Simple Bites » Organization & Productivity

Q&A: Let’s talk about kitchen-related gifts

Aimee — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 05:40:34 +0000

This is the time of year when I get a lot of requests for recommendations on smart purchases of quality kitchen items. Most people are looking for gifts and some just want to take advantage of Black Friday and other holiday sales, but everyone has questions about knives, pot sets, gadgets and the like.

Below I link to a few gift guides I put together last year that still hold plenty of weight now at the end of 2011. Hopefully these lists will inspire you to stock your kitchen (or someone else’s if you are gifting) with a few key quality items that will prove themselves to be invaluable for cooking and will last a long, long time.

Then, I’ll be hanging out in the comments today to take your questions on kitchen items, should you have any. Opinions expressed are entirely my own of course, but I am drawing on my experience from culinary school, professional kitchen employment, and daily life cooking in my own kitchen.

So read on, make a wish list for yourself, or bookmark a gift item for that budding chef on your Christmas list.

Photo by PR1001

Aimee’s Top Ten ‘Big Ticket’ Kitchen Items

Okay, so some of these aren’t so ‘big ticket’, a colander, a pepper mill…but they are tools and equipment I reach for nearly every single day in my kitchen. For that reason, it is essential that they be functional, durable, and easy to clean.

From the Holiday 2010 post…

“I’ve rummaged through the tool kit of many a professional chef. I’ve taken detailed inventory of a restaurant kitchen’s supplies. I’d rather shop for spatulas than shoes and I’ve probably cooked every day for the last twenty years.

I’ve seen what lasts (my mother’s Le Creuset she received as a wedding present 35 years ago), I’ve seen what breaks (cheap espresso makers) and I’m ready to share my recommendations.

Whether you are writing your own holiday wish list, or are looking for the perfect gift for the cook in the family, let this list of items inspired from my personal kitchen be your guide.”

Head here to read my Top Ten ‘Big Ticket’ Kitchen Items.

Aimee’s Top 10 Stocking Stuffers for the Kitchen

Here I’ve listed some smaller tools I utilize every day while cooking and baking. They are absolutely essential for all that I do in the kitchen and making the task of preparing three meals a day much simpler.

Head here to read my Top 10 Stocking Stuffers for the Kitchen.

Home for the Holidays

Next Friday we’ll look at my top ten favorite cookbooks of the year. And get ready, because our Home for the Holidays giveaway week is back at the end of the month! I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about my giveaway items before – they are beautiful, top-quality, and a pure pleasure to use in my kitchen.

Stay tuned! The fun begins November 28 on all five Simple Living Media channels.

What are your essential kitchen items? What would you like to add to your ‘toolbox’? Any questions?

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Q&A: Let’s talk about kitchen-related gifts is a post from Simple Bites

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How to Organize Your Kitchen for the Holidays

Aimee — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:07:56 +0000

Countdown planners and holiday calendars are popping up all over the place as we collectively try to organize ourselves before the big slide into the holidays. I don’t for a minute pretend to have it all together when it comes to prepping for the holidays, but I do have my strengths.

While my good intentions for deep household cleaning might not get carried out, the kitchen is one area where I must be organized heading into December. If the heart of the home is clean, uncluttered, well-stocked and in top working capacity, then anything is possible – or so I see it!

I’m not talking about anything too major – none of us have the time to drop everything and revamp the entire workspace – but I write up a tidy and legible list, stick it to the fridge, and tackle the jobs one at a time over the month of November. If I’m lucky, Danny will team up with me and cross off a few items on his own initiative. The man loves a list.

Here’s what that list looks like.

9 Steps to an Organized Kitchen

1. A general clean

There’s no way around this important first step, but perhaps you can recruit or hire some help if you’re doing deep cleaning such as the oven or the top of the cupboards.

My main areas to focus on are:

Cupboard fronts and handles – wash.
Counters – appliances moved and everything disinfected.
Microwave and stove top – wiped down.
Under sink – organized and washed.

2. Stock up on baking ingredients

Last year I created the Ultimate Holiday Baking Pantry Checklist and made it available as a free download. No one likes to be in the grocery store, frantically searching for that one elusive item when they should be at home, basting the turkey.

Holiday baking starts soon, so be sure to print up the list and bring on your shopping rounds.

3. Clear & clean the fridge & freezer

Remember that a few weeks from now, you’re going to be be juggling stuffing, vegetable sides and a whole turkey around the refrigerator, trying to make everything fit safely.

Now is the time to go through the refrigerator contents and clear out as much as you can. Finish off jars of jam, toss nearly empty condiment containers leftover from summer barbecues, and make soup with the withered contents of the vegetable drawers.

As for the freezer, Danny covered the basics a few weeks ago on keeping the freezer safe and cold. Important info, as none of us would like to lose all our precious holiday baking - or worse, that free-range turkey reserved for Christmas day – as a result of a deep freeze malfunction.

4. A quick cupboard clean

Think of it as a summer to winter wardrobe changeover in your closet, only for your kitchen. Box up the popsicle molds, summer sippy cups, and picnic plates to make space for holiday-themed bakeware, festive dishes and extra serving platters.

Wipe out crumbs while you’re at it and take note of anything that needs replacing – or recycling.

5. Make a loose monthly menu plan

Don’t let holiday baking and cocktail parties get in the way of wholesome meals around the table. Jot down a dozen or so meal ideas and be sure to stock your pantry with canned beans, lentils, whole grain pastas and rice for quick scratch suppers.

Related links:

6. Stock items for gift packaging

Edible treats are the only kind of handmade gifts that I know how to do, so stocking up on their packaging falls in my kitchen organization category. I find that if I already have what I need on hand, it’s much easier to dress up a jar jam or bag of cookies. This specific area of organizing has saved the day many a time when I was scrambling for a last-minute gift.

A few suggestions: tins, cellophane bags, ribbon, labels, tape, paper bags, brown paper, felt-tipped pens, tissue paper, clear cellophane wrap, burlap garden twine.

7. Check linens, disposable dishes, etc.

If you’re hosting the main meal(s) or several parties over the holiday season, you’ll want to double check that you have enough paper plates, cups, napkins and utensils. These non-perishable items can easily be stocked up on ahead of time and that leaves you with one less thing to think about on the big day.

Also check cloth linens for stains, tears or burns (that would be my tablecloth, yes) and decide whether or not this is the year for new linens.

8. Stock a guest bag

Every year I have a stash of items set aside for the convenience of my guests. I’ve noticed that guests often ask for the same dozen or so items, and instead of leaving the stove (or whatever I am doing) and hunting for the Tylenol or band-aids during an evening of hosting, I amass everything ahead of time.

It might be very Martha Stewart for me, but it makes my life easier and sets my guests at ease when they see it’s no trouble at all for me to meet their request.

Here’s what’s on the list most of the time:

Band-aids
Tylenol & Tempra
AA Batteries
Baby bib & wash cloth
MAGIC BAG Thermotherapeutic
Tide stain remover pen
Pen & Paper
Wi-Fi code (on a paper)
Safety pins
Hand cream
Slippers

9. Plan to host a cookie swap

If you’re looking for a good way to round out your holiday baking and have some fun at the same time, consider organizing a cookie swap with a group of friends.

A cookie swap is a casual and easy-to-host social event with a practical side: it saves valuable time during the busiest season of the year, provides you with a wonderful selection of homemade baked goods, and introduces new types of cookies to your palate.

Over on Simple Mom I’ve got a checklist on how to plan a festive cookie swap your guests will remember well into the New Year. And here’s a snapshot of my event from last year. Such fun!

Do you have the tenth tip? How to YOU organize the kitchen for the holidays? Share your tips below!

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How to Organize Your Kitchen for the Holidays is a post from Simple Bites

Eat Well, Spend Less: How to Store Pantry Food for Maximum Shelf Life

Aimee — Mon, 16 May 2011 04:16:43 +0000

Back by popular demand, our series, Eat Well, Spend Less, will be returning once a month.

We all know the benefits of a well-stocked pantry. It’s essential for menu planning organization, helps maintain a healthy diet full of real foods, and saves you money by allowing you to stock up when food items are on sale.

But if food is not stored properly and is allowed to spoil, where is the value in buying in bulk? None whatsoever. That is why it is important to know how to store pantry food for maximum shelf life.

Waste in the average North American kitchen is at an all-time high. The numbers are shocking. Too much food is being thrown away. Is it coming from your kitchen? If so, you may be eating well, but you are certainly not spending less.

In the theme of our continuing Eat Well, Spend Less series (spearheaded by the whip-smart Jessica) I thought we’d take a look at keeping all those groceries fresh and properly stored, and thus, keep more cash in our pockets.

Contamination = Cash Lost

Food spoilage occurs when:

items are poor quality or damaged when purchased
items are just plain old as the hills!
items are stored incorrectly, allowing for damage to occur

What is damaging our food? Heat. Cold. Air. Light. Moisture. Smells. Critters. Any one of these factors can ruin our hard-earned food, and all can be prevented.

Ever since I witnessed my cat hunt down a mouse at 3 am, I’ve taken no chances with my pantry staples. Ingredients are rarely left in their initial packaging and great care is taken to store items properly. I’m not interested in losing a bag of organic steel-cut oats to ants or other foreign invaders!

How to Store Pantry Food for Maximum Shelf Life

Above is a snapshot of my pantry and the simple methods I use to combat food spoilage. As you can see, I don’t consider plastic bags or cardboard boxes effective for long term food storage. Dry ingredients need to live in a hard container like glass, hard plastic or metal and I use a combination of all three.

I’m a big fan of ‘containerization’, which is basically, Using Containers to Organize Your Kitchen Simply & Aesthetically, as I’ve already covered. Containers help organize because they group items and help combat the sprawl that tends to happen behind closed doors – and drawers.

Plus, by confining items to one place, they make clean-up less of a chore because that container can quickly be removed and washed under. They also combat many of those dangerous elements to our food such as moisture, air, and critters.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Glass Jars

Most of my dry pantry items are stored in glass jars. So are a lot of fridge and freezer items, for that matter. They are absolutely my storage container of choice and here’s why:

They’re affordable.
They’re reusable and recyclable.
They display contents so I can find what I need in a glance.
They are airtight.
They have a rustic, country look to them that suits my kitchen.

Food I store in glass jars: grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, dried herbs, dried mushrooms, dried fruit, cereals, flour, pasta and more.

Tupperware

It’s hard to beat Tupperware when it comes to durable, airtight pantry storage. They are not as cheap as basic glass jars, but how many jars offer a lifetime guarantee?

I hosted two Tupperware parties several years ago, which more or less financed the Modular Mates I use. I love them for stuffing pretty much anything in, but mostly for those items that tend to get scattered over the pantry such as crackers, granola bars, dried fruit, and the like.

Large Tupperware containers allow me to maintain an orderly pantry so that any potential furry intruder will be bored – and hungry! The larger hard plastic containers help make cleaning much easier and keep the pantry sprawl to a minimum.

Food I store in Tupperware: flours, sugars, granola bars, chocolate, crackers, bread crumbs, ground nuts, and more.

Tins

Large or small, square or round: tins are ideal for containing small, easily scattered items like dried yeast packages or tea bags. Tins also provide a dry, dark, and airtight space, and one that I like to store some of my Asian ingredients in for maximum shelf life.

The drawback to tins is that you can’t see what is inside, and items can go unnoticed for some time if you’re not careful.

Foods I store in tins: Coffee, dried chilies & spices, seaweed, rice noodles, rice papers, tea, yeast, gelatin, and more.

Pantry Items to Store in the Freezer

Many foods should be kept in the freezer to extend storage life, especially during the humid months.

Flours
Nuts
Spices – especially ground spices
some grains such as wheat germ and flax
Seeds – sunflower, sesame, etc

Ground spices retain their condition and quality best when stored in an airtight container in the freezer. Similarly, nuts and flours stay fresher for longer when kept cold. I store these items in glass jars in my chest freezer.

Final Thought: Food for Others

When so many exist daily with so little, we’re fortunate to have a stocked pantry. Hunger Awareness Day is May 31, 2011 here in Canada, when food banks across the country will mark the day to raise awareness of the solvable issue of hunger in Canada. Find out how you can make a change and make a difference for Canadians in need.

In the US? One in six Americans are fighting hunger. Head to Feeding America to find a food bank in your area and plan to make a donation the next time you stock up on groceries.

Is there anything wasting away in your pantry right now?

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Eat Well, Spend Less: How to Store Pantry Food for Maximum Shelf Life is a post from Simple Bites

The One in Which I’ve Lost My Groove

Katie G — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 08:36:28 +0000

Written by Katie of GoodLife Eats.

I’m going to tell you a little secret. When I saw that this month’s Simple Bites theme was organization and productivity in the kitchen I kind of cringed a little. Because I’m so not feeling organized in my kitchen or productive right now.

I procrastinated and procrastinated submitting my post topic until Aimee and I had a conversation that went something like this:

Aimee: Just a quick reminder…I kinda need a topic from you for your next SB post!

Katie: I’m sorry! I have been trying to think of something….I’ll let you know tomorrow. I am just not feeling very organized or productive in the kitchen at the moment.

Aimee: So write about it. No, for real. How are you coping? Pushing through?

Katie: More like feeling sorry for myself.

Aimee: Hey we’ve all been there. And I think this end-of-winter, cusp of spring really triggers it.

[lightbulb moment happens and I think "oh. duh."]

The last couple of weeks I’ve been feeling like I’ve totally lost my groove in the kitchen. But instead of doing something about it I’ve been doing nothing.

It’s been a busy month. We had spring break and that was….fun. Or not. My kids don’t quite appreciate being off from school for a week yet. Eric was out of town for work. Then really sick two weekends in a row.

Ever since then things have been a little off here. The weather is nasty. Crazy windy. Bad allergies which make me feel like I’m half asleep all day long. A couple of failed recipes. Yes, failed recipes and that never does much for self confidence.

Instead of doing nothing, I should be following my own advice.

Find Some Inspiration

Photo by GoodLife Eats

Browse Foodgawker.
Check out Meal Plan Monday.
Buy a new recipe magazine, preferably one with lots of pictures.
Revisit an old favorite. Something that’s proven to be a success with your family.
Flip through a cookbook you haven’t looked at in a while or check something out at the library.
Look up one of your favorite ingredients, something in the fridge, or an ingredient you’ve been meaning to try in The Flavor Bible.
Find the menu for your favorite restaurant. See if you can recreate a dish at home. (Or even make it better!)

Organize Other Areas in Your Home

When the rest of my life is feeling a bit unorganized my cooking suffers too. Nothing puts a damper on my creativity for me like piles of laundry, a toy strewn living room, or a cluttered pantry.

Photo by Tsh

Freshening up other areas of my daily life does wonders to my creativity in the kitchen. Tsh’s book Organized Simplicity is great resource if you aren’t sure where to get started. She’s also posted about a reader challenge: Simple Mom’s Project Simplify.

Make a Meal Plan – And Stick to It!

Sometimes the pressure of 5 pm coming just around the corner is enough to slap me into gear, other times I shut down when I don’t have a plan and dinner is quickly approaching. It’s those times that I freeze, procrastinate, and we end up eating something rather boring instead.

Photo by Kate

When I’m doing well in the kitchen it’s because I’ve planned out our week of meals before the new week starts, let’s say Saturday, and done the grocery shopping. I map the week out on the calendar based on what recipes will work best time-wise for which days and what days of the week we’d benefit by eating leftovers.

Keep a Well Stocked Pantry

And there’s nothing more discouraging than trying to make dinner when you don’t have the ingredients you need or want. Sometimes when I’m not inspired I realize that it’s because I’m running low or out of several of my favorite pantry ingredients.

Photo by Schwartz and Architecture

But if I have a well stocked pantry I’m often able to throw delicious recipes together without thinking about it. In the past some of our favorite family meals have come from pantry items combined with the pressure of the clock ticking it’s way towards 5 pm.

For some pantry stocking ideas check out:

Eat Well, Spend Less: Homemade Substitutes for Grocery Staples (Wet Ingredients)
Homemade Pantry Staples – Eat Well Spend Less (Dry Ingredients)
3 Recipes to Keep in Your Pantry
Pantry Meals to Keep the Budget on Track

Give Yourself a Break from the Kitchen

Maybe you’ve just been working a little bit too hard lately. It’s okay to admit that you need a break.

I took off two whole weeks from blogging, food photography, and any new recipe development at the end of last year. When January hit I was ready to get back to it. A breath of fresh air might be all you need.

Is there another family member who could cook instead? Or a friend who’s offered a helping hand? Don’t be afraid to take them up on the offer. Consider serving a few Non-Suppers once in a while to avoid burnout.

Photo by GoodLife Eats

Recipes for Getting your Groove Back

Start with something not-so-complicated or easily adaptable as you ease back into your happy place. But make sure that it has flavors you and your family will love. May I suggest one of these?

3-2-1 Pasta Formula | GoodLife Eats
Anything Stuffed Empanadas | Food for My Family
Easy Tomato Florentine (Simple Pantry Meal) | GoodLife Eats
Fancy Customizable Mac n Cheese | GoodLife Eats
Fondue Fun | Simple Bites
Seasonal Fried Rice | Food for My Family
Gourmet Sandwiches or Panini | Simple Bites
Homemade Pizza | Simple Bites
Indian Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice | GoodLife Eats
Lemon and Oregano Roast Chicken | Simple Bites

What do you do to get out of a cooking rut?

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The One in Which I’ve Lost My Groove is a post from Simple Bites

5 Ways to Conserve Coin in the Kitchen

Aimee — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:14:04 +0000

I‘m guest posting over at Life…Your Way today and talking about ways to eat great and not break the bank. 5 Ways to Conserve Coin in the Kitchen is packed with super smart shopping tips plus kitchen organization techniques that also help me save money.

From the post:

“As I write this, I realize I haven’t set foot in a grocery store or market in eight days – and there’s food prepped for tomorrow’s dinner. How have I stayed out of the aisles and kept money in my wallet? Because we benefit from a weekly menu plan, a well-stocked pantry and a wee bit of flexibility in our meals; these actions save us time and money, too, as we buy just what we need and not more.”

Head over to Life…Your Way to read 5 Ways to Conserve Coin in the Kitchen.

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5 Ways to Conserve Coin in the Kitchen is a post from Simple Bites

Meet the Simple Bites Contributors for 2011

Aimee — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 05:08:17 +0000

How many of you know that it takes a small village to put forward a well-rounded blog that covers a range of pertinent topics? I am so fortunate to have a strong team of regular contributors who bring their wisdom and unique voices to Simple Bites every week.

On the heels of winning an award or two, I would like to turn and pass along much-deserved credit to the people who contribute to the success of Simple Bites. A few work behind the scenes, a few are brand new, and the others have written some of your favorite posts in 2010.

I’m truly blessed to work with each and every one of them and am incredibly excited for what lies ahead in 2011.

None of us would be here if it wasn’t for Tsh, founder of Simple Living Media, Simple Mom herself, and a friend and mentor to me. Mandi Ehman from Life…Your Way also works tirelessly behind the scenes, spearheading Advertising Your Way, along with Terry Newsome.

I do the majority of the writing in this little corner of the blogosphere, but every Wednesday, eight contributors from all over North America rotate in posting. They each bring something different to the table, expressing different styles, voices and opinions on everything from menu planning to a balanced diet for kids.

Here are the contributors for 2011. These folks know their stuff, and I couldn’t be happier to be their editor.

Cheryl Arkison is a mom to two energetic and strong-willed little girls. It’s a good thing they already like her cooking. She blogs the family’s cooking and taste adventures at Backseat Gourmet.

Read all her posts | Follow her on Twitter

Danny Bourque is a mechanical engineer who is known at both home and work as either “the geek” or “the numbers guy”. He is very methodical and genuinely loves to analyze almost anything that piques his interest – including food.

New 2011 contributor | Follow him on Twitter

Diana Bauman, as a first generation American, shares her family’s traditional Spanish and Mexican recipes at her blog, A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa. As a mami and urban homesteader she also writes about her faith, family, organic gardening, raising backyard chickens and preserving the harvest.
New 2011 contributor | Follow her on Twitter

Katie Goodman’s lifelong interest in food has shown her that part of the goodness in life is enjoying delicious food with friends and family. Katie Goodman is the cook, recipe developer, and self-taught photographer behind GoodLife Eats. It is there that she shares what she finds good in the kitchen and in life. A mix of great recipes, family memories, and yummy photography is what Katie serves up each week.

New 2011 contributor| Follow her on Twitter

Lynn Craig is a mother of four (two out of the nest, two to go) who homeschools, bakes obsessively, quilts sporadically, and occasionally finds time to clean the house. She and her husband live in Bellevue, Washington where she chronicles her kitchen triumphs and disasters on her blog Cookie Baker Lynn.

Read all her posts

Shaina Olmanson is the home cook and photographer behind Food for My Family, where she shares recipes, tips, opinions and her philosophy on food as she wades through the process of feeding her family, her friends and anyone else who will let her. She strives to teach her four children how to eat well: seasonally, locally, organically, deliciously and balanced.

Read all her posts | Follow her on Twitter

Shannon is a mama to two hungry little boys and wife to her favorite recipe tester. While her background is in chemistry, she has studied sustainable living since the birth of her first child. She spends much of her time growing, seeking out, and preparing nourishing local foods . Between the laundry, dishes, and snuggles she writes about it all at Nourishing Days.

Read all her posts

Final Thought

We were sorry to say goodbye to Cheri Neufeld at the end of 2010, as her gorgeous photography and practical posts enriched our content and inspired many. Cheri will be welcoming another addition to the family shortly, and we wish her all the best on that new adventure!

You can still follow her culinary creations over at Kitchen Simplicity. Cheri, thank you for being a part of Simple Bites in 2010. You’ll be missed!

Have a question for our contributors? Ask away!

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Meet the Simple Bites Contributors for 2011 is a post from Simple Bites

The Hottest Posts of 2010

Aimee — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 05:03:36 +0000

It’s been an exciting eleven months of blogging in 2010; remember, Simple Bites has yet to celebrate a one year anniversary, as we only launched last February! I’ve really appreciated the warm response from readers and the enthusiastic feedback on everything from canning to menu planning. That you’ve embraced this newcomer has been a huge incentive to keep on writing, cooking and blogging. So, thank you.

Just for fun, let’s look back at some of the hottest posts of the year! Every month, there are always one or two posts that, for whatever reason, really get people’s attention.The comments pour in, the retweets rack up, and the word gets out.

In no particular order, here are the Top Twelve Hottest Posts of 2010.

How to Make the Best Muffins Ever

Apparently throwing ‘Best’ in the title of a post is like throwing down a challenge, but this was one declaration I knew I could back up. Believing every one should have a solid muffin recipe in their repertoire, I passed along mine, along with tips and suggested add-ins.

The response was thrilling. The comments speak for themselves. Dry muffins? Be gone!

The Best Do-Ahead Breakfast Foods

What was merely a recap of my preparation to host my family reunion turned into one of the top viewed posts on Simple Bites. Was it the tip for maple-glazed bacon that created the buzz? Or our family’s favorite Buckwheat Pancake Mix?

We’ve got some breakfast lovers out there, folks.

10 Guilt-Free Non-Suppers

Guess what? That ‘Non-Supper’? It’s more popular than you think.
Reader Katie said is best:

“As a foodie, I put a lot of pressure on myself to get delicious, healthy, well-rounded meals on the table every night…and sometimes it’s just not possible! These are great ideas to help take some of the pressure off. Thanks for the permission and the inspiration!“

Don’t miss plenty more inspiration (and commiserating) in the comments.

Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Rolls in a Jar

I knew these cute (and tasty) buns baked in a jam jar would be a hit, but I didn’t quite expect the ardor that poured in from readers. Nor the kind mentions on The Kitchn, Babble, Kim Vallee and many more.

9 Reasons to Can Your Own Food

I’ve been sticking up for home canning as long as I can remember, and it all came out in this post. Whether it made converts or not, I don’t know, but a lot of people read the article, including the folks at Time.com, who quoted the canning post in this article on saving money.

Warm Weather Batch Cooking

There’s no question Simple Bites readers love to be organized! This post was inspiration for do-ahead meal prep for the hot summer months, and evidently came in handy for many cooks. High-five to keeping cool and well-fed in the summer!

Holiday Baking Pantry Checklist

Bakers abound among Simple Bites readers and this free printable was quickly snapped up as everyone geared up for fall baking! It was pretty ultimate, after all.

How to Make the Best Zucchini Bread Ever

We ate so. much. zucchini bread in August as I worked on creating a healthy and tasty recipe to use up the surplus of this abundant summer squash. It seems like everyone else was looking for a similar recipe, and with my proclamation of ‘best ever’ zucchini bread, this post gathered a lot of interest.

Of course, now that it’s the middle of winter, I’m wishing we had a few loaves of this to snack on.

Roast Chicken 101 (Recipe: Lemon & Oregano Roast Chicken)

In September we entered cooking school and this tutorial on perfect roast chicken was warmly received. The testimonials warmed my heart. Like this one from reader Kayla:

“I just made this for dinner tonight and everyone was VERY happy with the results! It was my first successful roast chicken. I had given up until I saw your tips and recipe; I thought I’d give it one last try and am very thankful I did! It was so moist and tender. I am definitely making this again!”

Hmm, roast chicken for dinner, anyone?

Simple Chilled Pumpkin Cheesecake

Everyone loves cheesecake. And if it’s no-bake, easy to assemble and contains pumpkin, then it’s almost impossible to turn down. It was also one of my first vlogs where I make the entire recipe on camera. Nerve-wracking!

Simple Shortbread

December is literally “cookie month”, so it’s no surprise that my shortbread post received an enthusiastic response, including a kind mention from PBS Parents. Shortbread is an essential holiday treat, and when one recipe can morph into four different types of cookie, then it’s bound to be loved!

Citrus & Pomegranate Salad with Vanilla Syrup

Evidently I’m not the only one loving clementines, pomegranates and other seasonal fruit right now. Both Glamour.com and
Gourmet Live had praise for my fresh take on fruit salad for the holidays.

Did you have a favorite post from Simple Bites this year? Thank you for reading!

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The Hottest Posts of 2010 is a post from Simple Bites

10 Tips to Help You Conserve Some Coin

Aimee — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 05:06:31 +0000

We all want to know how we can trim our monthly grocery bill and yet feed our families real, wholesome food. Anyone who has shopped for organic ingredients, knows that there is a price to pay for bringing home pesticide-free, all-natural foods. So what can be done?

Fortunately, Slow Food Rhode Island leader Amy McCoy of Poor Girl Gourmet has some solutions for us. In her brand new cookbook, Poor Girl Gourmet: Eat in Style on a Bare-Bones Budget, she takes us on a low-budget, high-quality food adventure, offering proven tips for eating wholesomely on the cheap, as well as providing reliable recipes to back the tips up. Her suggestions for frugal eating are one hundred percent applicable for every household and well worth reading about.

Here are ten money-saving tips that I gleaned from her cookbook, as well as a recipe that demonstrates how a less desirable (read: cheaper) cut of meat can be absolutely amazing.

1. Make a Weekly Menu Plan.

Sound familiar? Menu planning saves cash by helping us to buy only what we need and reducing the chance of having food go to waste. We’ve got 9 Tips to Successful Menu Planning here at Simple Bites.

2. Shop Super Smart.

Cut coupons
Shop sales
Buy in bulk
Shop at ethnic markets for specialty items like spices.

3. Buy Local and In Season.

Even better, grow it yourself. Here are tips on how to source food locally.

4. Establish a Relationship with Your Purveyors.

Be it the grocer, butcher, farmer or baker, form a relationship with the people who produce your food. These folks can give you money-saving tips on topics such as portion size, seasonal produce, menu planning, serving suggestions, and crop availability.

As Michael Pollan puts it in his book In Defense of Food, “Shake the hand that feeds you.”

5. Buy Meat on the Bone.

And don’t overlook the inexpensive cuts of meat, either. They are often even tastier than the fancy cuts, as demonstrated in the recipe below.

6. Better Yet, Eat Less Meat.

Cutting food costs is helped by reducing the quantity of meat per serving, as well as the frequency with which you eat it. Try incorporating one meatless meal a week into your menu plan.

7. Purchase Fruits & Vegetables in Their Whole State.

Those pre-cut vegetables at the supermarket? You’re likely paying a premium for them. Buy your produce whole and invest in a good knife!

8. Do Not Forsake Your Freezer.

This goes hand in hand with buying in bulk, for one would not be entirely possible without the other. Stock up during sales and store nuts, flours, seasonal produce and, of course, meats in the freezer.

9. Use Sauces and Garnishes to Enhance Food.

Amy McCoy claims there is no faster way to dress up a plain meal than by adding a sauce. In her cookbook, she skillfully demonstrates the versatility of the sauce and gives plenty of suggestions for affordable garnishes.

10. Do Not Waste Food.

It almost feels redundant to remind ourselves of this obvious statement, but it may be the most important tip to making ends meet.

Photo by Poor Girl Gourmet

Recipe: Braised Pork Shoulder

—From Poor Girl Gourmet: Eat in Style on a Bare-Bones Budget
by Amy McCoy/Andrews McMeel Publishing

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (4- to 5-pound) pork shoulder (see Note)
2 medium yellow onions, cut crosswise into ¼-inch rounds
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 tablespoon fresh
4 cups apple cider

Warm the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Season the pork shoulder on all sides with salt and pepper. Brown the pork shoulder on all long sides (don’t worry about the short ends, you’ll be wrestling pork shoulder and oil, and it’s not necessary), 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Remove the pork shoulder from the pot and transfer it to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium. Place the onions in the pot and cook until they are softened and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the mustard and thyme, stirring to combine. Return the pork shoulder and any accumulated juices to the pan, and add the apple cider.
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, cover, and cook at a gentle simmer until the meat does what? Falls off the bone. That’s right, people. At that point, the meat is also fork-tender, meaning it does not require a knife to be cut. To achieve this will take 3 to 3½ hours. Pull yourself some pork from the pot, put it on a plate, top with a bit of the cooking liquid or Tangy Barbecue Sauce (recipe below), and start thinking about pulled pork sandwiches, even as you enjoy the braised pork.

NOTE: Amy prefers a shoulder that is cut flat, rather than with a protruding leg bone. You want as small a bone as you can get your butcher to rustle up. Pork butt, also called Boston butt, would also work here.

Photo by Poor Girl Gourmet

Recipe: Tangy Barbecue Sauce

—From Poor Girl Gourmet: Eat in Style on a Bare-Bones Budget
by Amy McCoy

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled, very finely chopped
½ cup distilled white vinegar
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons honey
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Sauté the shallot and garlic until softened and the shallot is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the vinegar, sugar, and honey, and stir until the sugar and honey are dissolved. Add the tomato paste, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, stirring to combine. Add the chili powder, salt, and pepper, and give it a good stir.
Simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, 18 to 20 minutes. Okay, now, dole it out—first onto reheated pork shoulder leftovers, and then, later this week, onto any other protein that you want to jazz up with delicious barbecue taste.

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How frugal are you? In what ways could you further conserve coin in your shopping?

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10 Tips to Help You Conserve Some Coin is a post from Simple Bites

Sourcing Food Locally, Even in the Smallest Communities

Elizabeth — Thu, 06 May 2010 05:02:31 +0000

Sourcing food locally is the new “it” movement for everyone from gourmet chefs to stay at home moms. Everywhere you turn there are slogans and catch phrases for joining this new revolution to better food, such as “100 mile diet”, “Buy Close By”, and “food revolution”, not to mention the farmer’s markets or farm stands everywhere you turn.

But what are the advantages of buying local?

Firstly there is the obvious, such as knowing your grower and how he/she grows their produce/meat/eggs, but there is also the less obvious reason of helping to curb the pollution caused by long haul refrigerated trucking of food stuffs from hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

There is also the advantage of helping to keep jobs in local communities safe as the more a farmer can sell of his/her crop or livestock, the more he/she may need to hire local jobseekers to help out.

All Photos by Elizabeth Nyland

So Where Do You Find the Markets?

Sometimes, when living in a smaller community, finding good sources of local food can be difficult, but only if you don’t know where to look.

Most provinces in Canada have a website dedicated to the passing of information on where to locate a farmers market in your area, but these are mostly the bigger markets. In my area, known as Southern Vancouver Island, including Victoria and the Cowichan Valley, we have what are known as pocket markets. These are very small, maybe one or two stands, that pop up in various locations (not always year round) around cities and villages.

Pocket markets offer what’s fresh that day and then they close up shop. Most are open one day a week and offer produce from more than one farm at a time, to offer variety, but also to keep the costs lower for the farmers.

Here are some links to various websites offering lists of farmers’ markets near you:

USA

USDA Farmer’s Market Search
National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service: Local Food Directories
Local Harvest

CANADA

British Columbia: http://www.bcfarmersmarket.org/
Alberta: http://www.albertamarkets.com/
Manitoba: http://www.manitobafarmersmarkets.ca/
Saskatchewan: http://www.saskfarmersmarket.com/
Ontario: http://www.farmersmarketsontario.com/
Quebec: http://www.bonjourquebec.com/qc-en/tourist-services-directory/public-market/
Nova Scotia: http://www.farmersmarketsnovascotia.ca/
Pocket Markets Southern Vancouver Island: http://www.foodroots.ca/

Amy over at Simple Organic recently shared about Getting the Most Out of the Farmer’s Market. You’ll want to apply her tips this season as you shop local!

The Drive-By

Another option for sourcing local food is the farm stands located right on the farms themselves. Driving down quiet country roads, it’s hard not to pass at least a dozen signs in a half hour that advertise “Farm Fresh Eggs”. This is usually a cooler, filled with cartons and a box located next to it. You put in your money and you take what you pay for, all based on the honor system. There are also flower stands and small “hobby farm” stands, that are easy to find if you know where to look.

If you have an area nearby that is registered agricultural land, it is almost guaranteed that there are farmers out there willing to sell small amounts directly to consumers. Now, this is not to say that you should walk up to any old factory farm and ask to buy a side of beef – that’s not how it works. If a farm is selling what they grow directly to consumers, they will usually have signs on their property.

Start looking here before you plan your road trip:

Rodale Institute: Farm Locator
Pick Your Own
Eat Wild: a state-by-state directory of farms
Eat Well Guide :: farms, markets & sustainable restaurants in North America

Eating Local Beyond the Market and the Farm

Farm stands are not the only way to source local in small cities and large towns. Another way that is equally as satisfying, is buying from local small businesses. You may find, in searching your town, city or village, that there are people in your own community making food from local resources. Artisan breads, cheeses, baked goods, coffee, etc. are just some of the goodies that will be found in many communities.

Next time you are looking for that afternoon chai latté, give a small, local coffee shop a try instead of Starbucks. You may be pleasantly surprised. Not only will you be giving your money to business owners in your own community, but you will have the potential to get to know them too. Knowing the person behind the counter making your Non-fat London Fog every morning just feels good.

So if you are looking to source local foods in your area, all you need to do is open your eyes and take a look around, you may have been passing them by all this time. Now that summer is here, markets are sure to be popping up all over the place, so keep your eyes open!

Do you have a great way of sourcing locally produced foods that’s not listed here? Let us know!

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Sourcing Food Locally, Even in the Smallest Communities is a post from Simple Bites

3 Simple Ways to Store Online Recipes

Tsh — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 05:58:20 +0000

I love poring through cookbooks, especially when they have color photos and richly descriptive text.

But when it comes down to it, about 75 percent of the recipes I use on a regular basis come from the Internet. Betty Crockers of the post-modern world have a plethora of recipes at their disposal, but it’s easily overwhelming.

The Internet is a huge place, so how do you organize all the recipes you want to keep? There are almost as many systems to organizing URLs as there are URLs themselves, so there’s no one right way. But I like using systems I’m using anyway, instead of subscribing to a unique program solely for recipes or menu planning.

Whatever you use, the point is to keep it simple, easy to use, and helpful when you need that exact recipe in that precise moment. It’s such a pain to know you have a recipe somewhere, but aren’t sure where you saved it.

In my opinion, here are some of the most helpful ways to store recipes from the Internet.

1. Delicious.com

I love Delicious. It’s one of the oldest bookmarking sites around, and its simple interface would almost have you believe it’s too archaic to use. But its simplicity is what makes it so great. There are no bells and whistles — just simple Internet bookmarking, with tags, the ability to share with others, and tools to help bundle what you find.

Let me explain how I use Delicious as my online cookbook. When I find a recipe I want to save, I click on the Delicious icon I have on my Firefox toolbar (Delicious bookmarks is an add-on). A window pops up, where I retype the recipe name in a way that makes sense to me.

Then I add tags. At the very least, I use the tag recipes, but then I also include any other tags that might help me find the recipe — chicken, pasta, and maindish, for example.

If I want to send the recipe to anyone else on Delicious, I toggle the “send” tab and select from my network of people. Sometimes I send this to my husband’s Delicious account, since he shares the cooking duties in our household.

I save, and that’s it. The recipe is now in my online cookbook.

Now, when I want to find a recipe in my cookbook, I keep things as simple as possible in my Delicious account by using its bundling feature. In the right sidebar of Delicious, go to the “Options” drop-down menu and select “Manage tag bundles.” Here, you can create a bundle — and in this case, mine is called “recipebox.”

You can select all the tags you want included in this bundle. Once you’re done, save it, and that’s it. You now have a bundle of recipes saved in one place, easily searchable by tags.

2. Gmail

I personally haven’t done this, but I appreciate this idea because it keeps the inboxes of your life down to the bare minimum. If you use Gmail for your email correspondence anyway, you can use Gmail’s brilliant labeling and archiving system to keep track of your recipes.

Create a new Gmail address, and allow your main Gmail account to retrieve this new address. Then use the settings feature in your main Gmail to have this new address skip the inbox all together and go straight to archives. This way, you don’t even see your recipes in your inbox — you simply click on the label “recipes” on the left, and all your recipes will appear, in the form of emails sent by you, to you.

So when you find a recipe you want to save, email it to yourself. Email it to “tshsrecipes [at] gmail [dot] com,” for example (not a real email address, so don’t even try it…), and use a consistent format most helpful to you. Type the name of the recipe in the subject line, and include the link in the email body, perhaps.

Then when you click on this email’s label in the left-hand side of your Gmail inbox, you’ll see all your recipes, archives and waiting for you. You can then take it a step further and add labels to customize your recipe search.

3. Good ol’ paper and printer

Photo by Jessica Spengler

Yep, in this age, when I’m in front of the stove stirring a roux while steaming asparagus, I still ultimately prefer an analog cookbook. When it’s time to try a new recipe I’ve stored in Delicious, I print it.

After the meal, if my family decides it’s save-worthy, I place it in a clear sleeve and toss it in my recipe binder. In this binder, I’ve got tabbed files with your usual categories — breakfast, side dishes, desserts, and the like. It’s as simple as it gets.

I honestly use this binder more than any other full-color, glossy cookbook sitting on my shelf. I only save the recipes we love, so I know each one is a winner. And the clear sleeve means I can tack it to my magnetic strip next to the stove, and all the splatters just need a quick wipe when I’m done.

So for me, a combination of a digital recipe box and an analog cookbook of surefire recipes works best for me. There are plenty of options out on the Internet, but as usual, simple is usually best.

How about you — how do you store your online recipes?

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3 Simple Ways to Store Online Recipes is a post from Simple Bites