My Pantry

Tuesday, April 30, 2024
“Laura returned to the front room… She knew it must be the pantry door, but she stood in surprise and then in delight, looking at the pantry. All one wall was covered with shelves and drawers, and a broad shelf was under a large window at the pantry’s far end…
 
One whole wall was shelved from the ceiling halfway down. The upper shelves were empty, but on the lowest was a glass lamp… At the end, where this shelf was above the window shelf in the corner, stood a row of cans of spices. 
 
Beneath this shelf were many drawers of different sizes. Directly below the spices, and above the window shelf, were two rather narrow drawers. Laura found that one was almost full of white sugar, the other of brown sugar. How handy!
 
Next, a deep drawer was full of flour, and smaller ones held graham flour and corn meal…”
-These Happy Golden Years, Laura Ingalls

 

 

I thought it would be nice to share a little view of one of my favourite rooms in our house … the kitchen pantry. This a room where I probably spend 75% of my day … and I just love it.  This tiny room is just off the main kitchen – and it’s perfect for washing up, prepping food when company is here, or just tucking yourself away to quietly wash the next load of dishes.

We did some change the pantry from when we moved in to make it more my old fashioned style. My husband drove to another province to buy the old cast iron sink (which I LOVE). He also put in wooden counter tops. My kitchen inspirations come from a few sources … The Walton’s kitchen, the Road to Avonlea kitchens (just love that series!), and the real life kitchen, which you can visit when you come to Prince Edward Island, of Bideford House, the historic manse where L.M. Montgomery stayed in her early years of teaching.

 

So while my pantry and kitchen is completely accurate with time periods, it has a mix of everything that I love. (I do want to add wallpaper but that may have to wait until the winter comes around again.) The sink is a 100 years old – imagine how many dishes have been washed and what stories it could tell …

 

I have thought about hanging a light curtain here, to separate the room from the main kitchen, but I’m not sure – I’ll update you if I do. 🙂 

In a recent visit, my mother in law gave me this lovely oil lamp holder. I have two in the parlour but have always wanted one for my kitchen. They are hard to find and are often priced very high. I am very grateful for this beautiful, antique lamp holder! I put a doily underneath to help the lamp from slipping or moving around.

 

And here is one of my favourite parts … my amazing husband made this beautiful “cover” for my fridge. I could not fit my antique ice box into this current kitchen and I missed it greatly. I love the look of an antique icebox and absolutely did not think a modern fridge suited my old fashioned pantry. This winter, my husband created a cover that makes the fridge blend in as an ice box. I just love it! It has made a world of difference for this pantry! 

 

He even added appropriate looking hardware. I am very grateful! 

 

The pantry shelves are lined with antique jars, filled with spices, herbs, dried beans and baking supplies. The enamel pots have been gathered over the years and are often used – including the lovely roaster, which I use for roasting a homegrown chicken or turkey in the wood stove oven.

 

 

I try to use everything that I collect, so I am not just collecting but actually using my antiques in every day life. 

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed this little peak into a very well-used room in our little home … God bless!

Around the Home, Uncategorized

by Gigi

17 comments

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May 9, 2024 - 7:42 am

Gigi – Miriam, I would love that! 🙂 I do love decorating and playing around in my house. My mother always said I loved playing house and now, I’m just a grown up – playing house again. 🙂 Do share photos of your pantry and kitchen! I’d love to see it!

May 8, 2024 - 8:09 pm

miriam M. stoltzfoos – Such a beautiful pantry! It gives me some inspiration for my own kitchen and pantry. I always love to see pictures of the inside of your house. You definitely are good at decorating with old fashioned things. I wish you could come help me decorate my house!

May 6, 2024 - 4:17 am

Gigi – Thank you, mom! You know Abby did not want to do this project – not sure how I finally convinced him!

May 6, 2024 - 4:16 am

Gigi – Danessa, I’d love to see a photo of your pantry area! It sounds beautiful! This is so lovely to have a special place and cupboard to keep all your old bowls and dishes. It makes our daily chores that much more enjoyable!

May 6, 2024 - 4:16 am

Gigi – Hello Faye, thank you for your note. I have always loved reading your blog. Maybe one day we will meet! I really want to take my family to the Bay of Fundy this summer – I know we’d love it! Thank you for the kind words about the pantry. I do so love a good pantry and will keep fluffing up and changing this pantry with the seasons … God bless!

May 5, 2024 - 7:55 pm

Faye Henry – Good evening Gigi! What a lovely post! I so love a pantry and yours is exceptional for sure! Your house is darling and you have dressed it so beautifully! I have enjoyed your posts since you moved to the Island.. Your family is certainly blessed! God is so good! This is the first time I have posted. I have a new phone and just found out I can post one with it . I hope! God bless you ! Faye.

May 5, 2024 - 6:00 pm

Danessa stride – Once again you have pulled on my heart strings! It’s absolutely adorable and I can just imagining spending hours in that cozy pantry. I too have something similar, we have a back porch in our home and I turned it into what I call my pantry room, there is a large hutch that my father in law made for me, lined off with all my baking and day to day essentials, and an old fashion looking counter with a butcher block top my brother made me, and wooden shelves he made that I have lined off with old dishes and bowls, that I use daily that has been landed down from my grandmas and great grandmother! I cherish every piece! How I wish we lived closer, I think we could have made good friends My husband always tells me I was born in the wrong time lol. May God continue to bless you and your family

May 5, 2024 - 11:11 am

Mom (Gigi’s Momma) – It truly is beautiful and inspirational! My favourite part is the icebox cover that Darling Husband made! And all the antique collectible items that you actually use!! Way to go, Gillian xoxo What a treasure!

May 3, 2024 - 11:45 am

Gigi – Thank you, Laura – this is the little room I described in my letter to you. I trust one day we will be blessed with a visit from you and we will enjoy tea together. 🙂

May 2, 2024 - 9:24 pm

Laura Jeanne – I never cease to be amazed with the beautiful images of your home that you share with us, Gillian. Your home is truly a work of art! Your pantry looks like something out of a historical movie. I particularly like the tiny whatnot in the corner with the miniature teapot – adorable!

How blessed you are to have a husband who is so skilled in woodworking and also so willing to please. The cabinet he made for the refrigerator is truly amazing! And how lovely that he drove so far to bring home that amazing sink for you. 100 years old, wow.

May 2, 2024 - 2:07 pm

Gigi – Hello Ana, it is always so lovely to hear from you. Yes, we are blessed to have good husbands! I love Little House on the Prairie, as well – such a great show and the books are fabulous.
Regarding church, we are attending a mixed denomination church, come together over the past few years … it is hard to give it one name/type … (I could probably better explain through email).

May 1, 2024 - 7:20 pm

Gigi – HELLO GIGI: I LOVE YOUR KITCHEN WITH THAT OLD AND FRUGAL TOUCH, I LOVE ANTIQUES, THE COUNTRY STYLE, THE WOOD ON THE FLOORS, WE HAVE SIMILAR TASTE, YOUR HUSBAND DOES KNOW HOW TO WORK, HE HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB CONGRATULATIONS TOO MY BELOVED HUSBAND WORKS A LOT AND USES ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT HE FINDS DRAWN BY OTHER PEOPLE AND GIVES THEM AGAIN, THAT IS A NEW USE. HOW BLESSED WE ARE TO HAVE HUSBANDS WHO WORK HARD FOR THE HOME, DON’T YOU THINK SO? I IDENTIFY A LOT WITH LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, MY FAVORITE SHOW, THAT LIFESTYLE IS BETTER THAN THE CURRENT ONE, WE LIVE IN THE OLD WAY EVEN WITH TOUCHES OF ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES. I ASK: WHICH CHURCH DO YOU CONGREGATE IN? WHAT IS ITS NAME? WE ARE EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS. BLESSINGS TO YOU AND YOURS DEAR SISTER

May 1, 2024 - 4:11 pm

ANA – HOLA GIGI: ME ENCANTA TU COCINA CON ESE TOQUE ANTIGUO Y FRUGAL, AMO LAS ANTIGUEDADES, EL ESTILO CAMPO, LA MADERA EN LOS PISOS, TENEMOS GUSTOS PARECIDOS, TU ESPOSO SI SABE TRABAJAR, HA HECHO UN EXCELENTE TRABAJO FELICITACIONES¡¡¡¡ TAMBIEN MI AMADO ESPOSO TRABAJA MUCHO Y UTILIZA TODA CLASE DE COSAS QUE ENCUENTRA TIRADAS POR OTRAS PERSONAS Y LES DA VIDA NUEVAMENTE, O SEA UN NUEVO USO. QUE BENDECIDAS QUE SOMOS AL TENER ESPOSOS QUE TRABAJAN DURO PARA EL HOGAR ¿NO LO CREES ASI? ME IDENTIFICO MUCHO CON LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE,MI PROGRAMA FAVORITO, ESE ESTILO DE VIDA ES MEJOR QUE EL ACTUAL,VIVIMOS A LA ANTIGUA AUNQUE CON TOQUES DE APARATOS ELECTRICOS. PREGUNTO: ¿EN QUE IGLESIA TE CONGREGAS? ¿CUAL ES SU DENOMINACION? NOSOTROS SOMOS CRISTIANOS EVANGELICOS. BENDICIONES PARA TI Y LOS TUYOS QUERIDA HERMANA

April 30, 2024 - 7:42 pm

Gigi – Thank you for sharing my joy, Lillibeth! There certainly are treasures in the old fashioned things, even sinks! I hope you find your sink one day. I actually found a second one but the drainboard when the other way – it is in the barn and awaiting, perhaps, a future project. 🙂

April 30, 2024 - 7:14 pm

Lillibeth – Your pantry is beautiful! I love the sink! When I was a child we lived in an old house for a while that had a cast iron sink just like that, only double sized (with drainboards on each side). I am so happy for you to have found one! I hunted for a similar sink when we built our house, and sadly was not able to get one. I can understand how much you are enjoying it and the whole room:)

April 30, 2024 - 5:19 pm

Gigi – Thank you, Monica! I love it, too! It makes dish washing my happy place! 🙂

April 30, 2024 - 3:50 pm

Monica – I absolutely love it!!!! I’m still amazed over the ice box!! xo

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