Cooking - What was your inspiration?
nelliebean
last year
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (36)
Zalco/bring back Sophie!
last yearLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
last yearlast modified: last yearRelated Discussions
What is your garden inspiration?
Comments (23)Another Secret Garden reader here. It was my all-time favorite children's book, and I read many. I am living my mother's dream. She grew up in the country, but moved to NYC when she got married. She missed gardening, and would take me on walks to find wild flowers under train trestles and other spots here and there. When I was a child, "a house in the country" was the ideal. My parents planned to move back to what was then rural New Jersey, but my mom died (from cleaning a rug) before that could happen. She had just turned 38. So I was raised in the city, but for the past 35 years have lived in an old farmhouse on 31 acres. My mom probably would have designed better gardens than I, but I enjoy doing what I do for both of us....See MoreWhat's your cooking style?
Comments (27)Sherry, not being flippant, just answering your question: Shopping once a month is possible because that's my only option. I can't drive. I live ten miles from the nearest grocery, and DH is home only once ever 4-5 weeks. The public transportation here is almost non-existent and not dependable, so sometimes I can work in an extra trip using para-transit, but I can't (and don't) count on that. It's not ideal, but it's the situation we have to deal with for another year or so. Also, 95% of the time, Im cooking for one. If I had three or four people here, it might be a problem. But then, if I had three or four people here, chances are one of them could drive. If you had to do it, you could do it. Ive already said, however, that when we move, I want a grocery store within walking distance. Lpink and Annie pretty much nailed the strategy, although I don't have a freezer or Annie's basement of lovely canned goods. I don't drink a lot of milk or orange juice, and I keep boxes of soy, rice and evaporated milk on hand just in case. My primary beverages are tea, water and a bit of cranberry or lime juice diluted in tonic water. I haven't seen fresh fish at any grocery since I lived in San Jose -- so I just ask the seafood clerk to sell me what he has that is still frozen. I use those green bags that inhibit outgassing (thanks Beverly for introducing me to those) and things like celery, peppers, carrots, kale, romaine lettuce stay fresher much longer than when not using them. When those are gone (usually after 7-9 days), I use frozen vegetables. Not much nutritional difference between frozen veggies and out of season fresh ones. I prefer grapes frozen, and frozen or in a muffin is the ONLY way I will eat a banana. If I buy berries, I eat them right away. And now I've learned (from here) that I can freeze lemons and oranges, well, that makes me happy! I don't eat summer squash out of season because it usually has no flavor. Eggplant is impossible to find here anyway, and I'm not paying $3.50 a pound for winter tomatoes even if they did hold up well. I just plan to eat things like asparagus, mushrooms and such early on. Bread is a problem. I have not gotten the hang of baking good bread in this climate/altitude. I use tortillas and pita bread mostly. Both freeze well and don't take up a lot of space. Herbs are another problem. Sometimes I buy fresh, chop it up, mix with a bit of olive oil and freeze in teaspoon quantities. Lpink, try turning the sour cream and cottage cheese containers upside down. I don't know why, but it seems to keep longer and they dont get watery....See MoreWhat are your favorite inspiration sources?
Comments (33)Shades, congrats on cleaning & organizing! While it's a lot of work, I always feel a great sense of satisfaction when I look around at tidy spaces. Like you, mosaic is one of my hobbies and that's where it's so hard to keep the clutter down. I mean, we need supplies, and when a project's done, I have leftovers that I'll for sure use on something some day. For me, that's where the discipline comes in. I've currently got half-finished projects and supplies for other projects I haven't even started, and yesterday I went shopping for tile! I vowed to myself this morning that before I bought one more piece of tile, I was going to finish all the projects I've got going. No more shopping for new tiles until I've used up at least a good chunk of the ones I have. But the temptation is always there! My heart goes out to hoarders. It's a condition that can really get debilitating for some, and I know how hard it can be to part with things we think we need. When we were moving and scaling down from our big house, what helped me the most was designating the new space first. Then I would decide which pieces to keep based on how much room I had designated for myself. The best example of this was my sewing desk. In the old house, I had a desk with 7 good sized drawers where I kept all my sewing, quilting and embroidery supplies. In the same room I also had 4 large Rubbermaid containers full of fabric scraps, partially-completed projects, etc. That was the spare room we were losing in the new house so most of it was going to have to go, and since I don't do as much sewing as I used to it wasn't a planned space in the new house. So, I bought myself a sewing box--one of those containers you buy at the fabric store that has compartments, etc. That sewing box was my new designated "space" and I only allowed myself to keep what fit in that box. It was hard having to part with some things, but honestly, I've been in the new house 3 years and have only really *needed* the things I put in that sewing box. As for my Rubbermaid containers in the closet, I decided I had room in the new house for one of them. So out of the five, I picked out the things I really wanted the most. The rest had to go. And honestly, I think that's a container I haven't even opened once since I've been here! For me, that was the best way to go through a space and make decisions, as it can be overwhelming trying to decide what can stay/go if you don't have concrete parameters to work with. I don't know if that would work for everyone, but it was one trick that made clearing the clutter easier for me....See MoreWhat is Cooking in Your Kitchen ?
Comments (42)Hope you're feeling better soon, Raven. Those look delicious, Shambo. Today, we will be making snacks to eat while watching the big 49er vs Packers football game today. We are having spicy red pepper hummus and tabouli purchased from the local farmers market. They will be served with pita chips. We also have tortilla chips and salsa. Some of the leftover pizza from the other night is going to be cut up into squares and crisped up on a cast iron skillet. I am calling these pizza bites. Along with that, we will have a small fruit platter (apple, cherries, raspberries, pineapple and avocado. Not only are the above snacks for the game, they are also going to be considered our dinner....See Moreblfenton
last yearlast modified: last yeararcy_gw
last yearglenda_al
last yearFun2BHere
last yeargardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last yearPatriciae
last yearadellabedella_usa
last yearLynnNM
last yeardedtired
last yearElmer J Fudd
last yearToronto Veterinarian
last yearlily316
last yearnickel_kg
last yearmaifleur03
last yearlisaam
last yearcarolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
last yearfaftris
last yearkl23
last yearchisue
last yearLars
last yearfunctionthenlook
last yearOlychick
last yearartemis_ma
last yearToronto Veterinarian
last yearcarolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
last yearamylou321
last yearWittyNickNameHere ;)
last yearKathsgrdn
last yearLulu
last yearToronto Veterinarian
last yearWittyNickNameHere ;)
last yearToronto Veterinarian
last yearLulu
last year
Related Stories
UNIVERSAL DESIGNA Farmhouse-Inspired Kitchen Designed for a Cook
Natural materials, traditional elements and modern updates combine in a stylish and extremely functional kitchen
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGN10 Cozy Kitchens to Inspire Fall Cooking, Baking and Dreaming
These inviting kitchens may give you the urge to bake — or to start dreaming up a cozy kitchen of your own
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNKitchen Recipes: Factory Cart Inspires a Dream Cooking Space
These homeowners' kitchen was almost nonexistent, so they whipped it up from scratch. See what they cook there and get the recipe too
Full StorySTONETuscan Travels Inspire a Granite Outdoor Kitchen in Maine
Serving up gourmet pizza and big views, this stone-laden cooking and entertaining space can cater to a crowd
Full StoryPRODUCT PICKSGuest Picks: A Travel-Inspired Kitchen
Let kitchen accessories with a nod to London, Paris and around the world inspire your cooking at home
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNKitchen Design: Baking Stations Make Cooking More Fun
Get inspired to cook (and simplify holiday prep) with a dedicated space for baking
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNKitchen of the Week: Colorful Cookware Inspires a New Look
A no-gray-allowed approach gives these avid cooks a design that’s as playful as it is functional
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNKitchen of the Week: Warm, Cozy and Autumn-Inspired
Houzz user transformed her Illinois kitchen into an inviting space inspired by nature
Full Story
chloebud