Project Organize

One of my goals for October was to organize the kitchen.  Well I tackled that and then some while I was on vacation.  I not only organized and de-cluttered the kitchen cupboards, I washed all of them.  Even though we have a big kitchen I still wish I had more cupboard space, That is until I decide to wash the cupboards that’s when I wish I had a teeny tiny kitchen. It took me a day just to do that. I don’t really have any earth shattering suggestions about how to organize your kitchen but some of the things I find helpful are.

* Mason jars for storing items.  I have been slowly accumulating mason jars to store my dry goods like beans, lentils, chickpeas, flours, teas etc. That way I don’t have 5000 different plastic bags and packages strewn about in the cupboards.  I also label the tops of the jars so I can actually see what’s in them without pulling them out.

*Baskets make great holders for a lazy susan cupboard.  Ours is metal so things would fall through the cracks or fall off as you spin it.  Annoying!!!  So I try to keep like items together in the baskets and now I don’t have to be a contortionist to crawl inside to try to retrieve what fell off.  I also keep my potatoes in a basket helps eliminate rotten ones at the bottom of the bag. 

Before and After

Some things I figured out during this task

-  I have a lot of tea.  I mean does one person really need 24 different kinds of tea???

-  I also have a lot of vinegar – 13 kinds to be exact, seriously what was I thinking.

- Another thing I realized was I could have outfitted another entire kitchen.  Some of the things I donated, toaster, pressure cooker, pots, pans, juicer, food processor, blender and the list goes on.

A little treasure I found buried in the back behind the tea and vinegar was this

This stuff is super good on toast but it would be amazing as a topping for Brie or with pork or chicken.  I will be picking some more of this up for sure at the next Epicure party I go to.

G’night all.

~ Jackie

Dijon Apple Pork Chops

Wow it’s October already.  Where does the time go?  Before we know it we’ll be running through the stores scrambling to buy those last minute Christmas gifts.
Before I start thinking about Christmas shopping, let’s rewind to September for just a minute.  I shared a few of my goals for September.:

1. Walk at least 30 minutes 5 days per week.   This was a success.
2. Complete and submit tests/assignments for 2 modules in RHN course.  Almost a success.  I completed both tests/assignments but had some computer issues uploading them so they haven’t been submitted yet.
3. 3 Day Smoothie Detox. Completed with a slight modification (2 days of smoothies, 1 day break, then smoothies for a final day).  Hubby had a day off, which is VERY rare so we spent the day out and what’s a day out without some yummy food. I really didn’t think I could do smoothies for one day let alone three but it was easier than I thought. The right combinations of ingredients made me feel full and gave me energy throughout the day.  I don’t know if I could do cold smoothies during the winter but a great idea for the summer or even spring and fall.

Here are October’s goals.

1. Organize and purge kitchen cupboards
2. Focus on meal planning  (I normally fail miserably here.  I can start cooking one thing and by the time I’m ready to eat, it’s a completely different meal)
3. Make fewer trips, and spend less at the grocery store.  Also use what I have in the house and stop wasting food.

The fall weather has found us here on the East Coast and since there has been a definite chill in the air I thought some comfort food was in order last night.

Dijon Apple Pork Chops and Roasted Potatoes
1 – 2 medium apples roughly chopped (I used honey crisp)
½ red onion chopped
¾ cup chicken broth (or water, or unsweetened apple juice)
1 -2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
2 lbs bone in pork chops
Salt & Pepper
EVOO
Preheat oven to 375
Sauté onion till translucent. While onions are cooking sprinkle chops with salt and pepper and bring to room temperature. When onions are cooked remove from pan. Add chops and sauté. When they are browned (not cooked) remove from pan to a baking dish.
Mix broth, mustard, brown sugar and cinnamon together and add to hot pan along with onions. Simmer for a couple minutes making sure to scrape up the flavour bits left behind by the pork chops.
Pour over chops, cover with foil and bake for approx. 30 mins or until internal temperature reaches 155 – 160.

Roasted Potatoes
You probably don`t need a lesson on how to make roasted potatoes but I make these all the time so I thought I would share. Sometimes I roast in the oven at 400 or finish in a frying pan on the stove.
Yukon Gold Potatoes
EVOO
My usual spices of choice
Granulated garlic
Chilli powder
Paprika
Sea Salt, fresh cracked pepper
Cayenne
If roasting in the over, partially cook in the microwave. If cooking in a frying pan on the stove cook through but don’t overcook.
Mix spices and EVOO together in large bowl.
When potatoes are finished in the microwave chop and toss in bowl with EVOO and spice mixture. If they are still hot this will help them soak up the mixture.
If finishing in the oven line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake to golden brown.
For the frying pan – just add some EVOO to the pan and cook to a nice crispy crust has formed.

The photos leave a lot to be desired.  The night lighting in my house is horrible for taking pics.  That`s one of the things on my to do list… some kind of photography course.

Have a great day!!
~~Jackie

Vacation - Chicken and "Rice"

It's that time again, I'm on vacation.  Unlike my last couple weeks off where the weather was sweltering hot this vacation started off with a monsoon. We didn't have any flooding in our area but about an hour away there was some serious flooding.

Hopefully the water recedes soon and everyone can start the clean up process.

One thing I will be working on during my vacation is getting a good start on some goals I set for myself in September.  Something I need to overcome is the fact my goals are usually vague, big picture, and lacking a plan with little goals along the way. As a result I end up getting distracted and never quite seem to get to the desired end result.  Which in turn leads to negative thoughts and feelings about myself.  My September goals aren't lofty by any stretch of the imagination but slow and steady wins the race, right!

A few of my September goals are:

1.  Walk at least 30 minutes 5 days per week.  

2.  Complete and submit tests/assignments for 2 modules in RHN course.

3.  3 Day Smoothie Detox

One of my upcoming goals is to organize my recipe collection. I have 59765 recipes I need to get under control, but I have no idea how.  Do I sort them by meal type, chef, type of cooking (Gluten Free, Vegan, Raw) etc. Anyone have suggestions?

On the subject of recipes,  last night I was sitting here among my 59765 recipes while searching online and  I still couldn't find anything for supper. Sadly this occurs more often than I would like. Supper obstacle #2 hubby won't eat what I eat so I have to cook something different for him.

Here's what I decided on for me, Ginger Cilantro Chicken  and Cauliflower Rice. 

Ginger Cilantro Chicken (adapted from The Kitchn)

Preheat Oven to 375

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1" piece of fresh ginger, grated

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno pepper seeded

1/3 cup cilantro leaves

1/4 - 1/3 chicken stock or white wine

2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce (or Tamari)

1 tsp sesame oil (I used about 1/2 tsp hot sesame oil)

Sea Salt and Pepper

chopped green onions for garnish

Put all ingredients (except chicken and green onions) into your food processor and process till smooth.

Sear chicken on both sides in a skillet. Remove from skillet and place in baking dish.  Pour sauce mixture over chicken and bake till chicken reaches 165 and juices run clear.

Remove and serve topped with some chopped cilantro and green onions.

Since I liked everything in the recipe I figured it would be a winner and it was.  

Cauliflower Rice

1 medium head of cauliflower

1/2 - 1 cup chopped onion 

1 small carrot, shredded

1 - 2 cloves roasted garlic, mashed

1 tbsp EVOO or coconut oil

Sea Salt and pepper

Place shredding blade in food processor (you can use a box grater too). Processes cauliflower.

Saute onions till soft, add cauliflower, mashed garlic, carrot, salt and pepper.  Saute about 10 minutes.  I wanted mine a little crispy so I probably cooked it a it longer.

I was skeptical about the "rice" but it turned out really well.  A great way to get in some extra veggies and skip the carbs.

~~Jackie