If you haven’t caught on yet, I really like being in my kitchen. I spend a great majority of my time in there – experimenting, baking, burning, spilling, etc. I have several kitchen tools that I really love….and I have a really long list of kitchen tools that I would like to love – as I have extra money here and there, I buy something and remove it from the list. And yet, my list doesn’t seem to get any shorter. Hmmmm. Last year I gave you my five of my favorite kitchen tools – so this year I’m going to do it again. [Read more…]
Search Results for: kitchen day
Kitchen Tip: Using Butter to its Fullest
How Do I Work Without My Kids Interrupting Me?
I’m often asked, “how do I work without my kids interrupting me?”
The answer is simple, y’all… You don’t. Nobody does.
If you have kids, they will interrupt you. As a stay-at-home, home-schooling mom, I am with my children pretty much 24/7. This means there is virtually never a time when I am NOT interrupted. Ha! My children may need a snack, want to give me a booger, and sometimes, when I’m lucky, want to bring me a flower or some other token of affection. Each and every day, there is always some crisis I have to resolve. But I don’t let that stop me from doing my work! My kids have interrupted me about 4.5 million times. No, I haven’t actually counted, but I think that’s a pretty fair estimate 😉
But I don’t let those interruptions keep me from getting my work done!
What I do, is plan my day knowing that there will be interruptions. I know from the moment I wake up, there will be poop, fights, screaming and/or crying at some point in the day. How do I handle it? How do I get work done when this keeps happening? I just go with it.
If I am baking on Kitchen Day and one of my kids starts hollering for Mom, as long as no one is injured, I will keep on doing what I’m doing. I’ll say, “Hold on, and I’ll be right there when I get to a stopping point.” I may say this 10 times while making one batch of Bacon Cheese Muffins.
Does it get annoying?
Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake for One
We have this problem with cake around our house…
We don’t have a problem eating it. Or enjoying it. The problem is, if there was a cake in this house, my children cannot focus on anything else. Anything else. It’s like their brain becomes taken over by the cake alien and all they can think about is CAKE! This cake problem is what lead to me dusting off the recipe for this delicious mini chocolate peanut butter cake for one.
“Mama, is that cake still there?” “Mama, what’s for breakfast? Cake?” “Did Daddy eat the rest of the cake?”
Hey kids! Time to go outside and play in the sprinkler! “Okay, Mama! But when we’re done, can we have cake?”
“Mom…if I do all my chores today, can I have cake?”
[Read more…]Grinding Flour In Our Nutrimill
We’ve owned our Nutrimill for a decade and it has served us well. It is one of the best kitchen tool investments we’ve ever made. What is it? Simply put – the Nutrimill grinds actual grain (wheat, corn, etc.) into flour. I did tons of research before I bought this baby. I read everything I could find and I picked my friend Stephanie’s mind. I’m sure that she’s wishing Stacy would just go away. I’m like a boomerang that keeps coming back. We decided on the Nutrimill instead of the other various mills on the market because it was supposed to be the quietest, have the biggest storage container, and you can turn it off while it’s grinding (unlike some of the other models).
[Read more…]How to Get Out of a Cooking Rut
…or How to Ditch Kitchen Burn out
A few times I year I go through what I like to call: The Cooking Rut. It almost always happens right after Christmas and then again right before summer, when we are finishing up school. I know it’s coming – and it used to bother me. But now I know how to ride it out, so I wanted to share with you three things that help me.
Before I go any further, let me encourage you to listen to that burn-out/rut feeling. It’s okay to have it. It doesn’t mean you’re a terrible homemaker and you’re failing. It just means you’re human and providing three meals a day can get old day after day after day after day. Give yourself some rest – maybe take a few weeks off from planning/cooking hard core. Two weeks is probably a good length. And then resume, with these tips.
[Read more…]How to Be a Work at Home Mom
I’ve been a work-at-home mom for the past ten years. I remember this because one of my very first posts on the blog was about throwing a bubble-themed birthday party for my oldest daughter. It has been a big learning experience, but I have found working at home suits me (and our family) really well. With the right attitude, the right office setup, and the right resources, working at home is something that may just work for you as well. I’ll share toward the end of this post about my actual workspace, and tell you about the desk and chair I recently received from Autonomous, the sponsor of today’s post. If you prefer to watch a video about this, jump over to my YouTube channel where I just posted a video about it.
With kids, what does working at home look like?
[Read more…]Chocolate Chip Banana Snack Cake
Kitchen Therapy
Getting in the kitchen and baking/cooking is therapy to me. Well, up to a point. When I happen to be worried about something or I’m just out of sorts, getting my hands into flour and batter just really helps me – and it’s cheaper than a therapist. But then there are those times when getting the kitchen makes me feel like I NEED A THERAPIST. I burn everything and throw a hissy fit. The smoke alarm goes off (again). I get mad and throw a dish. Annie says, “what is THAT?” So, yeah. But baking is still cheaper than a therapist. A chocolate chip banana cake to therapy session is about to begin!
I wish I could explain to you the deep satisfaction that I get when I take a conventional recipe and turn it into something healthy (or healthy-ish). It’s a deep sense of calm. There’s a deep sense of pride. It’s a deep sense of humility – because the next time I try to do it, it tastes like sandpaper and you can’t even choke it down. But, I would have to say that about 75% of the time, making a recipe healthy turns out well – and I can suffer through the other 25% that it doesn’t. I’m SURE Barry is going to remind me of that the next time I sit in the floor, crying, rocking, and holding on to a pan of sawdust cake.
[Read more…]Surround Yourself with Words that Matter (Because ALL Words Matter)
Part of making-your-home (homemaking) is the decorating part. I’d be lying if I told you that was my expertise. The truth is, I get all my inspiration from Pinterest and then I just copy it. Ha ha! They say imitation is a form of flattery, right?
If you were to come into my home, you’d be instantly aware that I love words.
There are words EVERYWHERE.
I have printed words on the wall. There are printed graphics that are framed. We have blocks of wood with words painted on them. I have painted chalkboards in the kitchen with scripture. There are chalkboards in the bathroom. There is a whiteboard in the kitchen. Letterboards galore live here. I have window clings on the mirrors. Jewelry? Yup, words there too.
Scripture is everywhere. Funny sayings are in abundance.
But why?
[Read more…]Fruity Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal
I’ve been making this recipe for fruity baked steel cut oatmeal for several years now…and it’s become one of my go-to breakfasts. For us, it ranks right up there with Baked Oatmeal and Sweet Potato Oatmeal. We all LOVE it! It’s so easy to customize to your desire and it works with whatever is in season. I found the general idea online and made my own version. 😉
Steel cut oats can be a little tricky…if you don’t cook them just right, they’re crunchy. I’m not sure about you, but crunchy oatmeal is just not cool – not cool at all. If you expect them to taste like regular oatmeal, you’re going to be sadly disappointed. They do have a bit of a bite to them, but they should not be crunchy when cooked. For us, we had to learn to like them – and buddy, do we like them!
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