The Duke Does Dough

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Posted on March 14, 2015

It has been a busy week at work and today has been full of activity. I had not given a lot of thought as to what I planned to write tonight but that was solved for me earlier this evening when The Duke removed the fruit loaf from the breadmaker.

He is often quick with mock ridicule at the things that I simply have to take photos of for a potential blog post, however, his first comment was, “Quick, get the camera – this is worth a photo”. Naturally, it was just begging to be part of a blog post.

I have to agree – it is a pretty impressive loaf of bread. I am not sure how he is going to slice it, though.

On very rare occasions, I have made bread in the breadmaker but generally speaking that is The Duke’s domain and he does a great job.

Kitchen Appliances – Part 2

4 Comments

Posted on March 11, 2015

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses yesterday. I have read them quickly and will go back and respond once I have written this post. As for the list from last night, here is my response.

1 Blender – I have one as part of a combination with my food processor.

2 Electric Grill – we had one which we did use but when it died I did not consider replacing it. A bit of a fad, I guess.

3 Baby Food Maker – it is a long time since I was making food for babies but I have no idea what this would be.

4 Microwave oven – yes, I have a microwave but I use it less and less. If it died, I would not automatically rush out and buy another one.

5 Panini Press – I expect this is like my sandwich press which I use quite a bit.

This is my food processor and all of the associated gadgets in the cupboard. The blender is with some of the other bits in the box at the back. Like most things, I do not use it to its full potential although the blender, citrus juicer, grater and slicer attachments are well-used.

I also have a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer and the pasta attachment for it.

Here are the rest of my appliances in the convenient appliance cupboard.

Top shelf:

Kettle – used on the gas stove if we lose power. Also on the slow-combustion heater during winter.
Slow-cooker – very well-used for soup, baked potatoes, casseroles, refried beans.

Middle shelf:

Sandwich press – toasted sandwiches and I also use it for cooking pancakes
Bread slicing guide – very useful for home-made bread
Toaster

Bottom shelf:

Juicer – rarely used – very difficult to clean
Breadmaker
Jug

I also have a stick blender in another cupboard.

I have never been seduced by the single-purpose appliances such as a pie-maker, ice-cream maker, popcorn maker or hot dog thingummy but I still have plenty of gadgets. If I were to get rid of any it would be the juicer, I think. It is interesting to consider how our needs change, particularly as families grow and children leave home. Our diet and the types of food we eat has changed over the years, also. This is how clutter can become a problem – something that was essential 10 years ago is not longer required but we are loathe to move it along.

How do my appliances compare to what you have? Everyone has different essentials and priorities.

Too Much Food

21 Comments

Posted on March 5, 2015

I am sure you have seen the statistics which indicate that we discard between 20 and 50% of all food that is produced. Although this is from the UK, the situation is similar in all developed countries.

It is disgusting that so much food is wasted while there are millions of people on this planet who go hungry every day.

When I first read these figures, a couple of years ago, I found it unbelievable. However, since then I have realised that many people have very different ideas to me when it comes to food usage and storage.

I work in a city office of a large global corporation and from time to time there are catered events. I understand the difficulties of predicting quantities when catering for unknown numbers and tastes. However, the fate of the leftover food is disappointing, to say the least.

This week (Tuesday) there was a large tray of untouched green salad – specialty lettuce, red onion, cucumber, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrot and corn kernels as well as breads, dips and fruit. This was placed on the bench in the kitchen area and generally announced in the open office. I decided to have a plate of salad with hommus and basil pesto for my lunch and save my packed lunch for another day. There may have been one or two others who had a little salad but there was still a substantial quantity left a few hours later. I did not want to see it spoil so I packed it in the fridge. I put as much as I could into a square plastic container that I had plus I filled this container that was on the bench.

That accounted for about half of the salad so I put the rest in 2 large noodle bowls, covered them and placed them in the fridge.

I brought the 2 plastic containers home which provided enough salad for 4 lunches plus dinner for both of us tonight, alongside our hamburger patties and some fried mushrooms and onions. The salad remaining in the container is enough for my lunch tomorrow – last of the 4 lunches.

I was not in the office yesterday and when I arrived this morning the 2 bowls of salad were untouched but the midday they had disappeared. I cannot be certain but most likely they were discarded into the bin. I am constantly astounded by the lack of interest in using up perfectly good food. I am not suggesting that people gorge themselves on the excess but rather use it for future meals.

On a similar note, I went to a small community gathering yesterday evening and the request was to bring a plate of supper to share. This is what I took.

Does it look meagre? I constantly witness over-catering at events where there is ‘bring a plate’ catering.. If you think about it logically, you should really only contribute the equivalent of what you or your family group would reasonably eat if there was no other food to choose from. If everyone adhered to this principle, rather than bringing huge cakes or platters of sandwiches, there would be minimal wastage and less over-indulging.

What do you think?

Get Growing

6 Comments

Posted on February 27, 2015

If you live in a location with a reasonably warm climate, there is one thing to grow that I cannot recommend highly enough. Sweet potato. It is a nutritious, versatile vegetable that will grow with the minimum of fuss. There is a heap of information here.

I have had them growing for a couple of years and there are almost always some available to harvest. This is my latest haul.

Sweet potato can be boiled, baked, steamed and mashed. You can make chips or soup. I grate it coarsely and stir-fry it and serve instead of rice or pasta with chicken stir-fry or bolognaise sauce. You can even use it to make chocolate brownies.

More To Go

2 Comments

Posted on February 4, 2015

A couple of days ago I read a comment online by someone unknown to me that they had decluttered so much that they had nothing left to declutter. I have no idea what their circumstances are or what they consider essential but I know that I have not reached that point. In fact, I am not sure that I ever will or even want to. We do not have a huge amount of stuff but for me it is more about carefully streamlining what we own to a selection of good-quality items that match our lifestyle. Our needs change and therefore, our possessions will change accordingly.

On the weekend I was cleaning in the kitchen and one thing led to another and I ended up re-looking at the cooking utensils that I use. I have supposedly decluttered these on at least 2 previous occasions but it never hurts to look at them with fresh eyes and a more detached point of view.

This is what I am taking to the op shop today.

There are a couple of sharp knives that have seen better days and I simply do not use them. A scraper for cleaning a George Foreman grill which we no longer own. A cleaning brush for something – I don’t know what and as far as I can see it has never been used. Spoon and spaghetti strainer which are not used. Meat mallet – I haven’t beaten meat for over 20 years – our diet does not include recipes that require it. Spaghetti measure – was part of a corporate Christmas hamper a few years ago and has never been used. Small aluminium skewer – I have a set of stainless steel skewers and this is no longer required. Chip cutter – this came from my mother’s place when she was decluttering some years ago and I have never used it. A good idea but I cannot remember the last time I made chips at home and I am quite capable of cutting potatoes into chips if the fancy happens to take me. Anyway, aren’t “hand-cut chips” the latest craze on menus??

So what stays?

Electric knife
Carving fork
Scone cutter
Rolling pin
Fine grater
Metal tongs
BBQ tool
Pineapple peeler/corer
Apple corer
Cheese slicer
Cherry/oliver pit remover
Garlic press
Ice-cream scoop
Citrus zester
Grapefruit knife
Skewers
Vegetable peeler (not shown)
Jar opener
Tea strainer
Tea infuser
Wine vacuum sealer
Cork remover
Bottle/can opener
Measuring spoons
Corn cob holders
Egg rings
Knife sharpener

The electric knife/carving fork and cherry pit remover are the only items that would be rarely used. Everything else is used regularly, mostly on a weekly basis. Some, like the grapefruit knife and corn cob holders are seasonal but still essential.

I also have 2 jars of cooking utensils that I use almost daily. There location on the bench means that they are easy to grab as I am cooking and preparing food.

Wooden spoons x 4
Metal whisk
Potato masher
Metal spatula
Non-stick spatula
Non-stick spoon
Slotted spoon
Small sieve
Can opener
Pizza cutter
Rubber scrapers x 3
Brush
Citrus juicer
Pie slice

I also have a knife block with 6 assorted sharp knives.

To a hard-core minimalist this probably looks like a huge number of utensils, however, I prepare and cook most of our meals and use these items very frequently. It is important to keep and use what works for you.

There are lots of areas of my life where I could reduce my possessions but I think I have completely decluttered the kitchen utensils to my satisfaction.

What utensils do you use every day? Are they much different to what I have shown here?

Foodie Friday – Pantry Storage

8 Comments

Posted on March 28, 2014

Firstly, I apologise for the lack of posts this week. I have been busy with other things and have just not found the time to get my head together to write anything useful. I am also behind in responding to your comments but am about to rectify that once I finish this post. I will be busy this weekend but hopefully things will get back on track from Monday. I hope you have a great weekend.

I cook most of our food from scratch, so naturally I keep a store of the ingredients I use regularly. I do not store tonnes of food in case of an apocalyptic event, however, we do have enough so that I only shop for dry goods about every 3 – 4 months. I never run out of everything and I never feel the need to race off to the shops at the first hint of a severe weather event such as a cyclone or possible flooding. These are the 2 most likely scenarios where we live.

We eat a gluten-free diet so I have gradually eliminated all wheat-based products from the pantry.

Gluten-free muesli (homemade)

Rainsins
Sultanas
Currants
Dried apricots

Walnuts
Almonds
Cashews

Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Sesame seeds
Chia seeds

Almond meal
Flaxseed meal
Psyllium husk
Sago
Quinoa flakes

Gluten-free flour (homemade)

Brown rice flour
Potato flour
Chickpea (besan) flour
Quinoa flour
Arrowroot

Kidney beans
Haricot beans
Red lentils
Brown lentils
Chickpeas

Arborio rice
Brown rice

Apple cider vinegar
White vinegar
Red wine vinegar
Balsamic vinegar

Tomato sauce (home-made)
Worcestershire sauce (home-made)
Tamari
Caramelised balsamic vinegar

Avocado oil
Coconut oil
Olive oil

Allspice
Chilli
Cinnamon
Coriander
Cumin
Curry powder
Ginger
Mixed spice
Paprika
Smoked paprika
Taco mix
Tumeric
Yellow mustard seeds

Beef stock powder
Vegie stock powder

Black pepper (peppercorns)
Cooking salt
Herb salt
Sea salt

Raw sugar
Brown sugar
Honey
Golden syrup
Treacle

Cocoa
Coconut

Skim milk powder

Baking powder
Bicarb soda

Black tea
Earl Grey tea
Coffee

Rice cakes
Rice crackers

Canned tuna
Canned tomatoes

Most of the dry goods are bought from bulk containers so I store them in glass or plastic jars in the pantry. I have some 10 litre plastic buckets which I keep excess of some items in. These are in a separate store cupboard.

I may have missed a couple of things but that is basically what we keep. Some of the items are left from before we changed our diets so are unlikely to be replaced. How does my list compare to what you have? Any thoughts, suggestions or questions?

Two Heads Are Better Than One

2 Comments

Posted on March 18, 2014

So the saying goes………….. This is definitely true when it comes to decluttering. Trying to justify why you want to keep something to another person is more of a challenge than just doing it yourself.

When we had the kitchen renovated about 4 years ago we chose to have mostly drawers rather than cupboards and I am really pleased with that decision.

On Sunday I cleaned out 5 drawers plus 1 small cupboard in the kitchen. I actually removed the drawers from their runners, emptied the contents and completely cleaned the surrounding area as well as the drawer.

The large drawer below the microwave holds baking tins and trays. The Duke and I went through each item and have rehomed several trays and tins that are no longer used for one reason or another. Mostly it was because we simply no longer (or never did) bake those items. It meant that I was able to consolidate the extra tins that were in the top cupboard into the same drawer as the rest of the baking trays.

Here is the end result.

One of the other drawers that got the treatment was what some people would call a junk drawer but I refuse to give it that name as it is not junk. Everything in here has a use and is used regularly. I have decluttered it severa times over the past few years and each time I manage to reduce a bit more and I am pretty happy with it now. This time I have finally let go of the remnants of rolls of clingwrap and plastic for separating items in the freezer. I have not used either for many years so it was time to move them along.

What have you decluttered lately?

Foodie Friday – An Introduction

Making Ends Meet – Eat What You Have

9 Comments

Posted on December 12, 2013

In response to my challenge a few days ago, Sarah posted this list:

As far as what’s on hand that’s fresh in the fridge/freezer
– stale brown bread (homemade, not sliced)
– bowl of baby spinach
– grated cheese
– one mushy pear
– some shallots
– ginger
– 2 carrots
– 1 zuchini
– 1/2 red cabbage
– 1/2 butternut pumpkin
– 1 onion (maybe)
– miso soup paste (would love to use this up)

In addition she added this link to her post about the contents of her pantry which is very well stocked.

Sarah also added that she always had access to eggs and milk.

Whenever you are trying to use what food you have on hand, it is important to look at the perishable items first. These will go rotten or become unusable soonest so it is important to use them.

The first meal that comes to mind is Cheese Souffle. This is a recipe that my mother would make, probably when ingredients were a bit thin on the ground but I really loved it and do make it from time to time. Here is the recipe.

CHEESE SOUFFLE

2 eggs
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
½ cup milk
1 onion – finely chopped
1 cup grated cheese
Pepper

Soak breadcrumbs in milk. Separate eggs. Beat egg yolks. Add all other ingredients. Beat egg whites until stiff and gently fold into mixture. Pour into greased ovenproof dish and bake for about 40 minutes at 180 degrees.

I would shred some of the cabbage and grate a carrot. Toss together with ‘French Dressing’ made from oil and lime juice whisked together.

Since the oven will be on to cook the souffle I would make sure a least one other item is cooked as well to get maximum value for money.

You could make Pear & Ginger muffins for snacks. Using the gluten-free flour and other baking ingredients from the pantry make a basic muffin mix and add grated ginger and the mushy pear. HINT: Remove the seeds but you can roughly chop the pear up including the skin. You could also add a few sultanas or chopped nuts for interest.

The night before you make the Cheese Souffle you could soak some lentils and then cook them ready to use.

Make a lentil and vegetable lasagne using the prepared lentils, sliced zucchini and the remaining carrot grated. Cook the lentils, carrot and canned tomatoes with preferred herbs/spices. Make bechamel sauce using milk, butter and flour. Layer these with lasagne sheets and slices of zucchini and grated cheese. Top with grated cheese and bake in the oven. This can be refrigerated and reheated for a meal the next night. You can also divide it into portions and freeze.

The remaining lentils could be mixed with some cooked pumpkin, finely shredded cabbage and chickpea flour to make vegie burgers. These could be served with sweet chilli sauce on a bed of wilted spinach.

I am not familiar with miso soup paste but from my research I would make miso soup and perhaps add some udon noodles for added substance.

Tuna mornay is another meal that comes to mind. Flour, milk, butter, grated cheese and the tin of tuna form the basis of this meal which is served with rice. I generally add frozen peas and corn kernels to the mixture.

Since Sarah does not keep meat on hand or have a great deal of fresh fruit or vegetables at the moment there is a limit to what can be created without compromising her nutritional status. Contrary to popular opinion, fruit and and vegetables are not outrageously expensive. Remember, to only buy what you need and buy what is in season where possible. Make a plan using as many ingredients that you have and only buy exactly the quantities that you need to create the meal.

Remember to use the basic ingredients in the pantry to extend the meat and vegetables. I have done this with the lasagne and also mornay mixture. Other options could be crepes or pies where you could stretch the filling to feed extra mouths.

Another option for the stale bread would be to slice it and make bread cases for pie or mornay filling.

Would you you have done something different with the listed ingredients?

Culling the Cookbooks

6 Comments

Posted on November 24, 2013

Today I decided that it was time to bite the bullet and seriously consider what cookbooks I really needed to keep. I did not have a large collection but I knew that there were some that had survived previous attempts to reduce the collection.

I did not photograph the shelf before I removed all of the books but here they all are on the kitchen bench.

I sorted through and recycled lots of loose sheets of paper – scribbled recipes or ripped out of magazines. If I had not made them up till now it is unlikely that I will. Most did not fit with our current eating plan which is mostly gluten-free. Quite a number of the books were very easy to let go of as they were quite dated and the recipes are simply not to our taste any more.

The pile on the right are ready for the op shop bag. The 3 books on the left each have 1 or 2 recipes which I would like to try, so rather than keeping the whole book, I am going to type them into my recipe file on the computer and then the books will be added to the op shop pile.

I keep two binders with plastic sleeves which are for loose recipe sheets but even these had go a bit out of hand so I spent some time refiling them into the plastic sleeves.

The remaining cookbooks have been returned to the shelf.

Some of these books have barely been opened, let alone actually used so I have promised myself that I will use them. In order to achieve my goal, I am going through each book and making a list of the recipes that I would like to try and the relevant page number. I plan to create a spreadsheet of all of the recipes with a reference back to where I can find it. Today I went through 4 of the books but still have quite a number to go. It will be an ongoing project.

The Duke suggested that I just scan the recipes that I want to keep and then get rid of the books completely. That may be an option for the future but at the moment my goal is to actually try out some of the recipes instead of having a shelf full of books that I do not use.

I have a new cookbook on my Christmas wishlist. It is a gluten-free cookbook. I have made a couple of recipes from it and if the rest are as good it will be a worthy addition to my pared-down bookshelf.