Hobbies
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@Steve-Miller When I was a kid my Italian grandma has a kitchen in her basement (in addition to the main kitchen). She had these huge tables down there, we used all the surfaces when it was time to make pasta or bread. Whenever I was there, I "helped" but most certainly not in any way that was useful!
Anyway, I always associate a second kitchen with that.
@Steve-Miller When I was a kid my Italian grandma has a kitchen in her basement (in addition to the main kitchen). She had these huge tables down there, we used all the surfaces when it was time to make pasta or bread. Whenever I was there, I "helped" but most certainly not in any way that was useful!
Anyway, I always associate a second kitchen with that.
There is a large Portuguese population here and my best friend growing up was a Portuguese immigrant so I spent a lot of time with her and her family. Every Portuguese house had a second kitchen in the basement!
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My one indulglance will be a solid wood desk (solid wood, not wood veneer glued over wood planks glued together) 60" wide and somewhat deep (maybe 30").
I'm buying it from an Amish company that hand makes furniture in Pennsylvania.
It has simple legs and a "pencil drawer." Or three if you want.
You choose the size, the wood, the stain, matte, semi-gloss, or high-glass, the fixture tones, and the actual fixtures.
It will be my work surface.
It will be 1/2 the price of their similar tables because it's a basic table. It doesn't have a particular style, e.g. Mission.
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My Lithuanian mom had an oven in the basement that she used during the summer. But it was just an oven,; there was no kitchen setup with tables and other workspace.
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When we were house-shopping here in suburban New York, it was surprising to see how many houses had second kitchens. Many older houses here have been divided into multi-family rentals, sometimes being reconfigured more than once over the years, so sometimes you could tell the extra kitchen was left over from a previous configuration. Our house was built as a single-family home, but it had been converted into a two-family sometime before 1925. When we converted it back into a single home, we made the second kitchen into a master bath.
I can see the logic in not tearing out something that's expensive and could be useful, but sometimes you might want to use the space differently. My son and DIL were looking at houses with the thought of perhaps moving here someday, and my DIL said plaintively, "I'd really like a house that has more bathrooms than kitchens." I could see her point.
In other cases, you could tell the second kitchen was built for "overflow" cooking. Our realtor said this was common in Italian families. There was a time when I routinely cooked in my single solitary kitchen for ten and sometimes more, and I never thought, "If I only had another kitchen...." You'd have to have a second cook to keep you from constantly running up and down stairs, burning things on both floors.
People from earlier generations in the South had huge families and managed with one kitchen, even when they had big gardens and had to can and pickle a ton of stuff. I guess even basic household work flow is cultural to a degree.
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As for hobbies, these days I'm trying not to let my writing become one.
My hydroponic gardens are the hobby where I'm most consistent, because otherwise the plants will die.
I've been playing the piano more this year, though not too much lately.
I still like to cook, although lately, it has mostly taken the form of, "Here's a cool-looking thing at the farmer's market. I'm going to take it home and see what I can do with it!"
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When we were house-shopping here in suburban New York, it was surprising to see how many houses had second kitchens. Many older houses here have been divided into multi-family rentals, sometimes being reconfigured more than once over the years, so sometimes you could tell the extra kitchen was left over from a previous configuration. Our house was built as a single-family home, but it had been converted into a two-family sometime before 1925. When we converted it back into a single home, we made the second kitchen into a master bath.
I can see the logic in not tearing out something that's expensive and could be useful, but sometimes you might want to use the space differently. My son and DIL were looking at houses with the thought of perhaps moving here someday, and my DIL said plaintively, "I'd really like a house that has more bathrooms than kitchens." I could see her point.
In other cases, you could tell the second kitchen was built for "overflow" cooking. Our realtor said this was common in Italian families. There was a time when I routinely cooked in my single solitary kitchen for ten and sometimes more, and I never thought, "If I only had another kitchen...." You'd have to have a second cook to keep you from constantly running up and down stairs, burning things on both floors.
People from earlier generations in the South had huge families and managed with one kitchen, even when they had big gardens and had to can and pickle a ton of stuff. I guess even basic household work flow is cultural to a degree.
@Mary-Anna said:
"I'd really like a house that has more bathrooms than kitchens." I could see her point.
"overflow" cooking.
I love this expression! That’s basically my grandma. She cooked for family. She cooked for her church. She always made enough to feed an army.
My aunt made a photo/recipe book and I can’t use most of the recipes because it makes enough for 200 people and I don’t know how to scale!
. There are these handwritten recipes that call for 10 eggs… (like, you know where a normal person would use two eggs to make something that serves five or six people) -
Another project. Finishing a little section of the basement as a kitchen. Already have a nice kitchen in the house but it makes Sharon nervous when I cook stuff in it even when I clean up. I also like to cook odd things that no one will eat but me. The second oven will be handy during g the holidays for large gatherings.
This is where the sink will go. Not the ideal location but it’s where the plumbing is.
The cabinets came out the garage at an AirBnb house two years back. Not great cabinets but too good to throw out. Nice enough for the basement. That house is under contract right now -wish us luck!
The freezer will stay but move to another wall to allow for a smallish cross top freezer/fridge.
This is the long wall across from the counter. Drywall work is done now, waiting for texture/paint. It will have the range, a little counter, the freezer and some shelving.
Added lighting because at my age I need plenty and I had some fixtures I moved here from CA. Felt good to use my tools again. Haven’t decided on flooring - might just polish the concrete but I have my eye on some commercial (airport grade) carpet tiles at Habitat for Humanity going for cheap. I’ll not be frying anything and the basement stays very dry so they should work.
Lots to do and I’m busy enough in retirement that I can’t imagine how I ever managed to find time for work!
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Got my eyes checked, still needed more light and put a 250 watt bulb in my reading lamp.
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When we were house-shopping here in suburban New York, it was surprising to see how many houses had second kitchens. Many older houses here have been divided into multi-family rentals, sometimes being reconfigured more than once over the years, so sometimes you could tell the extra kitchen was left over from a previous configuration. Our house was built as a single-family home, but it had been converted into a two-family sometime before 1925. When we converted it back into a single home, we made the second kitchen into a master bath.
I can see the logic in not tearing out something that's expensive and could be useful, but sometimes you might want to use the space differently. My son and DIL were looking at houses with the thought of perhaps moving here someday, and my DIL said plaintively, "I'd really like a house that has more bathrooms than kitchens." I could see her point.
In other cases, you could tell the second kitchen was built for "overflow" cooking. Our realtor said this was common in Italian families. There was a time when I routinely cooked in my single solitary kitchen for ten and sometimes more, and I never thought, "If I only had another kitchen...." You'd have to have a second cook to keep you from constantly running up and down stairs, burning things on both floors.
People from earlier generations in the South had huge families and managed with one kitchen, even when they had big gardens and had to can and pickle a ton of stuff. I guess even basic household work flow is cultural to a degree.
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