Have you ever opened your fridge door and wondered, “What’s for dinner tonight?” Have you ever just stood there and desperately wished that something – anything – would jump out and say, “Hey! Pick me! I can help you with dinner!” Today we’re going to talk about why learning how to use mustard will help you gain kitchen confidence.

Okay, admit it. Open up your refrigerator door and count how many bottles of mustards you have. Care to share? I’ll go first… ten. I have ten. Before you think that I’m just a mustard hoarder, let me explain.

My story.

For years I would spend ridiculous amounts each week on groceries, mostly because I was going to the expensive specialty stores and buying processed foods. And here’s the obnoxious part of the story… Dennis and I would go out to eat every day and sometimes twice a day. And yet, I would still grocery shop several times a week, and more than often, food would rot, expire, or whatever. I was tired of the wasteful cycle.

Over time, I taught myself to meal plan and prep, moved to grocery shopping once a week, and ultimately become a savvy shopper. Going out to eat is now a rare treat. The reason? I wanted to gain kitchen confidence because I KNEW that it wasn’t healthy eating out all the time and we weren’t being good stewards with our money. 

Are you feeling this too?

For me, kitchen confidence started when I decided to use up what I had on hand in my pantry, fridge, and freezer. One thing I had a lot of is bottled and prepared mustard. They say that when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, right? The same is true about mustard.

Here’s why everyone should learn how to use mustard.

7 reasons why mustard will help you gain kitchen confidence.

1. Less guilt. Ever purchased stone ground mustard for a recipe only to realize that you already have some? Knowing what you have on hand helps build kitchen confidence.
2. Less clutter. Ever pushed around half-empty jars of mustard around in your fridge and it subconsciously reminded you that you have too much stuff in your fridge? Knowing that you use-what-you-have helps build kitchen confidence.
3. Fresher ingredients. Believe it or not, mustard can go bad. Unopened in a pantry will definitely last longer, yet opened and half-used in a fridge is just a timer ticking (toss anything that has expired). Monitoring expiration dates helps build kitchen confidence.
4. Mental inventory. If someone asked you – right now – to write down all the condiments in your fridge, could you do it? Knowing what you have stocked and ready for meal making helps build kitchen confidence.
5. Rut breaker. Mustard has so many delightful uses! From using the final bits in the bottle to make a quick and easy salad dressing or to purposely add it as a main ingredient, mustard is crazy versatile. Simply taking the first step to break out of a rut helps build kitchen confidence.
6. Know what’s for dinner tonight. It starts will opening that fridge door back open and pulling out all your mustards. What do you have? Yellow mustard? Creole? Deli? Dijon? Whole Grain? Whole Grain Dijon? Start with the one that you have more than one bottle of or the one that speaks to you. Learning how to use an ingredient in a new way builds kitchen confidence.
7. Know what’s for dinner tomorrow and next week. Now that you assessed the mustards you have on hand, it’s time open up a cookbook and scan the index page, Google a recipe with the mustard type you have, or search in Pinterest. You’d be surprised at how many salad dressings, BBQ, dipping sauces, potato salads, deviled eggs, grilled cheese, roasted potatoes, coleslaws, and chicken dishes use mustard as a main ingredient! Knowing that you are meal planning proactively – instead of reactively – helps build kitchen confidence.

What about you?

Are you wondering, “What’s for dinner tonight?”

Are you standing in front of your fridge, desperately wishing that something – anything – would jump out and say, “Hey! Pick me! I can help you with dinner!” right now?

Maybe you already have the answer.

Maybe the answer is mustard.

Do you need a mustard-as-an-ingredient meal inspiration? 

I can help,

Lyndi

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