Interesting about the limes! I've always wondered about them. And notice that Mexicans call limes 'lemons' and use them pretty interchangeably -- hope I have that right. It's been my impression at least, but please feel free to correct if I've got it wrong.

So OK, you want to know what the tennis balls are for? This is like one of those children's Where's Wally games where you get to spy out everything in the picture. I'll approach the What Is The Tennis Balls For question from the angle of the turquoise and black item on the back of the chair. Anyone with a young skater in their family will know these are absolutely, 100% completely de rigeur outfitting at the moment. I refused to buy into these pants for the longest time, mostly because absolutely each and every single kid in the rink - literally hundreds of them - had the pants. But I finally caved realizing they were actually very utilitarian (as well as gratuitously expensive).

So what does that have to do with the tennis balls? It's the accoutrements of a young dancer: skating (=ballet dancing) pants and tennis balls -- you need them to sit on. You get so sore in the butt apparently you need tennis balls to relieve things. Or so I'm told. An identical can just got bought for a fellow-dancer's birthday.

What else? The yellow thing behind the PIE pumpkin (that's true, it is a pie pumpkin, not a carving one) -- you're right, plllog, it's a melon. I have no idea what kind because it's from a market grower and he has so many that I can't begin to keep track of them. I just let him pick something for me and then it sits, uncomprehended; gets eaten and appreciated, but never comprehended. I've no idea what it is -- it's a melon.

BTW, it turns out the prissy wooden bowl-let with the lemon up top is only pretending to hold a passel of lemons below, it, like cloud swift, holds limes too. Only I didn't get them fresh off the tree I'm afraid! That's so interesting about how they turn yellow with time on the tree. I wonder if that's why Mexicans I know seem intent on insisting they're essentially the same fruit?

BTW, I actually took that photo for the electrician. It's embarrassing, but I needed to send him an overview.

Oh yeah -- can you see the huge ceramic bowls underneath the far bay window? I *just* unpacked those and they are making me so so so so so so so so so happy. I made them years and years ago for making bread in. I've never had a space big enough to actually place them though. Now I do. I am pretty thrilled about this. You can just make out the flaxen-colored plant impressions on the side of the bigger one I think.

Those stools -- they really aren't working so well. I don't want to buy more of those cheap rainforest hardwood stools that are everywhere these days, so I thought these cheapos from Ikea would tide me over until I could find something better. But they're uncomfortable and kinda cheezy. The middle one I bought "as is" more than a dozen years ago while pregnant and needing a way to relieve the standing in front of a stove. It worked back then, but not so much now ... ideas?

Thanks for lighting up a looooong day, GW. Swim meets are why our economy is in the toilet. If all those parents spent all that time productively, just imagine where we could all be collectively? ;)

Aliris, I LOVE your kitchen! It is a real kitchen that defines love and family and is ever so much more appealing than the perfect kitchens we see so frequently. A real kitchen for a real family with real kids - who would have thought it on GW.

I'm sure you know this trick about what to do with excess citrus juice, but if not: I like to squeeze it all up and freeze it in ice cube trays then put the cubes in a ziploc in the freezer. That way you have fresh juice on demand. Great for making lemon/limeade or, I'm sure, margaritas, etc. I've been known to strain and freeze the juice, then toss the pulp in a separate bag for smoothies. It gives a great flavor without the zest and I'm sure there are a lot of vitamins in the pulp itself that gets lost if you just toss it. My blender's not strong enough, but if I had one of those big big monsters, I'd keep the whole squeezed fruit for that purpose, rind and all.

Hm... I don't know how long the limes were on the tree where I was living in Mexico. :) As Aliris said, they were called "limon", but green inside and definitely limes. They're small. Maybe two inches from pointy end to pointy end, and an inch and a quarter across the middle. That's full grown and ripe. Lemons and oranges start off green, too, though.

(*Snort*) at this thread! I've been to open houses with the just-so bowl of Granny Smiths on the counter, and I figure the owners or the broker have been looking at too many Pottery Barn catalogues.

The fruit bowl in my house is a working element - right now it holds one lime left over from this weekend's guacamole pig-out, a sadly over-the-hill Bartlett pear, and tomatoes from DH's garden in various stages of ripeness. It's certainly not artful or photo-worthy, but is pretty typical of our eating habits.

>As Aliris said, they were called "limon", but green inside and definitely limes.

Then they're not quite the same as key limes, which are yellowish all through, and don't taste anything like a normal lime (for all that people have become used to thinking of that strange green, graham cracker crust with whipped cream thing as key lime pie, which it totally is not). A true key lime is actually pretty unpleasant tasting on its own, and one has to salute the ingenuity of the early keys settlers in inventing key lime pie as a use for them.

Oh how you guys and gals are cracking me up :)))

I can't say I've ever "staged" the kitchen, in props. I do have a couple of hand-hewn (?) antique wooden bowls. What's in them depends on the season and what comes out of the garden. Squashes, peppers, tomatoes, whatever. Sometimes the car keys end up in there...how does that happen? Right now it's the best time of the year for apples. The Macouns are in! My favorite apple ever. They are red and green (sweet and tart). I wonder what the food stylists would say about mixing colors. Anyway, these beauties are destined for a PIE later today.

marcydc, I agree with skipping the icky Margarita mixes. But I've always used Triple Sec not Grand Marnier. Gonna have to give that a try.

aliris, I completely agree about the swim meet thing. My kids swam all over the NE for many years. After watching them swim and getting mesmerized with following the swimmers back a forth (the wall with the clock - the wall with the flag, the wall with the clock - the wall with the flag, the wall with the clock - the wall with the flag)I became a stroke and turn official. It beats sitting on those hard stands all day.

Great thread, thanks for the chuckles.

Okay. I've been guilted into confession. I'm nutherokie, and I'm a serial apple offender. I pile them in bowls, and baskets, and rusty iron urns. Often granny smiths, because I find the color irresistible, but really, just whatever catches my eye. And I don't even confine my depravity to the kitchen. Nope. Sometimes they show up in the breakfast room, or the study, or the living room. So far I've kept them out of the bathrooms. I'm not THAT sick.

And I can't even promise that I won't offend again. They're pretty, and cheaper and longer-lasting than cut flowers, and when they've outlasted their purpose, we have horses that enable my perversion by recycling the evidence. The shame. The shame! On the bright side, I'm always ready to make a PIE should the spirit so move.

THAT's what I need--horses. I love to pile a mixture of whatever I think I'll be using over the next few days in a light green bowl on the island, but some do occasionally...uh, outlast this purpose as you put it.

Aliris, I love your ceramic bowls, or at least the big one I can see better. It's going to require a whole LOT of limons, tho. How about a pile of melons to accent your superbly confident, delightfully eccentric, visionary design aesthetic?

I once thought I just HAD to have fake lemons in my bathroom for a splash of yellow - I found a large glass one at Dollar General for $1. After displaying it for a few days, I threw it in a drawer somewhere. Notice I didn't say I threw it away. :)

No apples, but I currently have a bowl with two over-ripe bananas and a mango on my countertop.

Guess I'm a minimalist. ;)

On the limon question, a Mexican friend of mine clarified it for me: In Spanish, there are yellow limons (lemons) and green limons (limes), but they are all limons in Mexico. There is another fruit called a lima, but it is not a lime. My friend's husband makes fun of her when she talks (in English) about green lemons.

I personally use more limes than lemons, but that is because I cook with a lot of latin flavors and chili and lime is a classic combination. I also like margaritas and other drinks made with lime juice. And I made margarita truffles last year for Christmas presents.

I've found that nothing makes me see clutter faster or more clearly than looking at my kitchen through the lens of a camera.

Writersblock said: >'As Aliris said, they were called "limon", but green inside and definitely limes'. ... Then they're not quite the same as key limes, which are yellowish all through, and don't taste anything like a normal lime (for all that people have become used to thinking of that strange green, graham cracker crust with whipped cream thing as key lime pie, which it totally is not). A true key lime is actually pretty unpleasant tasting on its own, and one has to salute the ingenuity of the early keys settlers in inventing key lime pie as a use for them.

Key lime pie was invented because there was no fresh milk in the Keys and the acid "cooked" the eggs. I've made Key lime pie and Key lime cake from fresh Key limes, but it isn't worth it. The acid burns holes in my hands -- literally. I end up bleeding. It also takes the paint off of measuring cups. But it's yummy! "Real" Key lime pie is made with bottled juice. From fresh is amazingly flavorful, but, again, not worth it unless you have an electric juice extractor. Real Key lime pie has no whipped cream though--no fresh cream to whip!! It usually has a not too heaping layer of meringue because what else to do with the egg whites?

The flesh of Key limes is light green, but it's definitely green, and the rind is green. The green limones I knew in Jalisco were not Key limes (thanks Cawaps! I never noticed anyone saying "limon verde" or "limon amarillo", but that makes sense considering how similar they look). They are distinctly pointy, almost ovoid, the rind is completely yellow, whereas Key limes are mottled green, and the flesh is a little darker than Key limes, but lighter than Persian limes. I wouldn't be surprised if they were genetically the same thing, like people with different looks are, but they look completely different.

Having a horse to "dispose" of the evidence is a great idea for keeping those bushels of apples lying around decoratively. :) In my house, they'd all be wrinkly and nasty within a few days, but horses aren't that picky. :)

Really, back on topic, I have a hard time decorating with food. The bananas stay wherever I can find that's out of the way and away from the sun and heat. Sometimes a melon or large squash stays on the counter to ripen, but I lose some that way to unexpected rot. Nope. I could do the tennis balls and the bowls, but not the actual food. ;)

You gotta sit on the tennis balls, Plllog ;)

The lime/lemon/limon/key-persian-lime saga is really interesting. Thanks, all! I had no idea key lime pie was dangerous to anything but the waistline. Youch: bleeding hands....

Rosie -- I've been called "stylishly frumpy" aka 'scary' to my kids, but "superbly confident, delightfully eccentric, visionary design aesthetic" is just about as good as I'm likely to get in this life. I think that outclasses the 'stylishly frumpy' line I've lived with as my acme all these years. Thanks for the accolades.

I got hooked on Ginger Lime Margaritas this summer. Take a bunch of ginger root, peel, and cut it into 1/4 inch rounds, boil with 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water for about half an hour. Strain. Use in your margarita instead of triple sec or Gran Marnier--or, leave the GM and just add the ginger syrup. MMMM. Roll the boiled ginger slices in sugar and dry in a low oven for about 2 or 3 hours--Ginger Candy. I cut this up fine and toss it into my apple PIE. It's my secret ingredient--everyone LOVES the flavor but can't really put a finger on what it is. Ginger candy is crazy expensive at Penzey's, but this is so easy to make and it's yummy. My brother munched on it while traveling and said it helped with car sickness. I ate a lot of it while I was on chemo last year, it really helped with nausea. But, really--it does make your PIE taste amazing. :-)

Cj

Oh wow - I rarely drink (alcohol), but this is so tempting.... And I will share, with your permission, the recipe as an anti-emetic liberally!

Great Thread!!!!

I have to share that this reminded me about our kitchen. Our builder asked us to be on the remodel tour once ours was done. So of course I had to gussy it up a bit. It was a Saturday/Sunday tour On Saturday, I had the cookbook open, and the bowl of Granny Smith Apples out. I then made the pie on
Saturday night, and on the Sunday tour had the cookbook and the finished pie. Wanted folks to know that this was a real kitchen.

Plllog, I agree about the PIE. Isn't that why Granny Smith apples exist?

Arlis, I love your kitchen, and think that you will create a new sensation in staging. Instead of limons or apples in bowls, folks will just go to bowls of tennis balls to add that "splash of color" LOL. No gnats or mushy spots. (and since you spent so much on the pants, I guess it's good that the tennis balls cost about as much as apples)

And cj, I can't wait to try your syrup. In both PIE and in cocktails. What about an apple martini with a splash of that....

{{gwi:1962386}}

My green apples... ya'll are too funny!

Oh, yeah! In an apple martini--that sounds wonderful, too. I also have seen recipes for ginger lime gimlets. My hubs got into those. Once you have that syrup and candy in the house, you find all sorts of places to use it! I'm betting it would be good with a pear TART as well. LOL.... and I love, love, love the picture of the 'working' kitchen. It looks like the heart of the home. Just like it should!

Cj

Here is a link that might be useful: Ginger syrup/Ginger Lime Margarita recipe

Arlis19 - I totally love your picture. It's what my kitchen looks like most of the time. I sometimes wish people would post pictures of their kitchen the way it looks most of the time and pictures of their kitchen when it's cleaned up for company.

LOL!! I cleaned up my island...company's coming!

So, I was thinking about this discussion as I was choosing pears...green and red and brown pears. They're in the fridge, but they'd look so good in a bowl... They're more likely to become sorbet, but perhaps they could become PIE. :) Maybe with some muscat grapes...

Yum, pear PIE, with CJ's ginger candy! Thanks CJ I've printed that ginger syrup recipe.

gr8day - gr8grief -- what is that???

Tennis balls==>$1.99 on sale @ Big5 ... includes carafe. ;) I love that store. One big jumbled up mess, a "candy" store according to one customer.

Umm, Angie, the much GW-villified blog with the initials T. E. H. addressed this very subject, only the blogger was dead serious!
Can we add the derogatorily named "kaffir" lime to the lime list?
I have some sort of congenital opposition to "styled" kitchens, so I am truly tickled by this post. However, I do admit to having placed a large bowl of these on my kitchen counter once. These grow in our woods and some of our dogs have been fond of retrieving them.
{{gwi:1962387}}
You would not believe how stumped some of my house guests were.

Here is a link that might be useful: LOL! Scroll for those cylinders.

Ladies, I hate to interrupt, but on reflection I think Aliris19 is on to something significant here. As the large fruit collection in her kitchen will attest, fruit is, by its nature a transient element in home decor. I suggest the substitution of tennis balls in all of the above settings where fruit is used. As I recall, said balls are available in several colors to match your home decor and last a lifetime. Additionally, (as I was totally unaware 'til now) They are therapeutic!

N.B. For variety, the addition of colored golf balls can be a relief from the uniformity of tennis balls. Alas, they have no known therapeutic value.

I posted this on another thread without even noticing the apples. I guess they're not just for countertops!

Oh my gosh, Kitchendetective! Osage Oranges! (At least that's what we've always called them.) I love those. My grandma used to have a big Bois d'Arc tree in her back yard and ever since I was little I'd pack them home and set them out to look at. I guess I was an offender even way back then.

Now you've got me curious to check out the latest from the blog that must not be named.

That blog is deeply scary. I wonder what they'd think about the Pop! of mustard-colored scree I'm cleaning now, for hours, from the insides of two cars and much of that well-lived-in kitchen? DD1 walked through copious quantities of dog s#$% followed by the traipsings of dd2: all over everything, clothes, shoes, carpet, plastic, lunch boxes, instruments, backpacks ... house, kitchen, two cars (disaster in one, quick pile into the other (dh is out of town), but you're supposed to _clean yourself_ first?!?!?!@?!)

Anyway, lots of glorious color Pop! around....

I'm posting because I must beg to differ with RRM1 about the therapeutic value of golf balls. We've used them to great affect in running geese from lawns. You have to make a good connection once, and some mysterious collective memory resides in the flock for weeks... very therapeutic! My blood pressure flattens. :)

p.s. We use the golf ball left-behinds of others. I'm fairly certain - though never say never - that I need to go to my grave never having encouraged the production of anything having to do with that silliness known as golf. Just sayin', I suspect some of my best friends must be devotees so don't flame me please. :) :) :)

Mpagmom, are you sure they're apples on the stool? Couldn't they be tennis balls waiting for a particularly sore ice dancer to sit on them?

Ot from original post. I have to agree with aliris here about the tennis balls. I'm way too old for ice dancing, but have overworked these old muscles from yardwork, moving furniture, etc. I've used tennis balls for years for pain relief. The method is based on the teachings of Chinese accupressure. And yeah it works and is much less expensive than paying someone to do the same thing.

Here's the book I've used for over a decade but I bet now a day you could You Tube it.

{{gwi:1962389}}

PS I don't know why the heck she is smiling. I've never smiled when it hurts.

When and if I clean up the kitchen the kids want to know who's coming over for dinner.

Mpagmom - where do those stools come from. I like those.

Omigosh, the Blog That Must Not Be Named is, indeed, scary. However, it is not bereft of good taste: On the link that KD provided, there is a nice shot of the kitchen of our own Beekeeper's Wife! Bee used not only green apples, but also a bowl of limes, carrots, eggplants, tomatoes, and a row of San Pellegrino bottles. Fizzy margaritas at Bee's house tonight!

Thank you aliris19, I stand corrected on the therapeutic value of golf balls; my own past has included the beaning of certain goose invaders, but was unaware of said collective consciousness. I think you may be on to a new area of neurobiology.

I must take issue, however, with the discussion of margarita ingredients. Many drinking establishments use triple sec in their drinks, Most triple sec is ghastly when drunk alone. Technically, all are orange curacaos, Grand Marnier is made from a Cognac base and although a step up, however, in my opinion the ideal orange liqueur for use in premium Margaritas is Cointreau "Harmonie subtile..."

As probably the oldest here, I must venture that I have drunk more real Margaritas, both delicate AND vile, than most. Herradura silver (originally imported by Bing Crosby/Phil Harris Enterprises of Brisbane, CA) is a nice choice, add to that fresh lime juice and Cointreau. A little ice and nothing more. Not blended nor shaken, but lightly stirred then merely poured over the ice. Salted rim or not, to taste. I prefer not salted; we mustn't forget our blood pressure.

N.B. - Don't waste a fine Reposado tequila (e.g. Patron, etc.> on a Margarita, that's "sippin' whiskey" Keep your pearls off the porcines.

I have to laugh. I have the inside, yes INSIDE of my fridge staged for the sale. Lots of yuppy drinks carefully lined up and 2 glass bowls in there, one with strawberries and one with blueberries.

For the BH&G photo shoot we did do green pears, lined up on a rectangular tray, with some carefully placed on their side. Of course you remember my green apples for the tile photos...

Since the photo shoot was for a spring issue, there was pink. Here are some of my behind the scenes photos of the props from the night before..

and here's that same old photo you've seen many times, apples AND limes

OP here. For quality control purposes, this evening I decided to make one serving of each comestible and libation mentioned in the thread...

and now, I don't (hic) even ... CARE thjat I have gained shix pounts and shpilled the jar ov appels -- or, no, wait, I thnik it was limons, down the bashemetn shtairs. I'll clean is up in the moornig. Want shome more PEI? Who hash the ginger stirrups, I mean syrups? Where IS that damn picture of Margoritos??

;-)

:) :) (: (: GINGER

OT: Those Osage Oranges are also known as Hedge Apples. The Osage Orange shrub/tree make the best fence post. They are crooked and look - I don't want to sound too maudlin - whimsical in the country side. You don't see the post much any more in Iowa. DH says that these post can wear out 2 post holes! I have an old existing fence surrounding my horse pasture and updated the post with electric tape to keep the horses away.

My bad, plllog. Of course they are tennis balls waiting for an ice dancer. My 6-year-old dancer is about to start skating lessons, so I'd best create a still life on my stool in preparation. With breakable dishes.

blfenton, they are from west elm. PPS7 mentioned them in the "pondering stools" thread and they quickly moved to the top of my list. Sadly, nothing stays at the top of my list long enough to be purchased.

Here is a link that might be useful: west elm stool

>>So far I've kept them out of the bathrooms. I'm not THAT sick.

Oh, no! Three apples currently reside on the counter in my bathroom. Gala, not Granny Smith, though.

And they are present next to the hotplate as the bathroom is serving as makeshift kitchen until the new rangetop arrives and kitchen sink is installed and the grout in the tile floor sets.

And as they are still in the plastic bag from Raley's they are most definitely not artfully arranged. In fact, they are actually for eating. In a few minutes there will be only two.

So I think I'm still "apple safe." Hope so!

There was apple PIE for dinner tonight. The Honeysaps were a nice touch, amonst mostly Granny Smiths.

Enduring, we also called them hedge apples growing up, and they make fantastic weapons.

My son the cross country runner sometimes trains at a park with an osage orange tunnel on one of the trails:

Oh, I want to vaporize straight down that osage orange tunnel forevermore. That is my idea of as beautiful as life gets. These kitchens with limons and weapons are all very fruitful and all, but that path is as good as it gets. Life's truest food. sigh.

mpagmom, please hold onto that tightly for all the rest of us.

Oh, of course, Mpagmom! The breakable dishes on the stool are de rigueur! After all, the ability to balance on a whole stack of therapeutic tennis balls while not breaking the dishes is the ultimate in training for the budding dancer. One must soar whilst walking, dance while standing and sit only lightly and with purpose. :)

'Course my first reaction to the picture wasn't even who puts props on stools, but rather who puts dishes on them! It may not be a superstition like never put a hat on the bed, but it should be. ;)

I can't help thinking this way. I, too, love the primordial beauty of that osage orange avenue, but contemplating running through it makes me think of tree roots, gopher holes, and low hanging branches whapping one in the face. :) And dew drips sliding down the back of one's neck. I think a good hoodie and a slow stroll is more my thing in that kind of place. :) (Thanks for posting it. We have desert temperatures and hot dry air today.)

When we did our kitchen over, I ran to Williams Sonoma and bought a lovely bowl. Residing in it currently are some local macoun apples, a couple of pears, a couple of very ripe bananas, some dried out lemons, a coupon for pet food, and some clothes pins. I guess it isn't photo ready.
Thanks for all the laughs!

LOL Capecodder!! That's very similar to the bowl on my island, but I was too chicken to say so.
:-)
Cj

So, does sitting on osage oranges do any good?

There was fig/peach/blueberry PIE for dinner.

There's a tall, twiggy bowl-ish shaped thing on my island, but it only has ribbons in it, and the straw openwork balls they use as fillers in hostess baskets, but there are chili peppers, corn, carrot, red onion, grapes, apples, pomegranates, and a few little flowers hanging in the twigs. The first few are glass, like for a chistmas tree, the others are papier mache or plastic and are also from hostess baskets. It's really very pretty. It's for the holiday (harvest theme). There are lots of plastic fruits and a few vegetables hanging in the Sukkah.

And lots of real apples and pears, grapes, kiwi, golden kiwi and dragon fruit in the fridge. And PIE. I don't use a lot of sugar or a heavy crust. It's mostly just fruit. People like PIE.

Here's a recipe I just found, looking for english cottage kitchen ideas! It looks good and I'll try it, when our apples are ripe...hopefully in the next few days :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to the English Kitchen...applesauce spice cake

Oh, I want to play where do you put the fruit. But first thanks for the laughs. I haven't been on here for awhile. Bad things have been happening lately and I'm just mentally curled into a fetal position - I don't care about my future kitchen or house. I had some spare time today and thought I would just lurk here for awhile, so glad I did.
Biochem - I have never seen catalog living before, I spent quite a bit of time over there giggling out loud. It's hard to explain to a five year old why a bowl of sticks is so funny. Aliris - I love your kitchen even more now and I totally empathize with you cleaning doggy doo doo off of everything. It's ridiculous how often this happens since we moved. Of course our dog has to be tied up now and for some reason she favours the little brick path from our front door to the driveway.
Well, here are my apples. My DH likes to buy three bushels at a time. It's getting harder to find good ones to eat, I guess it's time for PIE or maybe just CRISP. I've been on a baking strike since we moved here because I'm sulking and I hate to totally give in. Btw that is a circular saw in my kitchen. This place is special.

I also thoroughly enjoyed Catalog Living. And then, I went shopping at West Elm. The salesperson couldn't figure out why I was giggling over the ottoman, snorting at the miniature polar bear, or snickering over the little stainless steel bird.

My apples are in the fridge. I like them cold.

Momo - now there's a house exactly after my own heart. Especially with the saved egg cartons. But where's the circular saw?