Evening star., 1954-10-03
Mere the Original 'Do-It- Yourself Kids
Handmade
Tiles Cover
Counter
By Violet FouIkner

Counter
By Violet Foulkner
"What rs this divine fla
yor?"
Charlotte, what's In this?"
Herbs from her garden I'll
bet q penny"
These are a few Of the re-
marks we overheard the other
evening when DR.. John P.
Blevins and his wife Char
lotte invited some friends in
to christen their new outdoor
kitchen.
The terraced patio with the
streamlined cooking area en-
closing one side is the result
Of their combined labors.
when we moved here seven
years ago this spot was a viii
derness of weeds and bram-
bles," Mrs. Bevins told us. II
cleared of the lot myself after
one little 6-year-old was lost
for half an hour before we
could find him."
Two years ago John Blevins
built the terrace when they
decided it was going to be too
expensive to haul away the
dirt that came from excavat-
ing for a new wing built onto
the house. In mid-August this
year he started on their out
door kitchen. Together they
designed the working units
and then he drew it to scale.
Were the original do-it-
yourself kids" laughed Char
lotte. John did all the brick
work and I did the tiles for
the counters.
Three separate cooking units
will take care of any type Of
outdoor cooking they could
possibly dream up. First is a
Western-style pit that will
handle a small sucking pig or
an diversified roast. It can also
be used for broiling shish
kabobs or as a warming oven
If needed. Three graduated
shelves for the CRATES allow
for fast or slow cooking.
Next to the pit is the grill.
They bought this unit COM
plete with chimney f1ue and
covered warming oven and
installed it into the masonry.
The third unit is the electric
spit.
Last in line is a help-your-
self salad bar. For this they
salvaged an old beat-up sand
wich counter from a restau-
rant. It was grimy and inch
deep in grease when they
lugged it home. Now the thick
oak counter makes an ideal
chopping block while an alum
mum tray fitted into the back
holds a bed of shaved ice for
the shredded vegetables and
salad greens.
Tile Counters
The counter space around
all three fireplaces is covered
with handmade tiles which
Charlotte Blevins fired in her
own kiln. If you're ever lucky
enough to be invited to one Of
their barbecue feasts, take
along pencil and notebook be-
cause on these tiles you'll find
printed some fascinating reci-
pes. She collected choice reci-
pes from her friends and in
veigled others from chefs Of
her favorite restaurants.
They're all in the handwriting
of the donors, transferred to
the unglazed tile and then
glazed. The tiles were COW
cred with "a colored clay slip
and marbleized, a method she
was told couldn't be done on
bisque tile but she figured out
a way of doing it. The end
result is a lovely pink MARBLE
lied surface that sets the
color scheme for her dishes
and serving trays.
They plan to give this new
kitchen plenty of use this fall.
With three small children Of
their own. Jeffrey 8, Pamela 8
and Alice 212, the Blevins'
backyard is a favorite meeting
place for all the children in the
neighborhood.
1--WE have lots of friends
with children, too, and it's
more fun to entertain outdoors
than in," says busy Charlotte.
It won't be long she comment
ed before Scout troops will
be congregating at her house
and she knows children love to
cook outside. There will be
plenty of space for roasting
hot dogs. corn. potatoes or
marshmallows.
lobbyists
Two more energetic people
than the Blevins would be
hard to find. Building ter
races, barbecue pits and max