27 November 2007

The kitchen

There is no kitchen here, no floor either. These vital parts of our home should have been installed last Monday and Tuesday but the kitchen is still echoing when sound bounces off bare walls and the cement slab. Nothing has been done.

The workers arrived last Monday, ripped up the old floor and discovered water under it. Work stopped while we had a dehumidifier dry out the slab. The slab dried and the workers returned on Thursday to lay the
floor. Worked stopped immediately when they discovered the new floor boards were too big to fit into the ones still on our lounge room floor. They contacted the insurance assessor and were told to wait until the insurance company gave approval to have the entire floor done. We got that approval late yesterday. Now we have to try to fit into the schedules of both the floor and kitchen people. We also have to move everything out of the lounge room, which includes moving my computer. Sigh.


It's been an interesting week. Hanno has set up a makeshift kitchen for me where we have a pottery crock full of filtered water, a camp stove, electric frypan, toaster, electric kettle and a bucket. The microwave and fridge are in the lounge room, I'm washing my hands and washing up in the laundry, all the non-refrigerated food is in one of the bedrooms. We've been eating bread from the baker but I've made our other meals here, apart from a cheap vegetarian pizza last Tuesday.

Above is a potato pancake (Kartoffelpuffer) that we had the other night.

Kartoffelpuffer - enough for three people, or one person and a Hanno ; )

Grate (on a cheese grater) six med - large potatoes and finely chop two medium onions. Mix these together in a large bowl and add two eggs, salt and pepper and four tablespoons self raising flour (or plain or all purpose flour with a teaspoon of baking powder) .

Cook in a fairly hot frying pan in olive oil until golden brown. You can make several small circle ones or fill the whole pan then cut wedges to serve. It's delicious served with a salad.

This has shown me how much we rely on the modern conveniences we all have in our homes. I used to think we'd gone back to basics, but we haven't. We're just playing at it. I've been working on my quilt during the past week and that's been a gift. It's allowed me to stay calm and relaxed, except at those times we were told of each delay. Then I let Hanno and the insurance man have it. LOL But overall it's just been a process of working through each day and not focusing on the negative. There are positives here too. I've been able to reorganise my kitchen to how I work now and when it goes back in, although it will look similar, it will be a better place in which to work.

There is no doubt that this has been a big upheaval, but every day, bit by bit, I've been working in my home as I usually do. Tea is still
being taken on the front verandah most mornings, we eat well every night, we are still happy and smiling, and I know that I have little to complain about.
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14 comments

  1. We call those Mock Fish! I make them without the flour, but I think I'll try them with flour next time. They'd go a lot further.

    I feel for you with the kitchen the way it is. We lived like that for about a month when we were renovating. Camping out in the house. Don't worry... this too shall pass....

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  2. I hope they get your kitchen back together soon.

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  3. oh yum I love potato pancakes or latkes as we sometimes call them. I now have to make them! Your recipe sounds very good, I'll give it a try.

    Did you see my post about Bounte Teller? I know I am spelling that wrong and wonder if you or Hanno know the correct spelling, it is German for Colorful Plate.

    As far as the kitchen goes, or lack thereof, just think how wonderful it will be when it's all done and you're baking bread and enjoying your new space and back to your routine!

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  4. Rhonda,

    Just wanted you to know I am thinking of you:) It won't be long and you will be showing us pictures of your beautiful "new" kitchen.

    Renee

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  5. Hi Rhonda Jean,
    Thanks for stopping by.
    I too ,find when I think we have it down to the basics , I find we don't . We are still working on it.
    The pot. pancake looks yummy. I admire you cooking with no kitchen, so many would have gone out to eat and not try to make a make shift kitchen. We live in the country (altho its building up too fast out here) if we have a big snow there's no driving out, we have to stay stocked and ready for a winter's snow storm.
    I enjoy your post so much.Thanks for taking time to write.;o)
    Blessins', Lib

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  6. My Nanna always made them and she called them "Birds Nests". Thank you for bringing back a fond memory. Maybe I will make some this week!

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  7. Hi Rhonda Jean

    Thanks for that recipe - I love Kartoffelpuffer but have never made them, strictly something I've enjoyed at Christmas Markets in Germany before but I reckon homemade ones must be even better. Is your hubby German? Sorry for being so nosy, just love Germany so much that I'm always interested in any connection to it.

    Niki: bunte Teller would be colourful plate. I can't remember the gender for "Teller" at the moment so not sure if "bunte" should be "bunter" or something else instead. Grammar, it's always my downfall!

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  8. Yum, Mmmm, I am hungry and that looks really good.
    So sorry for the delay in your kitchen project. My mother is in a similar dilemma. Then men that are replacing her kitchen floor were supposed to have come last week and have not come yet. Her dry goods are in her spare room and she is finding it less amusing now to have to retrieve them from there. But, at least she has an intact kitchen.
    I'm sure your finished project will be worth it, in the end.
    Blessings,
    Becky K.

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  9. Yum -- to your photo of food! That looks quite satisfying.

    Good for you for looking on the positives too...

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  10. Rhonda, I'm sorry for the delay in your renovation. Glad to know you're coping well, though ;) that potato pancake looks delicious, we use a similar recipe.

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  11. I made this for dinner tonight - it was so delicious we had seconds!

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  12. hello everyone, I hope you all enjoy Kartoffelpuffer if you make them.

    Moonwaves, I am married to a Geman man. We married in Hamburg and our first son was born there. Hanno says that is it is "der Teller", so the plate is masculine.

    Hello beths, thanks for the feedback.

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  13. I made this the other night too! You picture looked so delicious!

    My mom used to make these when I was young...though if memory serves me correctly she ground the raw potato up in an old meat grinder we had rather than grated it. Nonetheless, the taste took me back to those times :-)

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  14. Thank you for sharing your recipe for the Kartoffelpuffers! They look delicious! I have been reading your blog for a while and enjoy you and your outlook on life very much. I linked your blog from mine, I hope you don't mind. Thank you again for sharing...and I LOVE your new kitchen. Very cute. Can't wait to see it all finished up!

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