Healthy Household

House Cleaning: Natural Cleaners

When I was young, just starting out in the kitchen I didn’t think a lot about germs and bacteria like I should have. You always wipe down the counters and tables using soap and hot water and that’s it, RIGHT? Well, today if you listen to or read the news it is hard to get through a day without hearing about some recall of lettuce, peanut butter, dog food or cleaning product or someone getting deathly ill from eating a hamburger at a local chain restaurant, which ultimately gets traced back to contamination of some sort.

Cutting Board Care

Recently we have become aware that there are many things we unknowingly do or don’t do during food preparation and house cleaning that can cause illness. Just wiping down a cutting board with soap and water isn’t good enough. Some suggest converting to plastic or glass cutting boards, they all have their pros and cons. Personally I don’t like the noise they make, so I stick to my wood cutting boards, now they have bamboo which lasts longer. What I do is keep two spray bottles in the corner of my kitchen counter – one contains Hydrogen Peroxide and the other contains White Vinegar. When starting meal cleanup, I quickly wash off the cutting board used in the clean dishpan, rinse it, dry it a bit then spray one solution, wait a couple of minutes, towel down with a paper towel, then do the other solution. It can all be done in the few minutes it takes to do the rest of the cleanup . I’ve been told it works, and it makes me feel good about my food prep areas.

Home Cooking: Fresh Homemade Pasta

Have you ever had homemade fresh pasta? I hadn’t made any for some time, but I made some this weekend. Whenever I do make it, which isn’t often enough, I once again remember how much better it tastes than the dried variety. Yes, it takes a bit of extra time, but it is not that difficult and the result is so rewarding. Making it during the summer is especially fun when you bring in fresh herbs from your garden and break them up with a mortar and pestle. It makes the kitchen experience bloom with fragrance.

You can make your fresh pasta without a machine and it is comparable to making pie dough, but about ten years ago I bought a pasta maker and let it sit in the pantry for about six months before I tried it, but ‘wow’ was I glad when I tried it. Most of the time I make spaghetti but it makes ravioli (which my mother used to make by hand), gnocchi, and many other varieties of pasta. The basic recipe is pretty simple, but you can use tomato juice or other vegetable juices in place of the water for a slightly different taste.

My pasta machine has an extruder and different dies for different kinds of noodles, so it is not hard to use at all. It also came with a booklet of Italian sauces like pesto, parsley pesto, marinara, etc. So when you have a little time and want to create a great meal for your family, friends or yourself, try it. I think you will like it and some say it is therapeutic. Just remember that fresh pasta cooks in a very short time so make it the last thing you cook for the meal and ENJOY.

Healthy Meals: Creating An Atmosphere

You may not be old enough to remember this, but when I was a child, one of the first things I remember doing in the kitchen was helping my mom by squeezing the Oleomargarine package when we got home from the store, as a matter of fact my sister and brother soon joined me in a game of “Me First, Me First”. Actually there was plenty of squeezing to go around, as it took quite a long time to get the orange dye capsule inside the heavy plastic package broken and distributed evenly throughout the previously white stuff inside. Sometimes I would get tired or rather go out and play, but I was helping in the kitchen and I liked it, and mother had so much to do she appreciated the help.

As time went on we learned to set the table and wash the fresh vegetables and even got to help pare carrots for snacks or to cook and cut some of the other veggies to cook. Of course we always helped clear the table, but didn’t get to help wash the dishes until much later, but I do remember standing on a kitchen chair helping do dishes.

Later mom taught us how to make biscuits, pancakes, and eventually cook creamed tuna on toast, which was one of our favorite quick dinners. It was hearty and scrumptious with a big glass of cold milk. We also learned to make Jello with bananas, fruit cocktail or mandarin oranges in it for dessert. I’m not saying we never had candy or ice cream or things like that, but mom always kept Popsicles and “fudge bars” in the fridge for snacks and desserts to encourage healthy choices.

Cookware: Rachael Ray Cookware

Though I have never personally used Rachael Ray cookware, I am an avid fan of hers and I’ve seen it used many times in her shows. I have been watching her shows on the Food Network religiously, so when I remodeled my kitchen several years ago I put the stove in an island so I could watch TV and cook at the same time. I also put in a lot of electrical outlets for blenders, grinders, etc. so everything I need to cook can be at my fingertips and I don’t have to turn my back on the cooking shows.

I like the looks of Rachael Ray cookware. The soft grip handles and 400 degree oven capability along with the cheerful colors she has put together to brighten your cooking experience. Rachael Ray cookware seems to be a very popular item these days, and even though I have never used it, I offer it on my website.

The most popular item among the Rachael Ray cookware seems to be the 10 piece hard anodized set. I have read many reviews on this set. Most people really like the easy clean-up, even though they are hand wash only pieces. They also rave about the even heating of the aluminum core and therefore even cooking of your dishes. Cooks like the colorful soft grip handles and say when their dishes are cooked in this cookware they just taste better.