Make It Count! Time-Saving Kitchen Tips

When I first delved into the world of real food and traditional cooking, I spent a good six or more hours a day in the kitchen.  Eight years later, I have learned a few things and have been able to cut my time to one hour and forty-five minutes a day without compromising the nutrition and safety of the food I prepare.  Today, I share some of those tips over at Modern Alternative Kitchen.  Always looking for new methods, I'd love to know what you do to save time in the kitchen, so please do share.  Happy Friday, friends!

Appliance of the Week ~ Mix it Up

Growing up with a KitchenAid mixer and then receiving one 10 1/2 years ago as a wedding gift makes for a delightfully seamless treasure of mixing memories; I just don't know life without one.  This actually makes it hard to tell of it's wonders.  It's like air.  I'm always using it, but not often do I write about it.  Maybe I should, that could be so deep and moving...  Wait, am I writing about air or mixers?  I'm confused now.  Mixers, mixers...  My affections run so deep, I feel a poem coming on...

With a whisk for whipping up creams and things

and a paddle for mixing those batters.

A dough hook, with one look will tickle your fancy

as it kneads you attend to what matters.

Cookies, cakes, and breads galore

stocking both pantry and fridge.

Delightfully nibble, never mind your middle

it's healthy with no additives.

Whisking, whirling, mixing, kneading

now children join in on the fun!

Little fingers stay out while it all spins about

or instead of ten you'll only have one.

Despite that lovely bit of original poetry, Kitchen Aid mixers really do, well, aid the kitchen.  I'm sorry.  I am going to stop.  Goodbye for now.  Tomorrow will be better, I promise...

~ Take a gander at more Katie's Quick Home Keeping Tips Here. ~

In-the-Garden Tuesday ~ Spring Cleaning

It just needs to be said: this picture brings unspeakable joy to my insides.  Squeezable children at my side (you can't see that part), one of my favorite mugs filled with fresh-brewed coffee, a good pair of gardening gloves, and the old red wheelbarrow.  My soul feels centered just looking at this.

Maybe it's a tad late in the year, but better late than never.  If I'm gonna love on my garden, I've gotta love on the garden tools.  It's ideal to clean tools and pots in the winter before gardening season begins.  Your tools need to be cleaned in order to keep them from spreading meanie bacteria or fungi that might try to hitch a ride on your tools to infect other plants.   Some books will tell you to use bleach.  I don't like the stuff.  Instead, I use rubbing alcohol.  Click here for a quick and easy step-by-step on how to clean your garden tools with rubbing alcohol.

Rain or shine, this is something you can to today.  I need to finish cleaning mine, so if you'll excuse me...

~ Take a gander at more Katie's Quick Home Keeping Tips Here. ~

Nutrition Monday ~ Kefir

As promised last Wednesday, I write you about kefir.  Kefir is the new yogurt (except it was invented over 250 years ago). The best part is, it's easier to make (no special equipment needed besides a 1-quart canning jar and a lid), and has far more of a veriety of healthy bacteria than yogurt.  And guess what?  If you're steering clear of cow's milk, you can also make kefir with coconut, goat, sheep, or rice milk!  And another couple of added bonuses?  You save money making it yourself and homemade kefir seems to be way more effective in the health-promoting department.  Trader Joe's sells non-organic kefir for $2.69 for 1 quart.  See how much you pay for 1 quart of milk (it costs me $1).  That's some good savin's right thar.  The picture above is what kefir culture, or grains looks like.  Kefir, the product, is the consistency of drinkable yogurt.

The Homegrown Family is now selling high-quality kefir cultures, or grains, for the best price I've seen, and the shipping is free!  Jimella, over at The Homegrown Family did such a wonderful job writing about and how to make kefir, there's no need for me to reinvent the wheel.  Do yourself a favor.  Read about kefir.  Consider buying some grains.  Your gut (and the rest of your body) will love you for it.

~ Take a gander at more Katie's Quick Home Keeping Tips Here. ~

Appliance of the Week ~ Blending: A Recipe & A Request

This certain appliance was one I saved for for over three years.  I dreamt about it.  I blogged about it.  And now...  I use it at least once a day.  If you are thinking about getting serious with raw food, this thing is a must.  This "thing" I speak of is... the Vita-mix. *Heavenly angels sing!*

Besides preparing palatable raw foods, you can also whip up at an alarming speed: smoothies (Jamba Juice-style), extremely creamy hummus, pesto, silky soups, healthy ice creams, frozen yogurts, sauces for pastas, salsas, dips, batters, doughs...  It comes with a nice-sized recipe book which is quite helpful, and once you get a feel for preparing food with this beast of a blender that breaks things down to a molecular level, your imagination can run wild with culinary possibilities.  :)

They offer wet and dry blades for this blender.  The dry blade is mostly for grinding flour, but I use the WonderMill for that, so I am happily a wet blade user only.

I looked for some Vita-mix recipes and found a site that might be good but charges 99 cents per recipe, which is a bummer for a freeloader like me.  Vita-mix provides even more recipes on their website, which is fun.

I've experimented with many different smoothie recipes which has been enjoyable for me, but the kids... They just like to stick with our blueberry smoothie.  Here's how it goes:

Katie's Blueberry Smoothie

2-3 cups kefir (a note about amazing kefir is coming soon!)

2 cups frozen blueberries

2 cups frozen spinach

2 Tablespoons raw honey

2 Tablespoons flax oil

I actually don't precisely measure; I'm estimating.  Add water (coconut water is best) if it's too thick.  If we're fighting sickness, I add 60 drops of grapefruit seed extract and elderberry elixir.  It's the most unnoticeable way to sneak anything herbal and yucky-tasting into kids.

When I run out of spinach, my kids actually don't like the smoothie as much.  And just how thrilling is that?!

~Browse more riddlelove recipes here.~

So, all y'all Vita-mixers...  Would you be so kind as to share your favorite Vita-mix recipe?  I for one would be delighted to broaden my recipe repertoire.  So will you?  Pretty please?  Leave a comment with a Vita-mix recipe for a sista in need?  Thankyouverymuch.

~ Take a gander at more Katie's Quick Home Keeping Tips Here. ~

Together Outdoors Tuesday ~ Easy Garden Projects

Rain seems to enjoy falling most of all on Tuesdays, making it rather difficult to be "together outdoors."  But we are on the cusps of prime gardening season, and if you haven't already, now is a great time to dream, plot, and prepare.

I was given the book Easy Garden Projects to Make, Build, and Grow: 200 Do-It-Yourself Ideas to Help You Grow Your Best Garden Ever a few years ago.  I absolutely love it.  It has something for everyone, whether you're a first-time gardener, gardening with children, or an advanced, looking-for-inspiration one.  It provides quick, easy-to-follow how to's for things like: different methods of composting, making candle holders out of gourds, building raised beds, fences, trellises...  Trust me.  The know-how level for this book is not "general contractor."  If I feel like I can build these things, that's saying a lot.  I'm easily intimidated when it comes to constructing anything that involves a hammer and nails and such.  This book makes me feel capable.

6-year-old wants our next garden project to be "growing no-work tomatoes" found on pages 18-19.  No work?  I'm down with that.

It's definitely a book I'm happy to own, not borrow, but you might want to check it out on your next trip to the library to see if you feel the same way.

Be inspired.  Be encouraged.  Be a gardener.  It's holistic, nourishing fun for the whole family.  Enjoy!

~ Take a gander at more Katie's Quick Home Keeping Tips Here. ~

Cornbread Casserole Recipe. It's What's for Dinner

It's a little after 3:00, PST and it's time to think about dinner.  Unless you've already got it all planned out in your weekly dinner menu.  And in that case, here's a little something to plan ahead for next week.  I grew up with this dish, and now my kids are, too.  It's one of those basic recipes that can adapt with whatever you have at hand.  It's simple, quick, healthy, and satisfying.  That is a winning combination, if you ask me.  Without further ado, I give you...

Cornbread Casserole

1 pound ground meat (turkey, grass-fed beef, bison...)

1/2 bottle (or so) BBQ sauce

1 bag frozen veggies

1 cup (or so) grated cheese (use whatever your family likes)

1 recipe of cornbread.  If you don't have one, well then, scroll down a little and there you go...

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Brown the meat.

Then add the BBQ sauce and veggies and mix it all up.

Now make your cornbread (see below for a healthy recipe).

Put the meat mixture in a 9x13-inch pan.  Layer the cheese over it.

Now spread the cornbread batter on top.

Bake for about 20 minutes, on until the cornbread is golden brown.

Here's my cornbread recipe:

Healthy Cornbread

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup whole grain flour (I use spelt or kamut)

1/4 cup rapadura (you can use whatever sugar you have, but rapadura is packed with minerals)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 egg

Blend all ingredients for 20 seconds, then beat for 1 minute.

Bon appétit!

~Browse more riddlelove recipes here.~

~ Take a gander at more Katie's Quick Home Keeping Tips Here. ~
This is a contributing post to Tuesday Night Supper Club

Together Outdoors Tuesday ~ Take It Outside

After being indoors during the long, cold winter weather (and this homebody is not complaining), it's hard for me to mentally transition into the idea of being outside.  That sounds kind of strange coming from an avid lover of the outdoors.  I am a walking contradiction.  

I've been thinking about all the things we do inside that can easily be brought outside.  There are a lot.  It's raining again (yee haw!), but we spent a little bit of time on the dry, covered porch with our electronics.  I mean, if we're going to be sitting around with cordless devices, we might as well be getting some fresh air while we do it, right?

Why is it important to be outside, even when it's cloudy?  Well, our bodies thrive more when they're given fresh air.  In the winter when houses are almost always closed up, the air in them get pretty high levels of toxic fumes from cleaners and radon build-up from the cement that slab houses rest on top of.  Here's an article if you want to read more info.

So I'm challenging myself.  Join in on the fun if you like.  I'm going to see how often we can be outside (weather permitting) while we go about our daily lives.  So far, we're doing schoolwork, blogging, and DS-ing outside...  Baby steps.  This will be so much easier when it's sunny.  And now...  we are cold and taking this party back inside.

~ Take a gander at more Katie's Quick Home Keeping Tips Here. ~

Nutrition Monday ~ Yo Quiero Quick Spelt Tortillas

Tortillas were required.  We had none.  Nor did I have the time to wait for a yeast dough to rise, and loading four kids up to "run out" and grab a bag of them were out of the question.  It was 5:00 and I needed them for dinner that night.  Solution: a new recipe to make up.  Hallelu.  Making up recipes is so exhilarating, I tell you.  My kids got in on the fun, too. They said we were a tortilla factory now.  I said child labor laws prohibit us from becoming a factory.  Detecting a spontaneous, drawn-out, history/social studies lesson, they pretended to know what I was talking about.

From start to finish, this took us 35 minutes (with an 18 minute leave-alone, clean-up-the-kitchen-while-you-wait time).  It would've taken me at least that long to lug the kids to and from the nearest store so we could purchase a store-bought package, which aren't nearly as nutritious.  This recipe yields 2 dozen little taco-sized tortillas, and would make a dozen burrito-sized ones.

"Mommy, can I have just tortillas for dinner?"
"No."
"Can I have just tortillas for breakfast?"
"No."
"Can they be for snack tomorrow?"
"No."
"Are we ever going to eat them?"
"Not if I eat them all first."
"Daddy!  Mommy's being selfish!  Hurry!"


You will need:

To buy in bulk.  (Just kidding.)

3 1/2 Cups whole grain flour, such as spelt
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup coconut oil (expeller-pressed doesn't taste like coconut)
1 cup hot water

Mix all ingredients together.  Use the dough hook if you have a Kitchen Aid.

Kneed (with the dough hook if you have it) for 3 minutes.

Cover for 15 minutes.

Then form into little dough balls (12 for bigguns or 24 for taco-sized) and cover to keep them from drying out.

Roll them out, one at a time.  Um, no.  We're not perfectionists.

Slap the uncooked tortilla onto a hot griddle.  Cast iron is preferred.  Flip once little bubbles appear.

Cover the finished tortillas with a towel while they wait for their little friends to join them in tortilla maturation.

There you have it, folks.  We made quesorritos with ours.  Queso what-oes?  My mama's ingenious recipe.  It's a mix between quesadillas and burritos.  She is one smart woman, I tell you.

And if you want to go hog wild, use homemade refried beans, cheese, creme fraiche, and salsa.  But that would just be overboard, right?  I mean, who would ever go that far, seriously?

~ View more riddlelove recipes here. ~

This is a contributing post to Tuesday Night Supper Club & Vegetarian Foodie Friday.

Appliance of the Week ~ Pumping Iron

Multitasking brings me life.  It just does.  It feels like a superpower.  Not only can I scramble eight eggs, I can protect my family from dangerous carcinogens, get more iron into our diet and work every arm muscle imaginable all at the same time.  How do I accomplish this great feat?  Just call me Cast Iron Woman.  Actually, don't.  I'll forget I said that and won't respond and that'll just be embarrassing for both of us.


Realizing that cast ironware isn't exactly an appliance, I still decided it counts as a Wednesday post.  It's my blog and I can do want I wanna.  So there.  Cast iron pots and pans aren't for everyone.  If you have certain restrictions that keep you from lifting heavier objects, ignore this post completely and enjoy some good stainless steal or copper cookware, but please let go of your non-stick stuff.  They are loaded with carcinogenic materials that have been proven to leach into your food.  Gross.


I might not have the time or money for the gym, but being the multitasking lover that I am, trading convenance for strength and health just works I tell you.  A properly seasoned cast iron skillet is more nonstick than any Teflon pan I've ever used (I avoid canola oil, which is what she used in the video linked above.  For health-promoting reasons, my oils of choice are olive and coconut.).  Cooking in cast iron actually adds iron into your foods, especially when there is a tomato base in what you're preparing.


It is my wish that every kitchen was equipped with cast iron.  Maybe someday when I can afford the shipping costs I'll do a giveaway.  I would love that.  In the meantime, see if grandma has any extra iron she'd like to share with you.  I bet it would tickle her pink to show you how to care for them, too.

~ Take a gander at more Katie's Quick Home Keeping Tips Here. ~

In-the-Garden Tuesday ~ Gather

It seems as if the simple things of childhood are most remembered later in life.  My fondest childhood memories weren't the big birthday productions and the trips to Disneyland (though I did enjoy them).  They were the little moments: jumping on the trampoline while we listened to the Beach Boys with dad, picking purple figs that hung over our side of the fence from our neighbor's tree, watching our little strawberry patch grow with mom, and playing "you cannot escape me" when my parents would grab us and tickle us until we couldn't breathe on the bed Saturday mornings.

I'm noticing as a parent, those little moments are so easily overlooked in the business of life.  So this Tuesday is about those little moments.  Today, we went outside and discovered another glorious day.  We found early flowers budding and even in bloom.  We looked.  We smelled.  We picked.  We gathered.  We arranged.  We decorated.  We connected.  I remembered how amazing my kids are; full of creativity, life, and wonder.  How much I adore being their mommy.  All the little things I craved and missed after becoming a mother faded into the background.  Someday, I will sleep a solid eight hours.  Someday, the windows won't have constant smudges on the bottom halves.  Someday, vegetables will be eaten without a complaint.  Sometimes, it's just good to stop, enjoy, and gather.

~ Take a gander at more Katie's Quick Home Keeping Tips Here. ~

Nutrition Monday ~ Ja, das ist Sauerkraut

First of all, that beautiful, green cabbage was the first one I've ever grown.  Never mind the holes.  Compare it to the lesser green organic store-bought one.  That makes me happy.

Sauerkraut.  I eat it.  I love it.  I make it.  I show you how.  Cabbage is in season right now.  This is a great way of storing it.  Here is the way this extremely nourishing condiment was traditionally prepared, lacto-fermented style.  This is a raw recipe that is chock full of enzymes that aid in digestion and the immune system.  Cabbage is an amazing superfood that provides a lot of vitamin C, fiber, and is rich in cancer-inhibiting elements.  Eating cabbage in the form of raw, lacto-fermented sauerkraut is probably the most nutrient dense way to prepare it, in my opinion.

But really, how often can one consume sauerkraut?  Well, after investing in making a quart-sized jar of it, you might be surprised by how many things it goes well with besides hot dogs and Rueben sandwiches.  We slap it on red meats, sandwiches, wraps, and even some pastas.  You do not sacrifice taste with this recipe, but actually gain quality of taste and nutrition.

You will need:

1 medium or 2 small cabbages, cored and shredded (I shredded mine in the ole' food processor)

1 tablespoon caraway seeds (you might need to visit your local health food store to find these)

1 tablespoon sea salt

4 tablespoons whey or an additional tablespoon sea salt (you'll get a better result with whey)

Toss your cabbage in a bowl and add the caraway seeds.  I had a 20-month-old helper who decided the seeds looked like fun to poke.  The scent might make you crave a Rueben sandwich.  Or rye bread.  Or both.  Excuse me while I wipe the drool; not from the 20-month-old...

Now add the sea salt.

And the whey.

You didn't know you were going to get in an arm workout in the process.  Surprise!  An added bonus!  Proverbs 31 arms!  Pound it all with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer for 10 minutes.  Feel the burn.  It'll take longer if you have a 20-month-old helper to give you breaks.

Now stick it all in a quart-sized wide-mouthed jar and press it down really well until the juices cover the top.  I found that a ladle did the trick for this part.

There should be at least one inch above the cabbage and the top of the jar.

  Cover tightly and keep it at room temperature for about 3 days, then store it in the fridge.  You'll notice the flavor improves the longer it's been stored.  I wish more foods were like this...

There you have it.  Sauerkraut.  It is delicious.  Make it.  Try it.  Love it.  Your body will thank you.

~Browse more riddlelove recipes here.~

~ Take a gander at more Katie's Quick Home Keeping Tips Here. ~

Crafty Friday ~ Doodles

Today's Crafty Friday comes in the form of a book review.  My friend, Rissa introduced me to this book two Christmases ago.  From it, I learned how to make most of the presents we gave that year.  Doodle Stitching is not only chock full of great ideas to spark your imagination for unique works of your own, but it gives easy-to-follow steps to learn several embroidery stitches.  It also provides a list of supplies needed and the specific thread color codes for each project so you can equip your craft cabinet (or unorganized embroidery bag, if you're me) before you launch into it.

The book has great gift ideas for any occasion and it's a satisfying way to stock your gift closet by working on a project as time allows while you watch a movie or listen to a teaching or book on CD.  I've discovered embroidering flour sack kitchen towels are incredibly easy and forgiving.  Here are a few things I've made inspired from this book:

These little felt woodland creatures (pg. 44) were for my little niece.

And here are some of those flour sack towels.

My 7-year-old is working on this one:

On another note, my boy is turning six tomorrow.  Hence the quickie post today.  So to recap: Fun book to look at.  Easy to understand.  Very inspirational.  I must now run around like a mad woman in festive preparation.  The end.

I'm sharing this at the Handmade Christmas Gift Carnival

Appliance of the Week ~ Roasting Beans & a GIVEAWAY!

This was a most happy Christmas surprise from my parents.  Along with a coffee roaster, we received a cute little burlap sack filled with green Sumatra beans.  My new little machine makes roasting coffee beans a breeze.  There is simply no reason for me to buy pre-roasted beans now; once you go green, you'll never go back.  What a difference it makes.  I was seriously surprised at the noticeably superior taste freshly roasted beans yield.  Besides amazingly tasting coffee, why on earth would you want to go through the hassle of roasting your own beans, you ask?  Well, I will tell you, bullet point-style:

*  The pre-roasted coffee you buy at stores was roasted who-knows-when, and once the beans are roasted, they begin to lose their flavor in three days.

*  Green coffee beans stay fresh for 2 years.  Buy in bulk for great savings and wonderfully fresh coffee every day by roasting when-needed.  I just ordered a 25-pound sack of organic, fair trade green beans that ended up costing $4.78 a pound, including shipping and tax!  Want to know how much that same pound of coffee costs to buy, pre-roasted at a store? $11.25 Yikes!

*  You can customize your roast; from light cinnamon to French to espresso.

*  Get creative.  Become the ultimate coffee snob, er, connoisseur and experiment blending different beans and roasts.

But guess what?  You don't need to own a roaster to roast your own beans.  If you have a skillet, an air popcorn popper, or an oven, you're equipped!  Do you want to learn how?  Or better yet, do you want to learn how and win a burlap sack filled with 1 pound of Colombian Supremo green beans?  I thought so.  One of my new favorite companies, U-Roast-Em, has very kindly offered to sponsor a giveaway here at Riddlelove!  Win one of their awesome starter kits (scroll a little over halfway down to check it out) by entering below.  Here we go!

*This giveaway is for US residents only.  Sorry, international friends.*

This giveaway begins Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 8:00am PST and ends Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 4:00pm PST.

HOW TO ENTER:

1.  Sign up for U-Roast-Em's monthly newsletter (scroll all the way down for the link) & post a comment here saying you did so. 
2.  Tweeting about this giveaway gives you a second entry, just leave your tweet link in a separate comment. *note* Although you are of course welcome to tweet about this more than once :), only one entry for tweeting, please.
3. Post a Facebook link to this giveaway.  Leave a link to your post in a separate comment.

4.  Blog about this giveaway, linking back to riddlelove and U-Roast-Em. Leave a link to your post in a separate comment.

Just so we're clear, 1 comment=1entry.  If you want more than one entry, do more than one thing listed above (up to 4) and leave a comment about each way you entered. (Example: Comment 1: "I blogged about this giveaway."  Now post a different comment: "I posted a link to this giveaway on Facebook." etc.)

I will go to Random.org to pick a winner on February 17th, 2010 at 4PM PST.  I'll post the winning result shortly afterwards that afternoon.  The winner will have 48 hours to contact me.  If I don't hear from him/her by then, I will pick another winner.  Cheers!

~ Take a gander at more Katie's Quick Home Keeping Tips Here. ~

In-the-Garden Tuesday ~ Bulge

We had a glorious Sunday.  For the first time in a while, it was sunny.  The sky was clear and brilliantly blue with bright white thunderheads hovering over the great mountains.  Breathtaking, I tell you.

Feet thrust into rain boots (it is still quite soggy outside), light jackets on, camera in hand.  We went on a hunt for spring.  We found bulges on branches.  Bulges make my heart flutter.  Bulges mean the trees and bushes sense spring is coming.  Bulges mean new life.  Bulges depict anticipation.  I love anticipation.

Bulges are plants' baby bumps.

We also found sticks in the sky, reminding us there is still more to come.

And naked, gnarly oaks.  I used to enjoy straight trees of the East Coast way more than these disfigured Western Oaks.  But I've come to love them.  They seem old, strong, wise, yet wild.

And a great place to hang a tire swing from.

This songbird sang the perfect spring melody for us.  It was about to become famous, but it decided to pick at it's behind instead.

The favorite capture I took was this one.

And this one.

Then, I let 8-year-old capture the signs she found of the impending springtime.  Everything she took was my favorite.  She astounded me.

She did all of these by herself.  I didn't doctor them up or crop them.  It was 100% her.

She decided to add a border to this one.

Then, my heart melted when she wanted to take a picture of me, no make-up and all.  I got over it; even enough to post it (she wanted to publish all her work on the blog, after all).

Can you believe I actually posted something that had to do with being outside on Outdoors Tuesday?  If it's warm enough where you are, consider taking your babes outside.  Breathe in the fresh air.  Capture some moments.  Go on a hunt for spring.  In a month, it'll be fun to do this again and see what kind of progress creation is making while it eases it's way into my favorite season: spring!

~ Take a gander at more Katie's Quick Home Keeping Tips Here. ~