Green Country Living — Spring Edition 2024

T J Ellis , CFP ® , AA MS™

Financial Advisor

1411 S Yo rk St

Muskogee , OK 74 403 91 8- 682- 48 08

Daniel T Miller, CFP ® , AA MS™

Financial Advisor

1010 N Main

Muskogee , OK 74 40 1 91 8- 68 3-38 01

Mike Carman

Financial Advisor

948 W Shawne e St , Suite 94 8b

Muskogee , OK 74 40 1 91 8- 682-16 48

Sheri G Barton , AA MS™ Financial Advisor 21 08 No rth Co untry Club Ro ad Muskogee , OK 74 403

8- 68 3- 68 92

Kevin R White,

Goodman -Nissley, AA MS™

DEDICATED TO WOMEN’S HEALTH.

With an experienced staff of physicians and acertified nurse midwife (CNM), Warren Clinic provides comprehensive care for women at any stage of their lives. Medical services include annual wellness exams, prenatal care, labor and delivery, pre- and post-menopausal care, gynecological surgery, breast health services and more.

Labor and delivery services are provided at Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee, which offers the resources and expertise you and your baby need, including childbirth education, private birthing rooms and aboard-certified lactation consultant.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call the Warren Clinic OB/GYN office near you.

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WARREN CLINIC MUSKOGEE 3504 West Okmulgee Street Muskogee, Oklahoma

Jonathan Baldwin, M.D. Edwin Henslee, M.D. 918-686-5399

WARREN CLINIC FORT GIBSON 108 Lone Oak Circle Fort Gibson, Oklahoma

Jonathan Baldwin, M.D. Sarah Poplin, APRN-CNM 918-478-6005

Sarah Poplin,APRN-CNM

Edwin Henslee, M.D.

JonathanBaldwin, M.D.

PUBLISHER/EDITOR Ed Choate

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Angela Jackson

LAYOUT & DESIGN Joshua Cagle

WRITERS Cathy Spaulding, Wendy Burton, Kalli Jones

PHOTOGRAPHERS Shane Keeter, Mandy Corbell, Von Castor, Ronn Rowland, Cathy Spaulding

ADVERTISING SALES Kris Hight, Angela Jackson, Therese Lewis

Green Country Living is published by the Muskogee Phoenix. Contents of the magazine are by the Muskogee Phoenix. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior consent of the Muskogee Phoenix. Green Country Living, P.O. Box 1968, Muskogee OK 74402. email publisher@muskogeephoenix.com - Editorial: (918) 684-2929 Advertising and distribution: (918) 684-2804

Fort Gibson couple

Chef Isa Morrow’s homage to her culinary mentor, Bobby Benjamin, shines through handcrafted gnocchi and rosemary garlic focaccia

The broad, shady front and side porches show one way the Gulley home brings out Craftsman warmth.

Photo by Shane Keeter

Family transforms abandoned home into family haven

Eufaula couple’s renovation project breaths new life into historic home

Evelyn Gulley recalled the potential she and her husband saw in an abandoned old Eufaula house.

“It had been this beautiful old Craftsman,” she said. “The lot was large for being in town, a half-acre and it had well-established trees.”

Gulley said she walked

through an open back door. Though she was overwhelmed by odors of animals and rotting food, she found its potential.

“I could see the fireplace inside and I could tell it could be redone,” she said.

“I pulled back a piece of carpet and I could see hard wood floors. I could see the bones were good in it.”

By Cathy Spaulding • Photos by Shane Keeter

The broad, shady front and side porches show one way the Gulley home brings out Craftsman warmth.

FEATURED HOME GULLEY

She said the century-old house had been owned by the same family for 90 years, then sold. When the new owner’s health declined, so did the house’s condition, so it was sold back to the bank, she said.

Gulley said she and her husband, Randy Gulley, had lived in the country and were looking for a home in town so he could be closer to health care.

They bought the house in 2017 and went to work.

“We found that we wouldn’t have to completely take it down and start over,” she said. “We raised all the ceilings and took walls down to to studs.”

They upgraded the electricity, which was still knob and tube wiring. They brought the house up to code. Randy Gulley had been Eufaula town inspector. He died two years ago.

Evelyn Gulley, an outpatient coordinator for a Tulsa rehab hospital, said she and her husband sought to keep the Craftsman look. The house had undergone a remodel in the 1960s.

One of several back porches is elevated to offer a a view of Lake Eufaula shore and nearby wetland.

Evelyn Gulley had the kitchen island countertop made from a single tree, she kept the bark to provide a rough edge.

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FEATURED HOME GULLEY

The Gulleys removed carpet and re-stained the pine wood flooring throughout the first floor.

They added a staircase and converted a big old attic into a playroom. Evelyn Gulley said the 11 grandchildren range from a few years old to 28.

They covered central heat and air vents

with wood and built beds along each wall. Gulley said twin sheets fit on the bed pads.

“We slept as many as 10 people up here,” she said.

Gulley said paintings by her grandchildren and her mother hang on the playroom walls. They converted their grandfather’s old pie safe into a hutch where toys and stores and

shown off.

The house originally had two fireplaces.

“One was a kitchen fireplace and it was in such bad repair I literally took the bricks out by hand,” Gulley said. “We used the bricks in back.”

The front fireplace had plaster and paneling over the bricks.

ABOVE: Evelyn Gulley recalls being extra careful getting paint of the old bricks on the fireplace.

RIGHT: A cigar store wooden Indian named Fred guards a corner of a sunny back room.

“That fireplace was almost the death of me,” she said. “We used acid on fireplace, used everything I can think of, a sander. We had to be careful because the brick was so old. It took a lot of work, but I had to get down to the original brick.”

Gulley found a Craftsman style dining room set with a matching hutch on Facebook

Marketplace. She said she and a friend redid the chair cushions in colorful fabric to match her Fiestaware collection.

They moved the kitchen from the back of the house toward the front, and had to remove a support wall with an archway, Gulley said.

“I hated losing my arch but I wanted my kitchen up here,” she said.

They put up a wood beam to replace the support wall.

The kitchen island is topped by a twoinch slab from a pine tree, cut in a sawmill in Porum. The tree’s bark lines one edge.

“I wanted the rough edge,” Gulley said. “I had the island built to match the size of the pine slab.”

ABOVE & LEFT: Two types of chairs, surrounded by windows, offer a warm coziness to the back room.

A “bump out” into the back room offers space for a built-in desk, an electric fireplace, plus a shelf for Indian themed art.

was added under a new

Storage

staircase. The closet door is painted in the same color as the kitchen island. The kitchen has wood and granite countertops.

FEATURED HOME GULLEY

Custom Cabinetry of Quinton did the kitchen cabinets.

The full bathroom between the downstairs bedrooms was totally redone. White tile flooring in the bathroom replaces bad wood flooring around the clawfoot tub.

“I wanted a tub to match the style

of the house,” Gulley said. “I just put a request on Facebook that I was looking for a cast iron tub. A woman called, I’ll give it to you if you come and get it.”

A wall was moved back in the master bedroom, creating a bathroom with walk-in shower and French doors, to accommodate her husband’s wheelchair.

A bump-out closet creates a desk nook in the other bedroom.

In order to make space for the washer and dryer, the Gulleys had to build a bump-out into a back room. No problem. They just made it into a giant shelf for Evelynn’s Indian art collection and a place for an electric fireplace.

TOP RIGHT: A new staircase leading to an upstairs playroom was built in the same Craftsman style as the house.

ABOVE: Extra space was made for the washer and dryer.

TOP LEFT: Evelyn Gulley was fortunate to find a Craftsman style dining room set, with a hutch.

ABOVE: Beds in the playroom can sleep several grandchildren at once.

RIGHT: The clawfoot tub was a Facebook find.

White paint and wood trim give a Southwest look to the back room.

Several levels of wood decks lead down to the back yard, which overlooks grassland. She bought several furniture sets from Lake Life in Eufaula.

“In the springtime, you can hear the tree frogs mating,” Gulley said. “The pond, the geese use it coming and going. In the winter time, when the trees don’t have green on it, you can see the lake really well.”

She said the porch was the perfect setting for Gulley and friends to see the April 8 solar eclipse, which was at 97% totality in Eufaula.

“It was so fun,” she said. “We just watched it sitting right here. We had food and signature cocktails.”

Gulley has a chair down near the back fence where she likes to drink coffee.

“It’s so nice to sit in the morning and just watch the town wake up,” she said.

A pair of cushioned seats is one of several seating areas on multiple back porch levels.

Stairs lead down to an outdoors dining area.

FEATURED HOME MARREL

Wood beams on the porch and mahogany doors accent the metal roof and siding on Ty Marrel’s house south of Keefeton. Marrel built the house with his father.

Warner grad builds DREAM HOME

Marrel’s DIY approach

creates sanctuary in tranquil countryside south of Keefton

Warner graduate Ty Marrel loves the space and quietness around his home south of Keefeton.

“You’re still in the country, yet not too far away out of the city limits,” he said. “We don’t have to worry

about the kids being in town in a high traffic area.”

The 3,900-square-foot house is on a sunny, twoand-a-half acre plot. Trees buffer sounds of traffic on nearby U.S. 64. He lives with his fiancee, McKensie Plant, and his two young children — Mack, 4, and Tate, 2.

By Cathy Spaulding • Photos by Shane Keeter

FEATURED HOME MARREL

It’s a house of Marrel’s dreams, and he worked hard to make this dream come true.

Marrel said he had a house in Eufaula, but “wanted to expand a little bit.”

“I found this land thought ‘hey you gotta go get it,’” he said. “I went and bought it sight unseen. I put the lake house up for sale and it sold in two days.”

Marrel, who owns a spray foam and landscaping business, planned and built the house himself.

“As soon as I figured out what kind of a house I wanted, I laid it out on a grid paper block by block by block,” he said. “I started laying it out and fitting everything to how I envisioned it. There was always a wall we could move. If we could make it bigger, we made it bigger.”

The open living/dining area has a vaulted ceiling and arched entries.

Ty Marrel’s front porch offers a sunny place to watch birds.

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He said he and his father built the house frame and pretty much did everything except for the drywall. One of his friends did concrete work.

Marrel said he began the house in 2020, beginning right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“It was kind of tough to get some materials, with price changes and people saying there was a shortage,” he said. “The biggest challenge was going

through winter and spring, dealing with the weather, supply and demand.”

For example, he said he planned to put a granite countertop on a big kitchen island, but the granite was outrageous in price.”

“So, I went and found two 10-foot long butcher blocks and I put the butcher blocks together and made a countertop out of them, “ he said.

The foundation was laid with

tension cables instead of rebar.

“They lay out cables, run from each side both ends, when concrete is poured about a week later, they bring a hydraulic machine and they pull the cables so the slab doesn’t crack and move,” Marrel said. “There’s no settling in the foundation.”

Brown metal siding surrounds the house exterior.

“It’s more durable than wood, you

There are several dining options at the table or the island bar.

When granite proved too costly, Marrel made an island counter with two butcher blocks.

Ty Marrel restored an old family dining set to new luster.

don’t have to paint it over the years,” Marrel said.

An 8-foot arch with mahogany French doors opens onto a spacious living, dining and kitchen area. It has a slightly vaulted ceiling and ceiling fan.

Marrel said the house has mostly new furniture, mostly from stores in Fort Smith, Arkansas. One exception is a wood dining set with five armchairs that belonged to Marrel’s aunt.

“I restored it,” he said. “We kind of stripped it down, painted it and glazed it.”

The kitchen features all new stainless steel appliances from Hahn Appliance Warehouse, Tulsa. He got granite for a smaller kitchen countertop from Home Outlet in Tulsa. Cabinets were built by a friend, Michael Freeman of Cashion.

Two tall cabinet doors lead into a

walk-in pantry that winds around the back of the refrigerator-freezer.

The laundry room is connected to the master bedroom and garage.

A walk-in closet links the laundry room to the master bedroom. It features an arch opening onto the bedroom, ‘I wanted some arch entries, just like my living room door, so we just kind of went with it, took a 2 by 4 and arched it ourselves.

Windows on the French doors and beside the French doors bring lots of sunshine into the living room.

A kitchen window offers a cook’s view of the Marrel spread.

A stand alone bathtub has a unique faucet on the wall.

The master bathroom has two vessel sinks and a vanity.

The master bathroom features two vessel sinks with a vanity in between a standalone bathtub. A walk-in shower in the corner has two rain shower heads. Marrel said he ordered all his plumbing fixtures off Amazon.

Flooring throughout the house came from Home Outlet.

Tate and Mack each have their own rooms on the other side of the house. There also is a second bathroom. Marrel said his two older daughters stay in a fourth bedroom when they visit.

The back porch features a tall vaulted ceiling and lots of room for sunning. He keeps a grill and a griddle there.

“We like to host our own birthday parties here,” Marrel said. “We like big steakes. I was born and raised on a ranch, so we eat steaks a lot.

The three-car garage is 1,500 square feet. The attic is big enough to have its own window over the garage. Marrel said he is working on a barn onsite for his business.

The rustic black headboard and footboard on this bed offers contrast to the gray walls and cream colored carpet.

French country OASIS

Jackson embraces rustic elegance, family history with Muskogee home

Two years ago Michele and Doug Jackson bought an upscale restaurant in Wagoner that had been closed for a few years. They’ve since put their personal spin on the location — turning it into their lovely vision of a swanky resort, spa and restaurant.

They also relocated to Muskogee after 22 years in Edmond, Oklahoma, where they raised four sons who are scattered all over the country but who also love to come home for family time.

So, Michele and Doug are certainly not afraid of change.

By Wendy Burton • Photos by Von CaStor

Michele and Doug Jackson’s home in the Country Club neighborhood is a haven of peace and comfort for the busy business owners.

FEATURED HOME JACKSON

Nonetheless, when the couple found their dream home on Putter Place with a view of the Muskogee Golf Club on one side and a wooded half acre on the other, they didn’t change a thing.

French country style outside and in, Michele adores the “bones” of the house built more than 20 years ago.

“It’s amazing. The woman who chose these cabinets (in the kitchen) had great taste,” she said. “And the floors are the best part of the house.”

Those floors are beautiful reclaimed wood used throughout the main floor with scratches and nicks that tell a story of a busy home full of activity.

“I think they came from a building in downtown Muskogee,” Michele said, “but I’m not sure.They are beautiful though.”

ABOVE: Two decks on the back of the home include a fireplace, comfortable seating, and offer expansive views of the countryside.

RIGHT: Doug Jackson said he hasn’t decided yet how to use the adorable one-room shed in the backyard.

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ABOVE: One of multiple living areas in the home features a vibrant carpet, comfortable seating, and plenty of windows for an airy atmosphere.

RIGHT: Michele used the white pine shelving for books and keepsakes in the cozy library — her favorite room.

Doug, who is originally from Muskogee, said the quiet and beauty of the property was what sold him, especially the screened-in porch where the couple spend a lot of time listening to birds with their sweet golden retriever, Buddy, and Hank Jr. — their kitty who follows them absolutely everywhere.

“There’s nothing ostentatious about

it,” he said. “It’s French country and done very well, well planned out and perfect for us as a retired couple.”

When the couple first moved back to Muskogee, they lived in a gorgeous home with a spectacular view, Doug said. But it was just too small to host their large family for get-togethers.

“This house is perfect. We live on

the main floor, there’s two bedrooms upstairs, and an apartment over the garage,” he said. “The kids argue over who gets to sleep there when they visit.”

And that’s really no surprise. The garage apartment is much like a rustic, French chalet with a magnificent view. Beams across the ceiling, sparsely but tastefully furnished, a very large sleigh

The kitchen is spacious and well-planned, with an Aga stove, under-cabinet lighting, and solid cabinetry.

FEATURED HOME JACKSON

bed, separate bathroom, and wicker table and chair in front of a multi-paned window round out a peaceful, calming space.

A native-stone pathway along the breezeway between the main house and the garage leads into a back yard that could fool anyone into thinking the home is set so far into the countryside

there isn’t a neighbor for miles.

Really though, the more than 4,600-square-foot home sits on about half an acre, and the couple bought an empty lot next door. On the back of the house are two decks, one with entrances into the living areas and another with an entrance into the master bathroom suite. Both are filled with comfortable

furniture for guests to enjoy.

Out front, the main entrance of the home features enormous French doors with glass panels — something Doug said he particularly likes.

The foyer features a small, curved staircase with an antique bench and other decor that Michele says is literally “all second-hand.”

The larger of several living areas features plenty of space for the entire family to gather.

“I do antique stores, Facebook marketplace, auctions,” she said. “We have some grandparents’ hand-me-downs.”

In fact, Michele can verify where each piece of tasteful furniture and decorations came from — and why she loves each and every one.

“The pillow shams in the master bedroom are made from a 150-year-old

penny quilt I got at an auction,” she said. “They’re beautiful, fragile, and I just love them.”

There’s a large buffet that came from the Boren home auction in Muskogee last year, she said, and two comfy chairs in the library that came from the Borens’ library.

A book lover to the hilt, Michele has

turned one of the multiple living spaces into a cozy library of her own. Pickled white-pine lines the entire room, and comfortable furniture, lots of books, and a few family heirlooms make it a perfect place to relax with a good book.

The main living room is large enough to host even their plentiful family all at one time, Michele said.

The home’s entry includes antiques Michelle has collected alongside a curved staircase with a wrought iron bannister.

The dining room has multiple entries, making it a nice, central gathering place for guests.

FEATURED HOME JACKSON

Antique quilts hang on the walls and the seating is a deep, luxurious sectional. High on one wall is a Juliet balcony overlooking the room with an ornate cast iron railing.

There are quite a few ornamental cast iron touches throughout the home, including on the staircase and door

handles here and there.

The kitchen, with a sitting area around a fireplace on one end, is one of Michele’s favorite spots.

“I love that it’s completely separate from the living areas,” she said. “I know this might sound strange, but I don’t like open floor plans at all. I prefer the

kitchen to be separate.”

The French country-style cabinetry is beautiful. A large farmhouse sink and Swedish Aga range cooker are impressive features, and the butler pantry has cabinets, a sink, and is practically large enough to be a small kitchen of its own.

Michelle had her lovely master bedroom pillow shams made from a vintage penny quilt.

The garage apartment is a favorite of family and guests with its views of the back yard, comfortable bed, and quaint atmosphere.

The master bathroom features a claw foot tub and private exit to a covered back porch. It also has walk-in closets and separate his-andher vanities. The closet doors feature antique cast-iron hardware.

There are copper sinks in three of the four bathrooms, Michele said, and a huge double sink in the laundry room made from stone that often has pretty plants set down inside to get a good dowsing.

One guest bath has a vanity made from a cast iron stove and a deep copper

sink. The master bathroom is long and narrow, with two large walk-in closets on one side, a separate cedar-lined closet, two separate sinks and vanities, a large tile shower, and a cast iron tub that has a great view out the windows and door that overlook the back yard.

All in all, Doug and Michele didn’t change anything about the home, and don’t have plans to do much in the future.

“We will probably add a screened-in porch in the back yard,” he said. “It’s really comfortable out here. Nice and quiet.”

The laundry room has an interesting French country-style sink useful for soaking laundry, or in this case, potted plants.

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This custom-built home was designed with the family in mind — from storage and extra living spaces to modern conveniences.

FEATURES

» ADDRESS: 1571 Clara Ct., Fort Gibson

» ASKING PRICE: $569,900

» SQUARE FOOTAGE: 2,951

» BEDROOMS: Three, split-plan

» BATHROOMS: Three full

» HEATING AND COOLING: Central heat and air

» APPLIANCES INCLUDED: Double Oven, Dishwasher, Disposal, Ice Maker, Microwave,

Range, Two Refrigerators, Tankless Water Heater, Electric Water Heater, Gas Oven, Gas Range

» FLOORS: Tile throughout

» LOT SIZE: 1.51 acres

» SCHOOL DISTRICT: Fort Gibson Public Schools

» INFORMATION: Alisha Cooper, Chinowth & Cohen, 918-869-1926

CRAFTING A Dream

Fort Gibson couple’s custom-built home hits market

Craving a bit of the bucolic farm life, complete with acreage and chickens, Rebecca and Matt Laney are selling their beautiful, custom-built, dream home and moving on — which is going to be a dream come true for a lucky family who snaps up the 2,951-square-foot abode for themselves.

Rebecca and Matt have spent their lives in Fort Gibson — high school

By Wendy Burton •

sweethearts who now have high school children of their own — they plan to stay close. In the meantime, they have listed their house with Alisha Cooper with Chinowth & Cohen Real Estate. Boasting three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a bonus room, two-car attached garage and a detached garage/shop on 1.51 acres, the home was planned and built with careful consideration and painstaking detail to accommodate family life.

Cooper

Photos submitted by aliSha

The front porch is lined in smart board in the color “night gray,” and features rough-hewn cedar pillars.

The living room enjoys plenty of natural light from the sliding doors to the privacy-fenced back yard.

“Our friends were the ones who developed the neighborhood, and we owned the lot for about five years before we built in 2022,” Rebecca said. “We would have built it sooner had COVID not happened.”

The brick home’s exterior is cream brick with eye-catching smart board siding in “night gray” accents. Windows are black-framed outside, but white-framed inside.

Black metal canopies adorn a few windows, and a large, cut-in porch is lined in the same smart board siding with rough cedar pillars across the front. The roof is black shingle with black guttering, and the yard is nicely landscaped.

The back yard has a large, covered porch with a hot tub (to be included in the sale) and privacy fencing. The family’s custom Christmas lights done by On the Ball Lighting in Fort Gibson

are stored away for the next owner. The two-car garage has a large bonus room upstairs the family uses as a game room or hang-out spot for the teens.

The couple decided on a detached garage as well to leave space for their everyday cars in the main garage and a shop area in the detached garage for Matt to work on cars, store tools, etc.

“We had friends that built in the neighborhood and they did that a couple

The attached two-car garage is roomy, and features an upstairs bonus room and interior entry into the home.

years after they built their house,” Rebecca said. “When we built ours they said ‘just do it when you build,’ and we gladly did.”

Inside, the home has 10-foot ceilings in the main living area and 9-foot in all three bedrooms. The open floor plan leaves room for a large living room and kitchen with plenty of natural light.

The fireplace is unique thanks to Rebecca’s eye for design.

“I’ve seen plenty of square fireplaces, but not too many rectangle, which I really liked,” she said. The fireplace is covered in white subway tile with black, hexagonal tiles surrounding the insert. “I knew I wanted it to be decorative and we found those tiles to fit perfectly.”

Built-in shelves and cabinets adorn either side, with entrances on either side into the two secondary bedrooms and bathrooms. On one side is a hall with a guest bathroom and a bedroom.

The guest bath has a shower lined in subway tile with black, white, and

ABOVE: The kitchen is divided from the living room by a 10-foot, granite-topped counter that seats five comfortably. The globe lighting over the counter is hand-blown glass.

BELOW: The living room and kitchen offer ample open space for entertaining.

gray accent tile in a dramatic design. The bedroom is roomy with a walk-in closet featuring a built-in dresser and modular closet shelving that can be adjusted.

The master bedroom is spacious and the master bath well planned, too. A freestanding soaking tub and shower featuring two showerheads and controls, plus double vanities and a toilet area shut away behind a door make it perfect for a couple.

The third bedroom has an attached bathroom with a subway-tile lined shower featuring scalloped black diamond tile accents.

All three bedrooms have the same walk-in closets, dresser, and shelving. The spacious laundry room also has built-in shelving, shoe storage, and hooks for coats and bags. “I knew I wanted a space for that when we come in the house, so I sent the Roth Company a little bit of an idea, and they built it,” Rebecca said.

The kitchen cabinets are tall, glossy white upper cabinets with industrial black hardware, and stained lower cabinets. The standout hood vent is made from stained wood, and the stainless steel gas stove is flanked by specialty cabinets for convenience.

“On the left side is a tall spice cabinet that pulls out, and the right slides out for a knife block and utensil storage,” she said. “One of my friends who built in the

ABOVE: The kitchen features stainless steel appliances, including two refrigerators, and specialty cabinetry.

BELOW: The bonus room above the attached garage is a nice place for a game room, sitting area, or guest room.

neighborhood basically told me what she was missing, what not to do, so I found this idea on pinterest for my house.”

The backsplash is white subway tile and the sink is in the 10-foot, granite-topped kitchen island that separates the kitchen from the living room. The bar seats five people, and the lighting above is also unique.

“The pendant lights are hand-blown glass from friends of ours in Catoosa,” Rebecca said. “Walters Art Glass.”

In another nod to convenience in a home built just right for a busy family, the butler’s pantry beside the kitchen is well-done, too. Behind a six-paned glass door with black trim lies a sizable room for food storage that the couple designed.

“The microwave is built-in, one of the cabinets has a delivery station for your mixer where you open your cabinet and pull it, then the stand mixer comes out from underneath,” she said. “I have floating shelves for simple storage, smaller for canned goods, and bigger, adjustable shelves for boxes, cereals and other containers.”

To the right of the kitchen is a black, sliding barn door that leads to a hallway with entry to the garage, laundry room, and stairs to the bonus room.

The laundry room features a sink and plenty of cabinets done in a bright, cheery color.

“The color was Benjamin Moore’s 2021 color of the year — aegan teal,” Rebecca said. “I really contemplated doing the lower kitchen cabinets the same but was afraid it would be too much. Later, I thought I should have because I just love it.”

The master bathroom includes a freestanding, soaking tub.

BELOW & RIGHT: The large butler’s pantry features adjustable shelving, a built-in microwave, and a unique pull-out shelf for a stand mixer.

ABOVE LEFT: The guest bathroom includes a large shower with subway tile and specialty accent tiles.

ABOVE RIGHT: The third bedroom’s en suite bathroom includes subway tile, a tub, and black tile accents.

LEFT: The master bathroom shower has two shower heads and controls.

S m a l l T o w n W e l c o m e

F o r t G i b s o n

S m a l l T o w n W e l c o m e

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CULINARY poetry

Chef Isa Morrow honors mentor by turning humble ingredients into savory masterpiece

Gnocchi is renowned not only in Italy for subtle, yet rich flavors but right here in Oklahoma as chef Isa Morrow prepared the savory pasta dish accompanied with rosemary garlic focaccia bread. Crafted from scratch, these plump little dumplings are the epitome of comfort, their humble ingredients transformed into culinary poetry.

Pasta is loved by many,

but traditionally making it from scratch can seem intimidating — not for Isa though. She first prepared the dish by baking potatoes to soften them, then kneading the dough and potatoes together until it was no longer sticky.

She wanted to create a dish that paid tribute to the man who believed in her, Bobby Benjamin — her first boss who hired her onto his team when she was a student in culinary school.

By Kalli Jones • Photos by Mandy Corbell

Chef Isa Morrow says she tries to only make dishes that use eight to nine ingredients, such as Gnocchi.

Isa watched her grandparents cook in the kitchen growing up — inspiring her to become a chef.

“I wanted to create something that reminded me of Bobby and pay tribute to the man who helped me become the chef I am today,” Isa said. “Gnocchi is such a classic simple dish that has few ingredients, but packs so many flavors inside.”

Once the dough was formed, she rolled it out into long pieces to cut and press onto a serrated board to create the perfectly soft plump dumpling noodles. Once boiled, they were set aside as the savory buttery sauce was prepared.

“What I love about Gnocchi is it uses such little ingredients,” Isa said. “I try to only make dishes that use eight to nine ingredients, and Gnocchi is a perfect recipe.”

Inside the pan Isa added homemade chicken stock and butter to simmer, blending to create a rich bold sauce that thickened as she then slowly incorporated Parmigiana Reggiano. The savory aroma from the pan filled the room as she stirred the mixture, allowing the three ingredients to create the perfect blend.

When asked what inspired Isa to become a chef, she said, “I grew up watching my grandparents cook. It inspired me to want to be in the kitchen myself.”

Some would say cooking is a science, creating dishes as a scientist would do in a lab with their instruments and ingredients. A chef adds and takes away what is needed, finding the perfect balance of flavors.

As Isa added the final touches — a bit of lemon zest to make the dish even more vibrant, and a handful of blue Oyster mushrooms to marinate in the thick creamy sauce — the dish was complete.

GNOCCHI RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

Use 3 russet potatoes. Bake until super soft. Let cool overnight.

2 whole eggs

2 cups flour

1/4 cup olive oil

To taste salt/pepper

DIRECTIONS

Knead this until it is not tacky and roll into 1/2-inch ropes. Cut into 3/4-inch pieces and use the Gnocchi roller. Submerge all these into boiling water and wait until they float.

As soon as they float take them out. Sauté when you are ready to eat and enjoy.

A handful of blue Oyster mushrooms marinate in the thick creamy sauce.

Isa adds a bit of lemon zest to make the dish even more vibrant.

Inside the pan Isa added homemade chicken stock and butter to simmer, blending to create a rich bold sauce that thickened as she slowly incorporated Parmigiana Reggiano.

“You can never have enough cheese,” Isa said as she plated the food and sprinkled on even more Parmigiana. Not needed, but certainly brought the dish together even more, were fresh microgreens added to garnish the perfected pasta.

“I loved watching my grandparents use fresh ingredients from their garden growing up,” she said. “I always try to incorporate fresh ingredients like these microgreens and the mushrooms into my dishes.”

While Isa is from Oklahoma, she is also Spaniard and takes inspiration from her Spanish side of the family, eating seasonally and with fresh ingredients found at local markets.

“I always try and incorporate fresh ingredients like these microgreens and the mushrooms into my dishes.”

— Isa Morrow

“The simplicity of fresh ingredients always stands out more when cooking,” Isa said. “Oklahoma has amazing fresh fruits and vegetables that I use in my dishes and love to source locally.”

The Gnocchi was finished and accompanied by her homemade rosemary garlic focaccia bread that perfectly tied in the dish with its salty and garlic flavors. Isa made creating simple yet vibrant packed tastsy dishes like this look easy. When asked what advice she would give to anyone wanting to learn how to cook, or even become a better cook, her answer was simple.

“Practice, the only way to truly get better at something is to practice. Start small and slowly grow your skills as you learn how to use simple easy ingredients to make impactful dishes.”

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