a marinated mushroom amuse bouche.  The first course was a salad with local greens, spelt and another grain, and a raspberry vinaigrette.  The second course was a wild mushroom won ton soup in a ginger mushroom broth which was absolutely delectable and followed by a lemon lime ice palate cleanser.  The main course was an open faced lasagna with vegan bolognaise sauce, exotic mushrooms and a cream sauce.  Mmmmm.  Dessert consisted of a strawberry shortcake with lemon custard and coconut whipped cream.  You can also order a wine pairing with the chef's tasting menu for 23$.  The service was excellent.  The chef takes the time to come out to each table to describe the dishes personally. 

We liked the Zenkitchen so much we went back for brunch on Sunday, and will make it a regular haunt when we're in Ottawa.  Has anyone else out there tried it yet?

Counters and Sinks and Taps.... Oh MY!

It has been busy around here this week, and it's only Tuesday!  After having installed all the cabinetry in it's rightful place, it became apparent to me that the island was in the wrong place.  Panic!  Do I say something, or just let it go?  Luckily, I brought it up with my kitchen designer and it turned out not to be such a huge deal.  They just picked it up and moved it.  Who knew??  They did have to modify some plumbing, but it was totally worth it, because now I can look at the island and not feel a knot in my stomach.  I had myself so worked up about this, thinking that everyone was going to roll their eyes behind my back and call me a fickle female, that I didn't sleep well!  How silly am I?  Sometimes I have to remind myself that this is my project, and everyone is just trying to give me what I want. 

Unfortunately this may also create an issue with the electrical box that was placed in the middle of the old island space, and reinforced to hold a fixture that weighs 40 pounds.  Kirk is a bright guy, he`ll figure something out.  And to my untrained eye, it doesn`t look that off!

But, the island was moved just in the nick of time because at 5 pm, Georges the Granite Guy showed up with his assistant to install my counter tops!  There are no words to describe how thrilled I am.  They match PERFECTLY with everything.  It`s as though all these pieces were waiting out in the ether to come together in utter functional beauty.  The hammered copper sink, the antiqued copper tap (they match better than they appear to in this picture) and the absolutely gorgeous granite on the island.  I was a bit worried about the floor going with the counter, but they blend perfectly.  The natural stone with the dark wood makes it feel so earthy and organic. 

There are a few pieces missing though.  There is a small piece that fits at the back of the cooktop that needs to go in tomorrow morning.  They ran into a problem drilling through the stainless steel to install the new tap on the old 3 bowl sink that I am re-using. And bless them, they are rushing to get the backsplash design that I brought to them on Monday ready for installation tomorrow night.  If I can revert to one of my favorite 80`s sayings.... Totally awesome!! 

Pie in my New Oven!

Oh Happy Day!  I can cook again!  Friday they got my new ovens installed!  It was quite a feat since they weigh a ton (more than the refrigerator!) and it requires both electrical and water hook ups, and no one had ever installed one like this before.  This is a KitchenAid double oven with convection and steam capabilities.  It's totally digital and it can bake, broil, reheat, keep warm, steam and dehydrate!!  I have no idea how to use it, but it'll be fun figuring it out.

Most of the cabinets are installed, including the breakfast bar.  This is where the microwave, the toaster, kettle, coffee maker etc. will be stored, along with the mugs and tea and coffee.  In the lower cabinets I plan to store my smaller electrical appliances such as blender, waffle maker, crock pot etc. I have painted the wall behind the breakfast bar blue to bring a little colour into the room.  I wasn't sure of it at first, but I think it's growing on me.  What do you think??

Once the oven was installed, I was itching to get something into it, so I picked some rhubarb, got some strawberries from the market, and whipped up a strawberry-rhubarb crumb pie.  I used a frozen pie crust since I don't yet have counters.  Here's the recipe I threw together:

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Pie
4 cups of rhubarb chopped
1 to 1 1/2 pints of strawberries hulled and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon

Mix these ingredients together in a big bowl and let it sit for a while, until the sugar dissolves and some liquid forms in the bowl.  Then add:

3 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix well.  Put the fruit mixture into your pie crust.

For the topping mix together 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup oats and 3-4 Tbsp (or as much as you need) of vegan margarine like Earth Balance until it's crumbly.  Then place it carefully on top of your pie and pat it gently in place. 

Cook in a 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes and then turn the temperature down to 350 and cook another 30-40 minutes.

Allow it to cool for a bit before digging in! 

The Cabinets Have Arrived!

It was 33 degrees and sunny today, and I spent the day at Calypso water park with my son's class.  There were only about 10 schools there, and there were no line ups.  A great time, but it was exhausting and I'm very sunburned, even though I wore 30 sunscreen.  Ouch.

On Wednesday they delivered most of the cabinetry.  The kitchen is packed!  There are narrow passages to maneuver through the room and just enough space for the guys to get some work done.  But it is going more quickly now.  They have spent almost a day and a half working and the lower cabinets against one wall, the island cabinets and some of the upper cabinets have been put in!  It's very exciting to watch things progressing right now. 

Here's the island!!

When we got home from Calypso, I called George the granite guy to let him know the bottom cabinetry was in.  This evening he came to take the templates for the counter tops.  He says he will be installing on Tuesday or Wednesday!!  Amazing!!  Now I'll have to call Nick to put the cooktop in right after that.  Then I'll be back in business!!  YES!!  I'm really impressed with his efficiency!!

Finished Floor (Almost)

Today is (hopefully) the last day that I will need to use this as my refrigerator. 

For the last 2 days, access to the kitchen has been completely off limits.  This includes the stairs to the basement where the fridge is currently living.  So we have been roughing it.  I never thought I would say this, but I'm getting a bit tired of hummus and salad.  Even though I've tried to mix it up the last 2 days by putting it in a wrap...  I'm also sick of sausages.  I could really go for a nice mushroom risotto, or some miso soup.... stuffed pasta shells....vegan pizza!!  I could go on.  This is really the first time since becoming vegan that I feel at all restricted by my diet.  And it's not that I miss eating non-vegan food, it's that I miss the diversity due to a lack of available vegan convenience food. 

The good news is the floor is finished....except for a few holes where we ran out of tiles.  Apparently there is often breakage of the tiles (especially the larger ones) in transit.  BUT they don't allow you to return extra tiles, so you can't order extra just in case.  This I see as a flaw in the system.  It may protect the wholesaler, but it screws the customer.  Now we're stuck waiting for the delivery of more tiles.  Luckily they are supposed to be in later this week and they will be installed on Friday.  As long as that doesn't interfere with the other workers!!

Despite these minor setbacks, the floor is absolutely delicious.  I could stare at it all day long.  The picture really doesn't do it justice because it is still all covered with grout that needs to be washed off.   I can't imagine ever tiring of it.  My recent love affair with travertine has led me to wonder....  What the heck is 'travertine'??  So I did a little research....

Travertine is actually a form of limestone, an intermediary between limestone and marble actually.  It is more porous than marble.  It is formed by the rapid deposition of minerals (calcium carbonate for all you science geeks like me) out of mineral springs, often at the mouth of a hot spring or in a limestone cave.  As such, the sources of travertine in the US include geothermal areas such as in Yellowstone National Park.  Turner Falls is the tallest waterfall in Oklahoma; 77 feet of water cascade over a travertine cave.  But, the US is not a major supplier of travertine.  It is mostly imported from Italy, Iran, Mexico, Turkey and Peru. 

This particular stone was often used as a building material in Italy.  In fact, the Colosseum is the largest building built mostly of travertine.  Sacré Coeur Basillica in Paris is also built largely from travertine.  I can imagine a travertine world tour!!

Given that breakage is common in transit, I was worried about the durability of the stone once it was installed.  But it is said to be quite strong as a flooring; however, proper sealing is important.  Being porous, the stone is susceptible to acids such as vinegar, orange juice and (gasp) wine!!  But once it is sealed it is easy to clean and is considered hygienic!  Sealing is done by painting or rolling on a liquid sealer.  The sealer should be reapplied on a regular basis.  Depending on the wear on the flooring, I have been told that reapplying every 3-5 years is wise.

Fabulous Flooring!!

This week has been tough.  I'm not sure why it was harder than the last two.  Things didn't seem to move as quickly as in the last two weeks, and there was one day when there was no one here working at all.  In the defense of the crew, the reason there was no one here on Tuesday is because the plaster guy came on Saturday morning, and finished up a day early.  The other crew hadn't planned for that and were busy on another project.  I know this is not the only project taking place in the world right now.... but I'm very anxious to see the end of this 'adventure'. 

Alot has been accomplished this week, despite my whining!  The walls are all prepared, painted and ready for the next step.  In this regard I am ahead of schedule, because I hadn't planned to paint until the end.  I'm still working on the spindles on the stairs.  The dreaded spindles which are a pain in the patutie to paint.  I can't even count how many spindles I have painted since moving into this house.  With the deck, the wrap around porch and both the front and back stairs decked out in oodles of spindles.....  I've done my share.  I still need to do one more coat on the railing this weekend, and slap a coat on the wall behind where the fridge will be (I forgot that bit).

The heating coils have been installed and flooded with cement, and today the membrane was laid and about half the tiles have now been installed.  Last night while the cement was drying we were not allowed to set foot in the kitchen at all.  This means we couldn't even get down to the fridge in the basement.  So we went out for dinner.  You'd think that would be a treat, but as far as I am aware, there is only one restaurant in Alexandria that has a vegan meal on the menu.  It is a vegetarian stir fry and it's not bad, but it costs 17$.  So, going out to eat in town, is really not something I look forward to.

That being said....  the floor is going to be stunning.  I absolutely LOVE it.  I'm so glad I went with the travartine instead of the porcelain tile.  Each tile is unique and has a personality all it's own.  To me it is reminiscent of an old world stone floor.  It goes so beautifully with the dark cabinetry and the 'brazil nut' beige walls.  It makes it easier to image how the room will look completed.  And I can just imagine the warm stone under my feet in the cold winter months.  No regrets here!!

Now to figure out what to make for dinner!!

Painting Party!!

Picking paint colours can be challenging.  Especially when you have to imagine what the room will look like with cabinets and a floor and countertops.  I was fortunate to have a sample cabinet door, a piece of the granite I chose and samples of the floor tiles and backsplash.  Beige was the obvious choice, but I was afraid it would be a bit boring with a room full of beige and brown.  So I tried a yellow.  Unfortunately, after bringing home the yellow and painting a sample...  I wasn't quite sure.  So I called in the girls for a second opinion.  The yellow was voted out and I decided to go with...... beige.

I have to recognize my awesome gang of gals that stepped up to help me paint!  The walls were done in no time.  I had the kitchen installation crew do the ceiling, so we were spared that unpleasant task!

Today the ceilings were done, and the floor guys showed up to do some prep work.  Tomorrow they install the heating coils and the self levelling cement.  And Friday Ranger begins the floor tile installation.  This is scheduled to take 4 days. 

I paid a visit to George the granite guy this week to let him know that by sometime next week, he will be able to take the pattern for the counter tops.  He says he needs 4 days between taking the pattern and doing the installation!   This is totally unheard of in the granite world from what I have heard.  Other places take up to 6 weeks to get the counter top installed.  He has slabs of granite stacked outside his workshop, and you can peruse his wares any time of the day or night.  I have wandered through his stacks several times and settled on one particular stone with lots of personality.  It is going to look smashing on the island.

My main concern is getting the granite in asap, since I can't get my stove top put in until that happens.  But it looks like that won't happen for a couple more weeks.  Sigh.  Keep your eyes on the prize.........

On to Week 3.... And Tzatziki!

Here we are in the third week of kitchen renovations.  Things really don't look that different from my post on Thursday, though there has been some progress.  The walls have received their 3 coats of plaster and have been sanded, and are now ready for priming.  The new plumbing for the sinks has been set up.  And this morning at 6 am sharp, the guys from Ranger flooring showed up to remove the old lacklustre linoleum.  Good riddance!!

The plaster guy came out on Saturday morning to put on a coat of plaster, and so he finished ahead of schedule.  This got me very excited and I started counting days and planning for the granite installation.  I was however, a  little premature since apparently Mario cannot return until Wednesday to do the painting, and Ranger is booked until Thursday and cannot begin the floor installation until then.  So....  tomorrow the only plan is for the girls and I to prime the walls. But I'm just realizing that there is no light in the kitchen....  hmmmm.

I spent some time in my make-shift kitchen area today, because, let's face it....  convenience food is making me fat.  I have been consoling myself with veggie burgers and veggie sausages on white bread buns, with a side of potato chips.  This is not a diet that a woman over 18 can sustain for any period of time without having to break out the 'fat pants'. 

A couple weeks ago we picked up some food from my favorite vegan restaurant in Montreal, Aux Vivres.  If you live anywhere near Montreal, you simply must go.  Try the coconut BLT.  And once you've had that, try the gyro pita.  Seitan gyro smothered in the most authentic vegan tzatziki.  I wanted that pita to go on forever.  That tzatziki inspired me to search the Internet for the ultimate vegan tzatziki recipe.  And I found a very good one made with ingredients I happened to have on hand! Here's the recipe:

Vegan Tzatziki Recipe
1 package of firm silken tofu
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp sea salt
Put all this in the food processor and mix until smooth.  Then add:
2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
pepper to taste
Mix again in the food processor then remove to a bowl.
Peel one cucumber, slice in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Then grate it onto several layers of paper towel.  Once it's all grated squeeze the cucumber inside the paper towel to get out as much moisture as you can.  Add it to the tofu mixture and mix.  If you like you can add dill or mint, but I like mine just like that.   mmmmmmm. Creamy, garlicky goodness!! 

Tonight's menu consisted of crock pot vegetable barley soup, and bagette with tzatziki.  A small step up from vegan junk food.  But I have to say it feels good to be trying new recipes again!!

I Have WALLS!!

I'm so freaking excited!  I came home from work today, and all the wallboard was up!  On the ceiling, and all the walls!!!   I was expecting it to take 2 days and they got it all done in one.  That means the plastering can start tomorrow.  YES!! 

This may not sound like a big deal, but when something is finished ahead of schedule, it makes me happy.  I was comparing notes with a work colleague and it got me very excited about the finished project.  When I think about my spice drawers next to the stove, or my baking cabinet over the ovens, the pull out shelves in the pantries, or the knife drawer in the island, I begin to smile.  I can't wait to cook muffins, to make a stir fry on my new gas cook top!!  I dream about loading my very own dish washer, of putting my pots in their new drawer!  It's amazing what a little kitchen deprivation can do to a girl!!

In the meantime, I have been pouring my excess cooking energy into the garden.  Here is a snap of some of my herb planters.....  cilantro, parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and chives.  Fragrantly delicious!!