Outdoor Kitchen Plans

One of the best features of summer can be an outdoor kitchen. They allow us to gather outside and enjoy the fresh air while we spend time family. Sharing a meal can be one of the greatest things we experience on the planet. From the vineyards of Italy to the warm Parisian summers, millions around the world utilize outdoor kitchens daily in order to live life to the fullest. You too can have this experience every day while increasing your home’s value at the same time.

Once you’ve made the decision to have an outdoor kitchen, the inevitable next step is figuring out which type would best suit your lifestyle or home. This website is full of ideas and designs that will help you discover exactly which outdoor kitchen will fit your needs. There are many styles’ so it’s important to sit down and ask yourself what you really want out of a kitchen outside.

Outdoor kitchen plans vary wildly and can range from simple grilling stations to full blown kitch ... Read more »

There s nothing quite as restorative as a good long chat with your best girl friends. Sarah and I have been friends for over 8 (!) years. We worked together in the summer of 2005, which was when we met. Sarah met her husband Mark that summer, and I met Jason that summer, too. They live far away now feels like halfway around the world but a long phone call (like we had today) always makes her feel so much closer. I m thankful for that.

So, let s chat! Let s feel a bit more connected. I d like it if we did!

1. Jason and I went and visited our nephew this weekend. I don t think babies are cute, but this guy is so precious. I am stupid-in-love with him. It is so, so hard to hand him back to my sister and say good-bye. Ugh.

2. Life and work have been non-stop lately. And so, it s all about making things ahead of time so that weeknights don t make me want to sink into the couch and eat only chips and salsa. This garden enchilada bake from Mama Pea was an awesome me ... Read more »

#How to Make a 3 Dollar Pizza Stone

Great pizza doesn't have to cost much.

Article | February 12, 2010 - 12:23pm | By Nick Kindelsperger

If you re not down with pizza stones, it s time. Bread-bakers and home pizza afficionados praise them for their heat-retaining, moisture-wicking ability to imitate the floor of a brick oven. You put it in your oven and it not only provides a rustic surface to bake the bread on, but it also keeps the heat of the oven steady. Especially when it comes to pizza, that ever-important underside char and blistering (sometimes known as the upskirt ) will only ever come with a stone, which you can get absolutely blazing hot over a long oven preheat.

Awhile back, my pizza stone cracked in half, and I never got around to replacing it. But rather than spending $40 on a slab of stone from Williams-Sonoma on which to bake my pizza, though, you can instead go to Home Depot and cobble it together for a few bucks. Mine, in fact, came out exa ... Read more »

#How To Light A Kitchen For Older Eyes

Follow Comments Following Comments Unfollow Comments

As we age, the lens of the eye becomes less flexible, and our lighting requirements change. The ability to focus on near objects decreases, which explains why many people need reading glasses as they get older. The lens of the eye also becomes denser and yellower, decreasing the transmission of light, so that more light is often needed to see. This changes how we perceive colors; they become more muted and muddy. Just try looking through a yellow filter to see what I mean — you’ll benefit from lighter colors surrounding you. The eyes become more susceptible to glare as well, making the need for contrast greater.

There are many other issues that affect aging eye lenses too, so older eyes require different lighting solutions. These solutions won’t benefit just them; they will also help create more beautiful household surroundings. Considering the right amount of light, locatio ... Read more »

#How To Know if You re Ready for Open Kitchen Shelving

Most of us love the idea of open kitchen shelving. It's a romantic sort of notion— being able to reach certain kitchen elements without having to open a door first. But as much as you might love the look, how do you know if you're ready to take the plunge? We've got four ways to tell if you're suited to the style.

Go open up your kitchen cabinets right now. The ones you keep your dishes, bowls and plates in. What do you see? Take an honest look. Are there clean, visually understandable stacks? Or are things haphazardly shoved into the cabinets? If they're already pretty nice looking, you might be able to easily transition into open shelving without a painful period of walking into your kitchen and being knocked over by how messy your open kitchen shelving is. Know yourself.

Are you already lacking in enough storage space? If you replace closed-door she ... Read more »