kitchen conversations

Could you identify with any of the wood personalities from Part 1 – if not, here are some more options:

Cherry

• Colors range from creamy vanilla to deep, rich red
• Darkens with age, mellowing to robust reddish-brown with golden luster
• Straight, satiny, more subdued grain
• Small gum pockets can produce distinctive markings
• Distinguished by an occasional pitchpocket or birdpeck
• Dine, uniform, smooth texture
• Sensitive to changes in humidity
• Machines, glues and holds fasteners well
• Good shock and dent resistance
• Excellent finishing qualities because of its uniform texture

Alder (Red Alder or Western Alder)

• Color is a very consistent light brown with reddish tint
• Straight grain with no distinct pattern
• Even texture
• Hardwood that softer than cherry
• Porous, moderately light and soft wood this is less shock resistant than other species and tends to dent more easily
• Sensitive to changes in humidity
• Lightens with age, reds diminishing and shifting toward a soft yellow
• Finishes smoothly and takes stain well, absorbing more stain at the end grain because of porous nature

Bamboo

• Characteristics of bamboo are similar to hard woods, but bamboo is not a wood – it is a grass
• Bamboo is mush denser and stronger than hardwoods and is considered a renewable resource
• Fine, even grain
• Less susceptible to mold and fungus

So with all the options – If you were a tree, which tree would you be?

On Monday we were in Charlotte, NC with our good friends Carol Lindell of Design Centers International (DCI), Robin Wilson and Vicki Payne, host of For Your Home to shoot a segment for the program’s fall line up.  Not only will the program appear on over 550 PBS stations nationwide but the program is also being syndicated this fall.  We are so honored to be part of this fabulous program!

Holiday Kitchens is excited to announce that we are aligning with Healthy Child Healthy World as a provider of its eco-friendly line of cabinetry in Healthy Home 2010: Designer Showcase & Tour, a real-life, interactive, educational model for healthier living.  Located on the outskirts of Chicago, Healthy Home 2010  is a cutting-edge initiative that will raise the bar on sustainable design by focusing on healthier indoor environments. 

Healthy Home 2010 features the eco-friendly Robin Wilson Home Custom Cabinetry collection by Holiday Kitchens. This line features full access (frameless) construction using a no-added formaldehyde industrial board that is SCS and EPP certified to be 100% pre-consumer recycled wood fiber particleboard, as well as formaldehyde free glues.  Holiday Kitchens full access construction delivers 10 percent more usable space and by design eliminates the cracks and crevices that host dust and other hazardous allergens.  

Healthy Home 2010 is the first designer show house in the nation to bridge the gap between traditional green building and healthy interiors by implementing a new interior design protocol developed by a distinguished advisory board consisting of industry leaders in sustainable design.

The builder and design team’s primary objective for Healthy Home 2010 is to create a home that encourages family unity and a healthy lifestyle. This will be accomplished through both functional and aesthetic elements. The project’s collaborative spirit brings together the expertise of leaders in building, design and technology, who have joined forces to design and build the home. The home features sustainable and healthful home solutions that include green building materials, energy efficient products, innovative technologies, and furniture and accessories that will foster a healthful living environment and showcase some of the highest standards of environmental integrity.

Stay tuned to follow the progress of the home!

S & W Kitchens – Winter Park & Longwood, FL

 
¾ cup sugar        4 ½ tbsp dry peach Jell-o
3 tbsp flour         2-3 cups sliced fresh peaches
1 cup hot water       1 (9 in) pie shell, baked

Combine sugar and flour in saucepan; gradually add the 1 cup hot water. Cook over medium head until boiling. Remove from heat and add the dry peach Jell-o. Mix well. Let set until cool and it starts to thicken. Add the sliced peaches; mix. Place in pie shell and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Serve with whipping cream.

In Memory of Fay Ehrlich, Ehrlich’s Kitchen and Baths – Hazelwood, MO

1 cup sugar                                     1 unbaked pastry shell (9 in)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour                       1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 1/3 cup sour cream                            1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract                          2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups fresh or frozen raspberries thawed       3 tbsp butter, softened
1/3 cup chopped nuts

Combine 1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract in a large bowl, stirring until smooth. Gradually fold in raspberries. Spoon into unbaked pastry shell. Bake at 400˚ for 30 to 35 minutes or until center is set. While pie bakes combine the 1/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/3 cup of pecans with the 3 tbsp. of butter, cutting in to make a crumb-type topping; sprinkle over the hot pie and bake at 400˚ for another 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Lori Engelhart, Wisconsin Building Products – LaCrosse, WI

1 lbs. fresh or frozen whole green beans                                
1 ½ tsp. oil
1 med. onion, chopped                                                          
2 tsp. soy sauce

In a large skillet or wok heat the oil to 350˚. Carefully place green beans in hot oil, stirring frequently, until tender and slightly browned (about 7 minutes) or to desired tenderness. Stir in onions until translucent and tender. Stir in soy sauce and mix thoroughly (soy sauce may be added to taste).

Oak Tree

Hickory Tree

Maple Tree

 Red Oak

• Color that varies from rich wheat to warm yellow and rich reddish brown
• May be streaked with green, yellow or black minerals
• Medium-coarse to coarse texture
• Straight prominent open grain distinguished by rays that reflect light and may vary from sweeping arches to tight grain patterns
• Very high dent and shock resistant
• Machines and glues well
• Holds nails and screws well because it is heavy, strong and hard
• Sensitive to changes in humidity
• Responds well to a wide range of finish tones

Hard Maple

• Color ranges from cream to light reddish-brown
• Light, creamy brown color accentuates mineral streaks and color variations
• Usually straight-grained, but sometimes has highly figured bird’s-eyes that resemble small circular or elliptical figures
• Color will take on a golden hue with age
• Sometimes exhibits a burl grain – clusters of round curls
• Fine and uniform texture
• Extremely durable, strong and stiff with excellent resistance to shock, dents abrasion and indentation
• Sensitive to both ultraviolet light and change in moisture
• Machines well and holds fasteners well
• Sensitive to changes in humidity
• Uniform texture and tight grain make it excellent for stains and paints
• Mineral streaks darken with stain

Hickory

• Color varies dramatically from white sapwood to near-black heartwood, sometimes with inconspicuous fine brown lines
• Use of both sapwood and heartwood provides striking contrasts called “calico”
• Generally fine and straight-grained, but may also have flowing variations in grain
• Can exhibit dramatic and random burls, mineral streaks or specks
• Course and even texture
• Extremely tough and resilient
• Sensitive to changes in humidity
• Stains and finishes well with natural grain pattern accentuated by medium to dark finishes

Robin Wilson’s book, Kennedy Green House, documents the eco-healthy remodel of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Mary Richardson Kennedy’s mold infested Westchester County home by a ”Green Dream Team.” From the drawing of architectural plans to the selection of eco-friendly building materials and power sources to the retooling of the home with health-promoting, energy efficient appliances and furnishings. Along the way, author Robin Wilson provides information and tips on how these changes can be implemented by any homeowner, whether it’s a broad renovation or simple, affordable replacements of common household items.

Holiday Kitchens’ eco-friendly collection – Robin Wilson Home Custom Cabinetry by Holiday Kitchens, is featured in three spaces in the home including the kitchen, kitchenette and main laundry room.

To register, visit http://www.holidaykitchens.com/contact/email.php - all fields must be completed with accurate information to qualify.  Please list “Kennedy Green House Book Giveaway” in the comments section.

Contest will run July 20, 2010 – August 19, 2010.  Winner will be randomly selected and announced on August 20, 2010 on:

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Is it any wonder people are drawn to the natural beauty of wood?  It’s enduring warmth and vibrancy makes wood, especially hardwood, the ideal material for fine cabinetry.  At Holiday Kitchens our craftsmen have the privilege of working with the art found in each piece of wood to create cabinets of superior quality.

Unlike man-made materials that can be manufactured to consistent specifications, wood is a product of nature.  Natural imperfections are part of its appeal and character.  Every piece of wood, even within the same tree, is slightly different in color, texture and grain.  How wood looks and feels is dictated by a number of factors, including: climate, soil nutrients, growing season, season of harvest, and age at harvest.  Nature appeals to us because of its infinite, imperfect variety – when we look at wood, we want to see the randomness that gives character.

Let’s look at some of the natural characteristics of hardwoods that can affect its appearance and, ultimately, the look of how the cabinet looks in a kitchen.

Grain – general direction of the fibers that fives the wood a unique pattern and defines its character.  Varieties include straight, spiral, interlocking, wavy, and curly.  Grain plays with light in different ways, affecting the perception of color.  Should be used to determine the cabinetry finish – a rich grain should not be obscured by an opaque finish.  Term is also used to describe how the wood is cut or worked – “against the grain,” “with the grain” or “across the grain” – which determines how the wood accepts stain.

Mineral streaks – dark brown to black area where the tree absorbed nutrients.  Quantity varies from board to boar, giving depth to custom kitchen cabinets, doors, drawers and panels, especially evident in lighter woods and with lighter stains or natural finishes.

Natural color – varies depending upon species from shades of white, green, red and black.  Variations in grain, texture and color will affect how a stain/finish appears.   Kitchen lighting and the angle at which it hits the wood will affect the appearance of the cabinetry wood color.  Depending on the species, cut, and finish, most wood darkens as it ages.  Environmental conditions – ultraviolet light, cleaning chemicals, and smoke – also affect color, making it difficult to exactly duplicate an existing finish when adding or replacing cabinets.

Lisa Hodshire, Mastercraft Kitchen and Bath – Rice Lake, WI

1 6 ounce package strawberry gelatin
1 10 ounce package frozen strawberries
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
¾ cup salad dressing or mayonnaise
1 Tblsp. Lemon juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 6 ounce package blackberry-flavored gelatin
2 cups frozen blueberries

Lightly oil an 11 -12 cup mold- set aside. Pour 2 cups boiling water over strawberry-flavored gelatin; stir until the gelatin is dissolved. Carefully stir in the frozen strawberries evenly and turn mixture into the prepared mold. Refrigerate.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, salad dressing or mayonnaise and lemon juice with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth. In a small custard cup, sprinkle the unflavored gelatin into ¼ cup cold water. Place the custard cup in a skillet with ½ inch of boiling water. Stir the unflavored gelatin mixture into the cream cheese mixture. Beat until well blended. Carefully spoon the gelatin-cream cheese mixture over the strawberry mixture. Spread the gelatin-cream cheese mixture evening to the edge of the mold. Refrigerate.

Pour 2 cups boiling water over the blackberry-flavored gelatin and stir until the gelatin is thoroughly dissolved. Add ½ cup cold water and the frozen blueberries; stir. Chill until the mixture begins to thicken. Stir again to distribute the blueberries. Spoon the mixture over the cream cheese layer in the mold and spread evenly to the edge of the mold.