Tips and Tools

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:

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

How to Enter:

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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 →

We are BIG “snackers” in our house — and we ALWAYS have a large assortment of cookies, bars, ice-cream, cake, pie, and candy to pack in our lunches, to eat for dessert, and just to snack on around the house.

And while I’m definitely not opposed to occasional (or somewhat frequent) sweet treats, I know that I have to balance those with healthy snacks throughout the day — especially since I’m almost always hungry!

However, I’m busy… and I assume you’re busy too, which makes eating healthy THAT much more difficult.

If you are struggling to come up with quick and easy snacks that are also healthy, here are a few of my favorites… most of which are also great ideas for school lunches!

FRUIT & VEGGIES: 

I like to keep a variety of fruit and veggies on hand — and I almost always wash it BEFORE I put it away. I found that if I didn’t wash it, I was less likely to eat it for a quick snack because it required one additional step.

Also, if possible, I’ll have all my fruit and veggies cut up and ready to eat — with the exception of apples and bananas because they get brown so quickly.

SLICED CHEESE & CRACKERS:

I always try to keep a variety of sliced cheeses and crackers in the house (I know crackers aren’t great, but I’m pretty sure they’re better than chips) for when I’m craving a salty snack or something with a little more substance.

PRETZELS:

I only recently started loving pretzels — and now I can’t stop eating them! They are another great (and somewhat healthy) snack when I’m craving a salty treat.

And they are even better with a few M&M’s

GRANOLA BARS: 

OK, so my recipe for granola bars isn’t exactly a health food — but they sure are delicious and I have to believe they are better than eating a huge piece of cake

FRUIT LEATHERS:

I buy organic fruit leather from Amazon.com and we eat these as snacks all year long. They come in a variety of flavors and are super portable — which makes it easy to always keep a few in my purse!

If you have a food dehydrator, you can actually make your own fruit leather too.

YOGURT & GRANOLA:

I have my own recipe for homemade yogurt – and the most delicious homemade granola I’ve ever tasted. I haven’t been very faithful at making either of these recipes lately, but they are a great healthy snack I try to keep on hand as much as possible.

NUTS: 

Nuts are pretty expensive, so I don’t often have huge quantities.  But I usually keep a few containers of nuts on hand for a quick snack.

MUFFINS & QUICK BREAD

Yes, some recipes have quite a bit of sugar in them, but for the most part, I’d say muffins and quick breads are a much healthier alternative to cookies and brownies. Plus, I usually try to slip in some ground flax seed which makes me feel just a little bit better!

My all-time favorite muffin/bread recipe is banana chocolate chip – SO GOOD!

These are just a few of the snacks I always try to keep on hand to reduce the amount of sweets I consume each day.

What are your favorite healthy snacks to keep on hand?

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15 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?

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35 comments →

Ever since Dave and I tied the knot {almost 6 years ago} I’ve struggled with making REALLY good fried potatoes. I even resorted to using frozen potatoes in times of desperation.

I can still remember the first time I attempted to make fried potatoes… I set off the smoke alarm

Well, after almost 6 years of trial and error, I’ve finally figured out how to make really good fried potatoes.

Here’s how I do it…

Peel, wash, AND dry:

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The first thing I do is peel and wash my potatoes… and then I dry them with a clean towel until there is no water left {this is important}. Sometimes I even let them sit out on the counter for a few minutes after I dry them, just to make sure they are really, really dry.

Oh, and I should mention that I use Russet potatoes — simply because they are inexpensive and big!

Dice, don’t slice:

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I used to slice my potatoes, but the thin slices would always stick together and they took up so much space in my pan that I had to do several batches in order to make enough for one meal.

Now, instead of slicing them, I “dice” them. Well, I actually don’t dice them {that would be a little too small} — but I do chop them into small chunks, which makes them so much easier to handle and I can fit a lot more in my pan.

Nuke them in the microwave:

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One of my biggest issues was that the outside of the potatoes would always get nice and crispy before the insides were soft — and by the time the insides got soft, the outsides would be on the verge of burning {hence the smoke alarm!}

So now, I toss the chopped potatoes in a bowl and microwave them for 2 or 3 minutes before frying them… that way, the potatoes are a little more tender and it doesn’t take the insides as long to soften up.

Use plenty of HOT oil:

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I honestly don’t think it makes a difference what type of oil you use — I often just use plain vegetable oil or whatever other oil I have on hand. The important factor is that the oil has to be hot when you put the potatoes in the pan.

You also want to use enough oil. Fried potatoes aren’t healthy  anyway — so just add a little bit more oil.  I promise, this will help!

Season… liberally:

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Fried potatoes taste delicious with just a little salt and pepper, but I often like to add a few other seasonings as well. Depending on what we’re eating, I’ll add garlic, rosemary, chives, or even paprika. I always add the seasoning after the potatoes are fully coated with oil and I don’t think I’ve had a bad combination yet — so just get adventerous!

Oh, and seriously, don’t skimp on the salt… fried potatoes need a healthy coating of salt!

Don’t stir too much:

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I cook my potatoes on medium-high heat and I let them fry for a few minutes before I stir them. After I stir them once, I let them sit for another few minutes and stir again.

After they are cooked through and tender, I remove the lid, turn the heat down a little bit more, and let the outsides really brown up.

Drain:

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After my potatoes are fully fried, I dump them onto a large platter lined with several sheets of papertowel so the excess oil can drain off.

This is not to make them healthier {they aren’t healthy… believe me!}.  It’s simply so they aren’t “slippery”. I don’t like “slippery” fried potatoes. I want my fried potatoes to be crispy, not greasy — so a quick pat with some paper towels does the trick.

Serve and enjoy:

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I always serve my fried potatoes with a side of ketchup…. and maybe a little more salt:)

These tips have helped me significantly improve my fried-potato-making skills – a skill for which Dave is eternally grateful!

What are your tips for making really good fried potatoes?

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16 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 →

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed.

Congrats to Jenni (jrgh17@…)

I will email you shortly!

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a big fan of super chic or ultra-modern. I live in an old farmhouse, and want it to look like an old {but updated} farmhouse!

However, when it comes to the kitchen, I really like the look of stainless steal; and I REALLY like top-of-the-line kitchen appliances and accessories. They make life so much easier, they make my time in the kitchen more enjoyable, and they help me work quicker and be more efficient {which I’m all about these days!}

So when I received this automatic papertowel dispenser from INNOVIA, I was super excited!

Dave and I are already making plans for our massive kitchen/dinning room renovation that will hopefully take place over the summer, and we’re planning to integrate all stainless steal appliances, so this papertowel dispenser will fit right in.

Now, for those of you who think that automatic papertowel dispensers are just for public restrooms, let me assure you, this papertowel dispenser is WAY too nice for a public restroom!

Here are a few of the product features:

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Hands-free: simply hold your hand to the sensor until the preferred amount of towels is distributed

Smart technology: the dispenser learns the perforations of paper towels, tightens when one is being pulled away for a clean break, and automatically retracts any excess towels

Easy to use, easy to install: the dispenser arrives fully assembled and installs with a few provided screws under cabinets to save space and seamlessly blend into the kitchen’s decor

Stylish: the dispenser comes in a stainless steel finish as well as white, black, red and blue. It is a sleek and sophisticated addition to any kitchen

Accepts All Standard Rolls: standard-size rolls of paper towels are accepted in the towel dispenser

My two favorite features are that it’s hands free {because I’m kind of a messy cook!} and that it automatically retracts any extra papertowels after you rip off what you need.

So today I’m really excited that INNOVIA is giving away another Automatic Papertowel Dispenser to one lucky reader… just enter to win below! 

The Giveaway:

:

Today, one Simple Organized Living reader will win an Automatic Papertowel Dispenser from INNOVIA! 

How to Enter:

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1. Leave a comment. Why would you love an automatic papertowel dispenser?

2. Like Simple Organized Living 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:

(1) Automatic paper towel dispenser as described above.

This giveaway ends at 10:00 pm on Monday, 2/6/2012 and is open to all U.S. and Canadian 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!

276 comments →

We eat a lot of Mexican food around our house… and since I’m a huge fan of simple dinner recipes, I’ve created a really delicious Mexican “base recipe” that I use almost once a week.

I usually make a double or triple batch of this mixture and store several 2-cup portions in the freezer. Then anytime we have a Mexican meal on our weekly menu plan, I defrost one container, add any other necessary ingredients {tortillas, lettuce, sauce, etc.} and can have dinner on the table in a matter of minutes!

Ingredients for a single batch of “Base Mixture”

• 1 lb. ground beef, ground turkey, or chopped chicken
• 1 16 oz. can refried beans
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 2/3 c. water as called for on the taco seasoning packet
• 1 pouch Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice {Santa Fe style} — you don’t need to microwave it first

Other optional ingredients:

• Chopped onion
• Chopped peppers
• Minced garlic
• Sliced mushrooms
• Canned corn
• Canned black beans
• Canned tomatoes
• Sour cream
• Cheese
• Salsa
• Chili powder
• Favorite Mexican spices and seasonings

Directions:

• Cook ground beef/turkey {and optional onions or peppers} in a large frying pan; drain
• Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until heated through
• Freeze in 2-cup containers and use for your favorite Mexican meals

Use Mixture For:

• tacos
• taco salad
• burritos
• enchiladas
• quesedillas
• loaded nachos
• a hot dip for chips
• any of your other favorite Mexican dishes

It is SOOOO quick and easy to make, it freezes wonderfully, and as with all my recipes, you can mix and match ingredients to fit your family’s taste buds.

Make sure your check out my recipe box for more delicious Mexican meals.

What are your favorite Mexican meals?

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6 comments →