I like cucumbers. I like their crisp. Their crunch. Sometimes I like the seeds...say, for sliced cucumbers on top of a salad. Other times, I don't like the seeds. For those times when the seeds have got to go, this is what it looks like! Cut off the ends. Slice in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, run it down the middle, scooping out the seeds. Slice the … [Read more...]
How to Seed a Tomato
If you need to use a tomato without all the drippy, seedy parts, try this quick and easy way to remove the seeds from the tomato. Simply slice the tomato along it's equator, then gently squeeze out the seeds. By slicing longways, the seed pods should be broken and should fall out easily. The seeds from some varieties of tomatoes might not fall out so easily, so … [Read more...]
How to Season Chicken for the Grill (When You Forget to Marinate It!)
When life is flying by faster than you can keep up with, something is bound to fall through the cracks. For me, it's often getting the chicken out of the freezer and thawed in time to get it marinating. While I usually freeze chicken in a marinade in a freezer baggie, but sometimes I can't even manage to get that done when I get home from the grocery store. So when … [Read more...]
How to Cut Fresh Herbs
Learn How to Cut Fresh Herbs from your Garden this Summer with this Quick and Easy Kitchen Hack! It's fresh herbs season. Oh, how I love fresh herbs season. The house smells fragrant when they are cooking. The kitchen smells fragrant when they are being chopped. And your hands smell fragrant from picking them. Ahhh.... Scroll down to the end for some of my … [Read more...]
How to Keep an Avocado from Browning – Kitchen Tip
Avocados. I love them. A lot. And by alot, I mean they could be my favorite food. I often only use half of an avocado for my salad...or for the kids. But I don't want the other half to brown, while I wait to use the rest up the next day. 3 Tips to Keep Avocados from Browning 1. Run them under cold, cold water (or plunge them into an ice … [Read more...]
How to Cut a Kiwi
If you've never tried a kiwi, you are missing out! They have this delicious sweet tangy zing to them, and I love tossing them into fruit salads for the extra flavor! And they do well in smoothies too...love this uber healthy Green Smoothie! If you haven't tried one because you don't know how to cut it, or what to do with it, don't worry...know one will ever know! I'll … [Read more...]
How to Speed Up Grilling Time – Outdoor Kitchen Shortcut
Now that the grilling season is upon us, it's time to get outdoors and get our grill on. Usually, I think of summertime cooking as relaxed and leisurely. I rarely look at the time and having dinner on the table for the hungry little people at 5:45 on the dot isn't such an issue. (Because they are swinging, in the sandbox, or kicking a ball around the yard, and have … [Read more...]
How to Clean Your Stained Cutting Boards
Several weeks ago, I mentioned stained cutting boards. And a number of you threw out some ways to clean them. After doing some research and experimenting in the kitchen, I figured out what works best for my strawberry stained wood cutting boards! Step 1- Sprinkle a little kosher salt on the cutting board and then gently squeeze some lemon juice over the … [Read more...]
Using Your Kitchen Shears
My kitchen shears might just be the most underutilized tool that I have in my kitchen. I'm hoping to use them more this summer! A few of their uses... 1. Chicken - Cutting up whole chicken into parts before cooking. Cutting chicken breasts or chicken thighs into bite size pieces before cooking. 2. Fresh herbs - Quickly snip cilantro stems from the leaves. Roll up some … [Read more...]
Do You Know How Much Salt and Pepper to Add?!
I wonder if you know how much salt and pepper to add when a recipe reads "season with salt and pepper to taste." Do you know how much to add?! Obviously you add enough so that your taste buds are happy and enjoy the flavor and bite from the salt and the pepper. But what if you are making a really large bowl of potato salad. Or a triple batch of soup in a big pot?! I'm … [Read more...]