Wednesday 13 May 2009

Let them eat cake...

We had a little celebration in the 'Suzie Sews Household' a little birthday party.  Which was just the excuse I needed to pull out my favourite table linen and use my brand new muffin tray.  (Bought from the Pampered Chief at a PTA fund raising event).
Now I am not a big fan of gadgets and despite one of my favourite places within my home being my kitchen and I love baking, I actually have very little on the gadget front.  Now do not get me wrong, I guess if I thought about it I could easily go out and buy all sorts of goodies, I particularly lust after the beautiful food mixers that are indeed a piece of art in their appearance alone, oh and Santa if your reading this I would like it in red!!!  But the thing is it costs £300.00 and I use a hand blender that I bought many years ago and cost under £20.00.  It takes up less space so means I have more space for my ever increasing obsession with plates and crockery.
No, my kitchen is no show kitchen, it is the heart of my family, its the place we start the day and its the place most of our family time takes place in.  Its busy, its messy, usually noisy and quite frankly could be a lot cleaner.  The kitchen table is the centre of the kitchen, it is always cluttered with my latest knitting or sewing project, papers to sort through, the children's homework, a glass of wine in the evening, and of course we also eat at it.  Yes the table to me is more important than the gadgets I could have. My table itself has history as does the miss matching chairs, there is love, tears, joy and sadness polished into the wood of the everyday trails and tribulations of family life.  Shiny and new it is not!
But saying all of this I was particularly excited about my NEW muffin tray, I fell for all the talk of perfectly cooked moist cakes and the perfect Yorkshire puddings.  SO I thought I would have a play and I was not disappointed.  Later that evening we sung Happy Birthday before eager hands reached out for cakes...
Yes my kitchen is a welcoming place, as long as you like the 'homely' look.  Minimalist and designer are not words used to describe any place within my home.  Sometimes I lust after a simpler less cluttered area, that was easy to clean, but then I know my lifestyle would have to be different.  Personally when my children come home from school and they walk through the door, the smell of baking greets them and they squeal 'Mmmmmmmm Mommy's been baking' and they rush to the kitchen to see what after school snack awaits them, I smile, surly this is better than having a clean, tidy and trendy home, well almost!


Show and tell next, I have been busy...

16 comments:

Kitty said...

My kitchen is just the same Suzie - I often wonder how others can keep their kitchen table so clear and tidy!

Today I baked shortbread biscuits, vanilla cupcakes and a big bread & butter pudding. The smell when we got in was - even if I say so myself - delicious.

Happy birthday to your boys - I know it's late, but happy birthday anyway.

x

April said...

the kitchen is the heart of the home!

My table is always a mess too

April xx

Sarah said...

Oh I think mess definitely means you spent time on the important things :o) Yum yum yum!

Locket Pocket said...

I'm all in favour of mess! As Sarah says - it shows that more important things have been done instead!

I just wish I could get myself organised enough to do lots of baking for the children - although then I'd want to eat it! I'm lucky because Dorothy likes to cook - I just need to get the kitchen tidy enough so there's some space for her to work!

Lucy x

dottycookie said...

Sounds yummy! I love to bake for my little ones too, especially for lunchboxes. I like the thought that when they open them up they get a little reminder that I'm thinking about them!

Sal said...

When my children were young,they frequently came home from school to good old fashioned home baking goodies.
I do miss those times ;-)

julia said...

Exactly how a kitchen should be. Children will not remember how tidy a house was but they will remember the laughter, tears and home baked cakes.
julia
ps, you can't even see our table!!

periwinkle said...

Julia couldn't have phrased it better - something I must remember ..
lisa x

Thimbleanna said...

A wonderful post Suzie! Your kitchen sounds like the kind of wonderful place that children WANT to be after school. Especially with those delicious goodies!

Unknown said...

The kitchen should be the heart of the home - don't change yours Suzie, it obviously hits the spot with your family and when they grow up they will remember it with fond affection rather than forgetting some chill stainless steel confection

Anonymous said...

I adore those little cakes! xxx

Linda said...

I have a small kitchen with no room for a table but I'd love one with an armchair too! I'd live in there!
Happy belated birthday from me!

Jacoline said...

The kitchen is the best Place we have. It is still not done but I like it like it is. I don't need a flash kitchen but a homely place is mutch better.
Great baking!!! And happy Birthday XXX

Caroline said...

I agree 100% and can almost smell those cakes. My own best childhood memories involve the sound of my Mum's Kenwood mixer, the smell of the baking and standing on a small chair so I could be big enough to see (help?) with what was going on. I too hope to give my children those memories, as I know you are doing too. xxx

Anonymous said...

My mum sometimes used to let me lick the mixing bowl, man how good was that? There was always something baking.

I miss those days....

tea time and roses said...

Hello Suzie!

It all looks so delicious and I know the children had a ball! You and your sweet family enjoy a beautiful weekend.

Smiles...

Beverly