IN MY KITCHEN- JUNE 2026

What's in My Kitchen This June ? Ants!

ai drawing from chat

We returned to our Pennsylvania home about two weeks ago, and before we had even unpacked a single box, I spotted a few ants on the windowsill and kitchen counter. I was surprised because there wasn't any food in the house.

Within a few days, those few scouts turned into an invasion. Suddenly, there were armies of ants marching across my countertops and parading along the windowsills.

My first line of defense was cinnamon. 

I had heard that ants won't cross a line of cinnamon. I tries it and it seemed to work—at least temporarily. But eventually, the ants simply changed course and found a different route into the kitchen.

Next, we tried ant traps. They significantly reduced the number of ants, but they didn't eliminate the problem. We still have plenty of unwanted visitors daily.

I've transferred food into sealed jars and have become meticulous about wiping up every crumb and drop. Yet the ants remain.

What really surprised me was finding them swarming a wooden spoon that had no food residue on it. One morning, the spoon was literally covered with ants.

At this point, it's becoming frustrating to come downstairs each morning and find that I'm sharing my kitchen with them. They're not even staying near food sources anymore—I'm finding ants in drawers and other non-food areas as well.

If this keeps up, I may have to admit that the ants think they own the kitchen. No, I don't want to resort to pesticides/chemicals -at least not yet. Any ideas other than calling an exterminator? 

I do have a few other things to share IMK this month: 

Frozen peas and bok choy soup - a quick easy green soup

This is an antique vase that I filled with deep purple petunias from my garden and placed it on my kitchen counter. 

I'm growing herbs on my deck- this is my mint plant

Ripe Cherries from California have been exceptionally dark and sweet 

Local bok choy greens from the farmer's market 

I've started to prep my salads in advance in mason jars again. I love having my salads prepped ahead

I'm joining Sherry and other bloggers (It's open to everyone to join) at Sherri's IN MY KITCHEN JUNE 2026

Bok Choy and Green Pea Soup - Quick, Easy, and Delicioius.

The weather is starting to warm up a little, but I'm still making soup. The last few weeks I had made vegetarian black bean soup and vegetarian lentil soup but now I wanted something lighter. I made a delicious bok choy and frozen green peas soup that hit the spot.

Doggy In The Window- Popular song from the 1950's

I was walking around South Philadelphia the other day. It is an old established city neighborhood made up of mostly congested row houses. 

One house had beautiful window flowers and a dog looking out the window. It reminded me of the old song from the 1950's, "How Much Is That Doggy In The Window".  Do you know it? 

Some Trivia About The Song: 

Purple Sweet Potato Magic - Foods That Help Protect Against Disease

I'm eating Purple Sweet Potatoes. Why are purple foods so magical for statistically helping to reduce the risk of disease.?  

A few days ago, I listened to a podcast episode of Mel Robbins featuring Dr. Dawn Mussallem — and I honestly haven’t stopped thinking about it since. If you like podcasts, Mel Robbins has incredible podcasts and I learn so much.