Smart Tips for Kitchen Time

Oftentimes we don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen so we find ourselves skipping steps that shortchange us on flavorful meals.  Andrea Metcalf shows us how to efficiently use staples such as balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic, pine nuts and slivered almonds to spice up our dinners.  We can save time, yet not compromise good, flavorful, nutritious, food!  Metcalf also shows us an easy recipe for pesto to put with spaghetti squash.

Plating Presentation

Making great meals gives us the opportunity to plate a meal perfectly, rich with color and textures.  French Chef Didier Durand shows us how easy food presentation can make a meal look doubly enticing by playing colors of produce off one another.  And yes, girls, we can do it too.  We can give our plates a five-star restaurant look with easy plating directions!  It can be easy to fall into a rut and not pay attention to the creative detail of our meals, such as plating.  But with his simple example we can get creative and have fun with our food!

Tips to Grow Herbs

We all try to use herbs with our cooking.  But they can be expensive and we don't know how they were grown.  Chef Didier Durand gives us easy suggestions on how to grow herbs outside and shows us what he does to make that happen.  Growing our own herbs saves money and gives us the satisfaction of knowing that we accomplished providing what we otherwise would have had to purchase.  Chef Durand shows us that growing herbs in pots outside is all right and there are other options as well.

Feeding Families On A Budget

Gone are the days when we could feed our families for under $100 per week.  But there are ways to make that food go a long way and make smart financial choices when feeding our families.  There are ways to stretch dollars and save money when we cook at home.  It's about finding the places that provide the best quality food but have specials and deals that we can capitalize on.  And maybe it means visiting a place or grocery store we haven't normally gone.  Feeding a family on a budget can be nutritious, successful and simple.  Here are some smart ways to make your dollars stretch and shop on a budget. 

Kitchen Hints for Cutting Boards

Cutting boards are great, but sometimes they wobble when we are trying to prepare a meal.  This can be frustrating and increase the risk of a sliced finger!  Jodi Luber shows us a simple kitchen hint that keeps cutting boards from wobbling.  Cutting boards have become very popular over the years, as we use them for food preparation, as a hot pad, or even a trivet for the finished product.  There are four common types of cutting boards:  Corian boards, plastic cutting boards, tempered glass boards, and wooden boards.

Think back to the first time you moved away from home. For me, this was when I went off to college and got my first apartment. All of a sudden, I had to start from scratch in putting my own kitchen together. A basting brush? Butchers' twine? I'm starting a simple kitchen, not opening a four-star restaurant! My budget and space required that I pick a few basic items. There are many situations like these, and if there was a "top tools for food" list, I'm sure my transition would have gone alot smoother.

The Secret to Perfect Diced Onions        

Have you been using those awful dehydrated onions because chopping a fresh onion seems like too much of a hassle? Even worse, do you have a giant jar of onion powder? There's no need to fear using fresh onions when you know the proper technique for perfect diced onions. Our simple chopping onions tutorial will have you slicing and dicing like a pro in minutes.

Weekly Menus Save Time and Money

If you are going to the grocery store 3, 4 or even 5 times a week, it’s time to change the way you shop for food. By setting aside one day a week to plan a weekly menu and make a shopping list, you’ll reduce your time at the store, the gas you use running errands, and the stress of answering the eternal question, “what’s for dinner?” By establishing menu plan Monday, your whole routine is about to get easier.

Gotta Get Em Kitchen Gadgets

Do you love to cook? Do you often find that you are constantly searching for the right serving spoon or spatula? This happens to everyone, and with the holidays quickly approaching, you will need to obtain all of your kitchen utensils, gadgets and tools along with your kitchen organization plan to ensure that you have everything you need for those scrumptious holiday meals together!

How to use up Baked Potatoes

Does the thought of re-warming baked potatoes for dinner again make you feel like a culinary couch potato? Don't despair, there are plenty of things you can do with those baked potato leftovers. From breakfast, to appetizers, to main course meals, get ready for some winning tater transformations. So whether you say "potato" or "potahto"  these ideas will have you saying, "Mmm-mmm!"