Lisa on July 12th, 2010

Herbal bouquets are a great way to dress up your windowsills and your meals.  (Beverages, too!)  Most herbs are sturdy plants that will last a week or more in a vase, especially if you refresh them with cool water every day.  And the best part about having herbs close at hand is that you’re more [...]

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Lisa on June 7th, 2010

Here’s a quick little fact that’s helpful in the kitchen and everywhere else in the house: most things are either water-soluble or fat-soluble.  Given the fact that the “soluble” half of those descriptions means “dissolve-able,” if something is water-soluble, you can dissolve it and therefore remove it with water.  If it’s oil-soluble, you can dissolve [...]

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Lisa on May 5th, 2010

Recycling is fantastic, but there’s something even better: repurposing!  And the kitchen has tons of potential for finding new uses for things you might otherwise throw out or recycle.  (Composting is repurposing, too — you’re nourishing your garden with food scraps rather than grinding them down the drain.)  From flimsy plastic containers to classy glass [...]

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Lisa on April 19th, 2010

When it comes to most things in life, I think it’s safe to say that the difference between “failure” and “success” is largely a matter of perception.  This philosophy is certainly true in the kitchen!  It’s even more true when it comes to baking — you never know when breads won’t rise or muffins will [...]

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Lisa on February 1st, 2010

If you’re in the kitchen a lot, you’re probably washing your hands a lot, and your hands  probably feel dry from time to time.  You could buy expensive hand creams to alleviate that, of course…or you can use the oils and minerals you already have to make your own products.
Not only is making your own [...]

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Lisa on November 18th, 2009

Hey, we’re all hanging onto our pocketbooks for dear life nowadays, so why not make the most of your groceries?  Fresh beets are the perfect example of a food that has hidden potential — namely, two ingredients for the price of one.  No sense in throwing away the tasty greens when you can use them [...]

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Lisa on November 16th, 2009

Limes have a certain pizazz that lemons just don’t.  Grapefruit doesn’t, either…in fact, not even tangerines can match up to a lime’s potential to play a sweet/sour role as a  keynote flavor or background blend.  A squirt of lime juice also lends a dish a Mexican or Caribbean flavor that an orange simply can’t provide.    [...]

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Lisa on November 11th, 2009

Even though most stovetops have four burners, why not do some creative subtraction and just use one?  (Assuming you have a big enough pot.)  Dishes based on starches, grains, and vegetables are prime candidates for honing your math skills:  just figure out how many minutes each item takes to cook and then subtract them from [...]

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Lisa on October 16th, 2009

Just before I slipped off to sleep last night — a surprisingly sound one considering that I’d just watched another two episodes of my new favorite show, True Blood — I had a culinary ephiphany:  the term “leftover” needs to be revamped.  (Pun intended.)
“Leftover”  sounds distinctly unappealing, doesn’t it?  I mean, who wants what’s left [...]

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Lisa on June 19th, 2009

Looking for easy and inexpensive ways to spruce up your kitchen decor?  Try your hand at glass painting!  Plates, jugs, vases, glasses–your inner Monet might just be clamoring to get out.  Now that it’s summertime and garage sales are in full swing, it’s easy to pick up champagne glasses for ten cents apiece or serving [...]

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