It’s so long since I’ve participated with In My Kitchen. The last few months have been hectic – since my last post my family had another loss in my Grandma, also Mary Ann, who passed away on Easter Sunday, age 95. I finished and passed my CELTA course (yay!) and then started working and adjusting to life as an employee, after almost a year away from teaching, which was harder than I expected. I taught on and off for 4 months and I am now job hunting again. Once I finally adjusted to life as a teacher again, I got back in the kitchen and have been back at it a bit more consistently since the end of September. It’s been great but slow going.
First up in my kitchen is a bowl I made a couple of years ago that is currently housing our eggs. I did a wood turning class about 5 years ago and it was one of the most fun classes I have ever taken. If I get a job again, I’d like to go back in the Spring.
Then there is this beautiful bowl our parish’s assistant priest brought back as a gift when he returned home to Ethiopia. Aren’t the colours gorgeous?
For Hallowe’en, Monkey Nuts are really popular and we’ve a nice big bowl of them (also just figured out some new functions on my camera and this blur option was one. I love it!)
In my kitchen, or rather my bookcase, are some of my cookbooks. I have a few others than are scattered about the house due to some reorganising we are doing. Extending the Table is my favourite along with the McGuire Family Cookbook which is my Mom’s family’s recipes. Do you have a favourite cookbook?
I was house-sitting for my aunt while she and her husband travelled all over Asia: Japan, Shanghai and Duabi and these are the lovely presents she brought me back.
And that’s all folks. Please check out for the other entries in this month’s In My Kitchen posts at Bizzy Lizzy’s Good Things and if you are interested in joining us, let her know.Thanks for hosting, Liz.
Spoon in a Saucepan 
Maggie your wood bowl is stunning, you should be very proud. And if you ever go back to it, I’d love to buy a bowl off you 😉 Love that colourful bowl from Ethiopia too, it’s wonderful adding colour to the kitchen. My condolences to you & your family, I hope you’re all being kind to yourselves and you’re all loving the memories she gave you. See you next month for IMK xx
Thank you, so much. I’m very proud of it. I have some other things that I made that I’ll share – as I root them out from storage 🙂 We definitely are being kind to ourselves, thank you. We had my sister’s birthday today – we still celebrate even without her and every year my family in America celebrates my Grandma’s bday with a 3-4 day event – this summer was the first without her. Unfortunately, it coincided with Mary Ann’s anniversary so my family couldn’t be there. See you next month! x
Maggie, I’m so sorry to hear about your Grandmother – I still miss mine and it’s been decades. I am amazed that you made that bowl, though! How cool is that! And Monkey Nuts? Are those what we call peanuts?
Mollie
Yes, those are what you call peanuts but here we always call them monkey nuts. I suppose maybe because circuses or zoos let you feed them to the monkeys? Actually, I’ve no idea and that’s just my guess! 😀 Thank you, I love that bowl and am very proud of it. That class was one of my favourite things. I loved it even more than my Oriental Cooking Class (my sister and I took it together and it was amazing. We still use the recipes) because I felt like I accomplished something successfully that I never knew I could do and never dreamed I could do well.
I know what you mean regarding your Grandma. My Grandpa died about 26 years ago and my Granny 18 and it still hurts despite the wonderful memories. Sending you lots of love.
🙂 Great memories mean a lot! 🙂
Most definitely! Especially around Christmas, I think. Hope you are doing well, and so sorry for the late reply! It’s been a crazy few weeks. 🙂
🙂
Sorry to hear about your Grandma, I’m sure you must have many happy memories. The wood bowl is gorgeous, I’ve always wanted to make one like that. We had shop class in grade school and I excelled at woodworking, way back when. Maybe someday I’ll find the time to play with Josh’s tools and build something again.
You should play around with his tools – maybe you can make your next gorgeous chest of drawers? I never did shop class – the most exciting class we had was Technical Drawing and Home Ec. I didn’t do Home Ec which adult mean regrets as instead I did biology and latin (which later changed to art) both choices I think I could have lived without all these years later!
Thanks for your condolences. Tons of happy memories – she was one special lady!
Shop and home every were mandatory for all students grades 5-8 when I was in school!
I like that idea! I was homeschooled from first year to 3rd year, and only went to school in 5th and 6th (grades 11.12) and I could only pick 7 subjects….maths, English and Irish are all mandatory here.
Hi Maggie, I am so sorry about the loss of your grandmother. The recipes will be a celebration of her life, good memories. Love your bowls, they are both beautiful in completely different ways. Cookbooks are great favorites of my own, although I am currently drowning in them.
Most definitely, Liz. We already make a few of her recipes already every year but it’s nice to have even more of them. I know the feeling of drowning in books – my collection is massive but thankfully in the attic from my Korea move 4 years ago – I still have to get them down that I am home and sort through them…hopefully I can convince my heart to part with a few!
Cookbooks are a great thing to have — especially one that records your family’s recipes. I hope you have some recipes as well from your late grandmother to remember her by, and I wish you peace in your loss of her.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Lots of recipes of hers! I hope to share my take on one before the year is out.
Thank you so much for your kinds thoughts and words.
Your turned wooden bowl is a lovely treasure, beautiful AND practical. Was it difficult to form?
No, it wasn’t too bad. I’d been woodturning a while at that stage so I’d made a few bowls. The hardest thing I made was a baby’s rattle.
I just love your wooden bowl. How gorgeous is that!
Thanks, Sherry. It’s one of my favourite things I made in that class (along with a rattle for my first born nephew!)
i meant to say sorry about your gran too. best wishes to you and your family.
Thanks, Sherry. I appreciate that.
Maggie, I’m so sorry for your loss. It sounds like life went on “full speed ahead” despite your aching heart. Sometimes it feels like we’re holding our breath or barely able to breathe, doesn’t it? (IMK is good “therapy” — glad to see you again!) LOVE your beautiful bowls — especially the one you made — and the “blur” feature on your camera. I recently discovered mine has a “food” setting. FOOD! (Who knew?) 🙂
Thanks, Kim. It’s been a tough 15 months that’s for sure. And I agree – IMK is great therapy! I know – I got my camera because it had a food function but this one is making me do a happy dance! I need to experiment more with that camera!
Hi Maggie, I was sorry to read of the passing of your grandmother. I trust her memories will live on in your heart. Lovely to see you participating in IMK. Happy November, thank you for very kind shout out. Liz xx PS love all your goodies.
Thanks, Liz. She was a really great lady. Yes, they do live on and in that recipe book (McGuire) we have lots of her yummy recipes.