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Before the refrigerator there was the larder, a cool space for storing perishables and kitchen essentials. Perhaps it's time to bring back the concept?

It's Saturday night and I just spent two hours "in class." I attended Charcuterie School at Bolzano Artisan Meats, Wisconsin's first dry-cured meat company. I'm reminded of my 23rd birthday when I spent the evening learning about food preservation at a local community center. My friends never let me hear the end of that one, "I can't believe you're going to a canning class on your birthday!" Well, I'm now in my eighth season of teaching food preservation classes. Does checking out this class tonight mean I'm destined to become a meat artist? Hmm, I'll stick to sausagemaking for now. But it was a totally worthwhile continuing education session, which is part of my plan as an urban homesteader--to seek out the people who practice these valuable skills and learn from them. Bolzano, named after a city in Italy, gets its pork from a small family farmer in Lake Geneva who raises Hereford heritage breed hogs. After seeing Food Inc. the other night, it was refreshing to know that this farmer raises just 40-50 hogs on average and that Bolzano has simply two coolers and a very small (not to mention impeccably clean) kitchen for processing their meats. It's the epitome of Slow Food. Currently they are curing speck, a type of proscuitto that's cold smoked after drying. Local folks have pre-ordered these hams for around $300 a pop. After tasting some of Bolzano's products I can understand why one would pay so much for this meat--delicious and very high quality...and it can easily be traced back to its source. Today was also about more crafting. By noon I'd finished all my outside "chores"--planted onion sets, scallions, spinach, and peas (in the windowbox), built a bean trellis from the branches we trimmed from our cherry tree, and sorted the boards so we can begin cutting the lengths for the raised beds. It felt great to get that of all done then have the rest of the day to nap, putz, and play with Vera. To make the bean trellis I basically took the tallest/longest branches I could find and secured them into a grid with the plethora of twist ties I have lying around. We'll see how sturdy it ends up being. I've never had an engineer's brain like my siblings, but I've built some decent things. This ad hoc project reminded me of the jury-rigged structures I used to build for my Barbie dolls. There was probably a lot of adhesive tape involved in their construction, but they stood long enough for me to have fun with them. I'm guessing this natural trellis will look beautiful once my Bingo beans are in full bloom. This afternoon I made Vera a "Woodland Elf Hat" from a pattern I found in Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol. I found a piece of pink denim in my craft cupboard that I thought would be perfect. When I unfolded the fabric I remembered it from a past thrifting adventure. It had a different flower screenprinted on each corner. I worked each of these designs into the pattern and sewed it all together fairly quickly. It's a little big on Vera, but still very cute. She'll look like a little wood sprite when she grows into it.

Dare I admit that I place more emphasis on the aesthetics of the cookware I buy? I know, I know. The way it conducts heat is important. And so is the construction of the pot or pan. Oh, oven proof handles are important too. But while I do cook, I'm no Julia Child, so I can justify choosing cookware based on the way it looks. I still love my Le Creuset dutch oven and gratin dish- in Flame, my favorite color. Although, the new Slate color is awfully appealing too. I'd love some copper cookware, but it's a bit pricey and maintenance is rather labor intensive. I like my Calphalon for non-stick cooking, and I do have some stainless cookware that looks perfectly acceptable on the top of my range. But the latest cookware that has stolen my heart is that designed by John Pawson for Demeyere. In fact, I might give my right arm for some of it, although cooking might prove to be difficult as a leftie. Just look at it! It's sleek, sexy, and supremely glamorous. It has a look that fits in with the 1930s aesthetic that I love so much. This is cookware that looks so darn good that you might not want to mar it with extensive use. And with a six piece set costing around $1000, the price is a little hard to swallow. So, in the meantime, I'll continue to use my Le Creuset and Calphalon, but I'll be dreaming about the Pawson cookware. (The John Pawson line can be purchased at Moss and on various cookware websites.) Image at top: Julia Child's Kitchen, now on display at the Smithsonian. Julia would have found this whole post ridiculous!

Before the refrigerator there was the larder, a cool space for storing perishables and kitchen essentials. Perhaps it's time to bring back the concept?

We have been on a pantry TEAR lately, and have so many fun pictures to show of the transformations. We keep getting asked for before pictures in addition to the after pictures, so we wanted to post both of our pantry projects from last week.PANTRY #1The first pantry was an organizational challenge simply because it was

Whether you're moving on or moving up, getting into a new home can be stressful. Lindsey recently moved with the help of Smith Banfield, founder of Clear Space and member of The Container’s Store’s Contained Home service. Smith specializes in helping clients cultivate order and beauty at home. Together, along with some of The Container Store’s tried and true solutions, they created an organized, yet livable, New York City space for the Boyd party of four. Getting StartedSmith provided a wealth of tips for moving mindfully. First and foremost, she recommended moving in, and then making a list of which items are needed to begin organizing. She strongly advises against buying organizational solutions prior to a move, mainly because she feels it’s important to get a feel for the space first. Her only exception is closet spaces, which can be optimized ahead of time. To do this, Smith visited Lindsey’s previous space first and then headed to her new space to evaluate how closet contents might fit (or not fit). Creating a Working Linen ClosetLeft to its own devices, a linen closet can quickly fall into disrepair. Creating a usable order is crucial. With this in mind, Smith and Lindsey set out to create a space located centrally – on the way to the bathroom. Lindsey chose the elfa system from The Container Store, so the shelving space can be adjusted and changed over time to account for shifting needs. The shelves were lined using The Laundress Shelf & Drawer Liners to give the space a polished look. The black and white stripes add a pop of interest among her white linens, and the Classic scent ensures that the space always has that clean laundry smell. Next, the pair worked together to add labels to differentiate sheet sets for different bed sizes. We’ve all been in a situation where you unfold a set of sheets only to discover that they don’t fit the bed you’re making, and it’s back to the linen closet. Problem solved with this simple solution. Looser items like toiletry bags, table linens, and guest towels fit nicely into The Laundress Beckel canvas bags. Lindsey chose the Medium Storage Bags and had them embroidered for easy identification. Because many of these items aren’t accessed daily, they work best on the higher shelves. Smith pointed out that it’s best to have your most used items at eye level or on easy to reach shelves. Transforming a Big Closet for a Little LadyLindsey’s daughter, Chloe, was lucky enough to land a bigger, adult-sized closet in her new room. With an existing built-in shelving system, the challenge became optimizing the space to be best used for a child. Step one was separating dress-up clothes from everyday clothes for easy access. Frequently used items like shoes, coats, socks, and underwear were moved to bottom rows to be within Chloe’s reach. To help keep small, child-sized items of clothing stacked in neat rows, Smith advised Lindsey to purchase the Stackable Shirt and Sweater Bins from The Container Store. The acrylic bins are clear to help Chloe see where items are stored and help define the space into categories by type. In Smith’s words, Lindsey was such a fan using clear organizing tools, it felt like a “Lucite Christmas!” The top shelves were dedicated to linens that only Mom and Dad need to reach. Making the Most of William’s SpaceIn true boy fashion, Lindsey’s son, William, needed less space for clothing and accessories than his big sister. With this in mind, clothes like button downs and sport jackets were left hanging, while play clothes were moved to a nearby dresser. Shoes were stowed in easily accessed cubbies at the bottom of the closet. This left more room for toys to be organized and stored in the closet, resulting in more floor space in William’s bedroom to play. Lindsey chose the Storage Cubes from The Laundress to house many of William’s toys and costumes. The bags were each embroidered with the name of their respective contents for easy location in the closet. Bulkier items went into open canvas bins to allow room for spillover – and easy access for William! To learn more about Smith Banfield’s services, visit her website.

A few summers ago, I decided to pick up a basket of fresh apricots at the store in hope of turning them into something enjoyable, and that,...

We head to LA 3 or 4 times a year, and each trip has its own version of fun, craziness, 12-hour work days with no sleep, trips to The Container Store, and... my mother. We always stay at my parents house when we're in LA, but THIS time we brought Nick and Sumner. Needless to say it was an adventure for all. Below are s

ROYGBIV order is pretty and all. But is it functional?

Well, it only took 2 1/2 years for me to redo what is the most disgusting room in our house. The rest of the house is virtually finished and this room just stared at me daily with a “WHAT. DON’T ...

20 helpful ideas for organizing a small pantry and making the most of your food storage without sacrifcing style.

This unique two-story house spotted on Bjurfors in Stockholm, Sweden formerly belonged to the Salvation Army and was used as a parish hall. Today the house is used as a private residence and has been

We have been on a pantry TEAR lately, and have so many fun pictures to show of the transformations. We keep getting asked for before pictures in addition to the after pictures, so we wanted to post both of our pantry projects from last week.PANTRY #1The first pantry was an organizational challenge simply because it was

Meet NYC Interior Decorators, Designers, Collectors, & others that make New York's living spaces so unique & amazing. In depth articles about their homes!

"Our old pantry had those builder-grade wiring shelving that everyone hates," the homeowner says.

There are a few shelf-stable grocery items that chefs and health experts recommend you always have on hand to stay healthy and happy in the kitchen. Here are the 10 best, according to registered dietitian Ashley Koff, RD.

From the new Momofuku cookbook by David Chang comes a recipe for the most salivating side dish at his signature New York restaurant

Buy the online from Houzz today, or shop for other Pantry Cabinets for sale. Get user reviews on all Storage & Organization products.

Sliding Chrome Baskets allow you to see all of the shelf's contents without having loose items. Frequently used items such as cleaning supplies, laundry detergents, fabric softeners and dryer sheets can all be tucked neatly away and are nearby when you need them. Sliding chrome baskets are also very easy to wipe down and clean if your detergent leaks.

Panasonic NC-ZK1H Water Kettle from the Panasonic “Breakfast Collection”, Brilliant Smoke Transparent Glass and Stainless Steel end, 1.four Liter Capacity, Blue LED indicator and a Water-Level window guarantee straightforward viewing and a big ergonomic deal with, Push-Open Lid that features a washable limescale filter the ensures the models sturdiness and lengthy life, Stainless Steel Interior, …

One of our favorite things to do after we finish a project is to go back and look at the original photo. There is nothing more satisfying after hours of work than seeing the transformation. So this week, we wanted to share a round-up of some of the pantries, playrooms, and closets we've been working on!BEFOREAFTERFor t