10 Small Ways to Improve Your Kitchen in 2014

Here's a late New Year's Resolution for you: improve your kitchen! Check out "10 Small Ways to Improve Your Kitchen in 2014" for some tips on how to get started.

10 Small Ways to Improve Your Kitchen in 2014

1. Label your pantry jars: Faith has written before about the transforming power of a labeler in her pantry, and it's advice well taken! If you don't have a labeler, you could also label jars with washi tape. When the pantry becomes easier to navigate, so does your life in the kitchen.

2. Reorganize your measuring spoons. If you have more than one set of measuring spoons, don't keep them all piled up together in the drawer divider. Instead, give the teaspoons and tablespoons their own little compartment. Those are the measurements you'll probably reach for the most anyway, and this simple update makes it easier to sort the spoons and keep them organized.

3. Oil your cutting boards. Just five minutes a month — that's all it takes to keep your cutting boards in tiptop shape. Considering they're such a major workhorse in the kitchen, it's worth it to take good care of them so they last a long time.

4. Clean your knives properly. Like the cutting boards above, we wouldn't be anywhere without our knives, so it's worth learning the proper way to clean and care for them. Do it a few times, and it'll soon become a habit!

5. Tiny kitchen? Maximize your counter space. On Monday we shared a brilliant little tutorial for cozy burner covers — a great solution if you find yourself frequently frustrated by your lack of adequate countertop space.

How To Build Burner Covers and Double the Counter Space in Your Tiny Kitchen

6. Rethink (and maybe redo) your cookware storage. Pots, pans, cookie sheets...they're essential, but they take up a lot of room. If you're not satisfied with your current storage setup, find a new solution. A few ideas: store stack pans in a wire organizer, use a ceiling pot rack, or hang them in a corner cabinet. And don't forget about organizing your pot lids! My new favorite way to store stainless steel lids is a magnetic knife rack.

7. Light it up! Having gone from a very dim kitchen to now having adequate task lighting, I can tell you the change is revelatory. This update needn't be expensive either. You can install under-cabinet lights or just bring in a swing-arm task lamp if nothing else. I installed two of IKEA's RANARP Clamp Spotlights over the workspace in my kitchen, and I love them. (You can see how they look here.)

8. Don't be a refrigerator bag lady. Old habits die hard, and for me it took awhile to let go of my grocery-bags-in-the-refrigerator storage method. I'm still not perfect, but life in the kitchen is so much better when I open my fridge and see properly washed, prepped, and packaged greens and vegetables. Not only does it help keep my fridge neater, but it also means I'm more likely to eat those goods rather than letting them languish in an opaque plastic bag.

9. Buy a fire extinguisher. If you haven't done this, now is the time! You hope you never have to use it, but you don't ever want to find yourself needing one and not having it available! Make sure to buy one that is suitable for Class B (flammable liquids like grease, gasoline, and oil) or Class K (vegetable oils, animal oils, or fats in cooking appliances) fires.

Basket Storage in the Kitchen: Cheap and Pretty Organization!

10. Pick one thing to prettify. You may not have time or resources to do a full-scale Kitchn Cure right now, and that's fine! But January is a great time to do something a little special for your kitchen. Maybe you finally buy a big clock to hang over the door, or a pretty tea towel, or some nice-smelling dish soap. Maybe you move a plant from the living room into the sunny spot by your kitchen window. Whatever it is, take a moment to recommit to your kitchen and cooking life for 2014. It's going to be a good year!

What small changes are you making in your kitchen this year?

(Image credits: Colin Price via Brick + Mortar | A Sweet, Small, and Organized Kitchen)

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/10-small-ways-to-improve-your-kitchen-in-2014-198756

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Recipe: Quick Coconut Chicken Soup

Don't stress over complicated recipes with long cook times. Check out "Recipe: Quick Coconut Chicken Soup" and get your next meal done in a snap!

Quick Winter Coconut Soup

Makes 4 2-cup servings

1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup coconut cream
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons ginger paste (or fresh ginger, microplaned)
2 teaspoons lemongrass paste (see Recipe Note for substitute)
2 small rutabagas, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 of a medium red onion, cut into thin slices
6 sprigs cilantro, stems removed
Juice of 1 large lime

To serve:
Sprigs of cilantro
Lime wedges
Sriracha sauce

In a medium (at least 5-quart) heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven, combine the chicken broth, coconut cream, fish sauce, ginger paste, and lemongrass paste. Bring up to a simmer over a medium flame.

Add the rutabagas, carrots, parsnips and potato to the pot. Allow the soup to come back up to a simmer (this takes about 6 minutes), then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer until vegetables are just shy of fork-tender.

Add the chicken pieces to the pot, turn the flame back up to medium, and bring up to a simmer. Turn down to low again, then let the chicken simmer for another 2 minutes, until it is cooked through and the vegetables are tender but not falling apart.

Remove the soup pot from heat, then add the red onion, cilantro leaves, and lime juice. Ladle into bowls and serve with additional cilantro, lime wedges, and Sriracha sauce on the side.

Recipe Notes:

• Vegan Soup Version: Make this recipe vegan with three simple substitutions: use vegetable or mushroom broth instead of chicken broth, cubed tofu or sliced mushrooms instead of chicken, and tamari or soy sauce instead of fish sauce.
• Coconut cream can be purchased at Trader Joe’s and some Asian grocery stores. If you can’t find this ingredient, you can substitute the solid coconut cream that rises to the top of a can of regular coconut milk.
• Lemon Grass Paste Substitute: Instead of paste, you can use a 3" piece of fresh lemon grass. Peel away the tough outer layer, chop it roughly, and tie it up in a bundle of cheesecloth with a piece of kitchen twine, or a bouquet garni bag. Add it to the pot along with the ginger paste, then remove just before serving.

(Image credits: Coco Harris)

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/quick-coconut-chicken-soup-recipes-from-the-kitchn-201107

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Two Easy Hacks for "Vacuum-Sealing" Bags Without a Vacuum Sealer

Have you seen those infomercials on TV advertising a vacuum sealer to keep your food fresh? If so, you'll probably know how expensive those things can get. Instead, try a cheaper option and check out "Two Easy Hacks for "Vacuum-Sealing" Bags Without a Vacuum Sealer"!

A vacuum sealer is in the "Want, But Do Not Need" category in my small kitchen. One day, maybe, I'll get my hands on one. For now, when I need to package up abatch of berries or some stir-fry ingredients for the freezer and want to press as much air out of the plastic bag as I can, there are two tricks I keep up my sleeve.

My favorite way is to use a simple plastic straw to suck out as much air as I can. First, press out as much air as possible by hand, then insert the straw in a corner of the bag and seal the bag around it. Suck out the air through the straw until you see the bag collapse around the contents of the bag, then — while still maintaining suction — slowly pull out the straw and quickly seal the rest of the bag.

I recently learned a second method from Joe Yonan in his book Eat Your Vegetables. Joe suggests submerging the bag in a bowl of water and then sealing it up. The pressure of the water will push out the air and mold the bag around the food. This method requires less huffing and puffing, but you'll need to dry the bag thoroughly before putting it in the freezer.

While not as perfect as an actual vacuum sealer, reducing the amount of air in your freezer bags with either of these methods will help slow down freezer burn and keep foods at their best while in their frozen state.

Do you have another favorite method for "vacuum-sealing" your freezer bags?

(Image: Emma Christensen)

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/two-tricks-for-vacuumsealing-freezer-bags-without-a-vacuum-sealer-tips-from-the-kitchn-194038

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Foods to Avoid for a Good Night's Sleep

Do sleeping problems have you up all night? It could be the food you're eating in the hours before bed. Below are 8 different culprits keeping you up! You can learn more here.

Dark Chocolate
Nibbling on a piece of dark chocolate might cure a late-night sugar craving, but that sweet satisfaction might be short-lived. Certain dark chocolates, such as Hershey’s Bliss Dark Chocolate, have as much as 25 to 38 percent of the amount of caffeine found in a standard cup of coffee. That’s enough to keep a few people up tossing and turning.
All chocolate – even milk chocolate – contains caffeine, but an easy rule of thumb to follow is: The darker the chocolate, the more caffeine it contains. So if you can’t give up the craving, reach for chocolate with a lower percentage of cocoa.

Steak
Beyond raising cholesterol and increasing obesity risk, fatty foods that are high in protein, like steak, digest slowly and may disrupt our Circadian rhythm if eaten close to bedtime. What’s more, high-fat, high-protein diets have also been linked to sleep apnea, which can leave you tired and irritable throughout the next day.

Alcohol
The nightcap. It’s supposed to help you unwind and get some rest after a long day. However, time after time, studies have shown that while alcohol can help you fall asleep faster, it negatively affects your sleep cycle by reducing the amount of SWS and REM sleep – both of which are responsible for helping to repair and restore the mind and body – you receive per night.

Spicy food
Spicy food may not give you nightmares, but it sure can disrupt a good night’s sleep. Lying down after eating a heavy, spice-laden meal can result in heartburn and a restless night. Studies have found that eating spicy food prior to bedtime not only reduces the overall amount of sleep a person gets, but also raise core body temperature, which has been linked to poor sleep quality.

Decaf coffee
If you’re jonesing for an after-dinner cup of coffee, reaching for decaf instead of regular may not prevent the late-night jitters. Contrary to popular belief, decaffeinated coffee contains enough caffeine to disrupt sleep, particularly for those who are caffeine sensitive.

Broccoli or cauliflower
Being healthy by eating your veggies has a time and place, but it’s not before bed. Some roughage like broccoli and cauliflower contain tryptophan, which actually helps the body produce serotonin and regulates sleep. However, eaten too close to bedtime, vegetables with high amounts of slow-to-digest fiber can keep your body working well into the night while you’re trying to get some shuteye.

French fries
Some of us may dream about fried food, but high-fat foods like French fries can keep you from doing just that. Indulging in one or two fries before bed may not be enough to keep you awake, but eating an entire serving may push your digestive system into overdrive not to mention give you a bad case of heartburn -- both of which are enough to prevent a good night of dreaming.

Chili

Hot sauce. Beans. Beef. Oh, my! Chili is a five-alarm recipe for sleep disaster if you eat it close to bedtime. Hot sauce-induced heartburn and a disgruntled tummy thanks to the beans and beef will keep you from getting all of those precious 40 winks.

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