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Simple Joyful Food

small ideas that add joy to life

kitchen basics

Get inspired: Debbie Arnold’s kitchen tour.

July 26, 2013 15 Comments
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour welcome (c)nwafoodie

What would you do if you lived half of your life in one place and the other half in another?

When would you ever feel at-home?

Where would you keep your “good stuff?”

For Debbie Arnold, author of the DiningwithDebbie blog, this describes her last three years.  She and her husband live in Benton, Arkansas during the week and for three weekends every month they trek it up here to their future retirement spot on beautiful Beaver Lake.  As a bonus, this gets them closer to their grandkids because her daughter and family have roots in Fayetteville.

Even though she told me that she and her husband are still in the process of adding to and making this feel more and more like home, her passion and energy when talking about her love of this space contradicts. To me, it already feels perfect.

“It’s very easy to work in, this kitchen.  And, I don’t have to walk myself to death like you do in a large kitchen. When we found this place and started remodeling, I wanted it to be easy, casual, full of bright light, and comfortable.”

DiningwithDeb kitchen tour dining table (c)nwafoodie

Perhaps the biggest burning question I had prior to visiting with Debbie was wondering what she would deem as a kitchen “essential” in a part-time home.  After all, she is a food blogger and by definition is expected to have a plethora of gadgets, references, tools, and pantry items. At least, one would expect as much.

As we walked around her kitchen, dining, living room, and back porch, it struck me that there were seven essential themes.

DiningwithDeb kitchen tour bright and airy (c)nwafoodie
2.
She has a space that is orderly and can be kept clean easily.
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour cabinets (c)nwafoodie
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour colorful plates (c)nwafoodie
3.
She has plenty of room to entertain the grandkids.
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour kids room (c)nwafoodie
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour kids pots and pans (c)nwafoodie
4.
She knows how to efficiently stock a pantry.
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour pantry1 (c)nwafoodie
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour pantry stocked (c)nwafoodie
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour BBQ sauce (c)nwafoodie
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour rollout pantry (c)nwafoodie
5.
She believes that gadgets must be functional, fun, and sometimes worth having duplicates in both homes.
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour spatula (c)nwafoodie
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour cake (c)nwafoodie
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour gadgets (c)nwafoodie
6.
She knows that when you live on the lake, you must invest in outdoor grilling and smoking.
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour outdoor grills (c)nwafoodie
7.
She believes that herbs are essential.
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour herb shot1 (c)nwafoodie
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour lemon balm (c)nwafoodie
lemon balm
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour mint (c)nwafoodie
mint
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour sage (c)nwafoodie
culinary sage
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour basil and rosemary (c)nwafoodie
basil and rosemary
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour kickin it (c)nwafoodie
The moral of the story comes down to this… when we think about life and our “stuff,” what do we really need?  Debbie and her husband have figured it out.
Their part-time kitchen deliver full-time service.
That is inspiring to me and I hope to you as well.
DiningwithDeb kitchen tour Debbie Arnold Lyndi Fultz nwafoodie (c)nwafoodie
Eat
well, my friends. Eat well.
Lyndi
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PS:: Debbie was a guest on the morning segment of THV11 News in Little Rock this week, making roasted banana and toasted walnut ice cream.  In case you wondered, yes, both homes have an ice cream maker.

You might also like...

Pantry inspiration: Amy James kitchen tour. Get inspired: P. Allen Smith’s kitchen tour. Pantry tour: Kelly Stamps kitchen tour.

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Recipe Rating




  1. Debbie Arnold says

    July 26, 2013 at 8:44 pm

    Thanks for your sweet comments. I hope you felt welcomed and comfortable — that's what we aim for here. Could you Photoshop a few of those pounds off? Seriously, thanks for sharing and for being my friend.

    Reply
    • nwafoodie says

      July 26, 2013 at 11:21 pm

      The pleasure is alllll mine!!!

      Reply
  2. Karen Weido says

    July 27, 2013 at 12:50 am

    Debbie, your kitchen is beautiful.

    Reply
    • nwafoodie says

      July 28, 2013 at 1:54 pm

      Beautiful and cozy!

      Reply
  3. Stephanie Buckley says

    July 27, 2013 at 1:18 pm

    Two of my favorite bloggity women, I really need to go on these tours with you Lyndi. I will hold your camera bag. There is food involved, right?

    Reply
    • nwafoodie says

      July 28, 2013 at 1:55 pm

      Yes to all of this!

      🙂

      Debbie sent me home with a custom "diningwithDebbie" box of cookies, pastries, blackberries, homemade chipotle blackberry BBQ sauce… wowza.

      Reply
  4. Heather says

    July 27, 2013 at 3:44 pm

    Love love love! Debbie's kitchen is beautiful – I would LOVE to cook in there 😉

    Reply
    • nwafoodie says

      August 8, 2013 at 1:22 pm

      Perhaps we should just drop in on her… or… when she is out of town we could sneak in…

      Reply
    • Debbie Arnold says

      September 27, 2013 at 11:21 pm

      You would always be welcome! I might even let you use our smoker:)

      Reply
  5. MJ Shellabarger says

    July 27, 2013 at 5:54 pm

    Beautiful!

    Reply
    • nwafoodie says

      July 28, 2013 at 1:56 pm

      Can you image what her FT kitchen looks like?

      Reply
  6. Jennifer says

    July 28, 2013 at 4:36 am

    I love this!! Debbie (or Mrs. Arnold when I was in middle school) is so much fun! Love this kitchen tour! It's beautiful!

    Reply
    • nwafoodie says

      July 28, 2013 at 1:56 pm

      Thanks for coming by, Jennifer! I bet she was a great teacher.

      Reply
  7. Talya Tate Boerner says

    September 16, 2013 at 10:05 pm

    love your kitchen!

    Reply
    • nwafoodie says

      September 17, 2013 at 12:57 am

      She really has a cozy kitchen, doesn't she? Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

My name is Lyndi Fultz, and I live in the beautiful Ozark Mountains, which span Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri.

I like to share small ideas for living simply and eating happily.

You will find that I talk a lot about food because we all need to eat. Why not add little bits of food joy where possible?

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“Just like becoming an expert in wine–you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford–you learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious. Then you savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences.” – Julia Child

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