The Organized Kitchen: my favorite organizing product

This is one of my favorite products to use in organizing my pantry. It seals great and is stackable. It's clear so you can easily see when you are low on a product. Plus, it looks nice. This is a Home Edit product available through Wal-Mart for $25 for the 3 pack with 1 small, 1 medium, and 1 large. You can also buy these individually or in multi packs of 1 size. These are only available online not in the store. Amazon also has these available on occassion.

They are great for storing dry pantry products like rice, quinoa, and lentils. They would also be good for pasta but may not fit spaghetti noodles. 

I also use them in my baking cabinet for things like oats, pancake mix, grits, nuts, etc. 

I would like to expand these in my baking cabinet for different baking items like chocolate chips, baking powder, cornstarch, etc. 

For me, it's one step at a time. I buy a set and transition some storage. It's a slow transition but makes it more affordable. There are also other products I use like baskets and mason jars currently. These are slightly different than the line found at the container store. Mainly the lids are different. I like both but the Wal-Mart ones are cheaper. 

If you are wanting to make some changes you don't have to do it all at once. Yes, it will take longer but you can do as you can a bit at a time. And no, you don't have to buy new product like this if you don't want. See what you have that can work unless you want to invest in it. 

The Healthy Kitchen: Tips for Healthier Baking

Living with health conditions can be complicated and make you think you have to completely give up on the things that you enjoy like cookies, cakes, and pies oh my! However, there are ways you can bake where you can enjoy the occasional treat. Is it going to be just as good as the unhealthy recipes? No, of course not. But you can enjoy the healthier recipes more often and not have to avoid sweets completely. As with everything portion control is key and knowing what your specific needs are. I am diabetic, so I have to watch my carbs and sugar intake. 

I have been working to try and be able to make some sweet treats that allow me to have a bit of a freer lifestyle. First, you need to know, you may have to make your treats instead of buying premade at the store. Below are some tips I have discovered on my journey that have allowed me to make sweets are home and enjoy a treat more often.  

1. Flour swaps

Getting away from white processed flour is key. There are so many options out there now that you can use. I tend to gravitate to white whole wheat flour personally. Coconut flour and almond flour are very popular alternatives. I am not a huge fan personally of almond flours texture but if you need to avoid gluten it is a great alternative. Another one I am seeing more and more is Cassava flour. They key is to look at your dietary needs and just try some alternatives. Be prepared, these alternative flours are not going to be as cheap so you will spend more but it will be better for you, and you can enjoy a cookie every now and then.   

2. Using alternative sugars

Like flour, you want to avoid the white sugars. There are loads of alternatives from natural options like honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar to other non-natural sweeteners. There are even blends. My go to for making recipes healthier is to replace brown sugar with coconut sugar and currently I am replacing white sugar with a Truvia sugar blend. It does have a bit of white sugar, but it is less plus you use half of the amount called for in a recipe. As with the flour, you need to research and see what the best option for you is. 

3. Portion sizes

Portion size is crucial in keeping things healthy. For me it is cutting brownies up into small squares, and for cookies using a smaller scoop. The other thing I do especially for cookies, it to keep them hidden away in the freezer. That way I am not tempted to sit down and eat 10 cookies in a row. I pull out one or two and the rest stay in the freezer. If I make muffins, I try and make mini muffins instead of large ones. 

4. Dark chocolate

Let's talk chocolate. Chocolate is not necessarily an evil thing if you are eating healthy. It's all about the type. Dark chocolate is the healthiest chocolate you can eat and is my go-to for things like cocoa powder and chips. You can also use half of what the recipe says to use. I do still use semi-sweet chips in like brownies where I used dark cocoa powder for a little lightness. In cookies, I tend to only use dark chocolate chips. Another great option is sugar free chocolate chips like Lily's baking chips. They taste good and there are a lot of variety of types that you can use.  

5. Healthier mix-ins

Lastly, alternative mix-ins that are healthier is a great way to bake healthier. Things like oats, flax seed, and chia seed add fiber. You can use dried fruit just watch the sugar amount especially the added sugars. Nuts add protein. Pumpkin is not only very tasty but also a great source of fiber. Fresh fruit and veggies are great in quick breads like zucchini, banana, and pumpkin.  Another favorite of mine is fruit crisps. You use fresh or frozen fruit and can make a crisp topping that fits your dietary needs including things like oats and nuts for added health benefits. You can even make these in single servings. 

Make ahead Crumble topping

12 oz unsalted butter cold or at room temperature

2.5 C whole wheat flour

1 C rolled oats

1 C coconut sugar

2 tsp salt

1tsp ground cardamom

2tsp ground cinnamon

2tsp vanilla extract or almond

Add all ingredients to large bowl and rub the butter into the dry ingredients with fingertips until mixed and crumbly. Make sure no large chunks of butter.

Spoon the crumble mixture into a freezer safe container and place in freezer until ready to use. 

Will last up to a year in the freezer. No need to thaw before baking. 

Baking can be a bit tricky, and it is all about trial and error when trying to bake healthier. If you aren't sure about a recipe there are a lot of recipes on Pinterest geared towards different dietary restrictions.

Be prepared when buying alternative products, you will spend more and usually don't get as much. However, sometimes you use less or can use less in certain things like mix-ins if you want to make things stretch. 

The Organized Kitchen: What's your organization style?

To be sucessful at organizing, I have learned it is important to know your organization style. I've learned through trial and errror mostly but with some help of the Clutterbug Organization Philosophy. The creator of this method even hosted an HGTV show called Hot Mess House on HGTV. 

The idea behind this philosophy is that organization is not one size fits all. There are four different types called clutterbugs. The different types are the bee, the ladybug, the cricket, and the butterfly. 

You can take a quiz on the website to discover your organization style at the Clutterbug website. 

I have discovered through trial and error that I do not like to have everything out on cabinets or open shelving. I like things to be put away behind a door where they are hidden but organized and my cats can't get into it. 

For an introduction see below a brief synopsis of the different styles.

The Ladybug

Hidden organizers that like their everyday items out of sight. They struggle to maintain detailed systems and tend to shove and hide things. They need large bins or baskets with fewer less detailed categories.

The Butterfly

Visual organizers than can easily forget about items when stored out of sight. They struggle to maintain really detailed organizing systems and prefer fewer and larger categories when sorting. 

The Cricket

Hidden organizers who prefer items stored behind closed doors. They are detail oriented and like to store their items in many, small categories. They don't mind having to open a lid or sort items when putting things away. 

The Bee

Visual organizers who like to see their everyday items out on the open. They tend to be perfectionists and like a detailed organizing system with many categories. A bee struggles the most with letting things go. 

I am a Cricket. 100%

I learned specifically with my pantry storage I love containers; I love baskets to organize snacks. However, I hate having things out in the open where people can see them, and my cats can get into them. I love a small category. If I have the space, I do it. My canned goods are even categorized! My drawers are categorized. Even my storage space is categorized. There is something very satisfying about putting things in an organized pantry or cabinet. Everything has a place. 

In my opinion, starting your organization journey should begin with finding out your style. There is nothing more frustrating than putting money into organizing product and furniture even and finding out the whole thing irritates you. I had that with my old pantry set up. It just made me mad every time I looked at it. I have been so much happier and satisfied in my kitchen since I got a good pantry set up.

The Clutterbug website is a great resource. There are classes, organizing tips, decluttering tips, cleaning tips. There is even a section for kids.  

The Guest Kitchen: Creamy Whipped Mashed Potatoes from Angie Brown

Holidays are a popular time when we make mashed potatoes. They are also a great side for meat dishes like steak, meatloaf, etc. This dish is super creamy. I used gold Yukon potatoes because they were on sale but the recipe calls for russet. As a result, I decreased the amount of butter. I also left the skin on for the nutrition but the recipe calls to peel first. 

The ingredients:

4lbs potatoes peeled

1 1/4 C hot milk

2 sticks butter softened

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp fresh parsley or chive to garnish

*for smaller portion I used 2 lbs potatoes 3/4 C Milk, 1 stick butter, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, omitted garnish. Made 4 servings.

The recipe:

Rinse and peel potatoes and place in a 5qt pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook partially until easily pierced.

Drain well and transfer to bowl of stand mixer. Use a spoon to mash a bit. Then using your whisk attachment whisk on low for 30 sec then increase to medium.

Heat milk in pot until it steams but before it boils. Slowly add to potatoes until you reach your desired texture.

Add softened butter a bit at a time, salt, and pepper and mix until combined and potatoes are fluffy.

These also would be really good with some garlic or sour cream added. If you like creamy mashed potatoes this is a great recipe to try. Thanks Angie for the recipe!