American Kitchen Stories

In lieu of a recipe today, we are going to talk kitchens (and a $100 Visa gift card giveaway!!) 
It is always said the kitchen is the heart of the home.  With two little kids, the kitchen is not only the heart of the home, but it is grand central station!  No matter what is going on, the moment I step foot in the kitchen to cook something, I have two cute little people clinging to my leg.  I mean, where else would you dance around in a turkey tutu or do a dinosaur puzzle while playing rhythm sticks, right?
American Kitchen Stories #OurAmericanKitchen | alidaskitchen.com
Fortunately, they also love to help!  If only the same happened when it was time to clean…

American Kitchen Stories #OurAmericanKitchen | alidaskitchen.com
Because we spend so much time in our kitchen, it is important that our kitchen be comfortable and functional. We have been exploring options for upgrading appliances, adding a backsplash as well as implementing some clever organization strategies (thank you Pinterest!).   Finding home decorating ideas and organizational solutions is so much fun these days with websites like Houzz, Pinterest, etc.  After spending hours scouring the web for ideas, I set up this Kitchen Inspiration Pinterest board.
Follow Alida’s Kitchen’s board Kitchen Inspiration on Pinterest.
While researching for GE Appliances, I stumbled upon a new documentary series exploring the diversity of the American Kitchen called Our American Kitchen. The documentaries explore how real GE Appliances owners, as genuine representatives of Americans and the American experience, are living their lives. What similarities and differences are found?  In seeing all the many ways we are unique from each other in our experiences, what are the things that remain true for all of us? What are the common themes that bind us? This is the idea of Our American Kitchen. These stories are so interesting and inspirational! From learning about a family with five adopted children, two from Sierra Leone and three from Vietnam, to “Heritage in the Kitchen” in which a family connects to their heritage and keeps their regional cuisine alive through the kitchen, the documentaries help us see the connections we all have – and teach us something about ourselves along the way. These stories are coming soon, so stay tuned for more information about this exciting series!Check out http://goo.gl/W5c68u to watch first documentary of the series! 

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Comments

  1. Lisa Brown says:

    my kitchen is nice, good light, has an island, but i need new appliances.

  2. Lisa Brown says:
  3. Kelly D says:

    We have a large kitchen table so we are never short on space when friends and family visit.

  4. Kelly D says:
  5. Julie Wood says:

    I like my big Kitchen Center island where I do all my cooking, and I have all my seasonings and pots and pans to help me create wonderful dinners for my family! I also like the two big windows that give me natural light.

  6. Julie Wood says:
  7. My kitchen is a small galley kitchen, and I keep 2 large bookcases full of baking items. It has new casement windows that look pretty when a pie is sitting on the sill to cool.

  8. I have a small galley kitchen, but I have two large bookcases full of baking items. There are new casement windows that are so pretty when they are opened to the outside and a freshly made lattice topped pie is sitting on the sill to cool.

  9. My kitchen is nice and cozy. It needs new paint and some new appliances.

  10. Jessica To says:

    I love the view from my kitchen window. I can see both mountains and tons of trees!

  11. CR Williams says:

    I love the fact that it looks beautiful when it’s clean

  12. CR Williams says:
  13. Mami2jcn says:

    My kitchen is wide but lacking in counter space. I like the granite counters, though.

  14. Mami2jcn says:

    tweet–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/583437237427240960

  15. heather says:

    Our kitchen is a place where the family gets together to eat, cook, talk and share their day. We have a lovely view of the great outdoors through the window.

  16. Melinda Bricker says:

    When we built we upgraded to a nice range hood rather than the micro hood. No one told me this would take away the double oven since the microwave is built in there now. I love it otherwise though!

  17. thomas rusinak says:

    nice big kitchen but plastic coating on our cupboard doors coming off

  18. Sarah Cox says:

    We are doing a whole house remodel and have been cooking in a campstove for 2 months so we can make sure our kitchen is “just” right! Our kitchen is big with plenty of counter space for our littles to help! I’m painting our cabinets with a chalk based paint and finishing them with a tinted wax for durability. We also bought all GE ️appliances… You have no idea how excited I am to have them installed! Good luck and have fun!

  19. Julie M says:

    I love my kitchen. Over the years we have added a backsplash and knobs. Little touches make a big difference!

  20. Natalie says:

    I just updated my kitchen with new appliances! We finally have a double oven which is great to make several dishes at once!

  21. Pete Mathis says:

    My kitchen needs a makeover!

  22. Natalie says:
  23. My kitchen is very retro (i.e., hasn’t been updated in a few decades).

  24. I love my endless counter space. We just moved into a big house after living in a very tiny condo. Love the space!

  25. We have tons of cabinets in my kitchen which is definitely the best part!!

  26. While my kitchen is small, it has a ton of storage space which I love!

  27. Heather B says:

    My kitchen is small and is a complete disaster. We are renovating it little by little. Whatever we do our landlord takes off our rent.

  28. Angie Jerde says:

    My kitchen is so tiny and has very limited counter and storage space. It works for now but I can’t wait to get a larger one in the future. I hate being confined and am always bumping into my boyfriend…you know how guys are, always in the way : )

  29. Alison H. says:

    I love my kitchen! It has stainless double ovens, gas range, beautiful granite and plenty of space. It makes cooking even more fun!

  30. Alison H. says:
  31. latanya says:

    I wish my kitchen was larger.

  32. latanya says:
  33. Julie Waldron says:

    My kitchen has a corner sink that I loathe. We’ve been talking about remodeling but I’m not sure that’s going to happen anytime soon.

  34. My kitchen is the heart of my home. We’ve put so much time and hard work into turning it into something special – from repainting every surface to laying down a gorgeous herringbone wood look tile floor to the farm table we just built. I have made this kitchen mine and accomplished things I never knew I could do!

  35. I love kitchen gadgets, I have many, but I never have enough room since my kitchen is small and cabinet space is limited.

  36. I love most of my kitchen, having been able to choose a lot of it when we built the house, but I hate that most of the cabinets have those annoying dividers that separate the left and right (instead of the doors closing against each other). Makes it hard to get large items in/out.

  37. Leigh Anne Borders says:

    I have a small standard kitchen. While it is small, lots of great things happen there;)

  38. Leigh Anne Borders says:
  39. Jordan D. says:

    My kitchen is pretty small, yet we always are the ones to host dinner for the holidays. It takes a lot of planning and strategic maneuvering to have my entire family in the kitchen prepping the meal. It’s like oven and stovetop tetris. Very hectic, but I wouldn’t have it any other way, it’s tradition now haha

  40. Natalie J Vandenberghe says:

    My kitchen is pretty big. It’s long–and heavily trafficked! We need to walk through our kitchen to get to the rest of the house! The kitchen has plenty of counter space and cupboards. The linoleum is bad and needs to be replaced. The oven is too small; in fact, my biggest cookie sheet wont’ fit in the oven. The dishwasher is the only appliance that doesn’t need to be replaced. The refrigerator was used when we got it more than 20-years-ago! I guess I’ve told you TMI (sorry–LOL!)

  41. Natalie J Vandenberghe says:
  42. When we were picking out the appliances for my kitchen, first on the list was my double oven, which I love.

  43. Kristen D. says:

    Definitely wish our kitchen had more light- I can’t believe the difference that makes!

  44. My kitchen is small and dumpy and I just love it! I sometimes dream of a bigger kitchen and will have one some day. But for now I put out the most incredible food in my little ‘dumpy’ kitchen!

  45. Jessica mcfarlin says:

    Changed to hall nickel hardware and fixtures in the kitchen. Makes the kitchen so more modern and sleek

  46. steve weber says:

    The lights in my kitchen look like something from Disney.

  47. steve weber says:
  48. Nicole Dz says:

    My kitchen is where the heart and soul of our entire family thrives. It is where everyone comes to gather all day long, for learning, meals, family fun, and just a place to chill.

  49. Nicole Dz says:
  50. A large kitchen island and my double oven and gourmet GE appliances rock my kitchen.

  51. Niki Johnson says:

    My kitchen is pretty small, but we do have decent cupboard space and a nice square island that is very helpful.

  52. Niki Johnson says:
  53. Stephanie Grant says:

    We are currently in the process of remodeling our kitchen so at the moment it’s a huge mess but once I get my new range, over the stove microwave, new dishwasher and new side by side fridge I think it’s going to go above and beyond my families wants and needs!

  54. Stephanie Grant says:
  55. Stacey b says:

    My kitchen is where I spend much of my time, preparing meals for my family.. and keeping it clean.

  56. Stacey b says:
  57. Jessie C. says:

    My kitchen is small but holds all precious memories of my family. I dream to have a double range oven.
    tcarolinep at gmail dot com

  58. Jessie C. says:

    -https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/584931593979990016

  59. Madeline says:

    A few years ago I painted our counter tops and changed them from a teal blue to a rich blue marbled color, and now I love them!

  60. Madeline says:
  61. It’s terribly small. Too small to fit four people at the kitchen table.

  62. I have a very small kitchen

  63. I’m so thankful for our little galley kitchen! It’s a 1978 time warp but it serves its purpose!

  64. Solducky says:

    We have a counter where the kids can color or do projects while I cook so we can still be together.

  65. We have a tiny apartment eat-in kitchen, but we never leave the table hungry, and we’re very blessed.

    chambanachik(at)gmail(dot)com

  66. I love to cook, but I really wish my kitchen were larger. I’m always bumping into things.

  67. Margot C says:

    My kitchen is pretty small, but it’s organized. Plus I have a whole pantry cabinet in the next room.

  68. Margot C says:
  69. Jenna D says:

    I would love to have a bigger kitchen with more room, I live in a tiny studio so it’s a little hard to cook big meals.

  70. Jenna D says:
  71. Carolsue says:

    My kitchen is pretty small and is in need of updating, which we plan to do in the next few months.

  72. Laura G says:

    Our kitchen is the heart of our home. We spend a lot of time in there cooking and eating.

  73. Laura G says:
  74. My kitchen is just getting started! We just bought our first house so we’re remodeling. I’m excited to pick out all our own finishes. Looking forward to many meals in this kitchen! 🙂

  75. Our kitchen is a decent size, and I love our appliances. I wish we had granite or quartz though…tile grout is so annoying to clean.

  76. jean potter says:

    Kitchen can always look better “less is more”!

  77. I love my kitchen, its bright and i can see my back yard from there.

  78. Wow there are sooooo many things I LOVE about my kitchen. I find it a challenge to pick one..but, that is the question asked.
    Therefore, I will answer with the one thing I wouldn’t give up. My answer is the cherished memories that have been created over the decades and through six generations.
    I also cherish all my vintage dishes some handed down through the years..
    The view to the lake isn’t bad either on five secluded acres with wildlife and flowers.

  79. It’s painted a light mint green — just the right color! Happy but not intrusive, colorful but yet neutral. I love it.

  80. My kitchen means lots of warm memories and laughter with friends and family over a home cooked meal!

  81. Stephanie Phelps says:

    My kitchen is a work in progress we are trying to remodel it and yet it is still the heart of our home! I love having the big island that I have!

  82. Stephanie Phelps says:
  83. Carolsue says:

    Our kitchen needs a lot of updates — counter, floors, etc.
    Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net

  84. Kimmy Ripley says:

    Our kitchen is small but I still manage to make big meals in it!

  85. Anna Pry says:

    my kitchen is where i create meals for my loved ones also where my kids learn and play pryfamily5@gmail.com

  86. Anna Pry says:
  87. I love all the counter space in my kitchen which I lacked in my previous home. Counter space is so important for someone who likes to cook/bake and entertain.

  88. My house was built in 1897. The kitchen has the original solid red brick floors. Beautiful but deadly. Things dropped do not bounce at all ever on brick!

  89. Lauren E. says:

    My kitchen is totally outdated, but its a place of gathering still

  90. Patricia Caradonna says:

    My kitchen overlooks the family room. I need an entire makeover including new cabinets and counter tops.

  91. I need new countertops

  92. Katherine says:
  93. Dawn Monroe says:

    My kitchen is ok but Ive always wanted a dining room. I have a huge family and I would love to get them ALL around the table.

  94. Two years ago we bought a double oven range and a fridge with freezer on the bottom. We also had a dishwasher installed because the house was built in 1962 w/o a dishwasher. What a relief to finally have a dishwasher!

  95. Dawn Monroe says:

    My kitchen is ok now that Im almost an empty nester but Ive always wanted a bigger kitchen and a dining room. Id love to have my whole family at one table. I also have always wanted a window in front of the sink.

  96. Dawn Monroe says:
  97. Lauren M says:

    I made my first Thanksgiving dinner in our kitchen this year! So fun!

  98. Dawn Monroe says:

    I like my kitchen . It is a little small for my family and Ive always wanted a window by the sink but other then that its ok.

  99. our kitchen is the heart of our home. it’s where we all come together to talk and nourish ourselves.
    Thanks for the chance to win!
    wildorchid985 AT gmail DOT com

  100. tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/600308436136497152

  101. My kitchen is where I spend most of my time in…even more than sleep time! It’s amazing how much I love my kitchen. The best thing is when my kids join me in there to cook up a storm! 🙂

    amy [at] utry [dot] it

  102. Henria O. says:

    We have ample cabinet space and a pantry in our kitchen.
    sazzyfrazz at gmail dot com

  103. Henria O. says:
  104. D Schmidt says:

    My kitchen is the gathering place for my children and I, we are creating such wonderful memories.

  105. D Schmidt says:
  106. Rebecca Graham says:

    My kitchen has nice appliances but needs new countertops and cabinets.

  107. Rebecca Graham says:
  108. I love having a walk in pantry in my kitchen!

  109. My kitchen is the largest room in my house! It used be small but we knocked out a wall between the kitchen and the den and voila = huge kitchen. I love it.

  110. maria cantu says:

    My kitchen is tiny.

  111. Susan Smith says:

    My kitchen has a big pantry and island. I like the new granite counters we just put in.

  112. Susan Smith says:
  113. Debbie B says:

    We spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing and enjoying our meals

  114. Debbie B says:
  115. ANGEL JACKLYN says:

    WE DON’T HAVE A DINING ROOM AND OUR KITCHEN IS JUST BIG ENOUGH FOR A SMALL TABLE SO WE TEND TO AT IN OURS! WAALAA!

  116. ELIZABETH P says:

    I love my kitchen – it makes me happy and the table is always covered with our latest family project

  117. ELIZABETH P says:
  118. Kristen says:

    We have a lot of crows where we live, so in our kitchen we have a braided rug with a crow in the middle of the tile floor.

  119. Kristen says:
  120. Shannon Baas says:

    Definitely need a larger kitchen.

  121. It is the center of our happy home.

  122. Cynthia C says:

    I love my kitchen and enjoy preparing meals there, but it could use a little updating.

  123. Cynthia C says:
  124. Karen Drake says:

    I live in an apt. and we have a small galley style kitchen.

  125. Barbara M says:

    Our kitchen is where we enjoy catch up talk while having dinner.
    thank you

  126. Barbara M says:
  127. Denise S says:

    My kitchen has a red chili pepper theme in it.

  128. Our great room opens into the kitchen and together they are the heart of the home, so to speak. When we have family or friends over, people gather in the kitchen, great room and weather permitting the back yard in a way that it often becomes one big group. The kitchen is great for gossiping and drinking as well as cooking and eating.

  129. I’d like my kitchen to have a few updated appliances

  130. Debbi Wellenstein says:

    My kitchen is big, has an island, and a walk-in pantry. It is truly wonderful!

  131. Amanda Sakovitz says:

    I have a lot of space in my kitchen to cook.

  132. Amanda Sakovitz says:
  133. Lasonda says:

    I have an eat in kitchen and my family likes to gather there.

  134. Theron Willis says:

    My kitchen is a place for experimenting with international cuisine.

    Thanks for the chance to win!

  135. Kimmy Ripley says:

    I do a lot of entertaining in my kitchen. Have had some great parties with friends and family in there.

  136. Stephanie V. says:

    the heart and soul is our kitchen – where nourishment of family on many levels takes place!
    tvollowitz at aol dot com

  137. Claudia Davis says:

    My kitchen is tiny and sometimes I get so frustrated cooking in it because of its size.

  138. Claudia Davis says:
  139. Crystal F says:

    Our dog is scared of the kitchen floor. She goes so fast on it that she slides everywhere. We have to carry her to the door to take her out and she is not a small dog. It would be kinda funny if it wasn’t such a pain. lolThank you!

  140. We’re super excited about our new kitchen sink faucet! The old one had many problems, looked so old and you could never get it to look clean. Installing a new faucet has made our kitchen brighten and make food prep easier.

  141. I love cooking in my kitchen with my daughter. It is great to create delicious, healthy meals together.

  142. The kitchen is “the heart of the home”. It is where memories are made.

  143. Brittney House says:

    It’s the spot where we come together as a family without the distractions of tv and phones.

  144. Aurelie Red says:

    My kitchen is the place I feel most comfortable in my home, the place where I spend the most time. It’s not very big but I love it !
    I love to create delicious meals for my family !

  145. Aurelie Red says:
  146. Kathy Pease says:

    We just remodeled our kitchen a few years ago so it looks very nice but I still don’t seem to have enough space

  147. Kathy Pease says:
  148. I have a nice size kitchen with lots of windows to view out of.

  149. Bert Ruiz says:

    Our kitchen is small in size but the memories we have created in there are bigger than you can imagine.

  150. Bert Ruiz says:

    my tweet twitter.com/iamdadtastic/status/615057574195408896

  151. Chi Shannon says:

    Our kitchen is a tiny cramped space with no room to do anything but microwave something!  lol This place is pretty old and they didn’t think you needed much room to cook in, apparently 🙂

  152. Chi Shannon says:
  153. Daniel M says:

    wish we could make our kitchen bigger

  154. Ellie Wright says:

    My kitchen is small but it turns out big meals for growing boys.

  155. Ellie Wright says:

    tweeted

    My sons and grandsons have grown up in mine.

  156. Thomas Murphy says:

    I just got an awesome new gas stove!

  157. joe gersch says:

    my kitchen is well organized with spices

  158. Lisa Voyce says:

    I remember a lot of happy times in the kitchen while growing up and while my daughter grew up. I think of it as the gathering place. Not only a place to gather and eat, we would have game night there and other times, just a place to converse with family and friends.

  159. erica best says:

    i love cooking dinner for my family in my kitchen

  160. erica best says:
  161. Lisa Garner says:

    My kitchen is dated but holds so many great memories.

  162. Lisa Garner says:
  163. The kitchen gets magnificent sunlight during the warmer months.

  164. Stephanie Larison says:

    Our kitchen is super small, but I can still bond with my daughters while we bake together.

  165. Stephanie Larison says:
  166. Sarah L says:

    My kitchen hasn’t been updated in 30 years. Now that my mortgage is paid off I plan to update it.

  167. Sarah L says:
  168. melissa Resnick says:

    its where we laugh and cook and talk

  169. My kitchen has yellow walls, white appliances and bright primary colored accessories and small appliances.

  170. Erica B. says:

    Out kitchen has a lot of storage.

  171. Wanda McHenry says:

    My kitchen has upgraded stainless steel appliances and great work space!

  172. Wanda McHenry says:
  173. Ashley C says:

    My kitchen is the heart of my home. Its where projects are done, meals are cooked and I spend ALOT of time cleaning up. Its also where people tend to gather. Its a very important part of my home.

  174. Kathy Pease says:

    My kitchen is pretty small yet cozy and we love to have family dinners and play games after dinner

  175. Kathy Pease says:
  176. our kitchen is attached to our living room to save space

  177. Francine Anchondo says:

    it is a nice size kitchen.

  178. I have an off-color magnet collection in my kitchen that covers two sides of my fridge and two sides of my metal pantry. 😀 It is a great conversation starter.

  179. carol clark says:

    in my kitchen we have two old windows that i want to take out and make a wall and its black and white kitchen and we love having dinners at our table

  180. Denise L says:

    My kitchen is yellow and green and old and functional and homey. I love it!

  181. Tabathia B says:

    We have patio glass doors in our kitchen that my kids look out every morning and watch the birds eat out of the bird feeder

    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

  182. Tabathia B says:
  183. My kitchen inspired me to cook healthy food

  184. Kathryn C says:

    its been somewhat renovated but I still would love an island!

    KC
    kacor7@hotmail.com

  185. Kathryn C says:

    my #SweepstakesEntry tweet: (I already posted this but its not showing up)

    https://twitter.com/thrincor/status/615983993901727744

    KC
    kacor7@hotmail.com

  186. Richard Hicks says:

    WE have a nice kitchen and love the island in it

  187. Richard Hicks says:
  188. Kathleen says:

    My kitchen is small but allows my daughter and I to still cook together which is all that matters.

    kport207 at gmail dot com

  189. denise a says:

    Some great memories have been made n our kitchen like the time when the oven broke on Thanksgiving day and the turkey never got cooked!