Just a Couple of Quick Things

I was cooking dinner tonight -- Cashew Chicken -- and I realised that I am not a lover of cooking.

What I love is to create something pretty that everyone loves. Cashew chicken is a very pretty dish, and everyone at our table loves it. Interesting realisation.

I also thought about what makes cooking easier for me, and I thought I'd pass along a couple of things, in case you're a new wife or mom and are newish to the cooking thing:

1. Buy a rubber or silicone spatula. You'll be so glad you did. You'll be able to get the last little bit out of virtually everything.

2. Be careful when you're cooking over gas not to catch the potholder on fire. It's really easy to do.

3. Buy a really good chef's knife and learn how to use it. I have one of those santoku knives and I love it. But any kind of knife block will have a decent chef's knife in it.

4. Buy some of those kitchen tongs that caterers use. We call them "grabbers" at my house, and we have 3 different pairs. They're like salad grabbers (tongs). I was stir-frying the chicken tonight, and thought "these are so handy when you're cooking pieces of things." They really are; you can turn over individual pieces of things, toss a salad, even grab an oven rack when a potholder isn't handy.

5. Get a cutting board. I have about 4 in various sizes, but you really only need one. I use two small ones that have handles the most. Don't cut stuff on your countertop; you'll damage that and wreck your knife. Use a wooden cutting board, and then rinse it off with soap and water when you're done. I've had glass ones before, but again, they'll wreck your good knife. Just get a good wooden board and you'll use it forever.

Those are some of the most basic things that have made my life much easier in the kitchen. I hope they help you too -- you can always add them to the list of things your mom or Grandma gave you!

xoxox

On Couponing

Good grief, has it really been since mid-July that I've posted to this blog? For shame! I hang my head!

Well, let's have a word on couponing, shall we? It is the blessing and scourge of my life. I would love to be wealthy enough not to have to do it -- and yet I don't think I could resist saving all the money I do, so I'd still have to do it. Maybe I'd hire someone to cut them all out and file them.

Time consuming: yes. Worth it? Definitely yes. Here are a couple of blogs that I subscribe to, in case you need a coupon fix:

Clipper Girl's Saving Spot

It's Hip to Save

The Krazy Koupon Lady

I have the posts emailed to me -- and they are full of all kinds of ways to save. A virtual myriad of where to use the coupons you get, where to get them, where to get more, and how to best use them.

I have to try and limit myself, because I have a tendency to just go haywire. I only have so much room in my pantry, after all. I do try and get to Harris Teeter (my grocery store of choice) when they're doing either Super Doubles or Triples. I also try and pay attention to Target and WalMart, since I shop both those stores fairly often.

It can get overwhelming. And it's so tempting to buy everything that's a great deal, whether you need it or not. Fortunately, I have one Hunk O Man who commonly will say "Do you really have to grocery shop this week?"

He's right of course, and since Harris Teeter is about 35 minutes south of me, I usually wait.

On filing methods -- I've gone from an indexed box to a binder full of trading-card pages. It's still not perfect, but it's working for now. It's nice and portable and the best thing is that when you drop the binder, the coupons don't all fall out. Well, usually. It depends on whether or not I've gotten them into the little pockets in the pages instead of all stacked in the front of the alphabetical section.

We just can't all be obsessively perfect, you know. ; )

I do plan a cook day sometime this month. I've gone back to college with my two eldest -- we're all at the community college. Then there are three busy girls in high school -- so between jobs, school, high school tennis team matches, local theater productions, and Hunk O Man's job, it is a rare night we all have dinner together.

So I compensate by making something and leaving it on the stove for everyone. This is usually appreciated. In fact, Hunk O Man has been asking for Firecracker Cassarole lately --

xoxoxox