Mountain Cottage Kitchen Reno - Building The Open Shelves

Mr. DIY wasn't so sure about building open shelving in the kitchen at the Mountain Cottage. I grew tired of him saying he didn't know how the shelves could be strong without having more studs to screw them into.

I never doubted he could build them.

I showed him multiple photos of other bloggers who had built them.

He still doubted.

I told them he could add shelf brackets for added support.

He still doubted.

Here's how he made them:

First, he cut 1 x 1s out of a piece of stock material he already had.

Frames for the shelves were made  out of 1 x 1s

Shelves were then attached to the wall with 3" deck screws with a washer. Right return wall was attached with a molly bolt. Blue tape marks the studs.

1/2" birch veneer plywood was attached top and bottom. They were glued and nailed with 1 1/4" brads. The stick makes sure it's level as the glue dries.

After wrapping the edges with 1/4' thick poplar, the joints and nail holes were filled with wood putty.

Finishing is usually my job, but Mr. DIY primed and painted the shelves. He used Valspar Signature Ultra White in Satin. 

Our not so secret weapon so insure shelves won't stick...We apply this to any horizontal surface where something will placed.

I think the shelves turned out beautifully, don't you?
The shelves are very sturdy and strong and don't move when Mr. DIY yanks on them...
and set heavy bowls, pitchers and cake stands.

He's finally a believer!

There are more photos HERE if you missed my post a few days ago.

Mr. DIY built the banquette this week. Here's a sneak peek...

He finished constructing and adding the detail to the fronts and sides.

He should finish up painting the next time we come up. 

Then I'll have to make some pillows and cushions.

The hood is our last building project in the kitchen. 

We've been working on the kitchen reno for a long time and it will be good to get it finished!

Hope you have a great week!

Pam

The Kitchen Reno Open Shelves At The Mountain Cottage

The open shelves at the Mountain Cottage are finished and they turned out great!

Mr. DIY wasn't sure they'd hold much weight being floating shelves, but I was confident he would be able to build them strong.

Oh, we went back and forth; should they have shelf brackets or not. If so, what color? Painted white or iron. 

Oh, the choices!

I knew I wanted them to be white because 
one of our next projects is  a custom wood range hood and that was going to be stained wood.

What's For Dinner?

We make chicken at our house A LOT!

Chicken and rice, chicken and baked potatoes, chicken on a salad, chicken quesadillas or chicken sandwiches for lunch. 

We use the same recipe for all of the above, which makes things easy.

I like easy.

and of course, I like what I like.

I start with Balsamic Vinegar and Olive oil. Depending on how much marinade you want to make, just put in double the olive oil to the vinegar. So, if you use 1/4 cup vinegar, use 1/2 cup olive oil. I put these together in a bowl.

Next, I add about 1/4 teaspoon of Himalayan salt. (any salt will do, that's just what we like)
I don't measure the other spices, (but it's about 1/4 tsp each), I add garlic powder, basil and Trader Joe's 21 Season Salute, which is a combination of spices.

I  add the spices until it looks right. In this bowl, I used less of the oil and vinegar because I'm only cooking 8 chicken tenders. You can use this "recipe" for salad dressing, as well.

Add the chicken to either a bowl, or the marinade mixture to the chicken in a Ziploc bag. Marinate for 15 to 30 minutes.

We haven't gotten around to getting a grill at our new house, so we cook the chicken in a cast iron pan. I think it tastes just as good. 
If you're using a cast iron pan, set the burner on medium heat and let the pan warm up. I let the pan heat up until the handle is almost too hot to touch at about 1" from the pan ( on the handle).The chicken should sizzle a bit when you put it in the pan, but the pan is too hot if it smokes.

For these small chicken tenders, I cook them 4- 5 minutes on each side. You will have to cook them longer if the pieces of chicken are larger or if the chicken still has the bones in it. They're done when there's no pink in the middle.

When they turn a golden brown and not pink in the middle,  they're done!

If we cook enough for 2 nights, we have either chicken and rice and a vegetable the first night, and the next night we make either chicken quesadillas or a big salad with chicken on top. During the Winter, I use the leftovers to make chicken stew. Grilled or pan fried chicken also makes great chicken sandwiches for lunch the next day.

There you have it, our tasty (and easy) chicken recipe. 

What's your go to recipe that you make a lot and your family loves?

Pam