A couple of years ago I posted some kitchen saving tips that help me save time when time is of the essence. I thought I would be a good time this week to share those again as September is a very busy time for people getting back to the grind after summer vacation, kids are back in school and the weather ( depending on where you are) is starting to cool down.

Now most of these ideas are not rocket science or particularly complicated.  They are simply tips I have tried in the past and have adapted over time.  What I would like to see is people add to the tips in the comments and then I will create an even bigger list in the future.

So without further adieu…

Zesty’s Top 8 Time Saving Kitchen Tips

1.  Keep a clean Kitchen

The more stuff that piles up around you, the harder it is to concentrate on what happens next.  This results in making it harder to find anything you need, costing you more time and mental frustration than it would take to stay clean.

2.  Be-friend the Ice Cream Scoop

When using small pastry shells or individual graham cracker shells to make tarts, I use an ice cream scoop to fill them quickly. A heaping scoopful of pie filling is just the right amount I need for each one.

3.  Advanced Table Setting

Set the table for breakfast and prepare breakfast foods the night before. For pancakes, mix dry ingredients the previous night. In the morning, add wet ingredients and cook.

4.  Stock on Hand

Pressed for time?  Fill an ice cube tray with chicken, beef or vegetable stock.  You can even try tomato sauce and/or cream soups. Dump the frozen cubes into a freezer bag. Then grab a couple of cubes to add to your stir fry, pasta, veggies, or to whip up a quick sauce.

5.  Keep a running grocery list

This holds true to be very effective when it is grocery time both at home as well as in the grocery store.  This will eliminate not having crucial ingredients on hand for your next great recipe.

6.  Cook Once, Cook Big

Make large batches of granola and store in an airtight container; Cut up extra ingredients for another meal when using onions, green peppers, etc; Cook double batches of rice or pasta to be reheated later in the week.

7.  Beat the stick

Set your dirty pots on the stove with some vinegar and water or dish soap and water. Let them boil while you eat. By the time you finish dinner and get started on the dishes, the hot water solution will have loosened stuck-on food.

8.  Sort your dishes

Put like utensils in the same section of the silverware tray in the dishwasher (knives with knives, small forks with small forks, etc.) so that you can pull them out by group and put them away fast. You can also do the same for like sized plates and bowls.

So there you have it, some not so traditional time saving tips.  Before I leave you for another day, I really want everyone to make a effort to post a time saving tip in the comments.  I think it will be fun!

Have a great day and I will see you Friday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Happy Monday!  I know this is long overdue but I thought what better way to start the week with a quick house update as to how things are progressing.  Our move in date has been solidified as December 10th.  Kind of exciting for sure… but still a bit of work left to do.  With literally three weeks left to go we have to be sure to have everything ready to go on our side to avoid slow downs.  The big question mark is the kitchen.  It is supposed to arrive late this week which if it happens we are in decent shape.

I have the appliances slated to be delivered on Nov 27th.  We need the cook top on site for the cabinet guys to measure for the counter top.  Here is a rough list of what is on the schedule for this week below.

Upcoming this week

1. Complete Hardwood Flooring Upstairs
2. Start on the baseboard
3. Install Fireplace and propane line for cook top
4. Continue painting trim work
5. Continue work on the lighting
6. Install tub and faucets
7. Wrap pillar in main entry with wood
8. Complete decking out front
9. Kitchen arrival

Still outstanding we have the main floor stairs as well as the stair railing.  I am heading over to see the railing people later this morning to make sure they can build the steel railing with a glass insert.  This is my fault if they can’t as I left this to the last minute.  Hopefully they can pull through for me!

I took a bunch of pictures yesterday for you but I am not sure how great they turned out.  It is kind of hard to visualize what rooms are what without seeing actually stuff in the room.  So I apologize in advance if these look just like a construction site.

Some of the decisions we went with thus far:

1. Solid Hardwood Floor Upstairs ( Cappuccino )
2. Torly’s Laminate Concrete Tile on the Main Floor
3. Ceramic Tile in Mudroom, entry way, laundry and all washrooms
4. Peter Kohler Windows ( grrrrr to that decision so far )
5. Moen Taps for showers/ tubs and sinks

Not the real door knob

A shot of the play room floor on the main level

Dining room.... looking out

A look into zesty's kitchen

A close look at the mudroom tile

The kitchen pantry

A peek into the family room

From the stairs... a look into the family room again

From the stairs... a look into the kitchen again

The upstairs hallway.... how exciting

The free standing tub that cause a little bit of grief but not much

A bedroom shot with dill pickle on the walls

A close look at the thermostat

A bedroom shot with Catepillar Construction Yellow on the walls

A close look at the torly's laminate concrete tiles

A Recap of Zesty’s Live Food Demo

As I mentioned briefly on Friday I was speaking to a group about cooking and Christmas.  My chosen topic was “Not so Traditional Food Ideas”.   I had a lot of fun and the crowd was great.  Around 200 people were there to listen to zesty.  As I was in the kitchen prepping  – I thought to myself…  I hope this turns out OK.  I will share the full recap of the demo tomorrow and share with you a super simple twist on a great holiday treat!

Have an awesome Monday and let me know if you have any questions.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Well the end of the week is here and what a week it was.  Lets end the week with an educational post to take you through the weekend.  I get a lot of questions about what knife to use when you are chopping versus what knife to use to slice bread etc.

This post will give you the basics of what knife to use depending on the task in the kitchen.  Just be aware that not all knives are created equal.  The length, width and edge of the blade as well as the shape of the tip are suited for specific culinary tasks.

Before you slice; think twice.

Slicing Knife
	Ranges roughly from 8-18 inches in length, with a thin, narrow blade to ensure smooth slices with a single stroke.  This is excellent for carving meats on Sunday dinner or when cutting those huge vegetables or even cakes and pastries.
Bread Knife
	Pretty self explanatory, the serrated or scalloped edge is designed to cut cleanly through tough materials such as bread crusts and some vegetables.  It is ideally used on food that has a  hard outside and a soft tender inside such as a loaf of homemade bread.
Chef’s Knife
	Maybe the most used knife in the kitchen – the chef’s knife is ideal for a large range food preparation.  It is usually around 8 inches in length, the cutting edge is shaped to allow a rocking motion on a cutting board  – making it the chopper of choice.  I also like to use the blade to crush garlic and other herbs.  The tip is good for paring and peeling fruits as well.
Santoku Knife
	I place this knife somewhere between a chef’s knife above and a butchers knife.  It is great for cutting. mincing and slicing.  The indentations on the blade are designed to prevent food from sticking to it as you slice.  I love that feature.
Utility Knife
	As the name states… is really a must have in the kitchen for all jobs.  It is great for peeling, slicing and cutting.  It is traditionally about 5-7 inches in length.
Paring Knife
	Highly versatile and a must have as well.  The paring knife is great  for cleaning, paring, peeling and slicing of small fruits and vegetables.

In Summary

So there you have it.  That is my take on the 6 common knives in the kitchen.  As for me- I feel if you only have three types of knives… they should be the:

1. Chef’s Knife
2. Bread Knife
3. Paring Knife

I hope you have a great weekend! I have a few fun and delicious things in store for you for next week – Stay tuned!

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty