Being organized in the kitchen can save time, money, waste, and stress. The tips below will help you create a clean, organized work space.
Organize your storage space
Alphabetizing your spices might be going a little too far and cause you stress trying to keep them in order especially if you don't live alone! However, grouping like items is really necessary. Keep your canned goods together. Keep your snack foods together, etc.
Create specialized work areas
Even if you have a tiny kitchen, carve out specific areas where you know you will take care of certain tasks such as mixing, cutting, and rolling. If you do something more than once a week, set up a special spot for that area and store all of the things that you use for that process close by. For example, if you are a baker, store all of your baking staples and tools near ample counter space so that you have room to mix and roll your favorite biscuits.
Have the right equipment
Garage sales are a great place to find items like bakeware or food processors to help stock your kitchen with equipment.
Hang a chalkboard or a small white board in your kitchen
Use the board. Get into the habit of marking down grocery lists, ingredients for recipes, or a weekly menu.
Check all of the food in your refrigerator and freezer before each shopping trip
Check expiration dates and confirm what staples you need to re-stock. Use things that will spoil within the next few days and make sure to use them in your meals before they spoil. Date everything you place in the freezer. Even butter, fruit juice, frozen meats, casseroles or frozen vegetables can go bad. Use the food that has been in the freezer for the longest time.
Plan your week
Look at your schedule and figure out how much time you are going to have for dinner each night. Spend 15 minutes on the weekend planning and making sure you have everything you need. Put the list of meals on the frig to let your family know what you will be eating for the week.
Prepare batches of cut/diced foods and freeze for use in your upcoming menus
Chop fresh parsley, onions, peppers and carrots and freeze them for later use. This will also cut down on waste and spoilage if the items don't get used in time. Fresh herbs can be chopped and frozen in ice cube trays. Place desired amount in each cube and fill with water. It is easy to add the fresh herbs to a recipe by dropping in one ice cube.
Cook on the weekends if you can and/or double or triple recipes that freeze well
Most soups freeze well. Make a large batch and save half in the freezer for a quick dinner later on. Lasagna and spaghetti sauce also freeze well. Watch upcoming posts for those recipes.
Make sure your kitchen is clean before beginning to cook
This will save time and insure keeping food born illnesses at bay, too.
Read your recipe through twice before starting to cook
Especially when you are using a new recipe. Better yet, learn to cook without using a recipe using simple techniques for great taste. Keep reading this blog for more of those techniques as they will be in future posts.
Have tips of your own? Please feel free to comment on this post and add them!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Setting your New Year's Goals
The ever popular New Year resolution season is here. Many of us set goals and let them quickly fizzle within a few weeks. How do you keep your resolutions? What are some good resolutions to make? How do you make a really good resolution?
Goal setting can be an invaluable tool for success in life. However, many people don't know how to set and follow a goal. A good goal has three components.
1) A good goal is measurable and specific.
2) A good goal is reasonable.
3) A good goal is written down in an obvious place for review and reminder.
Many people say things like "I'm going to exercise more". This is not measurable or specific. What does more mean? The questions how often and how long need to be answered. I also hear people set goals like "I'm going to exercise two hours everyday". This is possibly unreasonable. Time, family, job, and necessity all need to be considered when setting an exercise and/or nutrition goal.
A really good beginning goal might be: I will walk on the treadmill 30 minutes at least every other day and if time allows every day.
Or if you are trying to eat healthier maybe one nutrition goal every few days is good. Sometimes we try to do it all at once and it becomes overwhelming. So decide to stop eating sugar and then a week later decide to start eating one more cup of fruits or vegetables a day. Conquer one specific goal and then add in another one. Before you know it you will be fit and healthy!
Remember everyone's body is different. Everyone needs to decide what works best for them. Use a sticky note on the fridge to help you remember your goals. But also journaling about your goals will document your progress. Once you conquer your goal and throw away your sticky note, you will have a journal entry to review. It is always rewarding to go back and see all of your accomplishments!
Goal setting can be an invaluable tool for success in life. However, many people don't know how to set and follow a goal. A good goal has three components.
1) A good goal is measurable and specific.
2) A good goal is reasonable.
3) A good goal is written down in an obvious place for review and reminder.
Many people say things like "I'm going to exercise more". This is not measurable or specific. What does more mean? The questions how often and how long need to be answered. I also hear people set goals like "I'm going to exercise two hours everyday". This is possibly unreasonable. Time, family, job, and necessity all need to be considered when setting an exercise and/or nutrition goal.
A really good beginning goal might be: I will walk on the treadmill 30 minutes at least every other day and if time allows every day.
Or if you are trying to eat healthier maybe one nutrition goal every few days is good. Sometimes we try to do it all at once and it becomes overwhelming. So decide to stop eating sugar and then a week later decide to start eating one more cup of fruits or vegetables a day. Conquer one specific goal and then add in another one. Before you know it you will be fit and healthy!
Remember everyone's body is different. Everyone needs to decide what works best for them. Use a sticky note on the fridge to help you remember your goals. But also journaling about your goals will document your progress. Once you conquer your goal and throw away your sticky note, you will have a journal entry to review. It is always rewarding to go back and see all of your accomplishments!
Keeping it real during the holidays
I'm sure many of you are lamenting all of the holiday foods you have already eaten at Thanksgiving and through December. How do you enjoy the holidays without being too extreme one way or the other?
My general rule is everything in moderation. In other words, don't eat the entire box of chocolate covered cherries (something I only enjoy at Christmas) in one sitting! I'm sure each of us have our favorite holiday treats and foods. But they are no fun to eat when you beat yourself up for even enjoying a taste. And if you indulge too much, the misery in "stuffed-dom" that you feel is also no fun. So enjoy some holiday treats and tastes and think about the following:
1. Don't go to a holiday party or dinner extremely hungry. Sometimes people think they are going to wait to enjoy all of the holiday treats. And, then because they are too hungry, they find themselves overconsuming.
2. Do have a taste of everything you want. If you find something you particularly enjoy, have another taste. If you find something you don't like, don't finish it! It's okay to leave it on your plate.
3. Don't tell everyone you can't eat because it's not on your diet. Obviously, if you are diabetic you can't or shouldn't eat sugar. I have been to parties before where someone, usually a woman, didn't eat anything because they couldn't or shouldn't. Whatever! If you take the time to go to the party, be prepared to be a gracious guest. Take a small plate. Take a couple of bites and say nothing. Eat it slowly and enjoy it. No one will notice. They will notice a few months down the road when you look fabulous. And they will also notice a few months down the road if you don't look fabulous (I thought she said she was watching what she ate?). Not eating at a holiday party is not normal or acceptable.
4. Do spread your calories out over the course of the day. You will never become hungry and find you actually eat less. Each time you eat try to consume 400-500 calories. If you eat five or six times that is 1800-2000 calories which is a normal amount needed for an average person who exercises 30 minutes per day.
5. Do find time to exercise during the holiday season. It will not only help you keep from putting on holiday pounds it will also help reduce stress while keeping you in shape. You may not gain any weight during the holidays but you can become out of shape with no exercise.
6. Do remember that alcohol adds lots of calories. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram which is very close to 9 calories per gram in fat. So choose carefully. Wine can have half the amount of calories of beer or a sweet mixed drink. A margarita tops the calorie chart with the highest amount at 175 calories for an average size.
7. Do remember to eat before you indulge in an alcoholic drink or just enjoy the drink with or after your meal. This can have a huge impact on the food choices you make.
8. Don't skip the sweets. Try a taste. If you have really been watching what you eat and are afraid you will blow it, don't take a whole piece of anything. Only put a bite of what you would like to taste on your plate. If you take the whole piece, you might find the urge to resist too tempting.
9. Do share. If you are eating out during the holiday season, possibly try and share a meal. If you are shopping and eating out quickly, decide what you are going to eat and what is reasonable and put it aside. Throw the rest away at the beginning of the meal so you are not tempted to overeat. Portion sizes at restaurants are very large and usually more than we need at one meal.
10. Do remember to slow down and eat slowly. During the holiday season we are so rushed for time. If you eat slowly, you will feel full before you overeat. You are better off eating a little something slowly and then eating again a couple of hours later.
These are some tips that have helped me through the holidays. If you have a bad day, know that one bad day won't ruin your plans. However, if you have lots of bad days...like the whole month of December...you will have some back-tracking to do with your healthy eating and exercise.
Happy Holidays! Enjoy!
My general rule is everything in moderation. In other words, don't eat the entire box of chocolate covered cherries (something I only enjoy at Christmas) in one sitting! I'm sure each of us have our favorite holiday treats and foods. But they are no fun to eat when you beat yourself up for even enjoying a taste. And if you indulge too much, the misery in "stuffed-dom" that you feel is also no fun. So enjoy some holiday treats and tastes and think about the following:
1. Don't go to a holiday party or dinner extremely hungry. Sometimes people think they are going to wait to enjoy all of the holiday treats. And, then because they are too hungry, they find themselves overconsuming.
2. Do have a taste of everything you want. If you find something you particularly enjoy, have another taste. If you find something you don't like, don't finish it! It's okay to leave it on your plate.
3. Don't tell everyone you can't eat because it's not on your diet. Obviously, if you are diabetic you can't or shouldn't eat sugar. I have been to parties before where someone, usually a woman, didn't eat anything because they couldn't or shouldn't. Whatever! If you take the time to go to the party, be prepared to be a gracious guest. Take a small plate. Take a couple of bites and say nothing. Eat it slowly and enjoy it. No one will notice. They will notice a few months down the road when you look fabulous. And they will also notice a few months down the road if you don't look fabulous (I thought she said she was watching what she ate?). Not eating at a holiday party is not normal or acceptable.
4. Do spread your calories out over the course of the day. You will never become hungry and find you actually eat less. Each time you eat try to consume 400-500 calories. If you eat five or six times that is 1800-2000 calories which is a normal amount needed for an average person who exercises 30 minutes per day.
5. Do find time to exercise during the holiday season. It will not only help you keep from putting on holiday pounds it will also help reduce stress while keeping you in shape. You may not gain any weight during the holidays but you can become out of shape with no exercise.
6. Do remember that alcohol adds lots of calories. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram which is very close to 9 calories per gram in fat. So choose carefully. Wine can have half the amount of calories of beer or a sweet mixed drink. A margarita tops the calorie chart with the highest amount at 175 calories for an average size.
7. Do remember to eat before you indulge in an alcoholic drink or just enjoy the drink with or after your meal. This can have a huge impact on the food choices you make.
8. Don't skip the sweets. Try a taste. If you have really been watching what you eat and are afraid you will blow it, don't take a whole piece of anything. Only put a bite of what you would like to taste on your plate. If you take the whole piece, you might find the urge to resist too tempting.
9. Do share. If you are eating out during the holiday season, possibly try and share a meal. If you are shopping and eating out quickly, decide what you are going to eat and what is reasonable and put it aside. Throw the rest away at the beginning of the meal so you are not tempted to overeat. Portion sizes at restaurants are very large and usually more than we need at one meal.
10. Do remember to slow down and eat slowly. During the holiday season we are so rushed for time. If you eat slowly, you will feel full before you overeat. You are better off eating a little something slowly and then eating again a couple of hours later.
These are some tips that have helped me through the holidays. If you have a bad day, know that one bad day won't ruin your plans. However, if you have lots of bad days...like the whole month of December...you will have some back-tracking to do with your healthy eating and exercise.
Happy Holidays! Enjoy!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Hot chocolate for one..or many
We have officially entered cold weather and our first winter storm is on it's way! There is nothing better than a warm cup of hot chocolate. Try this cheap and healthier version:
If you have a tea kettle, put water on to boil.
In a large mug:
1 rounded tsp. of baking cocoa (make sure to look for the store brand which is cheaper than Hershey's)
3 rounded tsp. of sugar
dash salt (opt.)
1/2 c. of powdered milk
Add boiling water. All of these amounts can be adjusted to taste or size of mug. You can add creamer or half and half for a creamier version. Add it like you would to coffee. For an extra touch, top with a dollop of marshmallow creme or a Peeps winter mint marshmallow star or snowman.
You may also stir the first 3 ingredients together with a little warm water to make a syrup, add milk, and heat in the microwave.
Cocoa, powdered milk, sugar, and salt are staples that are easy to keep on hand and use for many quick recipes.
If you have a tea kettle, put water on to boil.
In a large mug:
1 rounded tsp. of baking cocoa (make sure to look for the store brand which is cheaper than Hershey's)
3 rounded tsp. of sugar
dash salt (opt.)
1/2 c. of powdered milk
Add boiling water. All of these amounts can be adjusted to taste or size of mug. You can add creamer or half and half for a creamier version. Add it like you would to coffee. For an extra touch, top with a dollop of marshmallow creme or a Peeps winter mint marshmallow star or snowman.
You may also stir the first 3 ingredients together with a little warm water to make a syrup, add milk, and heat in the microwave.
Cocoa, powdered milk, sugar, and salt are staples that are easy to keep on hand and use for many quick recipes.
What about Subway?
So I'm sure many of you are wondering about all of the Subway sandwiches you have consumed and want to consume while you are pregnant. The following letter was received from Subway after an inquiry by Peggy Martin from ISU.
Dear Ms. Martin:
Thank you for taking the time to contact us.
At SUBWAY we make every effort to ensure that our luncheon meats meet the highest quality standards and are safe to eat.
However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) recommend that pregnant women do not eat any deli meats or luncheon meats unless they are heated until steaming to prevent listeriosis.
You can find these recommendations on the internet at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/lm_tearsheet.htm.
Since Subway does not heat the deli meats until steaming we recommend that pregnant women choose from the following (non-luncheon meat) items at Subway:
Meatball
Steak & Cheese
Roasted Chicken
Tuna (Chunk Light Subway brand)(tuna should be limited to 2 servings a week when pregnant) Subway Seafood and Crab
I hope this information is helpful and thank you for contacting SUBWAY.
Sincerely,
Peggy Mccarthy x8201
Customer Care Representative
Dear Ms. Martin:
Thank you for taking the time to contact us.
At SUBWAY we make every effort to ensure that our luncheon meats meet the highest quality standards and are safe to eat.
However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) recommend that pregnant women do not eat any deli meats or luncheon meats unless they are heated until steaming to prevent listeriosis.
You can find these recommendations on the internet at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/lm_tearsheet.htm.
Since Subway does not heat the deli meats until steaming we recommend that pregnant women choose from the following (non-luncheon meat) items at Subway:
Meatball
Steak & Cheese
Roasted Chicken
Tuna (Chunk Light Subway brand)(tuna should be limited to 2 servings a week when pregnant) Subway Seafood and Crab
I hope this information is helpful and thank you for contacting SUBWAY.
Sincerely,
Peggy Mccarthy x8201
Customer Care Representative
Safe Deli Meats
Most people, at one time in their life, have consumed a cold hot dog and commonly consume ready to eat deli meats. The following information is very important for pregnant women and young children. Do not allow your young children to consume cold hot dogs. If you are pregnant, please listen carefully to the following instructions.
Ready to eat deli meats such as ham, turkey, bologna, and others that are pre-packaged or sliced at the deli counter need some special handling because of a unique bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes (LM).
Listeria can cause a life threatening illness for pregnant women and their unborn child. Deli type meats may become contaminated with LM during packaging and handling at the store. The most unique characteristic of LM is that it is able to grow at refrigeration temperatures. If it gets to high enough numbers, it will make you sick. So, how do we make sure that our deli meats are free from LM? Microwaving the product until it is uniformly steaming will kill LM and make the product safe to consume right away.
Once microwaved, the meat may still become contaminated so it is important to either consume it right away or to refrigerate it promptly and hygienically.
Sam Beattie, Ph.D.
Food Safety Extension Specialist
Food Science and Human Nutrition
Iowa State University
Ready to eat deli meats such as ham, turkey, bologna, and others that are pre-packaged or sliced at the deli counter need some special handling because of a unique bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes (LM).
Listeria can cause a life threatening illness for pregnant women and their unborn child. Deli type meats may become contaminated with LM during packaging and handling at the store. The most unique characteristic of LM is that it is able to grow at refrigeration temperatures. If it gets to high enough numbers, it will make you sick. So, how do we make sure that our deli meats are free from LM? Microwaving the product until it is uniformly steaming will kill LM and make the product safe to consume right away.
Once microwaved, the meat may still become contaminated so it is important to either consume it right away or to refrigerate it promptly and hygienically.
Sam Beattie, Ph.D.
Food Safety Extension Specialist
Food Science and Human Nutrition
Iowa State University
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