50 Projects: 52 Weeks (10. The Makings of a Well-Loved, Stock-piled Kitchen)

I know there won't be any judgement on this "project" that I've been working on...At least I hope that no one will point fingers! I know this may not be a craft, but it is certainly an art form. 

How does one create a well-loved, stock-piled, joyful kitchen? 

When I began to write this blog entry, it started as a rant and rave of our instant-gratification, fast-food society. I've nixed the ranting and I'll just get straight to the heart of it - I want to live simply. So cooking should be an extension of that. It shouldn't be complicated. It shouldn't be muddled with additives and it should be an experience. A food journey.

So my kitchen should be a tool that enables me to live simply. It shouldn't hinder my life. It shouldn't stress me out. That was the biggie for me. Here are some of my gathered thoughts:

1. I might have to put more "work" into something initially, but the end result will pay off in the end. An example would be stock-piling the freezer. Making sure I blanch the vegetables and freeze them almost as soon as I go grocery shopping instead of putting it off. It means thinking about prepping a garden or making the weeks' meal plans ahead of time instead of wandering the grocery store. Hungry. And tired.

2. It means eliminating waste. I'm already pretty good at not having to throw out "bad" food because I can usually find a purpose for it. But I mean REALLY eliminating waste: no plastic produce bags, starting a compost bin, recycling until I'm blue in the face.

3. It means finding classics. Finding great recipes and sharing my knowledge.


And with that said...

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins: A Classic

The beginnings of Texas-Style Chili

Dehydrating Bananas: It was a success!

The Banana Muffins are finished and I even had time to use up some

apples to make a gorgeous little apple pie.

So, this week, carrots, red peppers and asparagus have been blanched and frozen. Italian sausage - frozen. Dehydrating apples - already devoured them (need to make sure to slice them thicker next time!), dehydrated bananas - they were interesting and kind of pointy hard to chew but I mixed them with some peanuts and a small handful of dark chocolate for a trail mix snack. Perfecto. 

-

More inspiration to come!