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I just glanced at a site that is showing what kitchens looked like the year you were born and did that ever bring back some old memories! We have really seen a lot of changes in how food is prepared, what tools are used to prepare it and even what kind of food is available (or no longer available) to us.
That doesn't even cover the other accoutrements of kitchens. Did anyone ever think in those days of matching their paint, curtains and towels? Did your family use rags to wash the dishes rather than buy dishcloths? How about hand-embroidered dishtowels to dry for when company came?
How was food stored? Did you do more cooking outside before air-conditioning? What about appliances and their maintenance?
I can think of dozens of questions. Does anyone want to share memories of the kitchen you grew up in? Or, better yet, Grandma's kitchen?
I remember the kitchen in our first house better than my mother or grandmothers since I used it all the time and it was older than both of theirs.
We rented our first house, a 1900 bungalow and later bought it on land contact. The kitchen walls were painted that kitchen green color and came with a small kitchen table with folding leaves that got painted green too. I stripped it later to find it was a beautiful rock maple, I still have that table. The kitchen cabinets, on three walls, were custom made of solid wood and painted, but at least with white paint. The two upper corner cabinets had glass in the doors. One lower cabinet was three stacked bread drawers (metal lined with a sliding metal covers) and a built in cutting board I could pull out. I loved those cabinets.
Now for the appliances. I had a white enamel gas stove with burner covers that lifted up and slid back behind when not in use. The burners had a pilot light between them and with the cover down, it was the perfect temp to put a bowl of bread dough to raise or make yogurt. The oven was small but evenly heated. Loved that stove! That kitchen has been the only one where I ever successfully made salt-raising bread.
The refrigerator was a gas refrigerator, it had a pilot light. It was small and the freezer was even smaller and defrosting had to be done a lot. We saw another gas refrigerator with an ice maker listed at an estate sale in a nearby town and we went thinking we could upgrade and pick it up for a song. Who would want a gas refrigerator? The two opposing Amish women who bid it way up in minutes wanted it! It wasn't electric, so not against their religion. I never got used to the idea of a pilot light on something cold and never did get another fridge before we moved.
DH's company bought the house as part of our relocation package and there was no limit on what we could take and have packed. My one regret was not taking the old kitchen cabinets that had been put down in the basement: solid wood freestanding one piece connected upper and lower cabinets. They of course had been painted green, but the countertops were grooved wood that was untouched and natural. DH had used them as a work bench and storage for his tools. They were nicer than the cabinets in our next house that were particle board.
I really wasn't referring to the site other than to use the idea as a starting point. But if you're interested let me know.
jean_ji, behind one of my kitchen cupboards we still have "that" color green. Looks like the walls of an institution. Green is supposed to be one of the appetizing colors but not "that" shade of green.
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