GlassAngel at Home: In The Kitchen

Showing posts with label In The Kitchen. Show all posts

1 year from today....

Is my wedding day! So have patience with me as my thoughts mostly turn to wedding planning (and finding a new job to pay for it) in the coming months. As craft projects get started and completed for the wedding I will post about them. I am currently working on the design of our pocket fold invited and the save the dates (STD's) have been printed for months. Soon it will be time to start addressing all the STD's so we are working hard on getting the guest list together.

I can feel the Kitchen Series winding down as I am having a hard time coming up with new topics, but I am sure there will be a few more post on it before I go back to my normal ramblings on cooking. I am hoping to start something interior design related soon as I can complete a few thoughts on it.

Please stick around to see what the next year holds!

Posted in: Craft, Decorating, General Life, In The Kitchen, Wedding on Friday, June 27, 2008 at 11:43 PM 0 comments

The Kitchen Series: Method Cooking

(I know I said there wasn't going to be any KS posts this week...but the farmers market gave me something great to write about so I couldn't keep it in!)

Today was farmers market day in my area. I picked up a few things that I would normally buy, radishes, spring onions, baby portabella's and snap peas. But as I was walking around I saw something I have never cooked with before....Fennel. I keep hearing about how "black licorice" it tastes and since that is one flavor I can't stand I have never bought any. Well today for some reason I had to buy it...and so one baby head came home with me.

Once home I sat here and tried to figure out what to do with it. I have never really looked at recipes with it in it because I though I didn't like it. I remembered seeing a recipe with fennel in it at the kitchn, so I went a hunting. I didn't really find anything I had all the ingredients for so I decided to make up my own.

That brings us to what this Kitchen series post is about... Method cooking. Or as some call it intuitive cooking. What I consider method cooking is learning the basic way to do something, ie braising a roast or making stock, and then tweaking the method in the recipe to work for something else. Part of method cooking is using recipes to find out what you like, so you can then play with those tastes to make wonderful food without a recipe. It is learning what spices and flavors go with what types of cooking. Knowing what tastes match with french, asian or italian cooking. Method cooking allows you a lot more leeway with ingredients and opens a whole new world of fun cooking up to you.

One of the main components of Method cooking is the pantry, drygoods and spices that we have been talking about since the begining of the series. Having that well stocked means that you are ready to come home and cook what you picked up on a whim like I did this morning at the market. I'm going to show you how this worked for me....with the meal I whipped up for supper tonight.

In my search for a recipe I looked at the directions for how to prepare fennel. Most of them said to slice very thin with a mandolin and drop in to cold water with a little lemon juice (to keep it from browning) or to toss with a dressing right a way. Since I already knew I wanted to make a salad out of it that meant the tossing with dressing would work great for me.

When I checked the fridge to see what I needed to use up before I went out of town tomorrow, I saw that I had a couple of boiled eggs and a few small boiled red potatoes, along with some olives, scallions/green onions, carrots and the baby bella's from the market trip. Boiled eggs and potatoes in a salad always sound awesome to me since I love a good nicoise and everything else I love on a salad.

So I set to making my salad. My ingredients were:

one small bulb fennel, fronds removed but saved
one small carrot, peeled
one scallion
8-10 olives
4-5 baby bella mushrooms
2 boiled red potatoes
2 hard boiled eggs
Balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt
pepper

In a bowl I mixed my fave balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing. The fennel was then cut on the mandolin at the thinest size and mixed into the dressing. The carrots, scallion and mushrooms were all thinly sliced and added to the dressing/fennel mix. The olives were pitted, cut in half and added. The potatoes and eggs were cut in quarters.

On a plate I laid a couple leave of romaine lettuce. In the middle I piled my fennel mixture and then surrounded it by the eggs and potatoes. I seasoned the eggs and potatoes with salt and pepper to taste and garnished the whole plate with the reserved feathery fennel fronds.

And this is what I ended up with.....

Now if we look at what I did we see I used parts and pieces of 3 recipes to make this dish. The one I checked for preparation tips on fennel, the dressing recipe that I have memorized from use, and a basic nicoise salad recipe, that I also know from use. By using methods from all these recipes I had a wonderful tasty dinner on my plate in no time!

Learning to play with methods from different recipes will give you lots of new things to try and wonderful food to eat. It will also keep you from having to eating take out or pizza on a night when you really don't want to follow a recipe, since you know what you like and the method to make it!

Previous Kitchen Series Posts

Posted in: In The Kitchen, The Kitchen Series on Saturday, June 21, 2008 at 8:29 PM 0 comments

The Kitchen Series: Organizing your pantry, Part 2

As we talked about in the first part of this topic, Organizing your pantry, Part 1, pantries can be tricky things. Keeping them neat and clean is a battle that you have to fight every time you open the door. Returning items to their proper homes each and every time you use them is key, as is taking the time to set things up in a way you can use them best. In this second part of the topic we are going to talk about how to keep your pantry free of spills, sticky messes and pests.

One way to tackle all 3 is to think about the packaging that your products come to you in. Rice, dry beans, flour and all kinds of sugar come to you in a bag of some sort. These paper or plastic bags (and boxes) are not always the best quality and cause you the most hassle in keeping things in order. All of these items I recommend get repackaged either as soon as you bring them home or as soon as you open them. Anyone who has ever grabbed the powdered sugar bag from the shelf only to get a shower with it know what I am talking about. If you look at the Stocking your drygoods pantry list, a lot of the baking items should be put in containers with tight seals to keep them from spilling or infestations.

First off what should be repackaged?

anything that is in a flimsy bag/box or doesn't reseal tightly
anything you need to be able to scoop out like flour or sugar
anything you won't be using all of after you open it the first time, like rice, pasta or dry beans

What do I put them in? I can hear you asking. Well that is going to depend on what you have for space. It is also going to depend on the size you buy of these items. Using my baking supplies as a example let me show you what I use.

(flour; white, brown and powdered sugar)

When I was looking at containers I chose ones that had wide mouthes so I could fit a measuring cup in them. Then I thought about the package size for each item, Flour 5lbs, white sugar 2lbs, powdered and brown sugar 1lb each. Then I matched the size to each item so that I could fit a whole bag, plus a little more in each. That way when I was toward the end of something and I brought home a new bag I could add it right to the container. Since as soon as I bring it home it looses the low quality bag, I have less messes due to the bags getting holes poked in them.

I use both bought and repurposed glass and plastic jars for most of my storage. I save any well sealing jar that could nicely contain one of my not as nicely sealed pantry items. Squarish containers work best since they take up less cabinet space, but I use whichever one will hold my item the best for it's use. Matching the container to the items and how you use it is what helps you to keep things neat and mess free.

Some items like honey, oils and vinegars can leave sticky messes on your shelves. Since my balsamic vinegar always leaks I keep it on the turntable that I store my oil and daily used spices on. Trays and turn tables can help to take care of these messes because you can clean them more easily than your pantry shelves. Both can be lined with parchment paper or shelf liner to make clean up easier. Plastic and metal styles can be thrown in the sink and scrubbed down when the honey bottle decides to leak all over. An added benefit to using trays is that you can pull the whole thing out to find what you are looking for and not make a mess rummaging through your cabinet.

Keeping items clean and wiping up any spills as soon as you find them is the best way to keep pests from finding your pantry. Having all of your pantry items tightly sealed is the next best thing. If you find pests in your pantry, hunt out the item that is causing the problem and get rid of it. Then scope out your other items to make sure they haven't gotten into anything else. Place any (no mater how old) drygoods you had near there in the freezer for 4 day. This will kill any eggs and bugs that may have been in them. Make sure to use any older items on your shelf first and remember to rotate your new stuff in as you buy it since this will cut down on the possibility of new pests finding there way into your pantry.

Previous Kitchen Series Posts

Posted in: In The Kitchen, The Kitchen Series on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 9:00 AM 0 comments

The Kitchen Series: Organizing your pantry, Part 1

(GlassAngel's spice and baking cabinet)

So we have talked about stocking your pantry....but how to put it all away? Well there are several problems with keeping you pantry organized.

you can never find what you need
you have spills and sticky messes
you have pests hanging out in your cabinets

Today we are going to talk about how to organize your pantry and make using your kitchen a little easier.

In most grocery stores you don't find the flour next to the canned tomatoes or the dry pasta with the canned soup. Think like a grocery store and organize your shelves like one! Put all your items with like items. Find all your canned soup or canned veggies and put them together. Then when you are hunting for canned corn you know where to look on the shelf. The first time you try this you may need to take all the cans out to find everything, but the next time you are hunting for something you will really be happy you have done it.

( see the tomato products are all hanging out together with themselves and others like them)

Grouping items by what is used together is another way to go. As I showed in the first picture at the top of this post, I group all my spices and baking goods in one cabinet. It is right over the work space that I use for most cooking so it makes it easy to take out the thing I need and then put it right back.

I use baskets and step racks in my spice area to keep things neat and easy to find. Baskets are great to keeping lots of things from spices to kids snacks together without taking up a ton of space. Shelf racks that add a second level are also great because they use vertical space that is often unused.

(I stack these 2 baskets to make a 2 tiers)

On my counter right next to the stove, I keep a turntable filled with the spices, oils and vinegars I use almost everyday. The turntable was inexpensive and keeps these items in reach as I cook. Keeping them all on the turntable and not spread out over the counter makes it look less cluttered and more organized.

So now that we have gotten ourselves more organized we can keep things a little neater. Next time we will talk about how to keep spills, sticky messes and pests from taking over your pantry.

Previous Kitchen Series Posts

Posted in: In The Kitchen, The Kitchen Series on Tuesday, June 3, 2008 at 11:30 PM 0 comments

Oh yummy cookies!

My family has been making this chocolate cookie for I don't even know how many years. Normally we make them (decorated with frosting holly berries and leaves) as part of the cookie platters we take to all the Christmas parties we go to, but the Fiancee requested that I make them to take to his families Memorial Day cook out. I believe the recipe is from a Betty Crocker Cookbook but I am not sure, since my copy of it is scribbled on the back side of a envelope. I made a double batch since they always seem to disappear the second I set them down.

Chocolate Drop Cookies
(makes approx 1 1/2 dozen cookies)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2-1.0 oz squares unsweetened bakers chocolate, melted and allowed to cool
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt

~ Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
~ Mix first 5 ingredients together till well combined. Sift flour and salt in and stir only till they are all combined.
~ With 1 rounded teaspoon dough make round ball and place 2" apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten balls with a flat glass bottom that has been lightly greased and then dipped in sugar. (you really only need to grease for the 1st one after that the sugar should stick to the glass from the last cookie.)
~ Bake for 8 min till top is set and no longer looks wet. Cool on baking sheet for 5 more min then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely.

Because this was a summer party, I topped a third of each of them with a simple orange or mint glaze. It's a basic powdered sugar glaze that I changed up a little by adding orange zest and juice to the orange and some fresh mint and green coloring to the mint. I loved how you could see flecks of mint and rind in the glaze when it was done. The mint recipe I am still working on because it came out to bland but I will post the orange one.

Orange Glaze
1/3 cup butter or margarine
2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange peel, peel only no pith
2-3 tbsp orange juice

~ Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Add orange zest when butter is almost melted.
~ Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar.
~ Stir in orange juice 1 tbsp at a time till it is as thick as you want it. Remember as it cools it thickens, but you don't want it too runny or it will slide off your cookie before it can set. (Look at the mint glazed cookie pic to see this in action, lol)
~ Dip cookies and allow to dry for about 1 - 1 1/2 hrs on bakers rack over parchment or wax paper.
~ This amount of glaze will cover a double batch of cookies or a large bundt cake.

Posted in: In The Kitchen on Sunday, June 1, 2008 at 10:19 PM 0 comments

The Kitchen Series: Making your own stock.

As I mentioned in The Kitchen Series post Stocking your fridge and freezer a veggie stock bucket is a wonderful thing to have. The size of your bucket depends on a few things:

the amount of veggies you normaly use in a week
how much stock you use/want
how often you want to make stock

My veggie stock bucket (as you can see below) is a small square container I bring out of the fridge when I am cooking with raw veggies. Your veggie stock container can be anything, a ziploc bag or a actual container, as long as it seals well. I wash my veggies very well and then all peels and good looking ends go in the bucket. Almost anything can go into it, except for things from the cabbage family (broccoli, cauliflower), radishes, soft squash (summer squash or zucchini) and cucumbers. Don't use any peels that had wax on them like rutabaga, or turnip. I put onion ends in, minus the very out side papery skin and fringey bottom root (just cut it off right above it), along with potato and carrot peels, celery leaves and mushroom ends.

It is possible to freeze your veggie scraps if you don't use as much stock or you don't have enough veggie scraps to make stock. Since I go through a lot of stock and veggies I tend to make it every week. If you choose to freeze the scraps you can make stock right from the freezer, or defrost the scraps overnight in the fridge. I find it works best to do it straight from the freezer, it saves you a step and it is just easier.

To make the stock (full recipe at end of post), put all the scraps in a large stock pot. Double check that you don't have too much of one thing and adjust the veggies quantities as needed from your crisper drawer. You should have approximately a third of each carrots, celery and onions, plus any other veggie scraps. I try and check my veggie drawer at this point and add in any veggies that are on the edge of good by cutting out any bad spots, washing well and chunking up to throw into the pot.

At this point you have a few choices, to spice or not to spice. Salt is the big question...if you like less salt omit it all together since most dishes you make with your stock are going to be seasoned. I like to add 4-6 whole peppercorns, 2-4 bayleaves, 1 tbsp herbs de provence, 1 tsp salt and a clove of garlic cut in half. The 2 things on that list I would always recommend are the peppercorns and the bayleaves, they give just a touch of flavor but not too much.

Once you have seasoned your pot add water till you have covered the veggies completely. Give it a good mix, then put it on medium-low heat. Once it boils skim any scum that rises and turn it down to a simmer. After this do not mix it again. You can poke any peeking veggies down with the back of a spoon, but don't mix or it will give you really cloudy stock. Simmer uncovered 1 to 1.5 hours till it is a rich brown color. If need be add more water to keep the level about the same as when you started or if you want a concentrated stock allow it to condense as it cooks. Once the stock is done allow to cool a bit before straining out the veggies scraps using a large colander and a bowl.

If you used more spices and still have floating herb flakes, strain thru a mesh strainer to remove.Now you have a basic veggie stock that you can use in any recipe. I freeze mine in ice cube trays that hold aprox 1 tbsp per cube. This makes it easy for me to use just a little or a lot as needed in my recipes. Another good way is to freeze 1 or 2 cup portions laying flat in ziploc bags.

Veggie Scrap Stock

veggie scraps
4-6 whole peppercorns
2-4 bayleaves
1 tbsp herbs de provence (optional)
1 tsp salt (optional)
1 clove of garlic cut in half (optional)
Water, to cover

Put everything in a large pot.

Add water till you have covered the veggies completely.

Give it a good mix, then put it on medium-low heat. Once it boils skim any scum that rises and turn it down to a simmer. After this do not mix it again. You can poke any peeking veggies down with the back of a spoon, but don't mix or it will give you really cloudy stock.

Simmer uncovered 1 to 1.5 hours till it is a rich brown color. If need be add more water to keep the level about the same as when you started or if you want a concentrated stock allow it to condense as it cooks.

Once the stock is done, allow to cool a bit before straining out the veggies scraps using a large colander and a bowl. If you still have floating herb flakes, strain through a mesh strainer to remove.

Package as you like for fridge or freezer.

Previous Kitchen Series Posts

Posted in: In The Kitchen, The Kitchen Series on Friday, May 30, 2008 at 11:15 AM 0 comments

The Kitchen Series: Making your own spice mixes.

The benefits of making your own mixes is that you can tweak them to fit your family, they save you money and are healthier for you. If you have problems with MSG or too much salt, you can adapt something to work for you. There are no odd sounding chemicals in the ingredients list here!

I'm going to list out some of the recipes I use...or have used to try for yourself. I have had these recipes for many years so I don't know the sources. This turned out to be a bigger list than I thought but they are all good recipes to have on hand!

Basic spice mixes you see on my spice pantry list:

Herbs De Provence Spice Mix
1/2 c dried marjoram
1/2 c dried garlic
1/2 c dried oregano
1/2 c dried basil
1/3 c dried thyme
1/8 c dried rosemary
1/8 c dried sage
1/4 c lavender
1 tbsp dried chives
2 bay leaf, crumbled fine
Remove any tough stems from the herbs and discard. Crumble and mix well; keep in a air tight container. Keeps for 6 months.

Taco Seasoning Recipe
12 tsp Chili Powder
10 tsp Paprika
9 tsp Cumin
6 tsp Onion Powder
5 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
Mix well and keep in a air tight container. Keeps for 6 months.
7 teaspoons mix equals one 1.25oz package of store bought taco seasoning.

Italian Seasoning
2 tbsp Basil
1 tbsp Oregano
1 tbsp Marjoram
2 tsp Rosemary
1 tsp Thyme
Mix well and keep in a air tight container. Keeps for 6 months.

Season Salt
3 tbsp salt
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp celery salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp turmeric
Mix well and keep in a air tight container. Keeps for 6 months.

Cajun Seasoning
3/4 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp sweet paprika
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground red pepper
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
Mix well and keep in a air tight container. Keeps for 6 months.

Other spice and sauce mixes great to have on hand:

Onion Soup Mix
3/4 c minced onion
1/3 c beef bullion granules
4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp crushed celery seed
1/4 tsp sugar
Mix well and keep in a air tight container. Keeps for 6 months.
5 tbsp mix equals one 1.25oz package of store bought onion soup mix.

Emeril's Essence (Bayou Blast) recipe
2 1/2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme
Mix well and keep in a air tight container. Keeps for 6 months.

Beef Stew Seasoning
2 c flour
4 tsp oregano
2 tbsp basil
4 1/4 tbsp salt
4 1/4 tbsp black pepper
4 1/4 tbsps garlic powder
4 1/4 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp celery seed
4 1/4 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp rosemary
Mix well and keep in a air tight container. Keeps for 6 months.
To use: Add 2 to 3 tablespoons per 2 pounds of meat.

Italian Salad Dressing
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp oregano
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp basil
1 tbsp parsley
1/4 tsp celery salt
2 tbsp salt
Mix well and keep in a air tight container. Keeps for 6 months.
For dressing, mix 1/4 cup of cider vinegar, 2/3 cup of oil, 2 tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of dry mix. This is also good for use as a roast dry rub.

Ranch Dressing Mix
1/2 cup dry buttermilk
1 tbsp dried parsley, crushed
1 tsp dried dill weed
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground pepper
Mix well and keep in a air tight container. Keeps for 6 months.
1 tbsp mix equal to one store bought package.
Dip: add 1 tablespoon mix to 8 ounces yogurt or sour cream.
Salad dressing: Add 1 tablespoon mix to 1 cup mayo and 1 cup milk.

Replacement for Cream of ___ Soups Dry Mix
1 c powdered milk
3/4 c + 1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup instant low sodium bouillon granules
2 tbsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
Mix well and keep in a air tight container. Makes the equivalent of nine cans of cream soup. Keeps for 6 months.
For the equivalent of 1 can of cream soup, mix 1/3 cup of dry mix with 1 1/4 cups of cold water. Cook in sauce pan until thick.

So try one of these the next time you are looking for a spice mix...you may just save a little bit and never go back to buying it again. Check back soon for the next installment of The Kitchen Series!

Previous Kitchen Series Posts

Posted in: In The Kitchen, The Kitchen Series on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 10:00 AM 0 comments

The Kitchen Series: Stocking your spice pantry.

Posted in: In The Kitchen, The Kitchen Series on Saturday, May 24, 2008 at 10:13 AM 0 comments

It's baking day....

I love to make bread. The smell of it fills the house and makes everything feel warm and cozy. To day I needed to make bread for a few people I told I would make it for lllllast week and I am just now getting to it. Since I was going to make that bread I decided I would make some banana bread with the ones browning in my fruit bowl. Here is the recipe for that bread, which is one that I made up a few months ago when trying to get rid of my fruit.

Orange, Apple and Banana Bread

3 very ripe bananas
1 granny smith apple cored and chopped very fine
zest of 1 orange
1/4 c plain yogurt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
6 tbsp melted and cooled butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c flour
3/4 c sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in lower middle spot. Grease the bottom only of a bread pan.

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

In the bowl of you stand mixer put the banana and the yogurt. Mix on medium speed till bananas are well mashed. Scrape down sides of bowl and then add the apple, orange zest, eggs, butter and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides and add the dry ingredients. Mix on lowest speed just until all flour mixture is incorporated. The batter will be some what chunky and very thick.

Put batter in prepared pan and bake till it is golden and toothpick comes out clean, approx 55 min. Cool for 5 min in pan then move to a wire rack.

Posted in: In The Kitchen on Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 7:08 PM 0 comments

The Kitchen Series: Stocking your fridge and freezer.

Kitchen Series note: Some things may not be things you would like or use so mark those off and replace with things you do use! Most pantry lists you find out there are either subjective to the writer's use or have too many things on them to be good for you. They all need a little tweaking to get them to where they work for you. This is my take, so take it with a grain of salt and make it your own.

Today we are going to look at what you should have in your fridge and freezer almost all of the time. I'm going to split this in to the 2 areas so it is easy to read. Note that this is a basic list and a little short. This is just meant to be a stock on hand list so you have a base to work with. You are going to need to add to this list. I am not including any condiment items as I will get into those in the Spice Pantry post. Once again extra items will be in italics.

Fridge Basics:
Milk
Eggs
Butter (or your choice of equivalent)
Onions (both white or yellow and red)
Garlic
Potatoes
Carrots
Celery
Veggie stock bucket (*see note)
Capers
Mixed olives
Plain yogurt

Freezer Basics:
Ground meat (turkey, beef, chicken and other)
Uncooked Meat of choice, packaged in the amount your family will eat at 1 meal
Cooked beans (cooked then flash frozen and put in a large ziploc bag)
Stock (some in ice cubes and also flat packed in 1 and 2 cup bags)
Frozen veggies
Homemade pasta sauce (flat packed in 1 and 2 cup bags)
Shredded Cheese (in 1 and 2 cup bags)
Extra veggie bag (*see note)
Coffee Ice cube bag (*see note)

Now you may be wondering about a few things on my list so I will explain them.

First off the Veggie stock bucket in the fridge. This is a small container I bring out of the fridge when I am cooking with raw veggies. I wash my veggies super well and then all peels and good looking (no bad spots or yuckies) ends go in the bucket to make stock once a week. Almost anything can go into it, except for things from the cabbage family (broccoli, cauliflower or radishes). I put onion ends in, minus the very out side papery skin along with potato and carrot peels, celery leaves and mushroom ends. I will get more into this bucket in the post that talks about making your own stock.

And how about that Extra veggie bag in the freezer? Well you know when you make part of a bag of frozen veggies and you are left with just a cup or 2? Take a gallon sized freezer ziploc bag and dump it in there. Then the next time you open another bag and have the same leftovers add it to the bag and mix it up before you throw it back in the freezer. Before long you will have a nice bag of mixed veggies to add to anything or make as a good side dish. This cuts down on finding that 1/2c portion of frozen corn freezer burned in the door of you freezer then next time you clean it out!

Now for the Coffee Ice cube bag. This could be coffee, tea or left over fruit juice. Since I love coffee and make a pot every morning
for me it is the coffee bag. Just take your empty icecube trays and full them up. Then when they are frozen put them in a ziploc and you have coffee/tea/juice cubes for your next cold drink. Use coffee ones for iced coffee so it doesn't get watered down as the cubes melt...same goes for tea ones. Add juice ones to club soda or sprite for flavored sodas. What you do with them is endless and helps you not waste the extra!

Check back to see what you should stock in your Spice Pantry, next time in The Kitchen Series!

Previous Kitchen Series Posts

Posted in: In The Kitchen, The Kitchen Series on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 10:05 AM 0 comments

The Kitchen Series: Stocking your drygoods pantry...

Kitchen Series note: Some things may not be things you would like or use so mark those off and replace with things you do use! Most pantry lists you find out there are either subjective to the writer's use or have too many things on them to be good for you. They all need a little tweaking to get them to where they work for you. This is my take, so take it with a grain of salt and make it your own.

Huh? What is a drygoods pantry? Well it is all of the accumulated stuff you have in your kitchen cabinets and pantry closets. No matter where you keep it or how old some of the stuff is, these items are the basic things you need to feed you and your family. Unexpected bills, job loss or car repair, can mean your food budget is the first to get reduced. Having a well stocked pantry is your key to getting through those times.

I have 2 kinds of items on my pantry list; things that are a must and if I run out of them I buy them on my next store trip and things that I just like to stock and if I run out in a lean time I restock as soon as I have some extra cash. I try not to buy any mixes (ie: cornbread, cake, muffin or boxed pasta mixes) due to the fact that if I have the supplies on hand it is easier to make them from scratch, so you wont see any of those on my list. As the series progresses I will give you some recipes to replace some of the store bought mixes so you don't have to worry if you are out of something.

All of the items I am going to list are my idea of a well stocked pantry...your ideas may be different and you may need to tweak the list. Things in italic are what I consider to be the optional items on my list.

For basic needs:
White Flour (wheat)
Corn Meal
White Sugar (brown and powdered)
Baking soda and powder
Yeast
Corn Starch
Honey
Vanilla
Cocoa Powder
Powdered Milk
Shortening
Olive Oil
Vegetable Oil
Dry Beans; black, pinto, northern and kidney
Lentils; yellow, green and red
Barley
Rice; basmati, jasmine and other specialty rice
Couscous
Pasta
Oatmeal
Tomato Sauce
Tomato Paste
Tomatoes; diced, crushed or whole
Canned Mushrooms
Tuna
Peanut Butter

So this is the main bulk of the food in my pantry. The list is a easy one and most of the stuff is found in any grocery store. With this list and a few things from the spice pantry and the fridge or freezer you can have a lot of meals ready in no time.

All of these items should be used regularly, so rotating in new packages as you buy them is not a big deal. When you have a minute take a peak in your pantry and check out expiration dates. Get rid of any expired things and replace with new. Anything you bought thinking you would try and have never used should be given away or thrown away if expired.

My basic list is also the list I use to keep a stockpile of. So if I see something on my list that is a great sale, those are the things I really stock up on. Just be careful and not over stock it, I tend to use the idea that if I have enough of something to last me the year then I don't buy any more, even if it is a great deal. Some items don't lend themselves well to stocking so I keep those to a 3-6 month supply.

Next up... Stocking your fridge and freezer. See you soon!

Previous Kitchen Series Posts

The Kitchen Series: Tools I love....

Posted in: In The Kitchen, The Kitchen Series on Saturday, May 17, 2008 at 8:00 AM 0 comments

The Official Kitchen Series Post List

To make this easy on people who want to read the whole thing I am starting a post list right from the beginning so I don't have to figure it out later! Each time I add a post I will add the link to this list, so if you think you missed a post check here. They will be listed in the order they were posted. Happy reading!

Posted in: In The Kitchen, The Kitchen Series on Thursday, May 15, 2008 at 3:07 PM 0 comments

The Kitchen Series: Tools I love....

So today's topic is about a few things I love to use in the kitchen. I will try and post a source for each item if I know where I got it from!

Flexible cutting boards
I use these a ton. I have 4 that I got from Ikea, they come in packs of 2 for $1.79. These are a nice and thick (about a 1/4" thick) and big enough to do some serious chopping on at 14" x 11". I bought these after I cut though my previous flexible cutting board and cut my counter. They work so well that I try and buy a new set every year or so and retire ones that are to cut up as craft surface protectors. They also work great as kids placemats!

Rachael Ray Gusto Grip 7-Inch East/West Knife
I heart this knife. I received it as a b-day present more than 2 years ago and it is the best present I have every gotten (thanks Auntie!) since I use it several times a day. It is easy to hold, slices and dices great and stays sharp. I have never had to sharpen mine and it still is great. It's a bit pricey,(I see it on Amazon for $42.99) but it lasts a long time so it is worth it!

Crockpot
I use my crockpot at least once a week. I have had mine for about 8 years so it is not the exact one pictured. I love being able to put in supper and walk away from it. Just beware if you buy one...most of the newer ones tend to cook much hotter than any one you have had before. Things that would take 8 hours in a old one will most likely take more like 4 in a new one.

KitchenAid® Artisan® 5 Qt. Stand Mixer
This is also a tool I could live without...but really don't want too! I received this as a gift, but know that they are a little pricey (Amazon has them listed at about $300)so this is something most people have to get as a gift or save up for! I use mine to make just about anything and think it looks super cool on a counter.

George Foreman GGR50B Indoor/Outdoor Grill
I know..a odd kitchen tool...but since I live in a condo building that doesn't allow gas or charcoal grills I have one of these. I can still get my grill-on out on the balcony with out getting a ticket from the city!

Food Dehydrator

I used to use this for making jerkey, but recently I got into making much more with this. I now dry sliced potatoes for scalloped potatoes and onion rings for minced onions. It takes a little bit to learn thru trial and error but once you have it is a great tool.

So these are my fave things...what are yours? Leave me a comment on your fave thing! Next time we will talk about stocking your drygoods pantry, so check back soon.

Posted in: In The Kitchen, The Kitchen Series on at 10:00 AM 0 comments

A little mini series.....

I am a little bored, with no work right now so I have been kicking around doing a few little series about different things. The post would ideally show you how to do/plan/stock/whatever something from start to finish. Before I start the series I will post a little intro about what each series will in the beginning cover. It may cover only those things...or it may become even more as I find thing to write about. So stay tuned to see what I have coming up for you in the near future!

So tomorrow will be the first post in my new series about the kitchen.

The first topics will be about:
~ Kitchen tools I love
~ Stocking your dry goods pantry
~ Stocking your fridge and freezer
~ Stocking your spice pantry
~ Recipes using your stocked pantry
~ Why to make your own stock
~ and anything else I can think of

So come back tomorrow as I write about my fave kitchen tools!

5/15 Editing to add that it is taking me a little longer to write (who knew I was so not good at writing?!) so look for a post in this new series only a couple a times a week!

Posted in: In The Kitchen, The Kitchen Series on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 12:24 PM 0 comments

Inexpensive gift idea....

Do you need a inexpensive gift? Here is the "gift in a jar" meal box I made for my friend R as a thank you for watching my cat while I was on vacation. I'm going to post the "recipes" for making this chili night goodie box.

Painted Desert Chili Mix

1 (1-quart) wide-mouth canning jar

Layer in a 1-quart canning jar:
1/4 cup dried parsley
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 tablespoons taco seasoning (see recipe)
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons white cornmeal
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 cup dried pinto beans
1/4 cup small dried white beans
1/2 cup dried kidney beans
1/4 cup small dried black beans
1/2 cup dried pinto beans
Approximately 1/2 cup dried kidney beans

This recipe seems weird as you keep layering the same things...but you get the pretty look you see in the pic doing it this way since the ingredients are layered, like sand art. Don't worry about getting the layers even. The desert effect comes from the rippled appearance of the spices. One tip is to carefully add each seasoning along the edges of the jar, then fill in the middle of the layer. This way all of the beautiful colors show along all of the edges. After you add the 1st layer of beans push them down a little compressing the spices, but don't shake the jar or you will lose your pretty layers. The last layer of beans you may not be able to put the full 1/2c in. Try pushing down a little more to see if you can fit them, if not leave them out.

Attach these instructions to the jar:

Painted Desert Chili
Pour contents of jar into 12-quart pot.
Add:
1 medium diced onion
4 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 large can of tomato paste
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
49 ounces tomato juice
2 pounds ground beef or turkey, browned
Fill remainder of the pot with water. Bring to boil. Let simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Taco Seasoning Recipe (this will make enough spice mix for about 2 jars.)
12 tsp Chili Powder
10 tsp Paprika
9 tsp Cumin
6 tsp Onion Powder
5 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
Mix well and keep in a air tight container. Keeps for 6 months. 7 teaspoons mix equals one 1.25oz package of store bought taco seasoning.

Texas Cornbread Mix

1 Wilton disposable 12” icing bag (without tip cut off) and a twist tie.

For 1 cone:
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup dry powdered milk
1/4 cup butter flavored shortening

In a large bowl, cream together shortening, sugar and cornmeal till it is fine crumbs. Sift in flour, powdered milk, salt and baking powder; mix till completely combined.
To package in cone: fill bag about1/4 of the way and then press down to compact. Keep filling till you have used all the mix by adding a bit then compacting. Bag will be very full when done, so be careful when putting on the twist tie that it is completely closed.
Makes approximately 3 cups of mix

Attach the following instructions on a gift tag:
Texas Cornbread
1 container (2 cups) Texas Cornbread Mix
1 egg (slightly beaten)
7 oz (or 3/4 cup + 2tbsp) water
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease one 8-inch square pan, or 8-inch cast iron skillet, or cast iron cornbread mold.
Place cornbread mix into bowl, mix thoroughly. Add egg and water. Hand-beat until smooth, about one minute. DO NOT OVERBEAT!
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes for pan or skillet, 15 to 20 minutes for cornbread mold.

Crazy Chocolate Cake Mix

1 (1-quart) wide-mouth canning jar

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Layer into jar. Add cocoa powder and cinnamon then wipe down insides of jar and compact ingredients as much as you can. Add sugar, you may have a little mound on top, put the sealing lid on top and push down till all the sugar goes in, then add screw ring.

Attach the following instructions on a gift tag:
Crazy Chocolate Cake
Contents of gift jar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups water
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Stir cake ingredients together using a wire whisk or fork, making certain that all ingredients are completely mixed together. Bake for 35 minutes.
Frost as desired or serve sprinkled with confectioners sugar with fresh fruit on the side.

Then you can decorate and package you meal however you like. Add a fabric square under the screw ring to add color or just add a ribbon to the jar and call it a day.