Misc.

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed.

Congrats to:

Jen (vestrands@…)

Kristin (kristin.hamernik@…)

Look for an email from me soon!

I would NEVER consider myself a gourmet chef by any means — I make simple meals with simple ingredients… but everything usually tastes good (at least that’s what Dave tells me!) However, even though I don’t cook gourmet meals, it’s still nice to work with gourmet cooking tools — especially if they are designed specifically with the home chef in mind.

Today’s Weekend Giveaway features a gorgeous 6″ Wüsthof Classic Chopper Knife… and let me tell you, I feel like a gourmet chef when I’m using it!

Unlike standard utility knives, Wüsthof’s new Classic 6″ Utility Chopper features a wide blade and reversed scalloped edge that cuts easily without shredding or tearing. The scalloped blade reduce blade “stickiness” when slicing though starchy vegetables and the wide blade design makes it easy to scoop up chopped ingredients from the cutting board and dump them into pans or bowls.

The Chopper is ideal for everyday food prep, in everyday homes, for everyday chefs like us! 

That is the theme of Wüsthof’s new microsite. They are “defining the Edgë” and revolutionizing the tools available for home chefs.

If you’re looking for a great knife to add to your collection, you’ll definitely want to enter my giveaway below. And if you’re looking for an entire new set of knives, head on over to WusthofEdge.com to see their selection of beautiful knives… you’ll probably start drooling!

The Giveaway:

:

Today, TWO lucky Simple Organized Living readers will win a Wüsthof Classic 6″ Chopper Knife.

How to Enter:

.

1. {required} Leave a comment on this post. What would you use the Chopper for?

2. {optional} Like Simple Organized Living and/or Wüsthof on Facebook, and then leave a separate comment letting me know you did {or that you do already}.

If you are reading this in your email or feed reader, please visit the actual blog post to enter. Email entries, Facebook comments, and Twitter messages will NOT be counted.

Prizes:

(2) Wüsthof Knives as described above.

This giveaway ends at 10:00 pm on Monday, 5/14/2012 and is open to US residents, 18 years or older. I will use And the Winner Is to select the winning comments at random. Winners will be notified by email and noted at the top of this post. Winners must respond within 48 hours of notification to claim their prize or I will choose a new winner. Please see my full disclosure policy and contact me with any questions you have. Good luck!

326 comments →

Dave and I have always kept our small kitchen appliances hidden — even the ones we use regularly.

We’ve never had a kitchen with lots of counter space, I really like the look of a clutter-free kitchen, and our cabinets definitely were not overly full; so we just decided to keep our small appliances concealed behind closed doors.

We honestly don’t have one small appliance sitting out — unless we’re in the middle of using it — and I really like it that way. Not only does this make our kitchen look less cluttered, it also makes it much easier to clean the kitchen counters – and our small appliances actually stay cleaner too because they don’t get dusty or splattered on!

It only takes us 5 seconds to pull the appliance out of the cabinet and onto the counter, and another 5 seconds to put it away when we’re finished — and we enjoy clutter-free counters for the rest of the day.

Since we’re planning a kitchen renovation this summer, I’m already thinking of ways to incorporate an “appliance garage” into our plans — we’ll see what I come up with.

I know there have to be lots of different thoughts and opinions on this, so I’d love to know…

Where do you keep your small appliances?

.

32 comments →

My sister is getting married this summer and a couple months ago, I went with her to register for gifts. It had been a while since I did much shopping for home items and I was simply amazed by how many different types of cookware were available in the stores!

And of course, they all claim to be the best value, the easiest to clean, the safest, etc. etc. It’s hard to know what type of cookware is right for you.

We questioned some of the sales associates and I also did a little online research to figure the different pros and cons for each type of cookware — here’s what I came up with:

Aluminum

PRO = Inexpensive

CON = Can react to acidic foods like tomatoes and cause leaching

Cast Iron

PRO = Durable and easy to use once it is seasoned

CON = Very heavy

Copper

PRO = It looks great and conducts heat very well

CON = Expensive and hard to care for

Glass

PRO = Best for baking and oven cooking

CON = Very breakable and doesn’t conduct heat well

Stainless Steel

PRO = It’s safe and it looks fabulous

CON = NOT non-stick and can be hard to clean

Teflon

PRO = Non-stick and very easy to clean

CON = Has a tendency to scratch and chip easily

I’m certainly not an expert but this is what I use:

• I have a full set of Analon Stainless Steel cookware that I use every day

• I have 3 different Analon Teflon frying pans that I use for anything “sticky” {like eggs}

• I have 1 cast iron skillet, however I rarely use it… I just like the looks

• I have several glass baking dishes for brownies, cake, casseroles, etc.

This combination of cookware works well for me, but I’d love to know…

What type of cookware do you use?

.

35 comments →

Ever since Dave and I got married and I started cooking and baking, I’ve had an internal conflict about whether to use butter or margarine.

I know this sounds ridiculous, but any time I’m at the grocery store, I always question which I should buy…

The Conflict:

Butter is more “natural”, BUT it’s also more expensive.

Margarine is much cheaper, I can buy 1/3 less fat versions, BUT I’ve been told it’s only 1 chemical away from being plastic! {not sure if this is true or not}

And because I can’t ever decide, I’ve always just kept both butter and margarine in the house.

We use butter for spreading on breads, pancakes, and for most of my “cooking” needs {sauteing veggies in butter, etc.} But I almost always use margarine or Crisco for all my baking needs {except butter cream frosting for obvious reasons!}

However, now there are all these new products like “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter”, spray butters, spreadable butters, and many more. It’s kind-of overwhelming how many choices there are!

Since I’m definitely not qualified to give any sort of dietary or nutrition advice, I’m wondering what choices you make when it comes to butter, margarine, and all the many other products out there. 

Are you like me and use different products for different purposes, are you a straight “butter” person, do you always use margarine because it’s the most economical choice, or are you hooked on other butter substitues?

Also, I’d love to know if any of you have more knowledge about the health aspects of these different products! 

87 comments →

source

I don’t know about you, but whenever I get groceries, I always make a point to check the expiration dates for almost everything I put in the cart — especially anything perishable!

The price of groceries is already high enough, so I figure there is no point spending money on something that’s going to expire before we have time to eat it.

I’ve had a few instances where the items went bad after only 2 days and when I checked the expiration date, I realized I had purchased them ON the expiration date. These items shouldn’t have been on the shelf, so I’m assuming the store just missed them… however, I’m quickly learned that I could simply avoid throwing access food out if I just checked the expiration date before putting it in my cart.

Also, if I do notice that an item is very close to the expiration date {and it’s not already on the discount rack} I’ll ask a manager if I can have a reduced price… and they will often give it to me! Then, I either make a point to use the food soon, or I put it in the freezer. I’m not saying this will work in every store, but you can always try it!

I’ve saved a lot of money {and a lot of wasted food} over the years by taking 5 seconds to check the expiration dates before I put food into my cart.

So I’m wondering…

Do you check the expiration dates of your food?

Do you have any other simple tips for saving money on groceries? {besides using coupons and shopping the sales}

13 comments →

Have you ever been in the middle of baking or cooking and realized you were out of one of the ingredients you need?

I’ve had this many times, and I often just go ahead and substitute another “similar” ingredient. Sometimes this works, other times it doesn’t! So instead of wondering all the time, I went ahead and did a little research on the difference between similar ingredients.

I was pretty surprised with what I found.

The difference between powdered and superfine sugar.

source:

There are so many different varieties of sugar, but up until a few weeks ago, I had never heard of “superfine sugar”. Or maybe I did, but just figured it was the same as powdered sugar. Well, it’s not!

Powdered, or confectioners’ sugar is granulated sugar ground to a powder and dissolves almost instantly. It is used for candy, frosting, and dusting over desserts. Here’s a recipe to make your own powdered sugar.

Superfine sugar is granulated sugar that has been finely ground, but still “grainy” in texture.  It dissolves more easily and is preferred for sweetening cold liquids and meringues.

The difference between compressed, granulated, and powdered yeast.

Compressed yeast is also called “fresh yeast” and is mainly used by professionals because it’s highly perishable and must be used within a short time of opening. Compressed yeast is about 70% moisture. It needs to be proofed before using and should be foamy.

Granulated {or dry} yeast is what I use almost all the time. It is basically compressed yeast that has been dried until the moisture content is only about 8% which makes the yeast dormant.  The granules only become active again when mixed with a warm liquid.  Granulated yeast is it has a much longer shelf life and does not need to be refrigerated — however I keep mine in the freezer just to get maximum life out of it!

When I posted my recipe for homemade bread, I had a friend ask if she could use “powdered yeast” instead of “granulated yeast”. I had honestly never heard of powedered yeast before, and even after some research, I still don’t know what it is.

Can anyone answer this for me?

The difference between a yam and a sweet potato.

source:

I’ve always known there was a difference between sweet potatoes and yams, however I continued to use the terms interchangeably…until now!

Sweet potatoes are not potatoes but a root belonging to the morning-glory family {I never knew that either!}. Sweet potatoes are a “dicot” or plant having two embryonic seed leaves.

Yams, although similar, are starchier and drier. They are a “monocot” or plant having one embryonic seed leaf.

Honestly though, I googled pictures of both “yams” and “sweet potatoes” and the same exact pictures showed up for both!

The difference between extra virgin, regular, and light olive oil.

source:

Extra virgin olive oil is the richest tasting oil and is best for salad dressings and drizzling on food just before service.

Regular olive oil has been refined and filtered. It is not as intensely flavored. It is good for stovetop cooking and frying.

Light olive oil is NOT lower in calories.  All olive oils have the same caloric content. It has been refined and filtered even further; therefore, it has the least amount of taste. Use it in recipes where you desire the health benefits of olives oil’s monosaturated fat but not the olive flavor, such as baked goods.

The difference between baking soda and baking powder.

Baking soda and baking powder are chemical leaveners, but they both work differently.

Baking soda is alkaline and expels carbon dioxide when combined with an acid. For example, buttermilk, which is acidic, is combined with baking soda in biscuit recipes.

Baking powder is baking soda that already contains an acid, (usually cream of tartar), and only requires liquid to become activated. You can actually make your own baking powder by sifting together 1/4 c. cream of tartar and 2 T baking soda.

The difference between table salt, kosher salt and sea salt.

source:

Table salt is a fine grained salt to which chemicals are added to keep it free flowing.

Kosher salt is a coarse, additive free salt. Kosher salt tastes cleaner and chefs like it because the coarser texture allows it to be held and controlled easier by the fingers.

Sea salt is made from evaporated sea water. Sea salts contain various minerals and the types and amounts of them vary depending on where the salt originated. These mineral combinations impart each sea salt with distinctive taste properties.

The difference between cake, all purpose, and bread flour.

Now days, there are so many different types of flour — it’s overwhelming. But the most common types are still cake flour, all purpose flour, and bread flour.

source:

Protein levels are the main differences between these types of flour.

Cake flour is 7.5 to 8.5% protein.

All purpose flour ranges from 9.5 to 12%.

Bread flour is 11.5 to 12.5 %.

When you mix flour and water, proteins in the flour combine with the water to create gluten.  Gluten imparts the dough with structure and traps the gas bubbles given off by the yeast or chemical leaveners.  The higher the protein content, the more gluten produced, and the firmer the dough.

Some baked goods require a softer texture such as cake, and some a firmer one, like pizza.  Therefore, the product you are creating will determine which flour to use.

The difference between chocolates.

source:

It’s somewhat obvious, but the main difference between different types of chocolate is the sugar content.

Unsweetened or baking chocolate has no added sugar.

Bittersweet and semisweet chocolate are each a little sweeter and vary in their chocolate content.

Milk chocolate is sweetened chocolate to which dry milk has been added.

White chocolate is actually not chocolate, but the natural vegetable fat found in the cocoa bean.

The difference between rice.

source:

White rice has had its hull, (the outer covering), and bran removed.

Brown rice has only had its hull removed.

Wild rice is not a rice at all; it’s a grass.

Also, I figured out that rice has two main starches: amylose and amylopectin.

Long grain rice is highest in amylose. Long grain rice is best for fluffy pilafs.

Medium grain rice has more amylopectin than long grain rice and is best for rice pudding and risotto.

Short grain rice has even more amylopectin  than medium grain.  Short grain rice is the most sticky and best for sushi.

OK, so there you have it. Lots of random facts that have been taking up room in my brain, and will hopefully be helpful the next time you’re wondering about substitutions!

Do you have other ingredients you’re wondering about?

1 comment →

I’m ALWAYS looking to get a good deal…especially at the grocery store!

I create a weekly meal plan around what’s on sale. I make my grocery list, clip coupons, and try to find the best deals possible while still maintaining a healthy diet — I have my system down to a science!

I keep our freezer full and our pantry stocked so we always have enough food in the house to last us several weeks. Then each week, I simply restock based on the sales and coupons.

However I always run into issues when it comes to fresh fruits and veggies.

.

Even though I preserve much of our own produce, it’s still nice to have fresh fruit and vegetables all year long. But they are SO expensive when out of season.

Lately, I’ve been shopping the discount produce rack at our local grocery store and am always happy with the bargain prices I find, but often I have to throw out some of the produce if it’s over ripe. And I also wonder about how much nutritional value I sacrifice for these bargain prices?

Is discount produce worth it?

?

Or should I just “suck it up” and pay full price for higher quality produce?

How do YOU find the best deals on produce?

All ideas, suggestions, and opinions are welcome!

11 comments →