Soon to come...

Starting next week I will be adding videos, slide shows and pictures of recipes and craft ideas. I'll be adding how-to videos on cooking, cleaning, planting and crafting. There will be a section for all sorts of tips including money savers and organizational tips. I'll also be doing a "Favorite Things" section on my favorite brands, cookbooks, TV shows, magazines, clothing items etc... This blog will in effect become one stop shopping for all of your household, cooking and personal shopping needs! Stay tuned for much more to come!

Wha't in Your Fridge?

Have something in your fridge or pantry that you bought and forgot about, something you're not sure to do with? Well leave a comment on this posting and I'll find something to do with it! You can always find something to do with that lonely can of cream of mushroom soup or left over Chinese food rice. Don't forget about the frozen corn that has fallen by the wayside in the back or your fridge or the collection of lunch meat and cheese in your fridge drawers. I've been know to create some pretty phenomenal meals using boxed red beans and rice as a base and adding in left over chicken or sausage and throwing in some sauteed vegetables. You can always find some way to transform left overs into another meal as opposed to throwing them away...when all else fails make a sauce and serve them on bread as a hot open faced sandwich.

Foodie Books

I love to read...if in my free time I'm not cooking, you can probably find me curled up on the couch or on our patio with a good book. I read my cookbooks. Anyone who's never taken the time to read a cookbook really should. You will find new ingredients, methods and recipies that you may overlook if you only take a look-see.
How to Cook Everything (Mark Bitman) is a great cookbook to start with because he is witty in his culinary commentary and provides great information. He also relates personally to his food and makes you want to try his recipies. Overall I find his recipies to be easy to prepare and well written, but I have found a few recipies that were just terrible (though out of 50 or so that's not so bad). The Top Chef cookbook is a good read, mostly because they provide a running commentary on the show and the behind the scenes (including bios on the chefs and judges from all 4 seasons).
Food in History (Reay Tannahill) is very good so far (I'm only about 1/3 of the way through). Very informative and an interesting read. Animal, Vegetable Miricle is GREAT...everyone should read that one! Heat is great and I think I slept with it under my pillow for about a month and I still read it on a fairly regular basis. Burford made me want to give up on my job and school and run away to Italy for six months and work in a butcher shop or a bakery or both. Kitchen Confidential is a good read, though it made me not want to eat seafood anymore.
I recommend that any cook have a pretty wide variety of cookbooks around...the internet is great for recipies but you never know how good the recipie will be. Epicurious and the Food Network are about the only two places I trust unconditionaly for recipies. Anywehre else pretty muhc anyone can post and that can be very dangerous. Beware trying something off the internet when you're in a pinch or need a good recipie. I also like cookbooks beacuse I can write in the margins and keep it for furhter use.
I write all of my favorite and altered recipes on 4 by 6 index cards and put them into a photo album so they are easily accesible and they are spillproof safe and sound in their plastic jackets. It's nice to be able to wipe your recipies down with a sponge.

Kitchen Essentials

Pantry Must Haves

• Tomato Paste
• Canned Tomatoes (either no salt added diced or whole tomatoes no salt added)
• Chicken Stock (i make my own and freeze it, but there are some great stocks available in a box)
• Peanutbutter
• Canned Kidney Beans or Black Beans
• Flour (all purpose is a must, self rising is a nice time saver)
• White Sugar
• Powdered Sugar
• Brown Sugar (i use light for everyday use)
• Shortening
• Olive Oil and Vegetable Oil
• Raisins
• Pecan Halves (walnuts and almonds are great to have around as well)
• Old Fashioned Oatmeal
• White Onion
• Garlic
• Potatoes (I like yukon gold--red are great too, russet are fine)
• Bread

Spice Rack Must Haves

• Coarse Salt
• Pepper
• Cajun Spice
• Hamburger Seasoning
• Chili Powder
• Garlic Powder (not garlic salt)
• Bay Leaves
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg (I prefer whole and then grate it frsh)
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Vanilla Extract (the good stuff not imitation...you can buy a good sized bottle cheap at Sams)
• Pumkin Pie Spice

Refridgerator Basics

• Milk (whatever you prefer)
• Heavy Whipping Cream (really long shelf life)
• Unsalted Butter
• Eggs
• Pitted Kalamata Olives
• Stone Ground Mustard
• Teryaki Sauce
• BBQ Sauce
• Mayo
• Ketchup
• Relish
• Carrots and Celery
• Cheese (Parmesan, Pecarino, Cheddar and a sharp white like Swiss or Provolone)

Utensil and Appliance Must Haves

• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Silicon Spatulas (I have 3 and always wish I had more)
• Wooden Spoons (cheap and should be replaced often, won't scratch your pots and pans)
• Plastic Slotted Spoon
• Plastic Ladle
• Can Opener
• Tongs
• Glass or Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls in various sizes
• Wire Wisk
• Offset Spatula
• Ice Cream Scoops in 2 or 3 sizes (great for portion control of cookies and more)
• Glass Liquid Measuring Cup
• Small Strainer or Sieve (for straining sauces and sifting dry ingredients)
• Chef Knife (one that fits your hand comfortably)
• Paring Knife
• Serated Bread Knife
• 9" Square Cake Pan (for brownies and such)
• 13 by 9 Glass Baking Dish
• Large Plastic Strainer (for rinsing veggie and draining pasta)
• 2 Sauce Pots (one small and one large)
• 2 Non Stick Frying Pans (one small and one large)
• 1 Two Handled small Stockpot
• 1 Large Stockpot

Why Ranch?

I have a problem. Since becoming more culinarily aware I've noticed people doing something peculiar--pouring ranch on things, everything. Pizza, fries, burgers, salads, chips, potatoes--you name it and people are pouring, dunking and indulging on the creamy white stuff. It's like a disease.
Why are people doing this? Drowning their perfectly tasty food in one ingredient. I'm not really sure. If something doesn't taste good don't eat it...period. Don't disguise the flavor of something bland or disgusting with another ingredient. Not only do I find it gross, but you're adding hundreds of empty calories on top of food that probably isn't very good for you in the first place.
Find something better for you and more flavorful to amp up the flavor in your foods. Try whole grain spicy mustard or olive tapanade. Try chili infused olive oil, garlic aoli or olive oil with parmesan, salt and pepper. There are thousands of flavors out there, there's no need to resort to ranch dressing, really.
The next time you're tempted to coat your food in ranch think about it for a second. I bet you'll think of something better to put on your food--or if nothing else something better for you.

How to Grocery Shop

1. First and most importantly make a list. You don't have to follow it to the letter, but it will decrease the possibility of your forgetting something important. Check your fridge, freezer and cabinets. If you plan your meals ahead check the recipes and be sure you have everything.
2. Check the sales paper. I do most of my daily grocery shopping at Kroger and I always check the Sunday circular to see if any staples are on sale. I also check to see what meats and poultry are on sale (this usually determines what we'll eat).
3. One the same token clip those Sunday coupons. If you don't run out for a Sunday paper it's no big deal, you can usually get Sunday papers all week for just 50 cents at your grocery store's customer service counter. Also sign up for things like savings cards...they'll save you a lot of money. Some stores also allow you to register for coupons put directly onto your savings card via the internet. All great ways to put money into your pocket.
4. Shop the outside of the store. The middle of the store is mostly junk foods and sodium laden sawdust tasting foods. Fresh produce, breads, meats, fish, cheeses, dairy and frozen veggies are the best things to buy and they're all on the outskirts of the store. The middle is only good for dry beans, spices and baking essentials (although I've been known to be tempted by a bag of Cheetos and a 12 pack of Coke).
5. Eat before you go...no really. I have made some truly questionable grocery shopping decisions when I've been super hungry.
6. Buy in bulk. I make a run to Sam's club every few weeks to buy things like butter, eggs, dog food, cat litter, sugar etc. Produce is actually cheaper there too typically, garlic, carrots and the like are a LOT cheaper.
7. This one is totally optional, but I like to bring my own bags to the store. It's more environmentally friendly and you can fit a lot more stuff into a reusable bag than you can into a plastic (resulting on fewer trips from car to house).

Now quit reading this blog and go do some smart grocery shopping!

Effective Organization for Cooking

They say that the triangle is the best way to have a kitchen...your stove, sink and refridgerator. some of us rent and we can't exactly move things, they're there, deal with it and find a way to work around it. As it happens my kitchen is set up pretty well, but as many of you probably know, cabinet space and counter space is at a serious premium. This is not to mention the fact that it's highly inconvienent to have to get each ingredient out of the cabinent. I like to have things at my finger tips.
If your kitchen is easy to work in you'll cook more. Keep your favorite pots, utensils and ingredients readily accessible. I keep a spice rack with my favorite spices and a holder with my favorite utensils on the counter. My favorite pots and pans are easily reached from the stove. Take the time to organize your kitchen, review what you have, what's expired and what you will need to buy. You don't need every spice and gadget known to man, but it's always a good idea to have the basics handy. The fridge and freezer are often left to the wayside when it comes to cleaning and organizing. Make sure you clean them out every few weeks and come up with a system that works for you. I have plastic baskets in my freezer to seperate fruits and veggies from meats and so forth. I put all of my ready to eat items in the freezer door for easy access for my boyfriend.
Tips for Making Your Kitchen Easier to Cook In

• Buy drawer dividers, they'll make it a lot easier to find things and keep you from cutting yourself
• Keep salt, pepper and other often used spices on a rack in a cabinet near the stove or a spice rack near the stove.
• Keep pots, pans and utensils easily accessible.
• When you cook gather all your ingredients and hardware together on the counter before you begin.
• Make a grocery list and put it somewhere you'll use it. This will insure that you'll never run out of milk.