Bringing inspiration and ideas to better manage your home kitchen
Cooking during the week is not easy. It requires a bit of preparation and organization to be successful. Most of us would fail to get a scratch-made dinner on the table without the ingredients on hand and a recipe in mind. The last thing you …
The REcipe List This traditional appetizer becomes a meal when served with rice and garnished with sauce and herbs. It’s high-protein and very satisfying full of Thai flavor. Get the full recipe here: Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce How To Make It Extra …
It’s simple. Whole ingredients are foods in their natural state. Think tomatoes, beans, rice, flour, honey, vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc. Now some of these are processed, but they’re very minimally processed so that they can be used as intended. Flour is wheat that’s milled or ground. Rice and beans are processed to remove outer layers, dried, etc. Honey is removed from the comb.
Anytime you’re making a significant change, be it a diet, a financial habit, a workout routine, or a lifestyle change it can be tempting to go all in. While it’s ok to go all in, it’s also ok and sometimes more sustainable if you make thoughtful, meaningful changes in small doses over time. Focus your newfound energy and motivation away from the extreme practices (like eating only cabbage soup) and toward developing an understanding of why you want to make these changes. Change is hard and having a why will keep you motivated to keep going. I find it’s more sustainable if you can implement smaller changes on a regular cadence.
As you stock your pantry, don’t throw everything out and replace it overnight. You might not know how to use the ingredients you buy yet and the food you do have is valuable. Use it up and as you do, slowly replace the least healthy and most processed items with whole ingredients.
Spinach Salad with Grilled Chicken & French Vinaigrette
Chicken Cacciatore with Polenta
What should beginners buy first?
Start from the top of the list. I’ve purposely ordered them by priority.
What foods count as whole ingredients?
Whole ingredients are foods in the natural state. Think tomatoes, beans, rice, flour, honey, vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.
Is canned food okay?
Yes, you’ll often find things like whole tomatoes or beans in cans. This is perfectly acceptable. I’d avoid or limit things that are intended to be eaten out of a can as a meal, however. Things like canned chili, soups, etc.
How long do pantry staples last?
This is a tough question. It varies dramatically depending on the item. When in doubt, trust your sense of smell. Things like oils will start to smell rancid as they go bad. Most pantry staples (aside from the fresh ingredients) are intended to last a good while. Often longer than the expiration date. If it’s in the pantry and it smells ok, the risk is low that you’ll get sick from eating something that’s gone “bad.” It’s more likely that it won’t be as effective any longer. Things like spices start to lack the vibrancy of their original flavor. Flour will lose its ability to rise with yeast or maintain adequate gluten structure. These things happen slowly though, so don’t be afraid to use it if you have it. Oils are going to likely be the items that go stale first.
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Every once in a while, pancakes just fit the bill for a weekend breakfast. I’m not much of a carb heavy breakfast lover – I’d opt for protein heavy over carb heavy – but when you’re avoiding gluten, you start to appreciate the carbohydrates that …
Muesli is a cold Swiss cereal that primarily consists of rolled oats. Traditionally, it’s set to soak in water overnight (hello overnight oats) and is eaten with fresh fruit, nuts, and cream sweetened with honey.
This takes a bit more preparation than a typical cold cereal, but nothing more than prepping some of the oatmeal recipes I’ve shared. This particular recipe doesn’t require soaking overnight, although I’m going to delve into the muesli depths because it’s fun to have breakfast recipes that are a twist on the same old oatmeal.
This is a traditional Swiss Muesli recipe with rolled oats, grated apple, blackberries, honey, and cream.
First, soak the oatmeal in 6 TBSP cold water for 10 minutes. While you're waiting, mash the blackberries with a fork and combine with the grated apple. Sweeten this mixture with honey and combine. Add the fruit to the soaked oats and top with cream and cinnamon.
Inspired by: Darina Allen
Special K with red berries? Probably one of the best cereals out there, if you ask me! Store-bought cereals are a special treat. Growing up, our family had a tradition that every time we went camping, we could pick out a sugar cereal. Not camping? …
There’s something about the combination of oatmeal and bananas with a cup of coffee that I love. In this version, loads of warming spices, roasted pecans, bananas, and raisins bring together a delicious bowl of hot oatmeal. And this recipe can be adapted for an …
I’ve noticed some seasonal patterns in our food and drink consumption. We drink a lot of sparkling water in the warm weather months. Sparkling water gets traded for tea when the weather turns cold. Oatmeal becomes increasingly popular December thru March. It’s interesting to see these patterns emerge in different seasons.
While delicious, cereal is something we don’t really buy. We try to stay away from manufactured and processed foods. And yet, breakfast cereals are an easy and convenient thing to have on hand and rely on when other hot breakfast options take too long to prepare. I’m kicking off this series on healthy, from scratch breakfast cereals – spanning hot and cold options – to provide some inexpensive and easy options for breakfast on the go. We’ve eliminated gluten from our diet for the foreseeable future. Oats provide a great gluten free option that’s both easy and has carbohydrate content which are both difficult to come by in the gluten free world.
Here are some of the reasons I love oatmeal:
Need to take it with you and don’t have access to refrigeration? Here are some trade-outs you can make that will turn it into a stable shelf meal on the go:
Think a healthy muffin with warming spices like cinnamon, fresh out of the oven, turned into a bowl of warm comforting oatmeal. This is a wonderful way to change up your oatmeal routine with something you'll look forward to!
In a thermal cup or container, combine all dry ingredients. If you're using fresh dairy, fresh fruit, or liquid sugar (maple syrup, honey, etc.) hold these and add at the end. To the dry ingredients, add 3/4 cup to 1 cup hot water. If I'm using rolled oats, I use 3/4 cup water. If steel cut oats, 1 cup water. Stir to combine and place an insulating lid on the cup/container. Let sit for 15-20 minutes (30-60 for steel cut oats). Add any wet ingredients at the end. Enjoy!
The turning of a new calendar year is a good reminder to set new goals. You don’t have to do it January 1st. January 1st goal setting, also known as “New Years Resolutions,” are reserved for people that need motivation. We (the collective we) don’t …