Krowning Kitchen Kreation

Of course every aspect of building a new home is fresh and exciting. But by far, the most squeal-inducing part for me has been designing and watching my new kitchen come alive. Anyone who cooks as often as I do would naturally feel blessed to be able to create a kitchen with all the details precisely as they desire. When I imagine my husband and me in our new home, I am always in the kitchen in every scenario preparing a meal of some sort. I know that I will spend time in all the other rooms of our house, but I can't help but believe that I have many hours ahead of me in that kitchen.

The kitchen is still bit of a construction zone, but it has reached the point where I can go in and look around and almost hear the sounds of a well orchestrated meal coming to life. I can envision where I will chop, where I will saute and how I will move around in the kitchen from one thing to the next as I bring together my favorite recipes.

I snapped a few pictures of the kitchen as it looks today and will make sure to provide updates as we progress further in the process. Below is the wall of cabinets that will soon contain my shiny new double oven and my professional six burner cooktop - I feel intoxicated just thinking about it!

Next up is our huge (remember we are used to condo living) pantry and the cabinets that will house the dishwasher and the split-level bar that I plan to display my spreads of party food on in the very near future.

Here is the view from the dining room into the kitchen and the breakfast area in the far end of the photo. We already purchased a massive table for the space and I am looking into a seamstress to make cushions for our built-in window seat that I plan on having many a Saturday morning breakfast perched upon.

It is almost too much excitement to contain and I am so excited I have this blog to share the experience through. But it is very important to note that none of this would be possible without my dear old Dad. He owns a construction company and is building this house for us in one of the most loving and time consuming gifts a person can give. I know for him it is a true labor of love. He is a very busy man and our project certainly hasn't helped clear his schedule. I can tell that he has taken so much pride in every detail and I am positive that we will have the best home Forrest and my money can buy. His willingness to take on such an involved project for nothing other than a thank you will not easily be forgotten. Forrest and I are so grateful for the gift he has given us and we will spend a lifetime trying to repay him in any way we can. And if there is anything I do well, it is repayment in the form of food. I plan on making more than my fair share of meals for my father in the beautiful kitchen of my dreams that he made a reality!

This is the perfect recipe to accompany this post since my Daddy eats a slice of Cinnamon Raisin Bread every morning with a glass of juice. It isn't as sweet as this pound cake and no where near as fattening, but the ingredient combination is one that brings him to my mind every time I read it in a recipe.

Cinnamon-Raisin Pound Cake
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living July 2009

Ingredients

Makes 2 cakes

FOR THE CAKE

• 1 pound (3 1/4 cups) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 4 sticks softened unsalted butter, plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 9 large, room-temperature eggs
• 2 cups raisins
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  

FOR THE TOPPING

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 4 to 5 tablespoons milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 5-by-9-inch loaf pans. Combine 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour and salt in a bowl.

Cream butter and sugar with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy, for 8 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to medium, and add vanilla extract.


Lightly beat eggs, and add to mixer bowl in 4 additions, mixing thoroughly after each and scraping down sides.

Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 4 additions, mixing until just incorporated.

Toss raisins in remaining 2 tablespoons flour; fold into finished batter.

Divide batter in half. Fold cinnamon into 1 half.

Scoop batters into 2 prepared pans, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating plain and cinnamon.

Swirl with a knife about 8 times.

Tap on counter to distribute; smooth tops.

Bake until a tester inserted into center of each cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack.

Make the glaze: Combine 2 cups confectioners' sugar and 4 to 5 tablespoons milk in a bowl.

Drizzle over cooled cakes.

Let the glaze harden and serve.

My Adapted Printable Recipe