Chicken Pot Pie

Best Chicken Pot Pie. Period.

I have made and eaten several varieties of chicken pot pies. But none other, homemade, frozen or restaurant can beat this one! Seriously, it's the best!

Leftover Chicken Pot Pie
adapted from Pioneer Woman 
 

1 pie crust. I use the Pillsbury, pre-made roll out kind. But homemade is always best **see biscuit note
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
1/2 cup finely diced celery
2 cups leftover chicken OR turkey, light and dark, diced or shredded (or both!)

**I buy a rotisserie chicken from Costco (bcse they are huge) eat it one night for dinner and use the leftover meat for this meal! I've also added a bit of canned chicken when I did not have enough rotisserie.
1/4 cup flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
splash of white wine (optional....but SO GOOD)
1 cup heavy cream
Frozen peas (optional)
Fresh thyme, chopped
Fresh Parsley, chopped (modified from PW)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt butter in a skillet or dutch oven. Add onion, carrots, and celery, and cook until translucent (a couple of minutes.)
Add turkey and stir. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir. Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour in chicken or turkey broth, stirring constantly. Splash in wine (you can leave this out if you’d like.) Pour in cream. (May add frozen peas at this point if you’d like.)
Bring to a slow boil and allow mixture to cook and thicken for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not underseason), and fresh or dried thyme to taste. Do one final taste at the end and add what it needs.
Pour mixture into a casserole dish or deep pie pan.
Roll out crust so that it’s about 1 inch larger than the pan you’re using.
Place the crust on top of the pot pie mixture, and press crust into the sides of the dish. Cut vents in the top of the crust.

**OR, as seen in the photos, if you don't have time to make a crust, use biscuits. Bake in oven for 15-20 (depending on how long your biscuits normally take to bake) minutes then add pre-made biscuits on top and bake for the remaining 15 minutes, or however long it takes for pie to bubble and biscuits to get golden brown.

Bake on a cookie sheet because it will bubble over for 30 minutes or until very golden and bubbly.
Allow to cool for a little bit before serving.
Serve with a large spoon.

This is a great freezer recipe as well! Just prepare until you get to the baking part. Put the raw crust on. Cover with saran wrap and foil. When you are ready to bake, you can thaw it out overnight and bake as usual for 30 minutes. OR bake it frozen until done in the center and bubbly. Probably around 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

Enjoy!

Super Bowl Party

Green and gold cupcake liners for the Green Bay Packers. Go cheeseheads!

I'm not really a football fan at all, except for my alma mater. But I do love to have people over for food and fun!

I had seen this on Ohdeedoh a while back and thought it was a practical way to explain a buffet style dinner. In this case, we had a nacho bar. Cover and label your table with brown paper tablecloth!

It's simple, inexpensive and festive. Cover your table with brown paper (in this case, I used postal paper, you could also recycle paper sacks) and then you can write directly on it! No need for food labels or explanations. You can even write the instructions on the paper, like "Cook in the microwave" with an arrow pointing in the direction of the microwave. You can see a corner of it on the bottom photo. Even kids can figure it out!

The kids table.

Israeli Couscous and Maple Bourbon Salmon

Salmon and Israeli Couscous


This duo of salmon and Israeli couscous is always a favorite of mine. I first fell in love with Israeli couscous in 2007. After my husband graduated with his undergraduate degree his parents treated us to the nicest restaurant in the county. I had this delicious chicken with a rich white sauce served with Israeli couscous dish. I asked Tyler to imitate it in seafood form for my birthday last year. Here is a photo of that. The coral, salmon, ivory and green colors alone make me swoon!


We tried the couscous again but with salmon a few months ago. I apologize for the lack of quality in the photo (pictured first). I am guilty of not wanting to stop eating to take a picture because it was just too good!

If you cannot find Israeli Couscous in your local grocery store (Look for the larger pearled couscous, they're about the size of a small pea) then check your International or Asian Markets. It cost me about $5 for about 1/2 quart. Also, our Costco just starting selling a delicious pre-made version. And it was nearly as good as this homemade recipe.

For this perfect combination we made this Cooks Illustrated salmon recipe and Giada De Laurentiis' version of couscous.

Israeli Couscous with Apples, Cranberries and Herbs
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, via Food Network

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

Couscous:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups Israeli couscous (or barley or orzo)
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 medium green apple, diced
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted, see Cook's Note

Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

For the couscous: In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the couscous and cook, stirring occasionally until slightly browned and aromatic, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to12 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the cooked couscous to a large bowl and set aside to cool. Add the parsley, rosemary, thyme, apple, dried cranberries, and almonds.

For the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until smooth. Pour the vinaigrette over the couscous and toss to coat evenly.

Cook's Note: To toast the almonds, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before using.

Poached Salmon with Bourbon and Maple

Serves 4

If skinless salmon is unavailable, follow the recipe as directed with skin-on fillets, adding 3 to 4 minutes to the cooking time in step 2. Remove the skin after cooking (see information below). This recipe will yield salmon fillets that are cooked to medium. If you prefer your salmon rare (translucent in the center), reduce the cooking time by 2 minutes or cook until the salmon registers 110 degrees in the thickest part. Because the cooking time will vary according to the thickness of the salmon, the most accurate way to assess doneness is with an instant-read thermometer.

Ingredients

1	lemon
2	tablespoons bourbon or brandy
3	tablespoons maple syrup
2	tablespoons whole grain mustard
1	tablespoon cider vinegar
1	medium shallot , sliced thin (about 3 tablespoons)
3/4	cup water
4	center-cut skinless salmon fillets , 6 to 8 ounces each
1	tablespoon unsalted butter
1	tablespoon chopped chives

Instructions

1. 1. Cut top and bottom off lemon; cut into eight to ten 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange lemon slices in single layer across bottom of 12-inch skillet. Whisk bourbon, maple syrup, mustard, vinegar, and shallot together in small bowl. Add bourbon mixture and water to skillet.

2. 2. Place salmon fillets in skillet, skinned-side down, on top of lemon slices (to prevent salmon from coming into direct contact with bottom of pan). Set pan over high heat and bring liquid to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until center of thickest part of fillet is still translucent when cut into with paring knife, 11 to 16 minutes (or until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of fillet registers 125 degrees). Remove pan from heat and, using spatula, carefully transfer salmon and lemon slices to paper towel-lined plate and tent loosely with foil.

3. 3. Return pan to high heat and simmer cooking liquid until slightly thickened and reduced to 2 tablespoons, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat; whisk in butter and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
   

4. 4. Season salmon lightly with salt and pepper. Using spatula, carefully tilt salmon fillets to remove lemon slices. Place salmon on serving platter or individual plates; spoon sauce over top and serve.
   

Technique

Removing Skin from Salmon

• If you can only find skin-on fillets, removing the skin is simple. Transfer the cooked fillet to a paper towel-lined plate and allow it to cool slightly. Gently slide a thin, wide spatula between the flesh and skin and use the fingers of your free hand to help separate the skin. It should peel off easily and in one piece.

Technique

Benefits of Belly Fat

A center-cut salmon fillet typically tapers down on one side to the fattier belly of the fish. The belly’s fattiness helps keep this section of the fish moist, despite its thinner profile. The belly area is sometimes covered with a chewy white membrane, which should be trimmed away before cooking. We also like to neaten up any ragged edges that can dry out and fray during cooking.

• From left to right, meaty center, belly area, white membrane, and ragged edges.

Technique

A Fish (Almost) Out of Water

• STANDARD POACH
  The classic poaching method calls for submerging salmon completely in liquid in a deep pan, which causes flavor to leach out and leads to dry, flavorless fish.
• SHALLOW POACH
  In our method, small amounts of liquid allow the salmon to cook at a lower temperature, preserving flavor. Lemon slices under the fillets keep their bottoms from overcooking.

Are we there yet?

Do you have those happy memories of long road trips crammed into a stuffy and squishy car with your parents and siblings? The endless thoughts of when it'll end? The constant bickering? The monotonous cassette tapes playing over and over again? (boy, does that date me) No leg space? Etc, etc? or even the fun memories of playing Zip (the first person who sees the green mile marker sign) or displaying signs that said things, "Do you have any grey poupon?" and flashing them at the passing cars?

I've been on countless road trips, mostly between the desert and mountainous roads between Utah and Colorado. It's roughly an 7 1/2 hour trip. But with small children it always takes longer. There are several good dinosaur museums likes this one and this one to stop at. But what about in between?

This last holiday season as we drove to Denver I was a little more prepared. In addition to the plethora of snacks, the personal, over the seat DVD players, I also bought some travel games. There are tons of tutorials that you can find online to make for a lot less money but I opted for a longer lasting version. And these will be used only for road trips. I purchased 3 Melissa and Doug games for my 2 oldest kids, ages 6 and 4.
I bought the Bingo, Memory and this Magnetic pattern block set from Kohls.com and Amazon. Who doesn't love Melissa and Doug? I bought these specifically because the pieces won't get lost (though the pattern block set did end up all over the bottom of the car).





But even after all these other entertainments wear off, they still ask, "Are we there yet?" So my husband and I realized a map was in order. Luckily, he came with me on this trip. So as he drove, I was able to make this



A felt, hand-sewn travel map. This is the Colorado state side. It took me nearly the whole 8 hours to make. A perfect craft to complete in the car! The only tools required are felt, of many colors, a needle and thread and some sharp scissors! I hand cut and hand sewed each piece on in sequential order. Starting with the state line all the way to Grandma and Papa's house.

I already cut out the Utah pieces out so I am nearly done with the whole project. Eventually I'd like to bind it to some stiff interfacing and loop some ribbon through two side holes to create a little lap book. We're trekking back out there in April so I will probably finish it then.

The little white squares represent the path. For Utah's map I will use little velcro pieces instead of felt so that the little car can drive along. I made a little car with our faces in it (which I can't seem to find at the moment).

So each time they ask, "When are we at Papa's house?" we'll direct them to the map, "We're going through Vail pass, or (translation) the two tallest mountains, before the longest tunnel."

What would your map look like?

Recipe of the Week

Fluffy Cinnamon covered Muffins

Recipe taken from Cooks Illustrated.

Makes 2 dozen regular sized muffins.

Remember, if you're short on time, you can melt the butter, mix it with the eggs, and stir it into the dry ingredients. When thoroughly mixed, beat in the yogurt and proceed with the recipe.

To cinnamon-coat muffin tops, dip warm muffins in 1 1/2-2 cups melted butter, then in mixture of one-half cup granulated sugar and two teaspoons cinnamon.

Ingredients

3	cups flour
1	Tablespoon baking powder
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	teaspoon salt
10	tablespoons unsalted butter softened
1	cup granulated sugar , less 1 tablespoon
2	large eggs
1 1/2	cups plain low-fat yogurt
	Vegetable cooking spray or additional unsalted butter for muffin tins

Instructions

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.
2. 2. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in one-half of dry ingredients. Beat in one-third of yogurt. Beat in remaining dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with yogurt, until incorporated.
3. 3. Spray twelve-cup muffin tin with vegetable cooking spray or coat lightly with butter. Use large ice cream scoop to divide batter evenly among cups. Bake until muffins are golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Set on wire rack to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and serve warm.

Filling the Muffin Tin

1. For clean dispensing and uniform size, use an ice-cream scoop to fill muffin tins.

2. When baking less than a full tin, fill empty compartments with water to ensure that heat is evenly conducted.

Repurposed dream Play Kitchen--ABRIDGED

With
-- 2 weeks of full time work (not including accessorizing)
-- $100 budget
--A lot of love and hard work

I turned this baby changing table---


Into this--
This is the non-detailed version of the transformed dream kitchen. To view the very long and detailed transformation to create your own, please visit this original link.

A play kitchenette complete with stainless steel fridge! It was a birthday gift for my daughter. You can see her complete baking party here.

I couldn't afford a Pottery Barn version and wanted something made of wood and not plastic. Using the following blogs for inspiration I carried out my own dream. Thank you all for sharing your ideas!

The biggest inspiration. This kitchen is beautiful. You've probably already seen it from Crafting Chicks.

This is another beautiful vintage inspired kitchen. Beautiful photos and craftsmanship.

If you're on a smaller budget or space, these other examples are darling and very nicely done as well!

http://ahappynest.typepad.com/a-happy-nest/2010/01/theas-play-kitchen.html

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/inspiration/carries-sunny-yellow-kitcheninspiration-108924

http://craftbynight.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/sophies-kitchen/

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/how-to/how-to-build-a-play-kitchen-from-ikea-components-066719

http://www.flickr.com/groups/playkitchens/pool/

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/inspiration/haleys-homemade-play-kitchen-068247

Here are some photos to show the process and transformation.


I measured, and measured, and measured some more, and envisioned and sketched and sat in front of the piece of furniture for what seemed like HOURS, day after day! Until I had the final design in my head and could go and purchase more wood and make cuts.



The long awaited finished product!

Now, the nitty gritty. The $. Dream Kitchen Total Cost breakdown
Changing Table:	$25
Wood:
1/4" 4x4 Birch	$11.56
1/2" 2x4 Oak	$12.80
Wood from existing cabinet	FREE
Paint:
Leftover kitchen paint	FREE
Acrylic craft paint	FREE
Paint roller	$5.57
Primer	$6.29
Hardware & Accessories:
Screws, 2 sizes	$6.12
3 Ikea Handles	$9
Plexi glass, 8"x10"	$1.60
Magnetic Catch	$0.85
2 Hinges, 2"	$1.82
Plastic containers, repurposed	FREE
curtain dowel	$1.08
Porcelain knobs	FREE
Fridge screws	$1
Steel flashing	FREE
Potted flower	$1
Dish towel	$1
Fabric	$10
Sink	$1
Faucet, letter J	$1.50
Burners	$3
TOTAL: $100

Happy creating! Send me links to your kitchenettes when you're finished! I hope these ideas help fire the ideas in your own mind!

Again, if you'd like to see the description of how it came together, see the post below!

Featured on:

Best of 2011 Ohdeedoh Kitchens

Linked to:

Baby changing table transormation into Play Kitchen--unabridged

About one year ago I came across the blog "Out of the Crayon Box". This amazing woman repurposes old furniture into play kitchens and donates them to charity. She does this under a seriously small budget and re-uses already existing materials as much as possible. Very eco-friendly. You can visit her 6 week detailed instructions here. She jump started my motivation and year long project to complete one of my own, er, my daughters.

With
-- 2 weeks of full time work (not including accessorizing)
-- $100 budget
--A lot of love and hard work

I turned this baby changing table---


Into this--
A play kitchenette complete with stainless steel fridge! It was a birthday gift for my daughter. You can see her complete baking party here.

I couldn't afford a Pottery Barn version and wanted something made of wood and not plastic. I also liked the idea of using an existing piece of furniture and making it better! So ideas flowed and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this project. Asked if I would do it again? Yes I would! It is a project that I am very proud of, like giving birth to a child! Okay, maybe not quite that dramatic but pretty close.

Here are the long and unabbreviated details of this transformation! I hope it helps inspire and motivates you build your own dream kitchenette!

Here I am, in my lovely of attire, modeling the proper way to use a jigsaw. Lol. It was my first time using one. My husband was very adamant that I learn how to do everything myself. Although, I DID ask that he cut the boards that Lowes would not (bcse they normally will if you buy their wood but the guy working there was sort of a flake plus he was going to charge me extra per cut). I HATE saws. They freak me out, especially after taking my Theater tech class in college and hearing all the horror stories of lost fingers, etc. After he cut the wood everything else was all up to me.


Here are the bones. It was a pretty solid piece of furniture to begin with. The previous owners took good care of it. However, it was made of particle board which I hope I will not regret later on. I did reinforce it with stronger wood. I want this piece to last until I have grandkids to play with it!
I measured, and measured, and measured some more, and envisioned and sketched and sat in front of the piece of furniture for what seemed like HOURS, day after day! Until I had the final design in my head and could go and purchase more wood and make cuts.

First, I took out the drawer. Removed the hardware (and should have kept it!) Keep all hardware. You never know when you might need it in another project.

Then I took off the top shelf (where the baby would normally lay down to be changed). The existing shelves in the closet and main unit were the kind that rested on little tabs. So those were easy to remove. Standard height for a play kitchen is about 25" off the ground. So I marked where I wanted the counter to rest. I kept the existing side wall and realized I could create a backsplash around the back to match that height. The original backing to this piece was just that lousy cardboard so I bought some pine and used that for the new back.

I cut a hole into the top for the sink and sanded down the sides. I simply bought a cake pan from the $1 store to use for a sink. I liked that it was shallow because 1) the kids will learn how quickly dishes can pile up. haha. 2) I didn't want it to hang down too low and take away space from the shelf below.
At first I thought about using the original drawer as the oven, like in the "crayon box" tutorial. However, I thought it would look really funny to have such a long and squaty oven so I opted for a more challenging way. I had to build a middle shelf to create an oven for one side and a curtained storage shelf on the opposite.

The fridge needed more shelves so I used the original existing shelf from the main body of the furniture to cut into two more pieces to create two more shelves. Then I had to buy one more piece of wood to create the inner shelves and oven door. HINT: You can always look in the scratch and dent section of your hardware store to find smaller or miscut pieces to save money.
Insde the fridge. I had my husband cut little strips of wood to use as stabilizers for each shelf for extra support. I screwed each one into the side of each wall. I then screwed each shelf into that. I also want to mention this. You can see the little bit of gap between the shelf and the wall? We had to fill that in with caulk just make it more secure.

After I cut and screwed everything together I sanded (because it is laminate), primed (kilz brand) then painted. Just one quart of primer was enough. Then I painted 1 1/2 coats (I'm not the best painter) of semi-gloss (important if you want a more washable friendly surface) paint that we already had from painting our kitchen. It's Kwal paint so it gives excellent coverage. The dude at the paint store suggested I didn't top coat it with polyurethane for safety of children and because it can add a yellowish topcoat, especially with my lack of painting skills. And it's one less step for me! After I primed it all, I caulked those cracks, just to make it a bit smoother. I also reinforced any loose spots from the existing changing table with screws, just to make it more sturdy. I tried caulking over the screws...but I'm not the best "caulker" and it looks a bit bumpy in the end. Just a minor imperfection not worth my time to repair :)

Here are the details.

The fridge. I debated putting anything on the door at all or to just leave it plain. I looked at sheet metal and roofing supplies at Lowe's and they cost about $15. But I didn't have to create a stainless steel look! Crud, I've never owned one myself! But in addition to the cost, I'd have to cut it myself. Which is scary. Cutting metal makes me cringe. Plus it would have those raw edges that can easily scratch little fingers. And finally, I was already going over budget as it was. (I wanted to keep it under $50....)

A cookie sheet could have worked as well but not given the same look. So I was going to settle with a plain door until I was looking in the treasure trove that is my our basement (ie, the storage area for lost goods that belong to my grandma next door), and I found this perfectly sized piece of metal! Heavy duty stuff and magnetic! And no need to cut it! It was a perfect fit! I just had to buy special screws (because, believe me, I tried nailing it in and then using regular screws, and that took forever to try cutting through that metal!) that drill into metal and attach to wood. And tada! We have a stainless steel fridge at only the cost of some hardware. Perfect!

There was also already a magnetic catch which makes it easier to keep closed! The handle is this one from Ikea. The $7 version, nearly 10" long. They come in a set of 2 so I used the other for the oven door.


The inside of the fridge. Yes, I added little pictures of the food items that belong in each basket, by covering a photograph with contact paper. Easily removable if necessary later on.

The oven. I bought the little cooling racks in a pack of 2 at the $1 store. My little one year old takes them out a lot and they get stepped on so I think I'll need to glue them down permanently.
So originally I wanted to make a normal oven door. One that opened up and down, not side to side. But I couldn't figure out the hinge thing and had other dilemma's with how it was rubbing, etc. And then I decided to just give in to convention and have it open side to side. And I am so pleased I did because I did not want to have to drill it in again due to a child sitting on the oven door and damaging it. Plus it looks just fine!
I bought an 8 x 10" piece of plexiglass and just screwed it in. If you look closely, you can can see how it cracked a bit. But don't inspect too closely, you'll see my true jigsaw skills at play with how not straight my cuts are :) I bought mirror hinges originally but they did not fit the width of the piece of plexiglass, it would have slid right out. I suppose you could make it properly by routering it in but I did not want to deal with that!

I added a magnetic catch (.85 cents) and another porcelain knob (from another piece of furniture) on the side to change the temp!

The stove top. Originally I tried recycling and saving money by painting cd's and using poppsicle sticks to create a raised gas range. However, even after using gorilla glue, this happened.

So I opted to buy little wooden ball decor items (as seen here in this kitchen) at Joann's and just painted those. I used a staple gun to adhere them to the top and painted the black lines over them to cover the nails.


The sink. I used a $1 store pan for the sink. A wooden letter "J" from Joann's ($1.50). I gorilla glued that to the base using a c-clamp. Then used 2 more porcelain knobs, that can screw, for the knobs. These knobs came from another piece of furniture, so they were free.

The shelf and cafe curtain. I love this fabric! It makes me happy. It's Ann Kelle's Metro Market Strawberries, from Robert Kaufman's line. It's juvenile and classy and kitcheny all at the same time. I purchased it from this etsy shop. I opted to use a removable dowel ($1) so I could take the curtain down to clean it. I also only one and half timed the fabric width instead of double like a typical gather. I did not want it to be too full so they couldn't open and close it easily.


Accessories: 4 of my daughters' living grandmothers (including the great's) contributed to these, without even knowing it!
Something used. Play loaf of bread (from Gma Sm)
Something vintage. Bread box (again, found in the basement of Gma K). Salt and pepper shakers (spools of vintage nylon thread). Don't they have the neatest shape? A simple utensil holder is a baking powder container. Perfect colors.


Something repurposed. I used some gifted items such as a hot pad (from Gma Sr) with coordinating fabric sewn on.
A hand towel from the $1 aisle at Target that I embellished. The towel rack was from the "odds and ends" area in Ikea so it was clearance priced. The hot pad hook is something I already owned from Walmart.

Something handmade. Green washcloth (Gma F).



More views.

The fridge side. I added 4 porcelain knobs to hang aprons and chef hats.


The other side.And for the finishing touch, the back. I wanted to use the back somehow. To give it versatility. It can be put up against a wall and cover the usable space. Or it can divide a space. The play area that we currently live in is very open and part of the living room, office/piano area, and my crafting area. And keeping the kitchen in the room divides and defines the space a bit more. Plus you can play restaurant more fun this way!
I added chalkboard contact paper ($12, not included in final cost) to one side And velcroed on two existing chalkboards (so they are removable, to place on their laps, etc). Now they have an extra space to be creative (without compromising the other walls in the house).

Now, the nitty gritty. The $. Dream Kitchen Total Cost breakdown
Changing Table:	$25
Wood:
1/4" 4x4 Birch	$11.56
1/2" 2x4 Oak	$12.80
Wood from existing cabinet	FREE
Paint:
Leftover kitchen paint	FREE
Acrylic craft paint	FREE
Paint roller	$5.57
Primer	$6.29
Hardware & Accessories:
Screws, 2 sizes	$6.12
3 Ikea Handles	$9
Plexi glass, 8"x10"	$1.60
Magnetic Catch	$0.85
2 Hinges, 2"	$1.82
Plastic containers, repurposed	FREE
curtain dowel	$1.08
Porcelain knobs	FREE
Fridge screws	$1
Steel flashing	FREE
Potted flower	$1
Dish towel	$1
Fabric	$10
Sink	$1
Faucet, letter J	$1.50
Burners	$3
TOTAL: $100

Here are several websites and examples that I drew inspiration from as well. Thank you all for sharing your ideas!

The biggest inspiration. This kitchen is beautiful. You've probably already seen it from Crafting Chicks.

This is another beautiful vintage inspired kitchen. Beautiful photos and craftsmanship.

If you're on a smaller budget or space, these other examples are darling and very nicely done as well!

http://ahappynest.typepad.com/a-happy-nest/2010/01/theas-play-kitchen.html

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/inspiration/carries-sunny-yellow-kitcheninspiration-108924

http://craftbynight.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/sophies-kitchen/

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/how-to/how-to-build-a-play-kitchen-from-ikea-components-066719

http://www.flickr.com/groups/playkitchens/pool/

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/inspiration/haleys-homemade-play-kitchen-068247

Happy creating! Send me links to your kitchenettes when you're finished! I hope these ideas help fire the ideas in your own mind!


Featured on:

Best of 2011 Ohdeedoh Kitchens

Linked to: