Spice up the kitchen

With family spending so much time together this time of year, the kitchen tends to see a lot more activity right about now. And you may be feeling less than inspired to cook up exciting dishes. 

If you're feeling uninspired in your kitchen, and you're a somewhat crafty do-it-yourselfer, recycling what you already have around the house into kitchen art, may be just the thing to get you spending more time in there! We decorate other rooms in the house, so why not the kitchen?

Keep It Simple. Simple garden flowers or herbs look beautiful in small arrangements. Display jars of colorful beans or cookbooks or your best china. Use stencils to create decorative tiles. Create a colorful family meals dream board with recipes you'll prepare together in 2011. 

Make it fun: Plan a wall collage or mural using leftover paint and materials. Take beautiful photos of each family member posing with favorite food, then frame and hang. Make it a family affair. Involve the children or invite a few friends over and make it a group activity. Serve some spiced tea or cider, something that creates a wonderful aroma and gets the creative juices flowing.

Case in Point: Calendars. Once the year ends, food calendar photos provide delightful eye candy to stimulate the brain and palate into action.

If you feel like you have to bring in somethings from the outside, keep it green by searching sites like Freecycle - Vancouver or patronizing the many thrift stores and recycling centers that exist around Portland. You're sure to find something you can repurpose and save from the landfill. 

The bottom line: be creative in finding your motivation to fall back in love with your kitchen!