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 ...
Five Foodie Finds – soup basics.
Leave a CommentCherry wood cooking spoon. Protect that enamel soup pot surfacePho birthday card. Extra-credit if you include a Pho gift certificate with the card.Rustic soup mug. I mean, doesn’t this mug just beg you to sit by the fire?Classic bone china soup bowl with lid. Ditch the ceramic and go with bone china.Class soup spoon. Once you’ve splurged with a soup spoon, you can’t go back. Raise your hand if you’ve been eating more soup lately. Go on, raise them! I can honestly say that we have not been ...
Teach yourself to use your cookbooks.
Leave a CommentHow many cookbooks do you have? None? Ten? Twenty? Two hundred? Did you buy them for yourself or were they gifted to you? Most likely, you have a combination of cookbooks that you’ve personally curated and others selected for you. So it begs the question, how many cookbooks are too many? The answer? It depends. If you’ve taken your cookbook collection for granted, perhaps now is a good time to dust them off and reassess what you have and what you’re missing. What type of ...
The best hearty winter salad you’ll ever make!
2 CommentsAs soon as there's a nip in the air, you start to hear it. "Gimme all the soups, PSL, and comfort foods." Perhaps you're not hearing it... you're saying it. If so, I have a new one for you, "Gimme all the hearty winter salads." If you haven't, you should. And here's why. What exactly IS a winter salad? In a nutshell, it's like an everyday salad, only with heartier ingredients. Think root veggies. Cheese with depth. Savory ingredients. A winter salad is wholesome. Substantial. Strong ...
The apple-pear-cheese-cracker society.
6 CommentsCongratulations! You are officially a member of the Apple-Pear-Cheese-Cracker Society! Requirements to join this society are a sense of kindness, urgency, and willingness to focus on others. Most importantly, official members are those who have the heart to provide a little “lift me up” and gift food to a caregiver. That’s right, today I am going to share with you a story about a dear friend who knew exactly what Dennis and I needed during a time when we were caregivers over seven years ago. ...
4 things to look for in a cutting board.
Leave a CommentTurn on the Madeleine Peyroux Channel on Amazon Music and load my countertop up with all types of veggies and meats to chop up and I.am.a.happy.girl. If that’s a situation that doesn’t appeal to you, well maybe it isn’t you. It’s your cutting board. Today I want to chat about 4 things to look for in a cutting board. So, at the end of the day you can finally purge all those piles of cutting boards that you have stacked up in your kitchen cupboards. I’m looking at you, ...
Got herbs? Make your own herb salt.
3 CommentsWhat if you could add a little sprinkle of summertime joy on your food alllll fall/winter/spring long? Or, what if you could harvest the rest of your summer herbs and not let them wilt away? Now, what if you knew how simple it is to make your own herb salt using fresh herbs? You see, I had no idea this could even be a thing! Previously, I would either dry herb leaves on a towel or puree and freeze. I mean, those two methods work. But herb salt? That’s a game-changer! And now I want to ...
What have you always wanted to bake?
2 CommentsBaking completely intimidates me. Cooking? Well now, I can literally do that allll day. Meal prep, ditto. But baking? It freaks me out. Something about how precise measurements are and well, I love to experiment. Which is soooo funny because I like rules! In a nutshell, baking is unforgiving. At least, that is how I’ve always approached it. I’ve always thought that if I mastered baking bread then that would mean that I’ve “made it.” So, I put on my big girl pants and typed in “Dutch Oven ...
Teach yourself to cook those dried beans in your pantry.
Leave a CommentPSA: It is time to use up some of those dried beans we’ve hoarded. If you’re like me, you stocked up on dried beans and they are either (1) still sitting in your pantry, (2) still in a grocery bag stuck away in the basement/closet/root cellar/prepper dungeon (is that a thing?), or (3) you been using those dried beans in meals like a pro. My answer is all three. You? Because I like white space and order, I realllllly need to use up some of those beans. One quick and easy way I like to do ...
Let’s go fishing.
2 CommentsYou know that phrase, “Bloom where you are planted?” I’ve always kind of liked that saying because well, clichés speak to me. Blooming where you are planted means that you make the best of where you are, grow in that space, and do the right thing. Even when that time doesn’t feel right. So my twist on the phrase is this: “Fish where you are planted.” You see, we live on the lake and it is overflowing with fish. Bass. Crappie. Panfish. I love to fish. Do you? And yet, I hardly ...
Teach yourself to use your kitchen gadgets.
3 CommentsWant to know how to declutter kitchen gadgets? It is simple if you have this mindset: Gadgets are only useful if used. It’s kinda a life lesson that applies to so many things in our lives from physical to mental clutter. Gadgets, such as Instant Pots, air fryers, toaster ovens, toasters… these all take physical space and honestly, mental space if we let them. How many times have you found yourself saying, “I need to use my ___________. It’s taking up too much space.” Let them go. ...
A refreshing cranberry mint mojitos.
Leave a CommentI interrupt your normal daily life with this very important announcement: you need refreshing cranberry mint mojitos in your life today. I just needed you to know this. If you think that mojitos are the quintessential refreshing drink, just wait until you try these refreshing cranberry mint mojitos. This post is sponsored by Cape Code Select Premium Frozen Cranberries. #FrozenCranberries #YearOfTheCranberry #CapeCodSelect #SelectTheBest What makes a mojito so ...
A delicious cranberry simple syrup recipe.
Leave a CommentHello friends! If you want to delight your friends and family, make this super-easy cranberry simple syrup and keep it stocked in your pantry. It’s delicious when added to lemonades, popsicles, drizzled on pound cake, mocktails, and cocktails like cranberry mint mojitos. This post is sponsored by Cape Code Select Premium Frozen Cranberries. #FrozenCranberries #YearOfTheCranberry #CapeCodSelect #SelectTheBest What is simple syrup used for? Simple syrup is exactly what it sounds like, ...
3 classic cocktails with an Italian twist.
Leave a CommentThere is a reason why certain cocktails are called classic. But there’s an even better reason why you should make classic cocktails with an Italian twist. That reason is vinegar. This post contains recipe links to sponsored content created for DeNigris 1889 #ItalianVinegar. Italian vinegar in a cocktail is a secret weapon. Basically, I desperately want to get the word out that stocking good quality vinegar in your pantry means that whenever you have a recipe that calls for an acid, ...
Better than Whole Foods Chicken Tortilla Soup.
4 CommentsAre you ready for something new and delicious? You're going to want to make this Better than Whole Foods Chicken Tortilla soup recipe pronto! Several years ago I posted the original recipe for Whole Food’s chicken tortilla soup. It still amazes me that it remains one of my most popular posts of all time. Not surprising - actually - because who doesn’t like the chicken tortilla soup at the soup bar at Whole Foods? Fast-forward several years and that soup is now a staple in our home. Only it ...
Once a week grocery shopping is a gift to yourself.
2 CommentsHi friend (I’m waving to you). You are probably experiencing all types of new habits lately, including once a week grocery shopping. Wait a moment before you raise your fists and exclaim, “arghhhhh!” Maybe it’s time to reframe. Why? Because once a week grocery shopping is a gift to yourself. Let me explain. It means that you have access to hearty vegetables and fruits. If you haven’t already figured it out, buying for the long haul means we have to reallllly pay attention to what we ...
How to cut up a whole chicken.
6 CommentsHave you ever wondered how to cut up a whole chicken? We ate a lot of chicken backs when we were a kid. Yes, chicken backs... I often wonder why you can't purchase them in the grocery stores anymore. Back then they were plentiful and economical and that little nested oyster spot was my absolute favorite part. The first time I remember cutting up a whole chicken was during Food Lab at college. This class was a companion class to Nutrition 101 and I remember being surprised how easy it ...