Monday 20 July 2015

In my kitchen :: vintage finds, re-claimed wood shelves and making the first spelt bread




When we first saw the house there was an old wooden bench fitted in the store room. It was covered in powder coated treasures and had a big old rusty vice attached. The wood had once been green, then rust colour and was now washed out grey but you could still see the mottled colours, like age spots on old hands. I loved it and asked the builders not to throw it away. So they carefully removed each of the planks that made up the bench. 

We stored them in the garden, protected from the rain. So many times someone would attempt to throw them away and I'd rescue them again. They couldn't hear the story that those old planks told...Maybe just to me and Ahmad...Although I think that sometimes, even he doubted whether they were worth keeping. 

The bones of the kitchen have been finished for a while and now we're trying to make it feel like ours. I finally persuaded Ahmad to fit some shelves from the re-claimed wood. 

First he gave the planks a good wash. Then he cut a piece to size and sanded all the edges and fitted a dinky little one over the old stainless steel school kitchen table, also rescued...this time by him from being dumped into a rubbish skip at school. We manage to find some old brackets here that had once held a small wash basin. They worked perfectly.

I'm so happy with it. It's the best place to keep mugs and cups and bargain charity shop vintage finds.  Like another 1950's Inger Waage Norweigan piece, this time a gorgeous lidded casserole dish (I made retro coq au vin supper just so I could use it) and my gorgeous Finnish fish pot by Kaj Franck. I've been looking for some of his dishes for ages. It cost me just £3! I've seen them on Etsy for at least £50 but don't think that I could bare to part with it. 

Then Ahmad made a double shelf. This time for high up, over the kitchen window using more old sink brackets and he placed the wooden panels, side by side. It's great for those things we don't use every day. 

At last I made the first bread this year using this recipe it's so simple that you don't even have to knead it. It's very more-ish and so easy to make, you might like to have a go too.

Simple spelt loaves

Ingredients for two small loaves:

  • 500g/1lb 2oz organic spelt flour
  • A tspn of sea salt
  • A tbsp of dried yeast 
  • 500ml/17 fluid ounces warm water
  • A spoonful of runny honey
  • A little olive oil
You may  like to add some seeds like here or as I did this time fresh rosemary and thyme. 

Method:
  1. Oil a baking tray
  2. Put all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. 
  3. Add all the wet ingredients and mix well. Form into a ball and divide it roughly into two.
  4. Form each half into a rough loaf shape. Place on the baking tray and cover with a clean, damp tea towel and leave in a warm place until they have doubled in size. This should take about half an hour. Towards the end of this time, pre-heat the oven to 200c/400f/Gas Mark 6.
  5. You may like to sprinkle a few more seeds or sprigs of herbs on top if using and brush with a little more olive oil.
  6. Place into the oven and bake for about thirty minutes until golden brown and cooked through. 
...That's a bit of what's happening in my kitchen...

I wonder what's going on in yours...
dx

15 comments:

  1. Love, love, love the shelves! Isn't it nice to have a handy husband? Everything looks so lovely and colorful. Brimming with good health! Your garden is gorgeous too. Everything looks so neat and tidy. I'll try not to be too envious. If it ever cools down, I have a good week's worth of weeding. Crabgrass loves heat and humidity. Enjoy your week in your pretty home!

    Jane

    PS: Very handsome husband!

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    1. Oh thank you Jane. I think some people think that we are a bit crazy using the old wood without sanding it down and re-painting it. But we just love the way it looks too...it's nice to find a kindred spirit with a love for old things. I don't think the garden will stay that way for long. Most of it (the bit that you can see) is quite new so still manageable...I'm sure that it will soon get wild and woolly...
      Oh i've just spotted your PS...I'll tell him what you said. I'm lucky cos he's a lovely person...
      Happy weeding...I hope there aren't too many.
      debx

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  2. Oh, your house, your kitchen...I am simply in love with it! The shelves are perfect! What a great use of those lovely old boards! So glad you rescued them ( I do remember you mentioning how you had to protect them from being tossed.

    The spelt bread recipe looks wonderful, but I must ask about the butternut squash...it looks delicious.

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    1. Ah thanks Emily. I'm so glad that we managed to use them in the end. I had all sorts of plans for a table or desk but these are so useful I'm glad that we decided on shelves in the end.
      I will write the squash recipe for you in the next blog post. Take care.
      debx

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  3. The shelves look great and what bargains you have found. Please do share the butternut squash recipe.

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    1. Thank you. The dishes were an amazing find. We'd gone to London for a couple of days to catch up with friends and to stock up on some Persian foods that we can't find here. I hadn't planned any other kind of shopping but just half an hour before they closed did a quick check of the charity shops close by and couldn't believe my luck at spotting both things.
      I hope that you are as lucky,
      dx

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    2. ps...I will share the recipe in my next blog post.
      x

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  4. hello debby,
    i love,love the shelves in your kitchen.i think they looks perfect in your lovely kitchen.compliment to your husband. lovely bargains have you found.the food looks delicious. thanks for the recipe for the spelt bread. i wish i could sit with you in your cosy kitchen.
    have a nice week,
    hugs regina

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    1. Hi Regina. Thank you. I'm really pleased with them. I'll pass on your compliments to Ahmad...he did a good job. I would love to catch up in the kitchen. That would be so good.
      Hope your week is good too.
      Debx

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  5. those shelves are PERFECT! wouldn't you love to hear the stories they could tell? and treasures galore....
    your kitchen produces much MUCH better meals than mine does....something to do with the cook, I suppose!! :) thanks for the inspiration.

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    1. We found some spare parts of old clocks in the attic and so think that they may have been part of a clockmakers workshop in the store room at some point. I imagine a kind of Geppetto character working on them. I'm sure that your kitchen produce is just as good if not better Steph. Simple is my mantra at the moment. The easier the better.
      Take care,
      debx

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  6. lovely!! I need to get back to the basics in my house, I loved seeing your kitchen and your garden, so beautiful and relaxing :)

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    1. I think that with so many exciting things going on in your world at the moment housework and cooking must seem very mundane. I think it's to do with the time of year too. Once it gets to autumn you can't drag me away from the kitchen and home.
      Happy days,
      debx

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  7. How beautiful! It's been so fun to see your dream house coming together.

    We aren't in the dream house now, but just got a hand-made table from my brother. I've always wanted one of his tables, so now I guess I'll have to find a house to go along with it one day!

    Be well,
    erin

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    1. Thank you Erin. We are getting there bit by bit. How lovely to have something made by your brother. My grandfather used to make furniture and I remember pieces that he'd made but sadly I'm not sure what happened to them all. I'm sure that you will treasure yours and one day it will be a family heirloom. I'm sure that you'll get the house too, one day.
      Take care,
      debx

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