eat. snack. love!

When my husband and I moved in together (he was just ‘the boyfriend’ at the time), we had to learn to love (or pretend to) what the other brought with them in terms of furniture.  We have VERY different taste, but little by little we have found ways to compromise.  One way was the coffee bar.  He had this butcher block that stored cat toys and various receipts from years past and I was trying to a better use for it.  After reading some blogs about DIY projects, I decided to use it as a coffee bar.

For about a year I used this clunky thing as a coffee bar and while it had some nice features, I needed something a little different.  So I started my research over again.  Low and behold I found the idea of repurposing a bookcase to fit my need.  And voila!  Here she is:

Now my next project will be to take that butcher block, paint it and make it into something useful in the dining room.  This is another project I think I can handle!

I was asked not long ago what I normally keep on hand in my kitchen.  This got me thinking.  I started to answer and I think she felt she needed to grab a pen and paper.  The items are simple, really, because that’s how I cook….or how I roll, whichever way you prefer to think about it.  ;)

I hate finding new recipes only to read through the ingredients and think:

1. I don’t have any of that! (which then leads to some pouting, eating cookies, then maybe a little cheese right off the block, and well, you see where I’m going with this) and 2. tossing the recipe aside because if I don’t have it on hand, I’m probably not going to make it anytime soon.

What I love finding are simple recipes with simple ingredients that taste delicious.  So, here goes, in no particular order:

1.  Olive Oil.  I remember when I first moved into my own apartment calling my mom from the grocery store and saying (read: shrieking), “Do you know how much olive oil costs?!”  This was also the point in my life where I thought because I’d added peas, carrots and an egg to my Top Ramen, I was a chef.  Luckily for me, my mom never made fun of my cooking “skills” at the time and she bought me a bottle of olive oil as a gift!  She wrapped it and everything!  I remember using as little as possible because let’s face it, I was a broke college student who didn’t starve, but certainly didn’t know what olive oil could do for my menu at the time.  Thanks Mom!

2.  Spices.  I know this is generic, but I do carry a lot of spices on hand at any one time.  Check out the post about my spice drawer some day – that was a lot of fun.  Yes, my idea of “fun” is different than some…and I accept that.  ;)  I am a sucker for the bulk foods section in my grocery store and decided one day that I was going to try a little bit of everything.  For literally no more than 20 cents each, I came home with a few tablespoons worth of almost every spice they had.  That eliminated a lot of my recipe ditching because I didn’t have a spice or two.  Now I have almost any spice a recipe could call for, and it really doesn’t take up that much room.  Oh, and kosher salt is an absolute MUST in my house.  I seriously wouldn’t know what to do if I ever ran out.

3.  Goat cheese.  This is my favorite cheese and you can do so much with so little of it.  I love its versatility and that it can make any dish just a little fancy.

4.  Bread.  My favorite is the rosemary garlic bread from Costco.  And my favorite thing to do with said bread?  Cube a slice or two, mist with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toast for about 10 minutes.  Take the toasted chunks and spread a little goat cheese on it.  Seriously…it’s heavenly.  Really simple and you’d think you should be paying a $10 bill for an appetizer.  Just remember to leave yourself a nice tip.  ;)

5.  Egg whites.  I love being able to open my fridge and find a carton of egg whites so that I don’t have to spend the time cracking eggs and separating them.  This also comes in very handy for making omelettes and meringues.

6.  Ziploc bags.  I love the freezer bags in both the quart and gallon size, as well as the snack size bags.  These come in really handy for prepackaging things, storing food, or piping frosting.  With all of the sizes available, it makes it really nice to have an assortment and the ability to grab what you need when you need it.

7.  Spinach cubes.  I can’t buy a Costco-sized container of spinach and think we’ll honestly finish all of it before it expires.  Enter…the spinach cube!  Seriously, it’s a genius idea, since I make smoothies quite often in the morning.  Take spinach and put it in the blender with some water.  Blend and add more water as needed until the spinach is liquified.  Then pour it into ice cube trays and freeze.  Easy peasy!  Pop the cubes into the blender when you’re making your smoothie and instant veggie addition.  And no, it doesn’t taste like veggies; the fruit takes over in the overall taste.

8.  Frozen goods.  I am in love with the freezer section of the grocery store simply because you can find anything and everything in there!  When fresh veggies aren’t really an option because of the season, frozen is the way to go.  It is rare that you would open my freezer and NOT find: spinach, brussels sprouts, green beans, corn, peas, artichokes, edemame, strawberries, raspberries, mango, blueberries and pineapple.  It’s also fantastic when these items are in season and delicious, then you freeze whatever you may not use at the time.  Then you have them for later!

9.  Greek yogurt.  Trader Joe’s has a great selection of greek yogurt and the vanilla bean is definitely my favorite.  I also like plain greek yogurt to use as a substitute to sour cream.

10.  Mason jars.  Finally, mason jars are the last on today’s list.  I am insanely in love with mason jars and using them for storage, presentation, and for packing them along in a lunch box.  I love canning soups, jam, and fruit and popping them in the freezer.  They also make a great place to store salad dressings and leftovers.  They also make for a great gift by filling them with pretty candies and/or homemade treats.