Do you remember the show “Take Home Chef”? It was on TLC. The cutie pie Curtis Stone would approach people in the grocery store and offer to go to their home and cook them a meal. I LOVED that show. My favorite part, besides watching Curtis Stone đ was seeing inside everyones kitchen. I thought it was fascinating to see the space that people spend so much of their time in. That is what got me to go to the grocery store after I had my first baby, hoping to run into Curtis Stone.
So this is my version, where I go into charming New England Homes and share pictures of their kitchens. And only if I am lucky they will cook for me!
My first victim is my sweet friend Dana. Our daughters were actually friends first and typically when my daughters have a friend, I like their mom. This was 100% true with Dana.
Dana is a Dietitian and a certified Athlete Trainer. So I love talking to her and following her on her Instagram where she shares pictures of what she is cooking daily. Dana shared her Paleo Granola Recipe with us. It is SO good. Seriously, I couldn’t stop snacking on it! Ok come see inside her darling home, that is less than a mile to our beach.
Paleo Raspberry Coconut Crunch Granola
Makes 5 ½ cups
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup raw shelled pistachios
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut chips
- 1 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- Âź cup honey
- Âź teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup freeze dried raspberries
Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a food processor combine almonds, pistachios, coconut chips, pumpkin seeds and salt; pulse about 10 times to roughly chop. Transfer mixture to prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer. In a separate bowl whisk coconut oil, honey, cardamom and vanilla. Pour coconut oil mixture over nut mixture and toss to coat (clean hands work best for this!) Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown (15 to 20 minutes). Remove from oven. Once completely cool, mix in raspberries. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition Info Per Âź cup serving; Calories: 164; Total Fat: 13 grams; Saturated Fat: 5 grams; Total Carbohydrate: 9 grams; Sugars: 5 grams; Protein: 5 grams; Sodium: 15 milligrams; Cholesterol: 0 milligrams; Fiber: 2 grams
First off I love all the coastal, beach inspired touches. It fits where we live perfectly. And since I know you will ask…
Walls are painted-
Benjamin Moore Classic Gray
Dana’s husband and father-in-law remodeled the kitchen themselves when they moved in. I think they did a fantastic job. I love the classic white cabinets with the black honed counter tops.
She has so many great kitchen accessories and staples. She keeps her counters pretty clean with only the things she uses daily out. She let me move a couple things around for the sake of pictures:)
This area in her kitchen says “Dietitian and Chef” all over it! I love the open shelves and how she keeps all of her essential cooking items within arms reach.
I asked her to share with us her favorite essential kitchen items that she can’t live without and why.
Essential Kitchen Items
- Sturdy Chefs Knife – “Doesn’t need to be fancy or expensive but does need to be sharp!!”
- Cast Iron Skillet – “From scrambled eggs to cornbread to roast chicken – you can cook almost anything in it!”
- Kosher Salt – “From pickling to baking it’s the cleanest, best all-purpose salt.”
- Porcelain Measuring Spoons– “not because I’m a dietitian and like to measure things – they just make me happy.”
- Hand Held Mandoline – “Super fast way to slice my favorite fruits, veg and citrus.”
- 13×18 Sheet Pan– “I literally use it every single day.”
She loves this little rolling island. Dana said that she doesn’t have a lot of counter space so she pulls this island out often to roll out cookies or dough. (I laughed that she doesn’t think she has a lot of counter space…I would like to see her cook in my little kitchen. That is actually not a bad idea:))
They keep their pans out that they use everyday. I think they look great stacked and organized on the one shelf.
Thank you Dana for letting us Curtis Stone you! See he likes your granola too…. hehe. Follow Dana on Instagram HERE and her Blog HERE.
Lovely photos as always…. you are going to have to come down under to Australia to meet “our” Curtis Stone đ
heheh….could you set that up?? xxxx
I wish đ “sigh”
Great article. Dana is my daughter, so I am prejudice, but I love the way you write!
oh! I LOVE Dana and her entire family. She is pretty awesome.
Thanks for reading:)
So fun and cute and what a neat feature. I love seeing other people’s houses, especially kitchens. ?
thanks! Me too:)
Lovely kitchen! (Yours is still my favorite though.) Can’t wait to try the granola recipe…love anything with raspberries. Enjoy the sunshine we have in CT today!
Thanks Heather:)
And the raspberries MAKE that recipe!
It is such a nice day, you too!
hey girl -love Dana’s kitchen! so cool!
Thanks Shawnna, me too!
Thank you for sharing your friend’s home with us. It is gorgeous, just like yours.
oh thanks Linda! She has a great home!
What a great idea! Kitchens are my favorite room in house tours! That Curtis Stone show was one of my favorites on Food Network! Thanks!
oh good! Glad you liked it!