All righty everyone.  I am doing something a bit different today because…well…because I can. 🙂  I like to share that which I enjoy with my readers, hence, today’s post.

Cassie Johnston, the chief cook and bottle washer (and recipe developer/writer/photog etc.) behind the successful food and lifestyle blog, Back To Her Roots, is an author I have been wanting to interview for awhile.  Hers is one of the first blogs I ever started following and one of the few I still keep up with after years in the blogging world.  Her voice is confident and true without being boring and I can always count on her content-be it food related, fitness based, or new Mom focused-to leave me inspired and smiling.  If you ever ask me what other blogs I read and recommend, I generally start with Cassie.
She has written two cookbooks and does freelance graphic design work when she isn’t blogging.  I am just now realizing that I should have included the question “How do you get it all done?” in my interview!  Regardless, I love learning about professionals I admire and respect!  I loved hearing her answers and I hope you do too!

Please be sure to check out the social media links at the end of the post to see her in action for yourself!  Have a comment or question for Cassie?!  Post it in the comment section and she will see them! Enjoy!

SO, Cassie….

Where were you born and where do you call home?
I like to say I was born and raised in Indiana, but the truth is, I was born in a hospital on the other side of the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky. I’m a life-long Hoosier, though, and currently live on a small hobby farm in rural Southern Indiana.

What is the main theme of your blog and how did you chose it?
I like to write about healthy eating—but with a good dose of balance. I fully believe you can eat healthfully and still enjoy dessert! I started writing my blog because I was absolutely in awe of how good I felt after eating a balanced diet. I just wanted to share it with as many folks as possible.

How did you get into blogging in the first place?
I actually started blogging way back early in the online journal days using LiveJournal (that’s actually how I met my husband). I started public blogging because folks kept asking for my healthy recipes, and I figured, hey, I might try this whole thing out! And that was four years ago. 🙂

Do you have a favorite blog post?
Hmmmm, that’s really hard. I’ve been working a lot on my photography skills lately, so there are quite a few of my most recent posts that I am absolutely in love with the photos in (like my Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches). As far as writing and content goes, I love any of the posts where I talk about family traditions—you’ll see lots of those coming up for the holidays.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you became a blogger?
Only one? I wish I would have educated myself more about monetization. I knew I wanted to monetize from early on, and I wasted years (literally, years) making sub-par income when I could have been making a nice bit of change if I just would have known what I was doing.

Do you ever blog in your PJs?
I do, but not nearly as much as I used to. When I first started working from home, I thought it’d be so cool to work from home in pajamas, but it ended up making me feel super unproductive. So every work day, I get up, brush my hair and teeth, and put on at least jeans and t-shirt. It also helps me draw the line for when work is “over” because that’s when I change into my jammies and close my laptop.

How often do you blog?
4-5 days per week, on average (three of those being recipes, one being a craft/garden post, and one being a personal/round-up post. During the holiday season, I try to up it to 6-7 posts, since it’s such a great time to generate new content!

What are the 5 items you never leave home without?
A full water bottle, snacks, my iPhone, hair ties, and my baby girl! She’s currently nursing, so I don’t go anywhere with my little nugget of adorableness.

What is your most favorite electronic gadget?
It’s probably pretty cliche to say my iPhone (I’m a total Apple snob). So my second choice would be my Bluetooth speaker. It is the BEST. I can take it into the kitchen, or outside, or on a picnic. Love it!

Favorite food?
Pizza. Without a doubt.

Least favorite food?
Chinese food! I can’t stand the stuff.

You have just been handed $10,000! What do you do with it?
I’d be boring and save it. I’m self-employed, and you never know when income will dry up, so I’m always looking for ways to pad my savings account.

What is a movie or TV show that you watched recently and really enjoy?
I barely have time to watch TV, but my husband and I make it a point to sit down every evening and catch up on the previous’ nights The Daily Show.

What scares you?
Tornadoes (I’ve been through two). Stuck elevators. Bridges. And pretty much everything that has to do with raising a tiny human.

Where can we stalk you?
http://www.facebook.com/backtoherroots
http://plus.google.com/u/0/b/117375184363026265972/
http://www.twitter.com/backtoherroots
http://www.instagram.com/backtoherroots <— This is the best place to get a glimpse into my day-to-day life!
http://www.pinterest.com/backtoherroots

Thank you so much Cassie!

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Lets face it.

We all want to enjoy the holiday season, but none of us want to gain 10 pounds doing it.  My advice?  Balance the indulgent with the sensible.  Not every recipe you enjoy these next 6 weeks has to be laden with fat and sugar.  Some dishes are just naturally more healthy than others.  Here is a collection of Brittany’s Pantry recipes that fit that bill, along with a few tips for each one on how to prep it ahead of time to make your special day less hectic.  You can feel good about making them November, December, and every other month of the year!

Green Beans W/Mushrooms & Bacon
Lighter and definitely more appealing looking than a traditional casserole, this green bean dish is bursting with flavor and so darn good you may never make the old version again!  This takes minimal time and travels well too.  To prep it ahead of time, cook the bacon a day or two ahead and chill.  A quick pass through the microwave at the last minute will crisp it up when you are ready for it.  Chop the mushrooms so they are ready to sauté, and steam the green beans a bit the day before so all you have to do is assemble the dish in a minute or two in a pan on the stove.  An easy task to pass on to someone else!

Roast Broccoli and Roast Cauliflower
These methods are identical and both make for a fantastic, light, side dish.  Either (or both) go great with any roasted meat you can throw at it.  The flavor mellows a bit as well so picky eaters are more apt to give it a try.  Prep the veggies a day or two ahead of time so that all you have to do is dump them on a sheet pan, toss with oil and seasonings and throw in the oven!

Baked Sweet Potatoes W/Apples & Onions
We all love the traditional Sweet Potato Casserole that could easily pass for dessert.  But the fact that sweet potatoes (or yams) have a natural sweetness works in their favor-and yours!  Loaded with nutrients, they are a great vegetable to add color and a boost of vibrancy to your holiday meal.  Just be sure to pick and choose your recipes carefully.  This baked version can be put together earlier in the day and just baked off when the turkey or roast comes out of the oven, and it is MUCH less fattening than the traditional route.  It still has a bit of sweetness and the flavors we all love so no one will notice the pound of sugar and butter that are missing.

Slow Cooker Apple Oatmeal
Whats not to like?  Oatmeal and fruit are baked while you sleep.  ‘Nuff said.

Gluten-Free Apple Carrot Muffins
Not only are these sweet little muffins gluten free, but they are special enough to frost!  Add a just a dollop of cream cheese frosting to the tops and you have an instant dessert!  They are also great to bake and freeze ahead of time and just pull out to add to a breakfast or lunch buffet.

Chicken (Turkey) & Barley Soup
Use your leftover meat to make this super fast, yet healthy soup for lunch!  When you still have a crowd but you don’t want to take a ton of time for another meal, this is will fill you up without weighing you down!  Freeze the leftovers for later in the month.

Good-For-You Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Bake them whenever and freeze them.  These are loaded with healthy ingredients and mix up super fast.  You can switch out the chocolate chips for white chocolate chips to make them even more festive looking.  Yum.  Yum.  Yum.

Fruit & Nut Rum Balls
These little gems are definitely sweet, but the fact that they are gluten free and full of fruit and nuts earns them a spot here on this list.  The tiny bites also help with portion control-one or two is enough!   Make them ahead and store them in a sealed container in the fridge.  Gorgeous and ridiculously good, they will be talked about for holidays to come!

Pomegranate Sorbet W/Mini Chocolate Chips
I cannot say enough good things about this recipe.  It is healthy and loaded with antioxidants, and the color makes it perfect for this time of year.  But it is just so incredibly fresh and clean and bright and tangy that you are going to want to make a double batch.  So light in fact, that it is absolutely a pleasure to polish off a dish after a heavy holiday meal.  Being frozen, this can obviously be made anytime BEFORE you serve it, as long as it has time to freeze.

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The day after Halloween I go shopping.

I am definitely an autumn season kind of decorator-not Halloween decorator.  Pumpkins yes, skeletons, no.  Cute little cornucopias spilling harvest vegetables and bundles of wheat across my entry table-yes.  A life-sized headless horseman lit up on my lawn…no.  So on the day of universal fall clearance sales (Nov 1) I go on the hunt for fall things.  This year, I wasn’t even a little bit surprised that the tireless employees of my local Target had been up most of the night turning the colors of the store from orange and black to red and green.  While the rest of the country seemed to be dealing with a crazy cold front, here in the South Carolina midlands, we got rain and (gasp) a few flakes of snow.  Needless to say the store was nearly vacant when we arrived that morning, seeing as how Southerners just don’t deal with frozen precipitation well.

I took advantage of this and casually strolled the isles, checking out all the Christmas loot.  I say casually, but my kids were with me so that is actually code for lectured, bolted, crawled, growled, scolded, and sighed my way through the isles.  Inevitably, because the Target gurus up in Minnesota at the headquarters plan it this way, I was accosted with sparkles, cozy blankets, light up earrings, cranberry scented candles, snowflake embroidered pillows (which were totally festive and adorable) and the sense that I was suddenly behind if I wasn’t already shopping for these things.  As is often apt to happen, I started to reminisce about family and friends and togetherness.

Then I went through the kitchen section.

The dishes!!!  Target has really outdone itself this year.  *QUICK DISCLAIMER: No, this isn’t a promoted post and Target doesn’t know I am writing this.  I just happen to love them.*  After checking out the cute mugs and serving platters and table linens, I couldn’t wait to get home and start baking!  The smells of food are one of my favorite things and there are few things as homey as holiday treats.  Since I left the store with the same three crazy munchkins I walked in with, the first thing I did was start making a list of recipes that they could help me make.  My oldest is eight, therefore more than capable to facilitate a simple recipe, and my youngest is 2 1/2, more than capable of making a really big mess.  The middle one is 5 and he could go either way.

I figured the key was to make sure there were things that they could really mess up too badly, and recipes that would taste good regardless of how they looked.  Execution is not always a child’s strong suit.  But if it tastes good, who cares if the cookies are squished, the bon bons lopsided, or the chocolate covered cereal a bit crumbly?  Not me.  So, naturally, I wanted to share my list with all of you!  And this blog post is much more efficient than the recycled envelope and crayon I used to make it originally.  I hope you have as much fun making them with your family as I do with mine!

Let the Holiday Season begin!!

Spiced Tea Mix
I cannot say enough good things about this recipe.  It is incredibly cozy to sip on a chilly day and kids love it as much as adults.  It is uber easy to mix up which is perfect for children to help with.  They can even help measure!  Enjoy this all yourself, or share with a friend.  It makes a fantastic gift for the holidays.  Pour it into a cute little jar with a Christmas ribbon and pass it out!!

Classic Snickerdoodles
You may not think of these cookies first when you are planning your holiday treats, but you should.  They require little hands to roll them into balls and dunk them in cinnamon and sugar.  What kid wouldn’t love that?  In addition, the cinnamon makes them wonderfully festive.  It took me several tries with several versions to arrive at this master recipe and it is spectacular.  Much more forgiving than a chilled butter cookie that you have to roll out, these cookies can take whatever your kiddos can dish out-and still taste fantastic!!

Sweet Orange Knots
This recipe was posted last month and for good reason.  They work as a speedy recipe for company and make your house smell deeeeeeeelicious!!! Such a comfort on a chilly morning!  The best part?  They taste the same no matter how perfect the knots.  So let your kids get in there and dip and sugar and tie the rolls together.  Be sure to let them lick the orange sugar off their fingers when they are done!

Caramel Apple Dip
Give the kids a hand mixer and let them go to town.  This recipe tastes so good, it is impossible to mess it up.  Perfect as an after school snack or make ahead treat for a holiday party!

Homemade Instant Hot Cocoa Mix
This tastes SO much better than the store bought stuff and is super fun to mix up.  My kids think giving little gift bags of this away is just about the best thing ever.  This year, it is going to their teachers!  I keep it stored in an old ice cream bucket in my pantry.
Bon Bons
These babies are ridiculously easy and perfect for little hands to roll into balls!  This recipe has two different versions and one of them is gluten-free.  It also makes a big batch so be sure to share with family and friends!

Marshmallow Pumpkin Dip
This is another easy recipe for the kids to mix up.  Mine have fun arranging the dippers on a platter for guests!

Hot Apple Cider
To make this cozy recipe even more kid friendly, have them put all the ingredients into a slow cooker!

Christmas Munch
This is just so incredibly fun to put together!  Adults and kids alike won’t be able to keep their fingers out of the bowl!

Sweet & Savory Mixed Nuts
My kids love to measure out the spices and the nuts into bowls to mix up both of these great recipes.  These have to be mixed very thoroughly so feel free to put the sweet version in a large ziploc bag to make it easier for them to squish together and get all those nuts good and coated.  Such a fun, healthy snack!
Happy Holidays!

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Enjoying…FALL!  This is my favorite time of year and I wish it would never end!  The colors, the food, the sweaters, and the snuggles under warm blankets is something I look forward to all year.  Here in SC it was a long time coming (the picture above was taken when it was 85 degrees outside) but it is cooler now and OH so welcome!

Traveling…to Atlanta and Virginia.  I was at a blogging conference a few weeks ago in Georgia and am now headed to the mountains north of here in Virgina for a food bloggers workshop!  To say I am excited is a vast understatement.

Loving…this chai concentrate.  Bless the Target corporation for stocking the shelves with this.  Chocolate Chai is my hands down favorite, but the classic and Vanilla Caramel Latte are close seconds!  Mix it with skim milk and pour it over ice, or lately, heat it up, and I am a happy woman!  Sorry, Starbucks.  With this in my fridge, I am saving big bucks and I enjoy it whenever I want.  So.  Lovely.

Wishing…I had my stuff.  With most of our belongings still in storage while we build the house, I am starting to miss the rest of my clothes.  And my favorite quilt.  And my dishes…

Excited…to finally be hitting a time in the building process where we get to SEE progression.  In addition, we are tearing down trees and clearing land all by ourselves to create some kind of front yard out of a thick forest.  Doing it ourselves is exhausting, but awesome.  Makes for good family fun!
Eating…any kind of meat.  In particular, roast beef and roast pork.  I could eat it every night for dinner.  Few things make a home smell as good as a roast in the oven!  Throwing in some mashed potatoes is essential.  Please tell me I am not alone in this…

Researching…this mattress company.  Looks cool, right?

Hooked On…PiYo.  I am in love with this workout program.  Kind of a yoga and Pilates fusion.  Check it out here.

Praying…for the state of the world.  Lots of sadness and violence going on.  Maybe no more than usual, but while I am grateful for a healthy, happy, and safe family, my heart has been especially heavy as of late when I see something new in the news.  Lifting up others for safety and peace.

Baking…with apples!  We visited an orchard in the mountains of North Carolina last week and I am still using up the bounty!  The view was spectacular and my official new favorite fall activity is picking apples on a mountain top.  Gorgeous.  I tried a new variety called Gold Rush and really really loved it!!
Discovering…all kinds of awesome stuff in my area.  South Carolina is a lot like MN, in that it just seems to get better and better.  Every time I turn around there is something new to discover and try with my kids.  So blessed that I get to live in such an incredible state!

Thankful…for new friends.  It is tough to move across the country to someplace new, but we have settled in so well!  I have connected with a group of spectacular women and they have been chasing away the stress and loneliness of a new place with laughter, support, and lots of caffeine.

Reading…quite a bit, actually!  Our newly formed book club just finished The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls and I cannot recommend this enough.  Outstanding book.  I need to start on Good Things, by Mia King, but am just now on the last few pages of My Name Is Mary Sutter, by Robin Oliveira.  This book is a period piece about the Civil War and is absolutely spectacular.  Anything else I should be reading now?
A very special thank you to everyone who participated in the Giveaway!  The winners have been contacted via email and I hope that you will all continue to read  and cook from here!  And maybe participate in the next giveaway as well!  This post was not sponsored and no links or companies mentioned above have any connection to me.  As always, all opinions are my own.

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I say ‘may’ because I ramble a lot about random food stories, experiences, and crazy happenings in my life (most pertaining to food) and I just can’t keep track of all the stuff that flows from my lips-er, fingers.  So, in the interest of highlighting a bit more about myself personally-the brain behind the blog, the writer behind the wit, and the cutie in the kitchen-I am responding to a few requests to hear more about me.  I would like to keep this blog about one consistent thing, my kitchen, my pantry, and the food I create for those I know and love.  But, just incase you are curious, read on.  I dare you.
1.  I have a deep dislike for water chestnuts.  Blegh.  Its a texture thing.  Eew.  Eew eew eew.

2.  I own a salad spinner but I never use it.  I have no idea why.  I guess I just prefer the ‘place your greens in a kitchen towel and whip them around the kitchen’ method.  And even though I HATE clutter or things in my kitchen that I don’t use, I can’t seem to part with it.  Go figure.

3.  The first Christmas after we were married, my husband I went sky diving together as our gift to each other.  He was stationed in Pearl Harbor, HI at the time and we drove up to the North Shore and jumped out of an airplane.  Best. Day. Ever.

4.  I am deathly afraid of heights.  No joke.  I inherited if from my Dad (who is even more terrified than me), if you can inherit that kind of thing.  And get this: he used to be a professional skydiver.  Again, no joke.  When we were kids, we would look at his trophies and ask him why he was a skydiver when he hated heights.  He would smile, making the corners of his blue eyes crinkle and reply, “I never liked planes so I would jump out of them when I could. ”  We would roll our eyes and chuckle, used to the fact that my father rarely gave a straight-or serious-answer.  To this day, I still have no idea what would posses him to do that.  Although, I don’t really know what possessed me to do it either.  Hmmm….

5.  I am a die hard Minnesotan.  I have this crazy, fierce pride for the state of my birth and always will.  No matter where I am living, MN is always better.  Hawaii is a close second…

6.  Birch trees are just cool.  I LOVE paintings and photographs of birch trees, but am SUPER picky about which ones I choose.  The real thing is even better but I haven’t figured out yet if planting birch trees down here in South Carolina is going to groove or not.  I am thinking, no.

7.  I prefer my cereal non-sugary.  Plain Cherrios, bran flakes, Wheaties, raisin bran, etc.  Nothing that turns my milk funny colors.

8.  2 % and whole milk=goooooood.  Skim milk=baaaaaaaaad.

9.  I once jumped out of a moving car to get a closer look at a street sign.  Obviously this was before Google Maps.

10.  I have had a fairly crazy string of odd jobs in my life, including (but not limited to) a farm hand, sous chef, dessert cook, shoe unpacker at Kmart, front desk gal at an attorneys office, realtors assistant, synchronized swimming coach, substitute teacher, babysitter, an intern with Aloha State Games, librarian assistant, plant planter at a nursery, sandwich artist at Subway, busser of tables, a slew of other office jobs, catering, and I spent one year of college recording textbooks on audio for blind students.

11.  I’m loyal.

12.  I love to read.  Like LOVE to read.  I would rather read than sleep.  I love the look, feel, and smell of books and firmly believe that you can never have too many.  It may come as no surprise to you that my Minor is in American Literature.  In addition, I collect cookbooks.  I’m not picky when it comes to the written word.

13.  I have always loved to bake and cook.  When I was a kid, and making dinner for the family, I would pretend I had an audience and talk and demonstrate my way through it as though part of my own cooking show.  Back then, the only cooking shows that I knew were that of Jacque Pepin, Julia Child, and Jeff Smith; three no nonsense types of chefs.  Actually, come to think of it, I think Jeff Smith’s cookbook The Frugal Gourmet was the first cookbook I ever owned.
14.  I ended up marrying the guy I had a crush on all through high school.  Turns out, he had a crush on me too and we never told each other.  🙂
15.  I would love to make a living as a writer-with or without the food part.  Preferably with the food.

16.  I can sing.  I don’t like to sing in front of people much, but if I am being honest here (and this is a safe place to share…) I am actually quite good.

17.  I love to quilt.  Not the piecing and sewing part, but the tiny stitches that you finish off the quilt with.  I could sit and do that for hours.  Cross stitch?  Not so much…

18.  I am independent to a fault.  Bless my husband for his patience.  As we all are, I am a work in progress.

19.  I’m short.  Not that this is a big thing, but if you ever meet me in person, I thought I should mention it.

20.  If I were a character on Friends, I am thinking I would fall somewhere between Ross and Monica in personality.  With maybe a little Chandler thrown in.  I am the polar opposite of Rachel.

21.  I was a diver in High School and still carry the scars from when I hit my face on the board when I was 16.

22.  I was an active member of a co-ed service fraternity in college.  What up, Alpha Phi Omega alum!!

23.  One year, I had Christmas dinner in a US Submarine.  And it was really good.

24.  I don’t drink pop.

25.  I’m a God girl and Jesus follower of the happiest order!

Thanks so much for reading!

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Its here!  Part THREE!  Tips, tricks, advice, and good ‘ol fashioned wisdom from food bloggers around the web.  Click HERE to see Part I and click HERE to view Part II!  Can I just say that I am loving the variety of topics from these bloggers?!  These are smart women, I tell ya.  I hope to continue this series and maybe get round two from all my contributors!

image credit via janruarymomma

The Galley Gourmet–Nicole Kosowski

Hello!  My name is Nicole and I am the writer and photographer behind The Galley Gourmet.  It is a pleasure to be a part of Brittany’s guest post.  When Brittany first contacted me about my favorite kitchen tips, tricks and ideas, I was immediately caught in a whirlwind of thoughts.  But when it came down to it, I thought I would share three things that I absolutely cannot be without in my kitchen.

My first partner in culinary crime– SHARP KNIVES.  If I had to work with a dull knife, I would just plain quit cooking (ok, not really…).  Chopping or peeling with a dull knife is not only difficult, it is dangerous.  I keep a steel on hand and brush up my blades before just about each use. But if keeping a honed blade is not a skill of yours, check with your local market or hardware store.  They will most likely do it for free.  If there is any fee, think of it as a small price to pay for not losing fingers!

Next up– SALT.  If there is one thing that can bring out the best in your food, it is salt.  I am not talking about the bitter iodized stuff.  I’m talking sweet kosher or sea salt.  These salts highlight and balance the natural flavors of foods from tomatoes to chocolate.  Whether it is sweet or savory, season to taste.  And after you have seasoned to taste, leave some on the table.  We all have different taste buds.

And lastly– EGGS.  Yes, I said eggs.  When all else fails or you have meal menu brain fry, pull out a carton of eggs.  A meal of eggs is quick, easy, economical, protein packed, and darn right tasty.  You can whip up the usual breakfast suspects like scrambled eggs, omelets, or sunny side up.  But don’t forget about poached or soft boiled eggs on a salad or on a tartine with roasted vegetables– yum!.  That golden and creamy center makes for a fine dressing and/or sauce.  Breakfast, lunch, or dinner– eggs are a winner!

Happy cooking!

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A Spoonful Of Photography–Sabrina Witzlau

1. Get that muffin top – on purpose! Ever dreamed of having that perfect high domed muffin, just like the ones from your bakery of choice? There’s actually no magic needed, just a thick muffin batter (I’ve found out that the ones with yogurt or applesauce in place of other liquids work best) that is filled into muffin pans about 2/3 up and last and least a hot oven. It should be at around 220 C when you put the muffins in. Leave them to bake like this for 7 minutes, then lower the temperature to about 170-180 C and continue baking until they’re done!

2. Applesauce as a substitute for fat.
The sauce that is created by pureeing cooked apples works out magic as a substitute for butter or oil in most cake recipes (ratio 1:1).

3. Toast your flour! Toasting flour (in a pan or in the oven) really brings out the wholesome flavours included, giving the baked good a much deeper and complex flavour.

4. Work with contrasts! One thing that  is always important to me when creating recipes and dishes is the use of contrast: it makes everything interesting! Yes, the salt will make those supersweet chocolate cookies much better and a plain soft cake with some nice, crunchy crumbs on top will sure be a hit in your family. Salty and sweet, smooth and crisp or hot and sweet – try it out and be impressed!
Thank you so much for reading and be sure to click on the links of ALL the contributors to this series and check out the food blogs of these amazing women!

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I am so excited!  Part II of my of cooking tips and tricks series is finally here!  With Parts III and IV soon to follow….

Wether you want to hear it or not, it seems we are constantly being told what to do.  No matter if it is which food is healthiest, what chemical to avoid in your cleaning supplies, or how soon you should start saving for retirement.  Someone else always knows ‘best’.  I try not to be too preachy when I blog, since something what may work for me, may not work for you.  But in general, I believe bloggers have useful things to say.  We don’t write about food all day and dream about it all night because we are hungry.  We don’t created recipes in our heads while folding laundry or frantically record voice notes about that salad dressing we just enjoyed while our date drives away from the restaurant because it is interesting to us.  It is because we love it.  We read cookbooks like novels and our palms get sweaty at potluck dinners, just waiting to see the variety of colors and flavors.  Food is our way of showing love, expressing gratefulness, marking events, and enjoying ourselves.  We can’t help but pick up a few things along the way.  Either from trial and error, all those cookbooks we read, or the next door neighbor that has mastered the art of the perfect chocolate chip cookie.  We soak it in like a sponge and filter out the good stuff for you!

Speaking of cookbooks, I found this in the 1961 edition of The Betty Crocker’s New Picture Cookbook.  Kitchen Know-How.  Awesome.

A few weeks ago, I posted my top ten pieces of kitchen and cooking advice.  When I asked if others wanted to join in and share about their hard earned knowledge and experience, my fellow food bloggers answered the call.  How great is that?!  You get the down to earth, REAL life, honest to goodness tips from Moms, professionals, and food enthusiasts that have been through it all!  I had so many who wanted to participate, I have decide to break up the posts.  Each entry will include two or three bloggers, thus avoiding a blog post that is seventeen pages long.  Think of it as a progressive sprinkling of wisdom throughout the spring!  I will forward any questions or inquiries back to the bloggers themselves, but please be sure to click on the link to head on over to the contributors blogs and see what they are up to!

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Un-Processing My World-Karla Herzmann

1) Invest in a really good set of knives, and keep them SHARP. I am a minimalist when it comes to kitchen gadgets, which makes sharp knives a must. I chop everything by hand, and having properly sharpened knives makes it more efficient, easier, and safer! Even when I am given a gadget to, say, chop garlic or make french fries, I never use them because they are just something else to wash and something else to take up space in my kitchen. Knives can do everything.

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My kitchen.  Quite possibly my favorite room in the house.  I spend so much time in it, you would think that I slept there!  Which I may or may not have done a time or two…

Speaking of kitchens, I am always intrigued how other people organize and cook in them.  I am intensely interested in what they have learned along the way from relatives, friends, jobs, experience, and how they use that in their lives.  For example, my Aunt mentioned to me that she saves the wrappers from her sticks of butter and tucks them in the freezer.  Whenever she needs to ‘butter’ a casserole or dish, she just pulls one out and uses the paper to do it!  Smart right?  I do it now as well.  I mean, really!  Doesn’t everybody want to improve their technique and efficiency?  Or at least get a little inside information on what works?

I thought so.  I can practically see you nodding.

Which is why, you may have noticed, that this is only Part 1 of this blog post.  I have a surprise of you in Part 2 which might include a giveaway and may include wisdom and inspiration from other favorite bloggers!!  Be sure to check back soon!!

In no particular order, here is my top list of things that I hope will make your time in the kitchen easier/smoother/more pleasant/more enjoyable.  Some of them may change your life!  Well, probably not, but…you know.  A few of these you may already do or some just may not really apply to you and your life.  Thats groovy.  We all have our own way of operating.  The point is, you should always keep learning; in the kitchen and in life.

1. Weekly/Monthly Meal Planning
Having some kind of game plan or strategy for what comes out of your kitchen not only makes your life easier but it saves you money too.  Less trips to the grocery store equals more cash you aren’t spending on random things and more time doing…well…anything else. Curling your eyelashes, clipping coupons, or polishing your silver!  It also streamlines your time in the evening when you have planned ahead to accommodate busy schedules.  I recently discovered that I can’t assign different meals to different days.  I tried it.  I never stick to what I write and I always end up changing the roast chicken over to Friday because I don’t feel like chicken today but instead feel like salmon and OOPS! Mike brought home tacos for dinner as a surprise so we will have tonights soup next weekend…and on and on.  Instead, what works for me is a master list of meals that I know I have the ingredients on hand to make.

My current list looks something like this:

I make a note if I need to reference a recipe on my computer (C) or a cookbook and page number. This is what works for me. Others prefer a weekly or monthly list that they can fill in and follow-no exceptions.  Whatever your style, it could revolutionize your week and lower your stress at the same time.  It is strangely empowering to have the age old question of ‘What’s for dinner?’ answered and taken care of!  The web is FILLED with resources and free print-ables for organizing this, as well as free apps to suit any situation.  If you need a place to get started, try here or here.  Or simply make your own!

2. Read Your Recipe All The Way Through

It has happened to all of us.  We start making something only to find out that we should have toasted the coconut before hand.  Or soaked the beans overnight.  Or zested the lemon before we juiced it.  We are all guilty of beginning a recipe in earnest, only to get halfway through and shriek NO! when we realize the dough for those cookies you need to leave the house with in an hour needs to chill before baking.  When I used to teach, this was the FIRST THING I MADE MY STUDENTS LEARN!  It ensures that you are never without an ingredient you need and makes everything that much more efficient and enjoyable.

3. Wash Your Knives By Hand
Don’t argue with me.  Just do it.  Pairing knives in the dishwasher I will allow, but everything else needs some individual care.  Your blades will stay sharper longer, the knives themselves will last, and less injuries will occur at clean-up time.  Even if your knives are less than stellar quality, treat them with respect.

4. Own A Microplane
A microplane, or rasp, is one of my go-to tools in the kitchen.  I use it all. the. time.  You can get them just about anywhere and in a rainbow of colors.  I grate parmesan cheese with it, zest every kind of citrus imaginable, and turn fresh ginger into lovely piles of grated fragrant spiciness.  It is a major player in healthy cooking and you will find yourself reaching for it more than you ever thought possible.

5. TASTE YOUR FOOD AS YOU ARE COOKING
This was a hard one for me to get in the habit of doing, but after spending some time in professional kitchens, you  realize how important it is to cooking.  When you experience the flavor of your food during all stages of a recipe, you become aware of the WHY those certain ingredients are paired together in the first place, how they play off each other, and what your food needs at what times.  I’m not talking about eating a bowl of cookie dough to determine if it has enough chocolate chips in it (although that is good too).  I’m talking about tasting your pan sauce after  you deglaze with red wine.  Or dipping a big piece of romaine into your salad dressing to see if it needs more honey to balance out the acidity of the balsamic vinegar.  Maybe all that parmesan cheese you added to the alfredo made your pasta plenty salty and it doesn’t need anything extra.  And perhaps the strawberries you picked up at the market for shortcake aren’t as ripe as the ones from last week and you need to add a bit more sugar to get the flavor you want.  No one wants to sit down to a meal after spending 15 minutes or 3 hours of time and energy putting it together, only to pick up your fork and say “Well, I hope its good!”  Tasting your food and your ingredients is a simple and effective way to be a better cook.  I am basically giving you permission to become a professional snitcher.

6. Use Commercial Sheet Pans 

I don’t know what I would do without my sheet pans.  I use them for absolutely everything.  I use them to bake, roast, broil, toast, and to place under a pie I am slipping in the oven.  They are made of 18 or 19 gauge aluminum and they last forever.  As a relatively inexpensive piece of equipment, they are, I believe, one of the best investments you can make in your kitchen.  Any restaurant supply store will have them and most good kitchen stores will.  I have four, I use them ALL, and they are still like new eight years later.  If ordering is your thing, check them out here or here.

7. Be Flexible

I get asked about substitutions in my recipes all the time.  Can I use brown sugar for white?  Applesauce instead of eggs?  Pecans instead of walnuts?  Usually my answers are yes, as long as the result would still be edible.

Quick story:  A friend of mine is notorious for switching out ingredients to accommodate what she has on hand but occasionally misses the mark.  When she told me she changed out the white wine in a recipe and used white wine vinegar instead, she scoffed, “They are basically the same thing.”   I nearly fainted.  And we aren’t talking about a tablespoon or so in a salad dressing, which would have been fine.  No, we were talking about several cups used in a marinade.  When I stammered and sputtered and tried to explain why those two aren’t universally interchangeable, she rolled her eyes.  “Close enough, Britt!”

The point is, using spinach instead of kale in soup, adding extra carrots to a salad, or skipping cilantro in a casserole because it makes you gag are all great.  Make recipes your own and know that it is OK to just do what you have to do.  But be willing to do it as well.  It is less stressful and much more fun to lose that rigidity.  Forgetaboutit.

8. Cook And Freeze In A Practical Manner
I am always surprised when people tell me they halved a recipe for soup or made a half batch of muffins.  You should utilize your freezer to make your life easier, friends!  If you know a dish holds over well or freezes great, make a double batch!  It is so easy to tuck a meal or two away every week or so and keep a rotating menu of good food available.

On that same note, if you are chopping carrots for stew that night, chop up what you need for the stir fry you are making in a few days.  If you have a bottle of clam juice you needed for a recipe, search for other dishes using that same ingredient so that you use what you have.  There are dozens of tools and apps out there that let you search by ingredient.  Don’t forget to go through your pantry and freezer regularly and USE what you have purchased and clean out your supply, instead of just shopping new all the time.  It is a practical way to cook that is both economical and makes the most of your precious time.

9. Freeze Leftover Lemon Juice
I am constantly telling people to do this.  I am all for using bottled lemon juice if I have to, and I try to make sure to specify in any recipe I post that has it, wether or not you can cheat and use the fake, not fresh.  But no matter what, fresh is ALWAYS better to use.  I don’t always have fresh lemon juice on hand, so when I do pick some up or the are on uber sale, I plan dishes that week that use them up, and I freeze what I don’t use.  I make sure to juice any leftover lemons-that may be in danger of shriveling to little yellow lumps of rock-with a hand reamer.  I pour the juice into ice cube trays, but only fill the wells half full so you get 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time.  Once frozen, I pop them out and store them in a freezer bag.  If I only have a tiny bit of juice, I freeze it in my teeny tiny rubbermaid container that is so small I can’t use it for anything other than sorting a days worth of vitamins.  Then I always have a supply of fresh lemon juice on hand for sauces, glazes, marinades, dressings, and I even throw them frozen into my smoothies for an extra antioxidant boost.  One little block and mug of hot water with a spoonful of raw honey is about as good as it gets when you are sick.  And is super cleansing to boot!

10. Have Fun
This may be my most important tip.  I know firsthand how stressful time in the kitchen can be; wether you are cooking for one person or ten.  But I implore you to find your groove to make it more enjoyable!  Flip on the 80’s station on Pandora or make your own culinary playlist filled with upbeat, groovy music!  Or a relaxing list so you can chill while you chop.  Put a favorite movie on in the background (The Princess Bride is perfect for this) and quote lines as you go.  Relax and have fun.  If all else fails, order pizza.

What are YOUR best kitchen tips?!  Add them to the comments below so that everyone can benefit from your wisdom!

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May your day be blessed beyond measure as we focus on friends, family, and the reason for the season!!  Merry Christmas!!

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A little bit of what is going on with me!
Cooking…scones.  Oatmeal ones, to be specific.  I have also been on a kick with trying some new recipes that I have had typed on virtual sticky-notes on the front of my computer and recently, they are calling my name.  I seem to be all about change in the kitchen lately and with a weekly Farmer’s Market for inspiration, my family can pretty much expect just about anything these days!  And I am planning on experimenting with chia seeds soon so we will see how that goes.

Sweating…to Insanity.  I decided to stop pussy-footing around my workouts and instead, found the hardest thing I could find.  That kind of all or nothing type of mindset isn’t always good, but in this case, I am hoping it leads to a more steady workout schedule.

Eating…chicken wings and sushi, although not together. Ha!  I think I could eat both of these foods everyday.  And oatmeal.  And milk.  And peanut butter.

Praying…for some friends that are going though some health issues.

Crushing…on long necklaces.  Please forgive this rare moment of girlieness, but if I put on some jewelry, then make-up and decent shoes usually follow.  Don’t worry.  I won’t start recommending nail color anytime soon, but I am not ashamed to tell you that pendant necklaces are right up my alley.  And if it can withstand my 14 month old chewing on it, then major bonus points!

Reading…or rather, finished reading: The Aviator’s Wife.  Outrageously good book.  Has anyone else read it?  I just started a book club within my local Mom’s Group and that was our first novel.  The Light Between Oceans is up next and I am crazy excited to start it.  Any motivation to read recreationally (aka, time out for this tired Mama!) is a very good thing.

Spending…more time with my kids and less time doing things that can wait.  I have been extremely aware of how fleeting these early years are with them.  So, to that end, I have been honing my domino castle making skills, reading more books with a flashlight in blanket forts, and taking more pictures of the whole family doing everyday things.  Because those are the best things.

Special thanks to Back To Her Roots for the inspiration for this post!

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From my family to yours, may your holiday be safe, happy, and abundantly blessed!

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Just a quick note to mention what we have been up to at our house!  The above picture is centered around an idea I saw a long time ago in a parenting magazine and it turned out pretty well.  These are just plain sugar cookies (not yet baked) decorated with those little tubes of gel frosting.  The sugar cookies are from this recipe and I really liked them.  I have it flagged for the day sometime in the future when I finally do one, big, sugar cookie cook off and compare all my favorite recipes and taste them side by side to find the best one.  Until then, I just keep trying them individually and discarding those that are so so and keeping those which I like.

So about these cookies, the gel just kind of sinks into the cookies and dyes it.  If you use a heavy hand, it ends up caramelizing on top.  This ended up being much less messy than I thought it would be and was so much easier than frosting.  We could be a lot more creative with the decorating.  This is what they look like baked:
The original plan was to do just Easter egg shapes and ‘dye’ the cookies for Easter.  But with the timing of a new baby and a national holiday, they ended up being just spring themed.  Still super fun and definitely an idea we will use in the future!

Have fun!

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If you have ‘Liked’ Brittany’s Pantry on Facebook you saw the message I posted about our new arrival!!  We were blessed with a baby boy, Lane Michel Arcand, on the same day that his older brother turned 3.  Yes, my boys share a birthday!  Future celebrations may take some planning…all advice welcome!

But I haven’t been out of the kitchen completely.  Physically, I am a bit limited on my activities for a little while.  However yesterday, I went forth and made Hot Cross Buns.  I know I know.  These were supposed to be enjoyed Good Friday, but that just wasn’t going to happen.  As it was, Easter dinner consisted of our whole family heading to the grocery store and then getting whatever each of us felt like eating and then having a kind of indoor picnic in the family room and watching Transformers and A Veggie Tale Easter Carol.  But anyway, the Hot Cross Buns I made were the same ones I mentioned last year.  I really really like this recipe and need to post about it one of these days.  If you still want to make them, this is the recipe I use.

As I may have mentioned previously, (OK-I mentioned it several times) I have been preparing for these busy days of transition and healing by freezing meals and such for those times when you just want to curl up on the couch and count every teeny tiny little finger and toe on your newborn and then realize you have been doing this so long it is now half past dinner time and your other two offspring and husband come in from the backyard hungry and covered in grass stains.  For those days, I have a plethora of freezer and pantry options that I planned ahead for to limit trips to the grocery store or the local take-out joint.  And we live in a small town so our eat out options are limited anyway.  Much better to just be prepared.
This list is not all inclusive but these are the main players:

Earth Bread-I cannot stress enough how fantastic this is for breakfast or snacking
Double Chocolate Banana Bread-see note above
Mini Meatballs-for quick spaghetti or sandwiches-recipe still needs some tweaking-stay tuned
Pizza Dough
Chicken Tetrazzini
Penne W/Chicken & Sun dried Tomatoes
Freezer Coffee Cake-we actually ate one of these with scrambled eggs and bacon Easter morning
Stuffed Shells
Carne Asada
Steak Fajitas
Chicken Teriyaki-for stir fry
Tilapia-for Baja Fish Tacos
Cream Cheese Banana Bread
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies-these are the super healthy ones but this time I made them with          dried cherries and dark chocolate chips
Indian Chili-just needs some Whole Wheat Cornbread and dinner is done
Matt’s Pancakes & Honey Waffles
BBQ Pulled Pork
Pasta W/Zesty Bolognese
Granola Bars-recipe coming soon
Maple Breakfast Sausage Patties-recipe coming soon (still needs some tweaking)
Granny’s Pound Cake
Cherry Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt-recipe in next post

I also keep pre-shredded cheese in the freezer to top the frozen pasta dishes or make quick quesadillas.  A few bags of frozen tortellini and plenty of good quality chicken broth means I can make Simple Soup in just a few minutes for a quick lunch or supper.  I also have pork chops waiting to be thawed for the Marinated Grilled Pork Chops.  No need to make these ahead of time since they are so easy!

I promise I will have a recipe for you in the next post!  Have a great week!

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Merry Christmas & A Very Happy New Year

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