Feeding The Family During A Kitchen Refit

Modern kitchen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the biggest upheavals during our recent kitchen remodel was planning how to feed the family with our kitchen out of commission for about 10 days. What I did was set up a mini kitchen in the dining room. I put the table against one wall and put my microwave, kettle, toaster and grill on there. I also bought a plug in hotplate. I planned ahead and cooked some meals ahead of time that I could freeze and then reheat in the microwave. Things like stew and casserole. I also made a few stirfry dishes on the hotplate which worked out pretty well. We never had to resort to to take-out although we did eat at my mother's house on one occasion. It was summer, so we also grilled out a couple of times. The main issue was washing the dishes. I had to do it in the shower which is not really idea. I ended up steam cleaning it afterwards because I just felt a bit ick! Apart from that we survived pretty well. I tried not to use meals that were going to leave a smell lingering in the dining room.

I think that forward planning goes a long way in most situations. If we are prepared then we can breeze through difficult situations. I think this does for lots of things, not just preparing for a kitchenremodel! Think about when we have to take a trip, when we have someone in hospital or any number different situations. So with that being said, I have a new motto...

Be Prepared!

Food Safety Audits

A lot of people have commented that I should work from home now that I have a new kitchen. However, it's not that simple. I'd have to get my kitchen certified for business use and that's a big hassle. I also prefer to be out of the house when I am working. It got me thinking though, so many people don't realise that there are serious issues behind the cupcakes! It's not all just mixing and frosting! One of the biggest issues is maintaing my food safety audits. It requires a lot of time and effort, but ultimately it is necessary to ensure the safety of my customers. It's not just a legal requirement, it's a moral obligation too. When someone orders cakes from me, they are trusting that I won't make them sick. I could never cut corners on food safety knowing that, more so because my product is cupcakes and a lot of kiddies will eat them.

I carry out my audits regularly and I use 3 different methods. First and foremost, I perform an internal audit because I know my business best and it is a chance for me to make sure that I am up to speed on everything. I do this more often than required, about once a month. I like to keep everything running properly. I have my little daily procedures too, but during a full audit I check everything. My second method is a customer audit which I do once a year. I invite customers to an open day on the premises and let them see our procedures and taste some samples. I then have them fill out feedback cards. This lets me get customer feedback and also builds trust in my brand. Lastly, is my external audit which I only do every 18 months or so. Sometimes having a fresh pair of eyes form an unbiased source is useful.

Any business in the food industry would find it hard to stay in business and to beat the competition without the proper steps to audit food safety. It is now more important than ever not to take this step for granted.

Top 5 Kitchen Gadgets

When I got my new kitchen installed, I took the opportunity to update my gadgets and appliances! I love to cook and I love little gadgets which make my dishes easier to make! Checkout my top 5 kitchen gadgets that I have added to my collection since remodeling the kitchen.

Kitchen Scales

I bake a lot, so measurements are very important. I decided to replace my old scales with some much more accurate electronic scales. Baking is a science, it is important to get the balance just right or else the recipe can go very wrong. Look for scales which offer both grams and ounces and a tare function as well.

Coffee Grinder

What kitchen is complete without a coffee grinder? Now I have a confession.. I don't actually drink coffee!! So what do I use a grinder for? Well the answer is simple. I buy whole spices and grind them myself in the coffee grinder. It makes for much better flavor than dried prepacks.

Waffle Iron

I have ALWAYS wanted a waffle iron! I finally found the perfect one which has reversible plates,so I can not only make my own waffles, but can flip the plates to use it as an electric grill or griddle. Even the waffle grid is great for things like veggies as it makes a beautiful pattern.

Candy Thermometer

Sugar is fascinating. However it is also unforgiving,so having a candy thermometer is a must. These thermometers are designed to read temperatures between 212F and 355F – temperatures which most foods will never reach! With one of these little babies you will be able to make pulled sugar, candy, caramel and so much more! Check out the candy temperature chart on the right!

Heating Pad

A heating pad in the kitchen? Yup that's right! A heating pad can help with so many thing. You can use it to melt chocolate, accelerate the rising of yeast, make yoghurt and keep gravies/soups/sauces warm among other things. I love my heat pad! It's my favorite kitchen gadget.

So those are the five kitchen gadgets I cannot live without. What are yours?

Bring On The Braai

I've talked before about some of the food I tried in South Africa, and a few people have emailed me asking about other foods that they should give a go. If you're looking for authentic South Africa food, then experiencing a South African braai is a must. The word 'braaivleis' is Afrikaans for grilled meat. It's commonly shortened to braai which basically means grill or bbq. So essentially this dish is just traditional South African barbecue! In fact, in South Africa it's really common to have a “Bring & Braai” which is sort of like a pot luck party. Everyone converges on one person's garden and brings meat or side dishes. Meat is the star attraction. Usually it will consist of chicken, pork, lamb, steaks, boerewors sausages and sosatie kebabs. However, Ribs, Fish and Rock Lobster are also common.

One of my favourite Braai recipes is for Pan Braai Steak Flambe

Ingredients

• Matured Rump steak (100 grams pp for starters, 200 – 300 grams pp for mains)
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Klipdrift (South African Brandy – any brandy will do)
• Cream (optional)

Method

1. Pat salt and pepper into/onto both sides of the steak.
2. Place the pan over the flames. This recipe works very well as a starter as it is best prepared whilst the fire is still burning. Use an old pan, or a cast iron pan, or whatever pan you generally use on the fire.
3. Generously add some olive oil to the pan. You might even want to put the oil in the pan before putting the pan on the flames.
4. As soon as the oil is really really hot, place the steak in the pan. Take care not to splash some of the boiling hot oil on yourself. The pan can stay on the flames during this whole process.
5. Turn the meat after about 2 minutes and remove from the fire after about another 2 minutes (very thin steak shorter, very thick steak longer).
6. Add a generous dash of brandy to the pan, take the pan back to the flames and slightly tilt so that the brandy can catch fire.
7. Remove the pan from fire and let the meat rest for a few minutes.
8. Cut the steak into strips (in the pan, or on a cutting board) and return the meat to the pan, so that it can further absorb some of the sauces in the pan.
9. Serve as is, potentially grinding additional sea salt onto the meat if needed.

Door Stopping!

Okay. I gotta make a confession! Here it comes... y'all ready?

My name is Em and I am addicted to my kitchen!

You all know already about my new kitchen right? You already know about my crazy organizing spree right? Well the thing is... now that I have everything where I want it and I have all my accessories either in place or on order, I can't help looking at the door and thinking it would be so much nicer if it matched the new cabinets! (I know, I know) The thing is if I replace the interior door in the kitchen... I'm going to have to do all the downstairs doors as they all lead off the hall and if I do the downstairs doors then I'd feel weird not doing the upstairs. That makes a total of 15 doors including the cupboard under the stairs and the linen closet upstairs. It's not going to happen! So I guess I'll just paint it.

Anyway, enough about doors! What's that got to do with food? Actually, quite a lot because my food for today is Blackened Salmon with Doorstop Fries (see what I did there? Hilairious I am!).

For the doorstop fries you are going to want to cut some BIG potatos into nice fat chips. Fry them in hot oil in a big frying pan, turning them constantly so they brown on all sides evenly. Deep frying won't work as they need to be in too long to cook that way and the outside would burn by the time the middle was right.

The salmon is really easy. Take salmon fillets and coat it with cajun seasoning. Place them skin side down in a lightly oiled pan and fry for about 4 minutes, before flipping and frying on the other side for the same length of time. The cooking time may vary depending on how chunky a fillet it is so just make sure it it cooked all the way through.

I usually serve with a pea puree (just crushed peas with a little garlic butter and seasoning)

Now For Something Different

I'm taking time out from talking about food (and my new kitchen) to talk about ear stretching! Why? Well because I'm going up a size! A few of my friends have asked me alot about the process, so I decided to d a blog post about it!

Nowadays jewellery is used by both men and women. That has resulted to jewellery stores becoming very famous. People buying these types of jewellery use them on various occasions. They are affordable and they are also liked by people. Some of the jewellery used by people are ear gauges, necklaces, earrings and even rings. Nowadays, ear gauges are used to lengthen the ear lobe. They are really beginning to take effect to both men and women. They are liked since they are affordable and look attractive too. The online buying and selling has also made things really easy. This is because people are able to get these items more easily and at affordable prices too.

The beauty in them has resulted to more people increasing their piercing size so that ear gauge jewellery can fit in properly. They only fit in wider holes unlike the others that are used with earrings. However; the style in which it is put on depends on the individual. Some prefer gauging it down and others prefer gauging it up.

The gauges are usually made of plastic or metals. Others are further decorated to look better using diamonds making them look spectacular. Gold is also used giving the ornament some glamour. Many people are considering piercing their ears so that they may be able to use the ornament. However,before piercing your ears, it is advisable for you to consult a professional to do that for you since inexperienced people can result in causing harm to you than good.

Needle piercing is more preferable to gun piercing since it heals faster and is also less painful. It should take between 6-10 weeks to heal. It may need a lot of patience to have the end product but immediately you get there; your friends and mates will be dying of envy.

How to take care of ear gauge

If you have gauged your ear, it is important that you regularly clean it. It is not advisable to let dead skin form and pile up and then fall. A funny smell will develop and it is very disgusting. Use mild soaps to clean the area.

a) Remove the plugs and clean them using mild liquid soap and warm running water and make sure you rub them properly.

b) Ensure there is no dead skin left on the gauge and then rinse them well using warm water. Then dry them with a clean towel.

c) For the ear gauges that are made of horn, wood or bone, you can use jojoba oil to cleanse them the more. Use a piece of clean cloth, pour some oil on it and then wipe it all over carefully leaving no dead skin. Make sure you clean both the inside and outside.

d) Lather your hands with soap and water and rub then both inside and out .Lubricate it and put it back to your well dried ears.

Let's Talk Plastics

So I touched on my kitchen audit yesterday and how I had sorted organised and planned out meals to use up my food. So now it is the turn of my other kitchen cupboards. Now since I stuck on the idea of auditing the kitchen I have been researching online to find ways to audit the rest of the house. I came across this really great article from the Ian Somerhalder Foundation. It talked about the amount of plastic products we use in our kitchen and looked at ways of cutting down in order to be more environmentally friendly. It provided some really convenient and cost effective alternatives.

One of the examples was the number of plastic ziplock bags we use once and throw away. I am guilty of this. The lunches I send to school and work are in ziplocks, when I bake cookies they go in ziplocks, leftovers for the freezer go in yet more ziplocks. Would you believe in the process of my audit I found no less than five sizes of ziplock baggies! At the urging of the article I have started to think about alternative storage methods. One of those which was suggested was Mason jars. I love that idea. They can be used in the fridge and freezer and they are air tight. Perfect for cookies, candies, soups, stews lots of things. I am also enamoured with the retro feel they have to them! I look forward to my box arriving that I just ordered. I also got everyone a stainless steel lunch box. No more baggies!

Audit Your Kitchen

I am really loving my new kitchen (just in case I haven't said that a few hundred times already!) so I am trying to keep things really organised. The first thing I had to do was get rid of all the stuff I have had lying around. I also wanted to get a few new kitchen gadgets and utensils – new bakeware and a coffee gringer and other bits and pieces to complete the place. That's when I hit on the idea of auditing my kitchen!

I started in the fridge and freezer then worked my way through the pantry and spice racks and listed every food I had available, and it's expiry. I used a spreadsheet to record all of the information then figured out a meal plan for the next week to use up as much of the stuff as possible. You should defiantely try a kitchen audit of your own! I was so surprised at what was available in the depths of the pantry. Here are just a few of the meals and snacks I ended up making without having to purchase anything extra.

• Flapjack bars
• Sponge Cake
• Panacotta
• Chicken and Chorizo Casserole
• Bananna Bread
• Homemade Museli
• Irish Stew
• Beer Battered Cod
• Stuffed Peppers
• Paella
• Spanish Omlettes
• Meatloaf
• Homemade Pizza
• Stirfry
• Ocean Pie
• Bramble Crumble

That's 10 meals and an assortment of dessers and snack treats!! So go on – have a go at auditing your kitchen and save yourself a week's grocery budget by using up your food! I treated myself to that coffee grinder with what I saved!

Black mold remediation

Mold is fungi growth on indoor or outdoor surfaces of walls. Black mold or toxic mold is the most perilous form of fungi among thousands of other types. It comes under the Stachybotry’s species. Black mold is called toxic because of the high risks it can create to your health. It produces toxins namely mycotoxins that is extremely threatening to human health. It reproduces asexually in the most favourable conditions like wetness, humidity. Black mold can be commonly found in kitchens or bathrooms for these two environments are perfect for its reproduction.

Black mold remediation should be done instantly to avoid the heinous disasters it can cause to human health. If you see black mold growth on your walls then consider it an alarming situation. Most people are unable to understand the symptoms that occur as result of black mold presence in their houses or workplaces. Toxic compounds in the air can cause allergic, asthma, headache, skin rashes and in extreme cases lung bleeding in kids. Children, old people and those with weaker immune system can seriously get affected by mold presence. It’s detrimental to the health of pregnant ladies as well.

If you see black or greenish black patches on the walls of your kitchen, bathroom or any other place than don’t ignore the fact that you need black mold remediation. It’s better to get it cleaned as fast as possible. Professional help must be considered in cases of black mold. The team will come over and investigate the intensity and extent of toxic spores in your air. In severe cases, they may ask you to relocate for a limited amount of time until they eradicate the problem.

Exposure to black mold for prolonged time periods may also cause nausea, head ache, vomiting, fatigue, muscle pain, cough, congestion, nose bleedings and many respiratory issues. Experiencing any of these symptoms regularly means that you need to take assistance from professional black mold remediation service. ADET is a similar company that offers services twenty four hours. The team plans the whole process and completely eliminate the mold existence. Air quality is tested to identify mold spores and humidity in the air. The whole area is cleaned and tested after completion to make sure the problem is fixed terminally.

You must’ve seen or heard people trying to resolve mold problem by themselves. Black mold remediation needs to be done by trained teams. Trying to do it yourself is unsafe and healthy. Black mold is an extensive mold form which must be dealt professionally.