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Today was a great day on the homestead as we completed the roof for our temporary outdoor kitchen.

We erected the final roundwood rafter, purlins and salvaged roofing! This is monumental for us as we spend most of our time outdoors and live in less than 150 square feet so outdoor cooking space is crucial and fun.

(Watch our VLOG above! Read on to see photos & description of the build.)

Taking It Easy

This build is great because it is not THE kitchen space we will be building (for forever!), nor is it meant last for decades. It is meant to last 1-6 years but is not permanent. Because of this we are allowing ourselves to have fun, not be too serious and get extra creative. Which means more time for FUN and less stress.

This has been a little tough for me (Ini) as I want thing to be built right and to last. Yet this is a good lesson for me in letting go, lightening up and just getting a project finished quickly. We need a space to cook in comfort and this kitchen is the perfect solution to meet our needs. Also, we have so much else going on on the homestead, we have to prioritize and pick and choose what gets our energy. This needed to get done, but we didn't want to spend months on it!

A fun goal we set for ourselves was to build it with whatever materials we had on hand and not spend any money.

We worked hard today and installed the roof and built the first counter. Following our goal (for fun and creativity as much as frugality), we accomplished the first major task of putting a roof over the kitchen space. Immediately it felt cozier and homier in a rustic and organic kinda way.

Building Locally

Luckily when we purchase wood for a project (rough cut lumber milled 15 miles away) we always buy more than we need. Today we thanked our past selves as we had just enough wood to complete the roof and get the first counter built. We used sapling oaks and hickory as roundwood rafters taken as part of our overall timber improvement strategy of thinning our 15 acre forest to encourage a healthier ecosystem.

The last of the 1x4 purlins from an 80 year old barn (that we salvaged 3 years ago) came in handy and we were glad to finally put them to use after storing them for 2 years.

The posts were taken from previously fallen trees that we then buried in the ground and surrounded with gravel and rocks. Being Oak and Hickory they will not last long, but that's where this project gets fun! This isn't a permanent building so who cares! We will use it until it is no longer needed and will return the material to the soil food web as we let let them decompose.

Hopefullly by then our long term kitchen idea will be fully gestated & we'll have the energy and resources to build it. It's good to know when to start a project and when to do one that isn't the final thing, but gets the need met.

Building with local material can be an empowering and enlivening process. Letting go of longterm expectations makes the whole process less stressful and more FUN!!!

Working with What You Have

This project started way back when we chose the highest spot on our property to have our well dug.

Then came Homestead Rescue who decided to build a water tower and aquaduct.

I know right, who has aquaducts theses days???
But its part of a funky structure that we came into through a wild ride of being on the a Discovery Channel program. Wren had the great idea use the tower to partially support an outdoor shower we built last year. Such a blessing this turned out to be. Having hot running water felt like the biggest luxury.... Jut last week she came up with another great idea (she's really full of them) to build an outdoor kitchen off the other side.

And so the project unfolded. Dig, sink and pack posts. Fell, notch and fasten rafters. Screw purlins and attach roofing. It really was that simple.

Having Fun and Taking the Pressure Off

This project was kind of a "Get out of Pressure Free" card. Since it's not permanent and we challenged ourselves not to spend any money, we were taking all the pressure off to creature a masterpiece. As such, we got it done quickly and didn't fret too much over the long term implications of less than exact execution of a project.

Decorations and chicken around the outdoor kitchen.

Best of all the structure meets out immediate needs of a shady, rain-free area to prep food, a place to enjoy chill time and meals and wash dishes and produce while being out near our main growing areas, chickens and food forests.

Dinner of potatoes and garlic cooked in the outdoor kitchen (with chervil!) and fresh salad greens from the high tunnel!

It's a beautiful life! Thanks for joining us!

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