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June 04, 2008

Tip of the Month - Kitchens: 5 Essentials + what to give away

Summer is here - a great time to declutter the kitchen!

Since more of us will be cooking outdoors this time of year - why not take a look inside your kitchen and toss or donate items you no longer use. To get you started, here are some ideas:

TOSS: chipped or broken dishes, glasses or mugs; pots & pans that are burnt or rusty; excess plastic containers missing their tops or bottoms; broken appliances; and stained cutting boards.

DONATE: duplicate sets of items - especially glasses & mugs and don't forget those ugly souvenirs!; appliances or gadgets you no longer use; pantry items you haven't used in a year; inherited items you don't use (if there is a great deal of emotional attachment, store these items far away from the kitchen); threadbare dish towels; and ugly serving pieces taking up valuable real estate in your cupboards.

BUT, don't give away these items that PHA thinks are essential for every kitchen.....

  1. Microplane Zester: great for grating Parmesan cheese, chocolate, ginger and nutmeg
  2. A Santoku knife, serrated bread/tomato knife, a good Chef's knife and a paring knife - only four knives I ever use
  3. Colored cutting boards - a great kitchen tool - red for meat, yellow for poultry, blue for fish and green for veggies, bread and fruit
  4. Immersion Blender - an easy way to make 'faux' creamy soups without any cream!
  5. A good stove-top grill pan - comes in mighty handy on winter or rainy days!

 Happy Summer!

PHA – Affordable, Sophisticated Home Decorating & Staging, Moving & Relocation and  Organizing Services.

Posted by BearatHome at 09:15 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

May 04, 2008

Tip of the Month - Easy Organizing

....shoes piled up by the front door?

  • buy a large basket to create easy storage.

...trouble finding your keys/wallet/cell phone?

  • a small basket by the front door will keep your items where you need them.

...an under utilized shallow dresser drawer?

  • small baskets or containers inside the drawer can hold - jewelry, scarves, socks, ties, belts, etc.
... a catch-all drawer in the kitchen?
  • small baskets/containers in this drawer can corral like things together for easy access.
Happy May! 

PHA – Affordable, Sophisticated Home Decorating & Staging, Moving & Relocation and  Organizing Services.

Posted by BearatHome at 09:12 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

February 01, 2008

Dining at Great American Lodges


Dining at Great American Lodges includes full-flavored recipes from lodge chefs, luscious food photography, and photos of each lodge. Home cooks will enjoy making Roast Duck Breast from Lake Placid Lodge, Roasted Beet Salad from Sundance, and Marionberry Crisp from Timberline Lodge. Quotes about the beauty of nature by Thoreau, John Muir, and Teddy Roosevelt will inspire hearts and imaginations.

On the companion music CD, instrumentalists of the Big Sky Ensemble blend bluegrass, country, western swing, slack key, and jazz. Inspired by traditional American songs, their music is a cross-country journey to enjoy while cooking, dining, and relaxing at home.
 
Order today

Posted by BearatHome at 12:49 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 28, 2007

Taking things slow . . .

I love to cook, but sometimes life just gets in the way.
 

The solution?  A slow cooker!  I gather the ingredients, toss them in and forget about it for a few hours.  And if you get busy, food doesn't overcook or burn if left longer than required. My particular model switches to a “keeping it warm” mode until I return.

Liquids do not boil away as in conventional methods of cooking.  Meats are marinating in their own natural juices and tend to be “fall of the bone” tender.

Here are some tips for easy use –

  1. I always “brown” the meat before adding it to the recipe.  While this step may not be necessary, remember it takes longer for cold items to warm up and begin cooking.  Browning also reduces the grease from items like ground beef.
  2. Again, to jump start the process, when adding liquids (beef or chicken stock, for example) recipes work best if the liquid which is added to the other ingredients has been already heated to boiling point.
  3. Traditional recipes can be modified for the slow cooker; most moisture based recipes can easily be prepared for the slow cooker – stews, soups, and sauces.
  4. Just remember that since liquids don’t evaporate as they would if boiled, less is required.  Play with your favorite recipe; it’s pretty hard to kill it in a crock-pot.
  5. Don’t over do it – cookers should be filled somewhere between half full and no more than two-thirds full.
  6. Vegetables cook slower than meat and poultry in a slow cooker so if using them, put vegetables in first, at the bottom and around sides of the utensil. Then add meat and cover the food with liquid such as broth, water or barbecue sauce.
  7. One hour on high equals two hours on low.
  8. Dairy products such as milk, sour cream and cheese also do not hold up well to several hours of simmering. To avoid curdling, wait until the last hour of cooking time to stir in these items. Heavy cream can stand up to heavy cooking.
  9. If you prefer your vegetables on the al dente side, add them in the last hour of cooking.
  10. Almost anything is improved with wine – both in and out of the chef.

After a long day working around the cabin, nothing beats the aroma beef stew or chicken noodle soup simmering in the slow cooker. 

Sit back, pour a glass of wine and take things slow.  You deserve it!

Posted by BearatHome at 10:29 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 27, 2007

Maine Bear Salt Glaze Pottery


 
 
Every piece of Maine Bear salt glaze pottery in handmade in Maine. Each piece will vary in color and texture. Handfuls of rock salt are thrown into the white hot kiln, allowing the shimmering fire to glaze every piece in a unique way. This pottery is very durable and made to be used. Oven proof, microwave and dishwasher safe.
 

Posted by BearatHome at 11:08 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 08, 2007

The Perfect Sugar Cookie

Chef Tom

www.bearlyedible.com

 

It just would not be Christmas without the cut-out, iced sugar cookies. They are everywhere this time of year. Co-workers bring in trays to share. They are at reception desks and checkout counters. I’ll most likely receive gift boxes of holiday goodies where decorated Santas, Christmas trees and snowmen are the centerpiece of the cookies.

 

You have to realize that all sugar cookies are not created equal. I consider myself a connoisseur of cutouts. I’ve had cookie as hard as a board and some so soft that they crumble when you pick them up. The taste of these cookies is all over the board from floury to ultra sweet. I made it a mission to find that perfect sugar cookie.

 

In the late 70s a co-worker gave me her grandmother’s recipe for sugar cookies. I believe that it is the perfect recipe for cut-outs. It is soft yet firm. The sweet but not overpowering taste is the result of the perfect combination of sugar, butter, vanilla and sour cream. Even better, the recipe is almost completely foolproof. Give it a try this holiday season. You will not be disappointed.

 

 

Grandma’s Sour Cream Cutouts

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 5 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 tsp. soda
  • 1 ½ tsp. salt

Instructions:

 

Cream butter in large bowl. Add sugar and eggs, beating until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and sour cream. Beat well.

 

In another bowl sift together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Add to above mixture and mix well. Place in wax paper and chill several hours.

 

Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness on floured board and cut. Bake in a 400-degree oven just until light brown around edges. Cool and decorate.

 

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

 

Chef Tom

 

www.bearlyedible.com

Posted by BearatHome at 02:13 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 04, 2007

Tip of the Month - Alphabetize to Organize...

by Peggy Hughes

Do you open your spice cabinet and quickly locate the exact spices you need? Or, do you get frustrated by having to pick up one can or bottle numerous times and find you keep picking up the same one? Ever notice that you have two, sometimes three bottles of the same spice-and each is half full?


Well, you can have too many spices! Even duplicates and triplicates of spices. And, not enough of the spices you really need. You’re also wasting some valuable cupboard space. Here’s a quick and easy way to bring order to your spices, once and for all. First, purchase an inexpensive stepped shelving unit from any home improvement or hardware store.


Second, remove everything from your cabinet, grouping like items together. “A” spices like allspice, anise seed and arrowroot, all peppers – red, black, white, together, you get the picture. Place oils, vinegars and bottled sauces and dressings in another designated area. Again, it’s best to store these items together – oils with oils, vinegars with vinegars, etc.

 

Now, consolidate as many open spices as you can, clean out your cupboard and begin reinserting your spices! It is my experience that it is better to start from the back, going from left to right beginning with the letter A and work forward. Often, I will have both a “ground” and a “leaf” type of spice (i.e. ground marjoram and whole leaf marjoram.) When this happens, I stack them on top of each other.


Interestingly, rarely do I have to pull out one spice to see what’s behind it, but, when it does happen, I already have a good idea where a spice should be because of the alphabetical spices around it.


There you have it – you will be amazed how much prep time you save by not having to rummage through a bundle of unorganized spices. And, you will gain valuable storage space in the process.


Happy Cooking!


PHA – Affordable, Sophisticated Home Decorating & Staging, Moving & Relocation and
 Organizing Services.

 

Posted by BearatHome at 05:09 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)