A New Happy Place

Seamus in ghetto kitchen

While writing for my previous food blog several years ago, I was living in a house in a not-so-great part of Baltimore which I always referred (not so affectionately) to as the ghetto. Even though I enjoyed cooking in general, it wasn't always a pleasurable experience in my small kitchen with its inadequate counter space and outdated appliances. Well, about 18 months ago, I moved to a lovely house in Annapolis and the newly renovated kitchen is absolutely divine; lots of counter space, new appliances, and ample cupboard/pantry storage as well as a large fridge and freezer. I've rediscovered the joy of cooking- and developed an interest in baking- in this kitchen, and I take full advantage of it on a nearly daily basis.

Kailan in new kitchen

The other big difference in my new Happy Place is the latest addition to my family: Kailan. After I lost my old man Seamus when he was almost 15 years old, I ended up adopting a 3 year old golden retriever. Growing up with dogs, and having a dog of my own for the last 10 years, they're an integral part of my life and, naturally, follow me into my Happy Place. Now, as much as I love my goldens, it's a bit of pain in the ass to have to wipe down the counters and stove top- before I can even start cooking- to get rid of any hair that may have floated into my work space. Annoying? Yes. But I've learned to live with it and now it's just a part of my routine, much like washing my hands and preheating the oven before I even gather the first ingredients.

Kai staying out of the way

Whereas Sea would sleep in the middle of the kitchen floor, forcing me to step over and around him, Kai wants to be right next to me, squeezing himself in between me and the counter. After he pulled this stunt while I was removing a tray from the oven- squeezing himself between me and the open oven door, forcing the oven door to close on my arm- I learned 2 important lessons: (1) Use an oven mitt instead of just a pot holder when reaching into a hot oven, and (2) Kai is NOT allowed in the kitchen when I'm cooking! It took him awhile, but he finally learned to respect the invisible line surrounding my work space when I'm in the kitchen, and now he'll just flop down in front of the dishwasher, or better yet, on the sofa in the living room where he can still see me. That's not to say he doesn't occasionally try to sneak in between me and the counter when I'm not paying attention, but now I can just point and he heaves a big sigh before moving back to his spot.

See? Happy Place. :)