Kitchen progress

First - any idea what this is?

 Or indeed, this?

Yup. One beautiful and cool and (halleluja) working tap.

For some reason you all showed interest in my kitchen so I thought I'd give you an update. (Boy are you going to regret that interest - there is a whole house to go yet!
Thanks to the builder falling off someone elses roof,** the kitchen is stil missing vital components like a floor and a windowsill and textiles and butternut squash*. But thanks to said builder orgainsing subcontractor joiners from his hospital bed, it is functional and I have been enjoying using it.I love the island.


Here are some photos.

I love my pull out thingies too - there are others hidden around the place. This hidden bin was a last minute addition. It is where the radiator should have been. Only the electrcian suggested a plinth heater whch was a stroke of genuis. Assuming when it is connected it works. It will of course all look much better when decorated. And the careful measuring to ensure the island fitted in and all the doors still opened was time well spent as it all works a treat. The island has three drawers on the sink side and is my baking station.

Of course when moving in we had to decide where everythng went. I like to think my decisions were logical. And Dennis was right there when everythng was put away.
So, can he put things back where they belong? No, he cannot. So, when looking for the missing item I have to consider where his brain might have put it. The tea strainer was not in its drawer tonight. That would be the drawer nearest the kettle and the mugs. The one with the teaspoons also in it. The one beneath the teapot.  I eventually found it and kindly, wthout even the hint of an irritated hissy fit, wrapped my request that he please put things back where they belong, by presenting him with  a ready made excuse. "I found it in the baking station. I can understand that it looks like a sieve so you put it with the flour sieves in the baking drawer, but it isn't a sieve its a tea strainer and I only used it that once to dust incing sugar on your mince pies becuase we hadn't unpacked the icing sugar shaker, so it goes with the tea making equipment. But at least you had some logic to where you put it."
He looks amazed.
"Thats not true but is really complimentary. I'd never be able to think all that."


* Dennis spotted  a receipe for butternut squash and wensleydale risotto and requested it for our first meal cooked on a hob in weeks. So off we went to the supermarket to do a  two trolley shop having not had any cupboards to store food in for weeks. Did we remember to buy a squash? No we did not. Does it work if you substitute a pumpkin? No it does not. Well, it might if said pumpkin was not one you bought in September and just rediscovered when moving into your new kitchen. However, I can confirm that frozen peas and corn go well with cheese in a risotto!

** The builder is fine but has a badly broken foot now in a cast and attached to his leg with metal plates. He says he can put screws in straighter than the surgeon can. He is anxious to return to work and plans to come in his wheel chair to supervise his team, but not until later this week as his cousin has died and the funeral is soon. I have told hin to stay away until the third of his'things happen in threes' is over.