Tag Archives: kitchen

Ten Staples for Your Pantry

With the snow still falling in parts of the country as a blizzard sweeps across the Midwest, having a well-stocked pantry is something to think about more seriously. After all, when the weather is frightful, the last thing you want to do is go out into the storm for groceries – or go hungry. Having a well-stocked pantry is important for other reasons as well. Four years ago, I got very sick. The weather was also awful, and I couldn’t get my sick self through the storms. I had to rely on what I had prepared in the cupboards, and it … Continue reading →

Creative Leftovering

I’m a master of the sneak. I like to make sneaky menus that incorporate a little bit of last week’s menu. What’s on the table this week? Baking with leftovers. I baked a banana bread with all of the little bits of flour left in containers in my cupboard. I also put in a few halves of bananas, since my daughter only eats half of one at a time. Since she likes chocolate chip banana bread, I put crumbled up some chocolate cookies that we got for Christmas and placed them into the dough.Bread pudding is another good way to … Continue reading →

Taming the Freezer Monster

I have a monstrous amount of food in my freezer, and I think it’s alive. It’s a little sticky, and it’s got some nasty hard edges. Yesterday when I went down there to dig up some strawberries and cherries from the depths, it leapt onto my hand. I am sure it was trying to suck me in. I have a freezer packed full of fruit, jam, and other goodies from the rest of the growing season. This is wonderful. However, I must admit that it’s really quite hard to delve into the depths of the freezer and come out intact. … Continue reading →

Kitchen Organizing for the Holidays

The fall is a great time to start thinking about the holidays, which are really just around the corner. I promise you, they will be here before you know it. So why not take some time this month to start prepping your kitchen? By cleaning and organizing it now, you will have a head start and prevent future stress. It’s actually a great time to organize your cabinets. Focus on one or two each weekend. But while you are doing that, you should also start keeping an inventory of what you have and what you need. For instance, if you … Continue reading →