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Farm Kitchen:  Old Kitchens? New Kitchens?  |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6534 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6534 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 05 2023 : 1:34:35 PM
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When I first found MJF, I was so taken with the thread of honoring the past of our families and life in general from decades ago. The first expression of that was the apron. Aprons were being worn by MaryJane herself and many others. It was a new topic for to me to think about and learn about all the aprons that have been a part of kitchen life for many decades. Of course my Mom had aprons and I have her Christmas one, but I really never gave it much thought until 2009 when I found MJF. I couldn't wait to make and own aprons!
For me, however, the apron immediately led to the kitchen of both my Mom and my Grandma. I have been fascinated by the changes in kitchens in my lifetime for those who spend hours and hours making meals for the family, hosting a big occasion like a family Thanksgiving, and preserving the bounty of summer gardens for the colder months ahead. All of these tasks required aprons too. And I am pleased to share that I have aprons for every season! Many were also gifted from Farmgirls in swaps. 
When I think of old kitchens compared to the beautiful and modern kitchens of today, I have to admit, sometimes these spaces don't give me the cozy feel or the comforting feel of one of the most important rooms of the home. Why is that? I am not sure, but it interests me for some reason.
Do you remember back in the 1980s and 1990s when the kitchen and Keeping rooms were attached? It was a very popular trend and look. The kitchen opened into the dining area which also included a sofa and seating area for after eating , and perhaps a fireplace. Living rooms were more formal and not used as often. This combo of family living in a gathering/eating area was truly the heart of the home. When I first learned about this, I was fascinated. What a great concept for family living. The tiny kitchen in the home I grew up in was barely enough room for two people and so it was more of a pass through to the attached dining room and then the rest of the house. My Mom was Queen of this space and she fed a huge family , made wedding reception foods for two daughters, fed countless summer gatherings with visiting family, and tins and tins of Christmas cookies for gifting and for all of our family. Lack of space never stopped her for one second. And in addition to an apron, remember the days when moms wore house dresses? Now that was the look, don't you think?? LOL!!
Today, with huge open space homes, there are fewer limits on how kitchens blend into the rest of the living space besides just the usual needs of cooking and storing food. There are many possibilities with all this open area. My home was built in 1961 so it was still about individual rooms and not blended spaces.
What floor plan do you have? Do you prefer an old style kitchen or the newer modern open concept home that includes a kitchen in the large open area? And do you love aprons and wear them all the time when you are cooking? Old or new kitchen, aprons still reign as necessities in my book.
My kitchen now is small and my house is not sleek and modern like new housing today. However, I have spent a lot of years making it look old and cozy. I think it is working because friends have commented over the years that they love to sit and have coffee with me at my tiny kitchen table. I always wanted that magazine look of kitchen and keeping room, so I invented my own plan with a small black electric stove that looks like it is burning wood , cherry cabinets, and a nook with my old stove and vintage and reproduction items to make it feel more like the turn of the 20th Century on some old Farm. Cooking, eating, and sitting at the table to read or maybe work on a craft has turned this space into a compact and small version of the Kitchen/Keeping room. Or one could call it a "Make-Do" answer to limited space.
My Grandparent's farm, where my Mom grew up, was purchased in May 1929 and was never updated except for electricity. It was the same in the 1950s when we spent summers there, as it was when Mom was growing up. There was no running water, it had a cast iron wood burning stove to cook on, enamelware cooking utensils, an ice box that required a block of ice every 3-4 days, and a Hoosier cabinet and Buttery for making pies and rolls and storing rows of canned summer garden produce for the long cold winters in Indiana. There was also a white painted wooden table and chairs, cute curtains in the windows, and an unmistakable feeling of cozy and home. At just 4 feet 11 inches, my Grandma always had her apron on with big pockets for carrying eggs or veggies inside.
For me, aprons and old kitchens fit together like a hand and glove. Aprons and new kitchens might be doing the exact same thing for many Farmgirls and their homes.
Let's talk about this topic and share what you think, what you have chosen, and how and why is all works for you. With an apron of course!!
Here is a peek into what appears to be Grandma cooking Thanksgiving dinner sometime in the 1930s. I just love the "feel" of what this kitchen looked like and what it must have smelled like as the turkey baked. This photo expresses what I have been trying to figure out and reproduce in my kitchen. Old or new, kitchens speak a powerful message to those who live there and those who visit. I think it is the one room of a house that has the most impact on our lives, and because it has often been the main space to express some of our deepest memories and experiences growing up. How many times did you walk into the door of a kitchen and think, gosh that pie or bread smells wonderful! Oh to sit down and enjoy some when it cools!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015
FGOTM- October 2018 |
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Jokamartell
True Blue Farmgirl
1462 Posts
Karen
Kennewick
WA
USA
1462 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2023 : 6:19:01 PM
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Oh, Winnie! Thank you for sharing your thoughts! You should write a book. Your stories are so vivid and I can totally "see" what you are talking about! :)
I am going to ponder all your questions and think on them...then I will share my thoughts here, too! :)
Karen :)
To quote one of my past preschoolers “Not one of those Karens, but a good Karen”! Haha |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6836 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6836 Posts |
Posted - Jul 06 2023 : 06:08:31 AM
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Winnie, love this topic. I'm of mixed feelings on the subject. I like the conveniences of the modern kitchen but I am happy with all my vintage things around me. Like Karen I will get back with you with more of my thoughts on kitchens.
One last thought. When it comes to kitchens of the past, I am so thankful I don't have to chop wood or pump water to cook supper.
Hugs, Sara "FarmGirl Sister" #6034 Aug 2014
FGOTM Sept 2015 & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders & your hand over my mouth.
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6534 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6534 Posts |
Posted - Jul 06 2023 : 08:50:42 AM
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Karen and Sara, thank-you for jumping in with your first thoughts. This is a topic that runs deep and is really an individual perspective based on one's personal experience with old and new kitchens. What fascinates me the most is that it is also the story of women of all socio-economic levels. Women were the keepers of the home and the resource for figuring out and putting together whatever food they had for hungry souls. They were also the people who figured out how to make their responsibilities more efficient, healthier for themselves and their families, and freed up time for their other passions. Think about how this allowed up women to organize and push our country forward to give women voting rights in 1920? We have these pioneers to thank for all that helped move women into better kitchens and more outside endeavors. Remember too, just prior to the end of the Civil War, many homes had slaves to do all the cooking and it was primarily done over an open fire as it had been done since colonial days. When the war ended, women found themselves totally unprepared to manage feeding their families. Thankfully , at the same time better and more convenient cooking equipment was replacing the heavy cast-iron. The Wood burning stove, lighter enamelware cooking equipment, and canned foods began showing up at the end of the 19th Century. Items like Ivory soap became readily available as well as other cleaning agents. There were also a whole host of new time savers that were created for cooking and cleaning. For example, new, easy to use beaters replaced wire whisks. Better time use was a huge factor in changing how kitchens worked and what products women were interested to help them ease the long hours. Fast forward to today and we are still the main kitchen keepers and we still are finding new things to shorten and improve our time spent preparing food. Enter the air-fryer, computerized coffee machines, fancy new stoves, endless gadgets for whatever you want. Plus kitchen cabinets and storage areas made slick, easy, and out of sight. Who knew this would be the story of the first quarter of the 21st Century??
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015
FGOTM- October 2018 |
Edited by - Red Tractor Girl on Jul 06 2023 4:35:45 PM |
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Nancy Gartenman
True Blue Farmgirl
9092 Posts
Nancy
West Seneca
New York
USA
9092 Posts |
Posted - Jul 06 2023 : 08:51:26 AM
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Winnie, Winnie this was really fun to read. The kitchen picture is so perfect. I agree with you, we have maybe lost a lot of the feeling of home and security. I was brought up on a big farm, big house, six bedrooms the house was built in the 1800's, and always owned and passed down in the same family. perfect house, white with green shutters, wrap around porch, big red barns. Family and friends always stopping by, didn't have to be invited. The kitchen had two stoves, an old wood burning black cast iron, and a reg. stove. I could go on and on about it. BUT THE VERY SAD PART IS IN THE 1990 IT BURNED TO THE GROUND. It was a wonderful place to grow up. Always something good cooking in the kitchen and always something sweet on the counter. I live about 50 miles from there now, when we do go down that way its hard to look at where the farm was. But to your point, it a was a different time then, and the kitchen was the center of the house. I miss it every day. Love the pictures you posted.
Nancy Jo
NANCY JO |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6534 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6534 Posts |
Posted - Jul 06 2023 : 4:30:34 PM
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Oh Nancy, what a shame your beautiful family homed burned down!! That is so sad and I completely understand how you miss it everyday. What a wonderful blessing it was for you to grow up on this old farm. Your example is exactly what I and thinking about when it comes to homes, and especially the kitchens are the places that carve deep memories of love and belonging into out hearts. I would love to be able to see myGrandparent's old farm, but I think it has all been lost. I have used Google Earth many times and looked for it , but it isn't there. It was a big old white house most likely built in the late 1800s. My little heart ,from ages 4-7, was packed with memories of those years before my grandparents moved in with us due to failing health. When I was 11, the house was put on Auction and I remember my Aunt Ellen, mom's sister, asking her if she wanted anything from the old farm. I distinctly remember wanting Mom to bring back Grandma's Hoosier cabinet. I was so fascinated with the flour sifter in it, the spice drawers, and the enamel top where Grandma made her delicious pies and biscuits. Mom didn't want it and how could an 11 year old get it down to Virginia to keep? I wonder who ended up with it at the Auction? In my young mind, that Hoosier cabinet held the secrets to delicious cooking and how could it be left behind?? Just a simple example of how a place that makes you feel like you are loved and belong, keeps returning to you throughout your life with deep feelings about the time and place in your life.
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015
FGOTM- October 2018 |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
4727 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4727 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2023 : 05:47:25 AM
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I have a townhouse and the kitchen is very small for the cooking area. It actually needs updating and I prefer traditional style over trendy. I also like having it separate from the rest of the house. I enjoy listening to the radio as I cook and there's plenty of room in the eat-in area for family and guests to come in and chat. My husband and son like to watch TV in the family room/dining room area and it is nice to have some separation from one and other.
Both my grandmothers had large kitchens, at least they seemed large when I was a kid. One grandmother (mom's side) was a good cook and baker. My dad's mom however felt everything, no matter what it was, was done when it was black. Amazing the things she could burn! I remember chicken or cookies looking fine on top and then biting in for a terrible burnt flavor. Turn them over and they were charcoal black on the other side.
My dream kitchen will be more of a modern farmhouse style. I appreciate todays modern conveniences and am fortunate to have a large pantry plus a butler's pantry next to the kitchen. The cost of everything, especially renovations are sky high, so I'm not sure when we will update our kitchen.
Dawn in IL
First you dream
Then you do |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6836 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6836 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2023 : 07:11:17 AM
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Oh Dawn, to have a butler's pantry is a lifelong dream of mine. I have been on Tour of Homes where vintage homes had them.
On the subject of aprons. I don't wear them every day, but I do wear aprons when canning or doing a lot of cooking or if my dress doesn't have pockets. Pockets are a must on aprons. Linda "quiltee" made two canning aprons for me and the other two I wear when canning I found at estate sales. Linda's yellow canning apron with bees is hanging on my laundry room door. The fall one she made with pumpkins I hang in the fall.
Hugs, Sara "FarmGirl Sister" #6034 Aug 2014
FGOTM Sept 2015 & Feb 2019
Lord put your arm around my shoulders & your hand over my mouth.
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6534 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6534 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2023 : 1:10:14 PM
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Dawn, you have interesting stories about your grandmothers' kitchens and your current home set up with your family. The key, I think is that the system, whatever you have, works for you even if it isn't your dream style. I am envious of your pantry and butler's pantry for your kitchen use! What great space you have to work with!
Sara, I have always loved the idea of your Yellow Rose Cottage where you can do your canning! What a perfect space to have and you have it all fixed up with Farmgirl aprons and other things. There is nothing better than a "She-Cottage" in the backyard to call your own. I would love to have one myself, but don't have much space in the back and it would need an AC unit to be able to use it during our long hot summers both for comfort and for protection from bad mildew that happens from months of humidity. Without AC, the inside would turn into a green molded space!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015
FGOTM- October 2018 |
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laurzgot
True Blue Farmgirl
1629 Posts
Laurie
Alvin
Texas
USA
1629 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2023 : 9:39:27 PM
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Growing up we lived in a house that was built in the 1940's and the kitchen old fashioned I remember washing dishes in the big farmstyle sink. Back then no dishwaser. Clothes were washed down in the basement with a wringer washer and helping mom hang clothes on the line year round. Back to the kitchen it was mom's domain but she let me and my sister help her. Mom's were the chief cook, manager and was still able to do what she wanted. She wore dresses all the time. Even when cleaning and wearing her aprons. Mom even taught me to sew and ha my own. As far as my own kitchen we built our home in the late 90's so it is an open concept but very homey. Where one can be comfy sitting at the table drinking tea and looking out the back window. As far as aprons I have close to 30 that I use for cleaning the house, gardening, washing dishes. No dishwasher here, cooking , canning etc. Thank you Winnie for starting this topic. You shooooould write a book
Hugs,
Laurie
Country girl at heart
"Smile and be yourself everyday."
Sister #8572 6/9/2023
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Jokamartell
True Blue Farmgirl
1462 Posts
Karen
Kennewick
WA
USA
1462 Posts |
Posted - Oct 14 2023 : 7:39:33 PM
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I was tidying up an area next to my love seat the other day and came across a print out of Winnie’s original post. So I reread it and made some notes. Unlike many of you having fond memories of mothers/grandmothers in the kitchen, I unfortunately, wasn’t raised near family. And memories of my mom, rarely bring happy memories. I had friends that grew up in loving homes so I’d did get to experience family closeness from time to time. I have no memories of large family dinners or preserving the summer bounties. I was so very blessed to marry into a large family where there were big dinners though. What I loved most about Grandma Shirley’s (my mother-in-law’s mom) kitchen was that it was filled to the brim with people. That being said it wasn’t hard to do. She had a galley kitchen…if the dishwasher door was down, there was only a tiny amount of room between it and the opposing cabinets. Lol. Grandma cooked meals for her her 6 children and husband in that house for 60 plus years. There was so much love it that kitchen. It opened to the dining area and was right off the front door. The kitchen in my small home is a favorite room of mine. It’s where I cook and bake for those I love the most! My kitchen is open to my combined living/dining room (although we don’t currently have a dining space, we sit in the living room for meals.) I l love seeing friends and family gathered in my living room when I am working in my kitchen . :)
I wear aprons when I am baking and when I am canning or doing a lot of veggie prepping. Since joining MJF, I’ve grown to love aprons…what they stand for and how they protect me from myself! Lol. Aprons are a favorite thrift find and I enjoy sewing them. I have many from my Farmgirl sisters.
My kitchen is an eclectic mix of my favorite things. Wood bowls and spoons turned and carved by my hubby, vintage treasures found at thrift stores, baskets, and bins. I like the traditional white appliances. Laurie, like you, I don’t have a dishwasher either…unless I can say that my dishwasher is 6’2” and wears a baseball hat! Lol. Two Christmas’s ago, I received a beautiful farm house sink and as a result, got new butcher block counters too! :)
I truly believe that the kitchen is the heart of the home. The life blood of the family that lives in that home. My most favorite thing to do in my kitchen is to bake or preserve the bounties of our garden! I love the smells that come from my kitchen and the way it nourishes my family and friends.
Thanks, Winnie for starting this thread! :)
Karen :)
To quote one of my past preschoolers “Not one of those Karens, but a good Karen”! Haha |
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Blessed in Colorado
True Blue Farmgirl
6480 Posts
Debbie L.
Oregon
USA
6480 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2023 : 09:59:24 AM
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What a Beautiful story Karen, love of family and our kitchens being the heart of our homes.
This was a great thread Winnie and I love reading everyone’s stories.
Big Hugs,
Debbie
#1582
Blessed in Oregon
With Colorado on My Mind
Farmgirl of the Month September 2012, February 2018, September 2022
“My altars are My Mountains
and the Ocean.” Lord Byron”
When I am Old I Shall Wear Purple, I am Old now!!
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9269 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9269 Posts |
Posted - Oct 16 2023 : 04:40:58 AM
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Somehow I missed this thread when Winnie first started it.
Winnie I enjoyed reading your post. I don't ever remember any of my aunts having big kitchens. My grandmother's did not have huge kitchens but my maternal grandmother did all the construction of building her own kitchen and it was probably the largest anyone in our family had. It was more modern than most of that time but she kept her old appliances. Back then they were built to last! Her kitchen also held a dinette set.
Some of our kitchens have been separate rooms and some have been galley kitchens. In our last house we enlarged the kitchen storage by building a pantry. The kitchen itself was long and opened to a dining area.
In our present home it is much more modern with glass top stove and stainless steel appliances. Hardwood flooring. We had very few cabinets and the previous owner had a small table and chairs in the kitchen. We took the two walls that were empty and added more cabinets. We chose to paint all of the cabinets white so everything would match and there is black granite countertops to match the deep black soapstone sink. It is not my dream kitchen at all but it is where we are for now. I would love to have a farmhouse kitchen big enough to have a table and chairs not completely open to all the areas, but at least next to the dining room.
Aprons, I have many. Many are gifts from farmgirls. I prefer them to be useful though I have some that are more decorative. The decorative remind me of the fancier holiday aprons women used to wear to hostess a gathering.
I wear aprons often as I tend to be messy. Most often mine are worn on Sundays to keep the clothes I wear to church in the morning clean to be able to wear for evening services. But when I can or bake or do dishes by hand they are a must.
Thank you so much Winnie for sharing and getting this started and Karen I enjoyed reading your post also!
I think this is the type of thing that drew me to Mary Jane's back in 2007. The feel of home and the old ways.
I do recall many of the women who lived through those times being very happy that those days were gone as much as we look on those times with nostalgia, they were happy they were gone due to all the work involved in keeping home without all the conveniences we have progressed in to now.
~Denise
Sister #43~1/18/2007
"I am a bookaholic and I have no desire to be cured."
"Home is where we find comfort, security, memories, friendship, hospitality, and above all, family. It is the place that deserves our commitment and loyalty." William J. Bennett
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105
http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
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Edited by - levisgrammy on Oct 16 2023 04:50:54 AM |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6534 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6534 Posts |
Posted - Oct 16 2023 : 5:07:07 PM
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Thank-you all for your wonderful and insightful comments regarding kitchens. There are as many ideas as there are people using the space, and I love something where there aren't any RULES that matter. Kitchens are probably the only "gotta have" room where the spaces can be truly changed up to what you want. Most of the family members are not that interested in the kitchen decor because they want the space for what they want to eat and drink. Any decoration that meets that requirement is all that matters. However, for someone like me, it became a space to recreate fond memories and fill it with items from the past including many Farmgirl gifts. It is truly "my space" first and a regular functional kitchen second.
Our modern day lifestyle has allowed us to have quick and efficient equipment that works well for our needs. As a result, we have more time to do other things we enjoy more. To some extent, kitchens need to be utilitarian so that we can use them to make food for those who live in the house and then get on with other important tasks or work outside the home.
The one piece of this discussion we are having that just won't leave my mind is why and how the kitchen has always pulled me inward, filled my thoughts with sweet memories, and given me a sense of belonging to the past while I live in the modern present. NO other room has ever done that for me. Could it be that the kitchen has been primarily the domain of women and the daily repetitions of cooking create a sort of reliable rhythm to every day? I have a personality that has benefitted from that rhythm . I have no doubt that many others find that rhythm tedious and boring. Aren't we lucky that in 2023, we have so many ways to make the need to prepare food fast and easy? My Grandma would be so amazed at all the changes the kitchen of her days has progressed to.
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015
FGOTM- October 2018 |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4137 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4137 Posts |
Posted - Oct 17 2023 : 03:39:53 AM
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My new farm kitchen: we recently remodeled our home. Well it was actually a very long process and still is not quite done. It has been a year and a half that my kitchen was remodeled. We moved a door to make more counter space. That was the only change in the floor plan. I got new cupboards, countertop, flooring and appliances. I kept the old wood cook stove in a corner and use it for storage and a coffee bar. I have one wall by the table, that holds my cast iron collection. Love it. We used old boards off the outside of the house to mount hooks on. The old kitchen had a plywood counter and plywood cupboards, and vinyl flooring that we had installed when first moving in. I also had a matching counter to my floor, as my husband put the flooring on there too. It all worked, but I am so grateful that we finally updated the house. One thing by waiting we were able to get what we wanted, not worrying about price. I do now have a dishwasher for the first time ever. Darn handy, I will say for sure.
Farming in WI
Michele
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Jokamartell
True Blue Farmgirl
1462 Posts
Karen
Kennewick
WA
USA
1462 Posts |
Posted - Oct 17 2023 : 7:27:41 PM
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Yay, Michele for a dish washer!! :)
Karen :)
To quote one of my past preschoolers “Not one of those Karens, but a good Karen”! Haha |
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nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
3028 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
3028 Posts |
Posted - Oct 18 2023 : 10:46:47 AM
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Winnie, I think the kitchen is so special because we spend so much time in there, and every other room is tied to it! If you watch a movie in the living room you go to the kitchen for a snack and drink. Meals eaten in the dining room were prepared from the kitchen. Those amazing smells that hit you when you walk into the house come from the kitchen. It truly is the heart of the home!
My kitchen is old and small. I'm one of those that makes due with what I have LOL! I dream of a bigger kitchen with more cupboards, more counter space, a dishwasher, and bright cheery walls rather than this dark dreary wood paneling. But I am incredibly happy to be able to put a lasagna or meat loaf in the oven, press some buttons, turn a knob and have supper ready when I get in from evening chores. There's no way I could accomplish everything if I had to light the fire and pump the water and all the things my grandparents did when they were first married. I'm also grateful for my kitchen aid mixer rather than the old fashioned butter churn, and other such appliances :) I do prefer to bake bread rather than buy it and bake from scratch so I think I'd say I'm a mix of the old fashioned and new. As for the aprons - I LOVE them!!! I wear them all the time and have a nice collection of them. Some are more dressy and for special occasions and some are more stained than others from everyday use. I can never have too many of them LOL!
~Heather
Farmgirl Sister #4701
September 2014 Farmgirl of the Month
"The purpose of life is to enjoy every moment" - Yogi teabag
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Farm Kitchen: Old Kitchens? New Kitchens? |
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Old Kitchens? New Kitchens?
