Kitchen

There’s nothing worse than wasting money on food that has gone bad. Food waste is a large problem causing wasted resources and food to end up in landfills. Not to mention the food could’ve gone to people in need. Here’s a few ways you can use up your food faster while optimizing your refrigerator space. Front and Center. Keep items and foods you want to use front and center. If you see it every time you open the fridge you’re more likely to use it. Don’t worry about placing foods in places they “should” be going. Optimize the fridge to suit your needs so you don’t have to dig for items in the back of your fridge. Organize by Meal. Take some time to sit down and plan out a few meals for the week. Leave room for impromptu meals or spontaneous cravings. After you have your meal list down, go through and organize your fridge so the ingredients for each meal are grouped together. You’ll cut down on decluttering and organizing later. Learn Your Food. Your produce will taste better and last longer depending on how you store it. Some fruits and veggies are best kept on a counter at room temperature while others should be kept in a separate fridge drawer away from other produce. Broccoli and cauliflower can make other veggies go bad faster if they’re in the same drawer. You’ll save up on space while also prolonging the lifespan of your fruits and veggies with this method. Know Yourself. As soon as you get home from a haul of grocery shopping, prep any veggies or fruits for use. You can store them in clear containers so you can easily grab what you need or satisfy a craving later. If you find yourself always hungry for a turkey sandwich, leave the turkey and the bread together so you can easily grab both later. If you tend to snack, leave out some easily accessible healthy options such as grapes or carrots. Tend to be a long recipe cooker? Meal prep and store your meals on a specific day of the week so everything is organized and ready when you need it to be. The Freezer. Your freezer should be your go-to when preventing food waste. If your spinach is about to go bad, freeze it for a smoothie later. Don’t think you’re going to get to that chicken in time? Freeze it for when you have more time later. It’ll save you food and money in the long run. Source: the Kitchn

Let’s face it, we’ve spent more time at home with our kitchens this past year making us more conscious of kitchen trends. A kitchen is always a top priority for house hunters and with a competitive market, a trend could be a turn-off. Here are a few trends that have been worn down according to real estate experts. All-White Kitchens. At first these kitchens offered the most crisp and polished look. But over time this repeated design has deterred more buyers. It’s an easy fix however, painting an island or cabinets a shade of gray or navy blue can bring back some color. Minimal Counter Space. A big kitchen with flashy appliances used to dazzle house hunters. Given the increased amount of time at home due to the pandemic, buyers are more focused on the practicality of a home’s layout rather than design. If a kitchen and dishwasher are against one wall, a range or oven on another, and a refrigerator taking up another portion, where does food prep happen? Buyers can prefer countertop on both sides of a stove because it increases the amount of space to work with. Subway Tiles. Another essential to the white kitchen design, subway tiles have been getting a bit stale with buyers. More decorative tiles add interest to a kitchen that can win over buyers. It’s not always about doing the same old thing everyone else is doing. Too Many Details. A highly stylized kitchen could take a lot more money and effort to convert to a new design. Sleeker and minimalistic cabinetry contributes to a modern and simple look. It eliminates handles and crown molding which could attract more potential buyers. Sellers are finding ways to tone down their styles and eliminate personalized details. Source: Apartment Therapy

Choosing a new kitchen faucet largely depends on existing plumbing. The process of changing a faucet is relatively easy when you have the proper tools. There’s three important details you should look out for when you begin shopping. Faucet Holes. Not every kitchen faucet and sink design is compatible with each other. Start by looking at your kitchen to determine the pre-drilled faucet mounting holes available. Even if you’re buying a completely new faucet and sink, you’ll still want to pay attention to the amount of holes. If there’s a mounting plate underneath your faucet, look under the sink to see how many holes the mounting plate covers. There’s usually one to four mounting holes, if there are three then two are for the handles and one for the spout. A fourth hole will be for an accessory such as a soap dispenser. Corner mounting holes may call for a longer spout to reach the opposite side of the basin. A pull-down spray nozzle is a great option for these kinds of sinks. Check Water Lines. Make sure your new faucet is compatible with the water supply lines. Note the size of the existing water line and shut-off valves under your sink. Most valves should have the size etched onto them. If you’re unsure of the water lines, measure them with a measuring tape. Many newer faucets come with 3/8-flex lines, if the water shut-off valves are 1/2-inch you’ll need to change the valves before installing the faucet. It’s usually a good idea to replace the shut-off valves when installing a faucet since an old valve may fail when you need to shut off the water for leaks or other repairs. Consider the Finish. An out of place plumbing fixture can break the entire aesthetic of a kitchen. Match the faucet with other accessories such as the dishwasher air gap, built-in soap dispenser and sink-hole covers. For example a shiny chrome finish will look out of place against a matte brushed nickel finish. Take it a step further and consider the other accessories in a kitchen such as cabinet drawer pulls and appliance finishes. Source: the Spruce

Designing a kitchen to fit your lifestyle, taste and needs is no easy feat. There are elements that make a kitchen shine, while others can cause more stress later on. Here is the most important thing to do when decorating your kitchen as well as a major mistake to avoid. Attention to Detail Designing a kitchen is all about small touches. Select items that are both beautiful and functional. Usually these can be simple and inexpensive. For instance, glass dispensers or attractive dish towels can complement your style. It’s all about elevating your everyday essentials, making things easier to find and better-looking. Place your sea salt in a pottery bowl, or put your olive oil and vinegar on a cutting board. Plants are also a great way to make your kitchen shine. Warm up the space with plants or flowers and even faux stems which can bring a bit of the outdoors in. Textiles and patterns can bring a layer of softness to a typically hard-surfaced place. Your kitchen is full of counterspaces and cabinets which can be contrasted by a soft and colorful runner. It brings a design flair to an otherwise entirely functional space. Don’t Go Too Trendy Be careful to avoid trendy big ticket items. Ask yourself an important question: will you still love this and can’t do without it in 10 years from now? Your appliances, countertops and floorings are big investments that can’t be easily replaced. If you want to incorporate trends, find items that are easily replaceable and can reflect the same look you’re going for. Bold colored appliances, funky tiles and experimental pieces are best avoided. They will look dated over time and can limit your design options in the future. Try to keep the built-in elements neutral and simple, it’ll be less costly to update an accessory or piece of art than a stove. Colors aren’t the only element that should stand the test of time. Materials and finishes should also make sense for your lifestyle. Don’t make the mistake of purchasing marble counters if you don’t plan on staying on top of the maintenance. You don’t need to completely alter your aesthetic to get the look you want. Try quartz instead of marble! Source: the Kitchn

While there is no rule book on how to put a cheese board together, there are a few guidelines you can follow on how to prepare an interesting and flavorful selection of cheeses for your next course. Utilize this as an elegant appetizer or a cleansing palate in between courses. The choice is yours on how sophisticated you’d like the plate to be. Selecting Cheeses Any cheese plate should have diversity in terms of style, selection, appearance and flavor. Some prefer to differentiate cheeses by hardness and texture. For example, offering a blue, a hard cheese and a soft cheese. The hardness or softness is determined by the amount of moisture present. A hard cheese is generally more gritty, sharp and salty like a Pecorino. A semi-hard cheese will be somewhat smooth with small granular texture such as classic cheddar and gouda. A semi-soft cheese is higher in moisture which keeps them soft and pliable such as mozzarella. Finally, a soft cheese is anything spreadable like brie. These cheeses are practically paste and often sold in cups. Storing Cheese Limit storing cheese as much as possible. Purchase them at their peak ripeness and eat them the day you buy them. Since most of us don’t have access to cheese caves with optimal conditions, store cheese in a vegetable drawer in a fridge. There is typically more moisture there. Wrap hard and semi-hard cheese in wax paper or plastic wrap. Be careful not to store these for long periods of time as the plastic can lead to spoilage. A semi-soft cheese can be wrapped in butcher or wax paper, leaving the rind open so the cheese can breathe. You may need to store blue cheese or other “smelly” cheese in a separate container as the mold can spread to other cheeses. Serving the Cheese Set the cheese out early to allow it to come to room temperature. Harder cheese should be pre-cut beforehand to make it easier to enjoy. Add a few compliments to the plate such as flatbreads, toasts, crackers or rye. You can also add dried and fresh fruits like apricots, plums, pears and dates. Nuts are also popular options for their meaty and woody flavors to contrast the aromas of hard and blue cheeses. There is no standard for how a cheese plate should be developed. Let it reflect your tastes and the event its accompanying. Source: Simply Recipes

The kitchen is often called the heart of the home. However, there are dangers lurking that can make you sick. Some of these can lead to digestive upset, but others can be more lethal to those with compromised immune systems. Take a look around your kitchen to see if any of these items could be the culprit. Food Handling. How you handle food in the kitchen is a crucial health hazard. If handled incorrectly bacteria can multiply rapidly, leading to foodborne illnesses. Foods should be brought to the proper temperature needed to kill bacteria. Leftovers should be stored at the correct temperatures and never left on the counter for extended periods of time. All fresh produce should be washed before eating or used in recipes. Cross contamination between raw and cooked foods can be as simple as using the same plate. It’s best to keep these separated as much as possible, and never wash raw meat in the sink. Wash your hands frequently when moving through various cooking steps. Kitchen Towels. Fabric towels are essential in a kitchen and a great way to cut back on the use of paper towels. However, the danger comes if you are not washing them frequently leading to cross-contamination. Use separate towels for cleaning, food preparation and hand washing. Wash these towels in hot water after use. Cutting Boards. A cutting board makes food preparation easier and protects kitchen countertops. Using separate cutting boards for meats, fruits and vegetables is a necessity, otherwise cross-contamination can lead to severe health consequences. Wooden cutting boards should be washed after every use with hot, soapy water. Never place these in a dishwasher because they can be damaged. Sponges. Due to their porous structure, sponges are great at absorbing spills but also providing a perfect environment for bacteria to thrive. Sponges should be washed in hot, soap water and placed in a spot with proper air circulation to dry. If a sponge has a peculiar smell after cleaning, discard it instead. These odors can be signs of bacterial growth. Source: the Spruce

There’s nothing worse than dedicating your time and effort to baking bread only to have it ruined by an old, inactive yeast. If you’re looking to stock up on yeast but unsure of how long it’ll last, here’s how to store it so you can count on it the next time you need to make dough. How Long Yeast Lasts Dry yeast that is sealed and unopened will last about 2 years. Chilling extends its life which is why it’s best to store in a refrigerator or freezer. You should always check the best-before-date on the bag before purchasing it in the store. An opened active and instant dry yeast will last four months in the refrigerator and up to six months in the freezer. A fresh yeast, also known as compressed yeast, will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator and should not be frozen. How to Store Open Yeast Keep it Airtight. Air will shorten the lifespan of yeast. If the yeast is in an open envelope, fold down the top and seal with tape, a paper clip or rubber band. If it’s in a bag, press as much air as possible out of the bag, then seal with tape or rubber band. You can also transfer the yeast to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Label the yeast before storing with the date it was opened or the use-by-date. Source: Simply Recipes