If the Gransnetters walked into your kitchen right now?

Its a frosty morning so its me with a pot of coffee ,a tin of shortbread and reading my latest kindle purchase.

I hate clutter so mine is small but clean and very tidy everything has a home. It’s minimalistic just the must haves on show, kettle toaster. I’m ready kettles on GNS

If you had come yesterday morning you would have found my kitchen to be positively pristine; this is because I'm taking part in a trial by my local water supplier and the lovely water engineer visits first thing on Wednesdays for half an hour and I like him to find the place sparkling. In fairness though it only usually takes me a couple of minutes to get it like that because my kitchen is shared with our lodger and I have rules about keeping it clean at all times. It's not a huge kitchen, but big enough to welcome you if you arrive in waves of about 10-12 and don't mind sitting around the table in the dining room next door.
p.s. please don't peek inside the oven!

I'd say hello come in and take you into lounge ha kitchen isn't very big I couldn't offer much to accompany tea/coffee trying not to eat sweet things my house is always "lived in"

Very small kitchen so maybe visit 2 at a time, one worktop has Bread bin & Tea/Coffee/Sugar canisters (all stainless steel). Grow your own Tomatoes/Kale/Peppers waiting to be started. Biscuit Barrel, large Waring Blender & 2 M&S Ashberry storage jars. Small food waste caddy & washing pods/stain remover & washing up liquid. Unwashed Breakfast things waiting to be washed up later (I wash up once a day usually). At the other side of my hob are my M&S Utensil jars full of wooden/plastic spoons etc. Large Cast Iron Dish & Griddle. Between sink & hob more stainless steel Utensil holders, one is for small kitchen knives/jar opener/tin opener & vase of artificial flowers/wooden leaves etc.

My other worktop has Microwave & Kettle, Toaster lives in a cupboard when not in use. Mugs, Wine Rack (holds cordial/non alcoholic wine).

Fairly tidy & clean but no table so I'll make you a or & we'll go & sit at my Dinning Table, light & sunny or on my settee if you require comfort.

My home is just that not all neat & tidy but clean & welcoming. Why would anybody put the kettle away?

If you walked into my kitchen right now you would find it piece full, clean and tidy. The aroma of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies a small joint of meat fill the air. This morning I wiped shelf's of the fridge and cleaned my sink. Sadly my valentines flowers given with love are now fading and will soon have to go.

You'd find DH preparing a lentil casserole. He's a great cook, so I'm happy to be the bottle-washer.

They would think I had OCD!!
Immaculate, fresh & cleaned to hospital standards this morning. I like my kitchen uncluttered. The table is loaded with assorted crockery etc because I'm busy packing boxes ready to move house. I love a clean kitchen x

They would admire their reflection in my newly cleaned ceramic hob!

Oh dear. They'd ask 'why do you have so many cups and saucers/mugs (20 at the last count) on your shelf? Because I like them, that's why.
Isn't it about time you mopped the floor?
Why have you got rolled up crotcheted squares between the worktop and the washer? Because they stop the m/c from waltzing around the kitchen floor.

A sink full of dishes as I'm having coffee before I clear up later. All surfaces cluttered including a cat's corner where he likes to jump up and choose his Dreamies.Im a compulsive shopper, just back from Lidls with a stack of stuff I don't need and can't fit into cupboard.

I like this thread! My kitchen is nice and tidy - but it can get messy when I’m cooking. Squarish shape, with room for a sofa and table and chairs. I’d sit you round the table and make fresh coffee, and I’d give you the biscuits that I buy ‘just in case’! I leave it all shipshape before bed, so we can come down in the morning to it looking nice. The sunshine at this time of year does show up rather smeary windows though, and I hate cleaning windows. My window cleaner does the inside for me once in a while. I’m another one who keeps the gadgets out of sight, so no clutter for me. What time can I expect you?? ?

Right at this moment it is tidy - tops shining, sink clean, nothing much out other than kettle and toaster, some jars, oranges in a bowl and some herbs on the windowsill. This unusual state of affairs is due to my having got up very early as I was wide awake, and everything has been done while I had energy. Now, on another day..........

Right then! I'm making lunch. I decided upon a steamed ginger pudding. Mixed the usual recipe up and put it in the bombe mould. Into the pan with the usual amount of water, and then, this. Can anyone explain why?

PS there is a small hole in the centre top to let the steam escape. Also I only filled the bottom half so there is plenty of room for rising. It's never done this before!!!

Grandsons artwork covering double doors of fridge. Daughters 'diet paraphanlia' over island unit (they live with us) One high stool full of my bits (Boden, Lakeland catalogue etc) Haven't got a kettle, boiling water tap instead, toaster, thermomix, coffee maker, Alexa, salt pig on work bench beside range. Fruit bowl, and egg container other side. Clean and tidy but lived in. I love my kitchen, friends and family sit at island and watch us cook, sometimes we never get as far as the lounge or dining room. All are welcome, as I am a newbie I would love to get to know my fellow Gransnetters ☕️?? ?

hildajenniJ I don't mind coming round with a spoon and a bowl if you need any help eating it!

Now I have a weekly Tesco delivery, the kitchen table is cleared once a week for the grocery trays - wonderful! Then walk into the dining room and on the table- yep, all his junk from the kitchen.

Don't know why my message appeared twice. This internet/forum/technology stuff is beyond me!

Mine is almost always pristine. I have a moveable 4 tier trolley with wire baskets which hold veg and some sundries like napkins (paper and linen) and paper coasters, extra cooking impliments and cling film/foil etc.
I have 2 coffee machines (eBay purchases) and a bread maker which are always out and tubs with rice, brown sugar, flour and granola plus wooden bowls with kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper. There's a 3 tier biscuit tin which contains a cake, home-made ginger and shortbread biscuits and wrapped club and mint viscount biscuits. A fruit bowl and utensil pot and marble chopping board are also out.
There's a table and height adjustable white leather bar stools and my favourite basket chair with comfy cushions by the window where I have my morning coffee and read. This morning it was the recently bought The Road To Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson.
It's a fresh, light-filled, welcoming room and I love it.

faye17
I understand. I am constantly moving his stuff around. The difference between us (both hoarders) is that I am forced to sort stuff out sometimes... and throw/ give it away. He just loves the empty spaces thus formed and will fill them with more of his junk. He hates piles so fills any surface that I have cleared with a single layer of his treasures.... a bit like an open drawer.
I put up shelves for shoes... 3 each I think. As soon as I wore out a pair of shoes and threw it away he would stick/ jam a pair of his' essential' heavy boots in the gap. By this means he now has 5.5 shelves for stuff he mostly doesn't use. The remaining half shelf has my gardening shoes pushed in a corner
I have gone badly wrong in the past 50 years and realise it's too late to change anything now.

Our kitchen is open plan with our lounge so not very big. Ivory cupboard doors and oak work tops, it was new about 2 years ago. The only things on show are the kettle, tea, coffee and sugar containers, toaster, all red and the microwave. It's clean and tidy, I couldn't have it any other way.

hilda I’m intrigued with your bombe problem.
I can only think the contents heated up more quickly than usual and the escape hole at the top couldn’t contain the pressure of the steam.
Or, did you use self-raising flour and baking powder, which would result in more gas being formed and increasing the pressure?

Jane I used plain flour and baking powder as usual. Perhaps I used a different teaspoon which might account for putting more baking powder in. Let's hope it tastes okay, that is, if I can open the bombe.

hilda I’ve never used a bombe mould, if I make a steamed pudding I use a basin with a cloth tied over the top with string.
I’m now thinking I want a bombe mould to make perfect spherical Christmas puddings