• HOME
  • happy living
    • meal planning + prep
    • kitchen basics
    • hospitality
    • foodie finds
    • live happily
  • simple eats
    • appetizer recipe
    • beef recipe
    • chicken recipe
    • dessert recipe
    • drink recipe
    • fish recipe
    • lamb recipe
    • salad recipe
    • soup recipe
    • starch recipe
    • vegetable recipe
    • Pressure Cook recipe
    • Slow Cook recipe
  • NWAFOODIE
  • SHOP
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • CONTACT
Simple Joyful Food

encourager of simple eats + happy living

meal planning + prep

7 reasons why mustard will help you gain kitchen confidence.

October 26, 2020 2 Comments
How to use mustard - 7 reasons why mustard will help you gain kitchen confidence - main (c)simplejoyfulfood

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.

7-reasons-why-mustard-will-help-you-gain-kitchen-confidence-addcsimplejoyfulfood

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.
7-reasons-why-mustard-will-help-you-gain-kitchen-confidence-emptycsimplejoyfulfood
7-reasons-why-mustard-will-help-you-gain-kitchen-confidence-cookcsimplejoyfulfood

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

Newsletter signup

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

You might also like...

5 ingredient mushroom soup - main (c)nwafoodieHow to make a 5 ingredient soup in 20 minutes or less. 5 reasons to shop your farmers’ market on a weekday. Ad. #BITENWA food festival 2017 - main7 reasons to attend #BITENWA three-day food festival.

Share

Share
Tweet
Email
Pin
Comment
Previous
Next

Comments Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




  1. Jodi says

    October 26, 2020 at 4:11 pm

    Love this. For me, dijon is a staple. I suppose yellow mustard is as well. I love them all and am definitely guilty of letting them all float around half used. Trying to do better! Recently purchased a meal plan. A first. Excited to see how it goes. The first plan used mustard…a good sign! 😉

    Reply
    • Lyndi Fultz says

      October 26, 2020 at 4:31 pm

      Hi Jodi! That IS a good sign! Which meal plan did you go with? I hope it works great for you! And yes, dijon is staple for me + whole grain. I have some deli mustard with horseradish that I was gifted… guess that means I need to make a steak sandwich with caramelized onions, right?! And of course, there’s always the standby of adding honey for honey-mustard!

      Reply

hellooooo!

author image of thejoyofeatingwell blogHi, friend.

My name is Lyndi Fultz and I live in Northwest Arkansas in the beautiful Ozarks.

In this blog you’ll learn how to make simple and healthy meals. I also share the benefits of finding the joy in everyday living.

Read more…

SJF social links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Newsletter signup

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

search categories

Search by Year

TRENDING POSTS

FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM

simplejoyfulfood

a journal of simple living + healthy eats
+ @nwafoodie
blog links 👇

Lyndi Fultz
Have we chatted about Azure Standard yet? Once a m Have we chatted about Azure Standard yet? Once a month they do a drop in my neighborhood and I always look forward to the bounty of foods and household goods. My order may be small but I love joining in with everyone else to unload the truck! You may have a drop in your neighborhood. If you’re curious, I can tell you more!
Thankful for my past self for preserving summer's Thankful for my past self for preserving summer's herbs. 🤩
This was a big "oops" moment. As I pulled out my t This was a big "oops" moment. As I pulled out my tub with all my handmade serving bowls (and one lovely @lecreuset dish), they all came crashing to the floor.⁠
⁠
Crash!⁠
Smash!⁠
Shock.⁠
⁠
Honestly, I was happy I used them all the time, and they had a good run.⁠

I learned long time ago to use what you have. Otherwise, why have it?
The feeling after you ate too much. The feeling after you ate too much.
Ad. Oh, hi there. You’re pretty busy right now, Ad. Oh, hi there. You’re pretty busy right now, aren’t you? Okay, I will make this brief. ⁠
⁠
Print, bookmark, or pin this Easy Cheesy Roasted Garlic Chicken Skillet Slider recipe. Better yet, make it for dinner!⁠
⁠
You know I’m all about being helpful. And healthy! I’ve also been afraid to walk down that frozen or prepared foods aisle at the store, thinking, “Nope, not for me. They’re not healthy.” ⁠
⁠
I feel good about @kevins.natural.foods because I know I can still eat well by keeping them on hand, whether for the four-o-clock pinch or meal planning.⁠
⁠
I first tried Kevin’s Cauliflower Mac n Cheese when it was a special buy at Aldi’s. The ingredients were simple and pure, and we were delighted to discover they tasted great!⁠
⁠
Kevin’s also has a line of delicious five-minute entrees like Peppercorn Steak, Cilantro Lime Chicken, and Roasted Garlic Chicken.⁠
⁠
My recipe for Easy Cheesy Roasted Garlic Chicken Skillet Sliders only has seven ingredients and seven steps. Best of all, you can complete it from skillet to table in ten minutes!⁠
⁠
Recipe link in bio!⁠
⁠
#kevinsrecipechallenge⁠
Ad. Quick – what is the first food that comes to Ad. Quick – what is the first food that comes to mind when you think of Thanksgiving dinner?⁠
⁠
Turkey?⁠
⁠
Green bean casserole?⁠
⁠
Mashed potatoes?⁠
⁠
Sweet potato casserole?⁠
⁠
Corn?⁠
⁠
Peas?⁠
⁠
Gravy?⁠
⁠
The correct answer is all of them! But mostly, you can’t have Thanksgiving without turkey, sweet potatoes, and veggies. It’s un-American.⁠
⁠
This crazy-awesome pie is stuffed with an abundance of shredded turkey, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, and gravy – Ding! Ding! Ding! – You guessed correctly! It also has ooey-gooey cheese and sour cream to add a layer of comforting delight.⁠
⁠
Link in bio for my Thanksgiving-inspired pot pie that uses three @wickspies 8″ raw circles. One for the base and two to cut lattice strips (using a ravioli cutter) so that it looks extra pretty. Of course, you could just use two raw circles. One for the base and one for the top. Just cut some slits on the top crust so that some ooey-gooey delightfulness can do its thang.⁠
⁠
#WicksPies #TrustTheCrust #InCrustWeTrust #thanksgiving #potpies #simplefood #easyrecipes #thanksgivingrecipe
Load More... Instagram

contact

lyndi@thejoyofeatingwell.com

inspiration

“Just like becoming an expert in wine–you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford–you learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious. Then you savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences.” – Julia Child

Copyright 2023 thejoyofeatingwell