What’s the deal with Fidgit Spinners?

They are twirling and buzzing all over town. Kids and adults are happily playing with this clever stress relieving gadget. They were first used for kids with ADD/ADHD but the calming sensation of this little gadget has soothed people well beyond that original demographic.

The popularity of the Fidget Spinner has become so overwhelming that schools across the country have banned the device as it became a distraction in the classroom. With summer here and no teachers in sight, it’s time to break out the Fidget Spinners!

They come in a variety of colors, sounds, and twinkling lights. Fidget Spinners are a perfect end of year gift for the kids!

Find Fidgit Spinners here.

Enjoy!

-xo

Spiralizer is a game changer.

When Doug was doing Whole30, I cooked a lot of zucchini noodles in place of pasta. His favorite dinner from that entire experience was Turkey Meatballs in homemade Tomato Sauce over Zucchini Noodles. While zucchini noodles look impressive, they are actually incredibly easy to make at home.

My local markets sell zucchini noodles in the produce section but they are almost always sold out, thicker than I like, and the zucchini is never organic. I like making “zoodles” at home for a few reasons. I like to control the thickness of the “zoodle”, I want to use beautiful organic zucchini, and I don’t want to rely on the store if they are often out of stock.

With seasonal summer produce making it’s way into the markets and gardens getting ready to deliver boatloads of zucchini, I thought I would share this wonder of a machine. It’s wonderful for other produce like potatoes, carrots, and onion. On my “to make” list is spicy curly fries and with the Spiralizer, it will be a snap.

Find Spiralizer here.

Enjoy!

-xo

 

Stainless Steel Bowls remind me of culinary school. We used them every day and they made us better cooks. Each morning, after I was dressed in my white chef’s coat, hat, and apron, we would prepare our stations. It was typically two students to a stainless steel table and space was tight. After lecture, we would set up our areas with a cutting board, chef’s knife, towel, and a stainless steel bowl. I loved the ritual of preparing my space for the day. Keeping your station clean and organized was critical to being successful in the classroom.

Stainless steel bowls were used to gather ingredients, prep food, and as “garbage bowls.” It was essential for us to keep our small, shared workstations clean and it wasn’t efficient to be running back and forth between our station and the garbage. Instead, we had a stainless steel bowl on the table and we scraped garbage into our bowl. That way, we kept our workspace clean and just made one trip to the garbage when the bowl was full.

Even though I’m out of school, I still rely on my stainless steel bowls. I use them to prep ingredients, dress salad, and even marinate meat. They are easy to clean and the nesting feature makes them easy to store. Once you start incorporating them into your routine, you won’t believe that you ever cooked or baked without them! These wonderful stainless steel bowls will become the new workhorse of your kitchen!

Find Stainless Steel Nesting Bowls here.

Cinco de Mayo has become the Superbowl of Mexican food. Here are my picks for an epic Cinco de Mayo celebration that are so good it’s going to be hard to decide what to make. Whether you are having friends over or simply making dinner for your family, these choices are sure to make everyone happy. The recipes are all insanely delicious restaurant quality food that are easy to make on a busy weeknight schedule. That means great food is coming your way without the stress!

Here’s the breakdown:

Starters: Guacamole, Homemade Tortillas Chips, and my super popular Individual 7 Layer Dip.

Soup and Salad: Mexican Tortilla Soup and Mexican Quinoa Salad.

Mains: Chili Lime Beef Fajitas, Chicken Taquitos, Potato Tostadas, and Chicken & Black Bean Enchiladas.

Plan your menu, make your shopping list, and get cooking! I can’t wait to see what you make! Tag me on Instagram @everykitchentellsastory!

Enjoy!

-xo

Guacamole 

Beef Chili Lime Fajitas

Chicken Taquitos

Mexican Tortilla Soup 

Mexican Quinoa 

Homemade Tortilla Chips

Individual Seven Layer Dip

Potato Tostada

Black Bean and Chicken Enchiladas 

 

Culinary School was life changing. I could never have predicted that one day I would commit to an intense program that would open up my world to new skills and allow me to explore my passion for cooking. After studying political science in college, working as an executive, and having two babies, I wasn’t the typical student under the hat and behind the apron.

Most of my classmates were young. They ranged between the ages of 18-26. I was older, married, and responsible for two kids. After a long day in class, I was racing to school pick up and they were off to grab a nap before working night jobs. The obvious differences in where we were in our lives didn’t seem to matter once our stations were set up and our street clothes were covered under our chefs coats. We had a common purpose: to dig in and learn as much as we could from our beloved and uber talented Chef Carol.

Going to school to learn culinary arts was such a gift. It opened up my world to a creative side of myself that I didn’t know existed. I feel lucky to have been able to find something in my life that gives me purpose and gets me excited to get out of bed in the morning. Cooking and baking makes me happy, serves as a form of therapy, and challenges my brain each and every day. I feel lucky to have finally found exactly what I am supposed to be doing.

There were a million little things that I learned while I was in school. Two things I will share with you today is to “work clean” and “work in an organized fashion.” That means keep your work space clean as you cook and PREP PREP PREP. These two tips will instantly make you a better cook. The small glass bowls I am highlighting today help me “work clean” and “work organized.” I use them every day to set up ingredients so that when I’m following a recipe, I am focusing on the work and not jumping around the kitchen gathering up ingredients in between steps. Everything should be set in place (mise en place), measured, and ready to go before you start a recipe.

I use these indispensable bowls to prep ingredients and serve things like dipping sauces. Find glass ingredient bowls here.

Enjoy!

-xo

 

 

 

 

Knife work in the kitchen is one of the single most important skills a home cook or a professional chef can learn. With this mind, it is nearly impossible for the average person to yield precision cuts of vegetables in a safe manner. Learning proper skills keeps you safe and produces a beautiful and uniform result. For perfect results of challenging cuts like paper thin slices and waffle cuts, a mandolin is a must!

I don’t love a lot of clutter in my kitchen. Every tool serves a very specific purpose. When you see something in my kitchen, it’s because I truly believe in it and use it regularly. Before buying a tool or gadget, I really think about whether or not the equipment deserves the precious real estate it will take up on the counter or in a drawer. Mandolin Slicers are not only a worthwhile investment, they will relieve you of tedious and often unsafe knife work in the kitchen. The end result of what you produce from your mandolin will blow you away and give you professional looking results.

Mandolin Slicers, when used properly, make every home cook look like a pro. Mandolins are designed for safety and ease of use. Whether you are cutting thick slices, thin slices, julienne or waffle cuts, a mandolin will fast become your new best friend!

Find mandolin here.

 

The best blender around is the Vitamix. It is one of my favorite pieces of equipment in my kitchen and I absolutely love it. I would dare to say it is almost as treasured as my beloved KitchenAid. I compare it to the KitchenAid because both are dream tools that require a sizable but worthwhile investment.

Doug brought the Vitamix into our lives. He was on a protein smoothie bender and needed a blender. A buddy in his poker group swore up and down that he just had to get a Vitamix. I more than balked at the idea because admittedly, the Vitamix is a real expense. In the end, Doug came home with the Vitamix and set up his smoothie station. A few days in, I was completely hooked on this magical machine.

Here’s where I fan girl out over the Vitamix. First and foremost, I am not into complicated technical equipment. What I am into is idiot proof gadgets that make my life easier. The Vitamix may belong in a profession kitchen but it is super user friendly. Plug it in, turn it on and choose the blend or pulse function. The pre-programmed settings guarantee consistent and perfect results every time. I love the speed at which I can turn out refreshing smoothies, perfect salad dressings, and lovely smooth soups. It’s also very easy to clean which is a big bonus. My family knows that I don’t mind shopping and cooking. Cleaning? Not so much.

If you are looking for a great recipe to break in your new Vitamix, check out my Strawberry Banana Smoothie! It’s packed with frozen strawberries, fresh bananas, yogurt, and vanilla almond milk. This smoothie is a great addition to your breakfast routine for the kids or the perfect after school snack.

Find smoothie recipe here.

It’s more than a blender, it’s a genuine kitchen workhorse.

Find my favorite blender here.

Enjoy!

-xo

 

 

A few years ago, my mom was generous enough to gift me her Le Creuset pot. My Le Creuset is my favorite thing in my entire kitchen. Le Creuset is a French company that specializes in enameled cast iron. The line of cookware is expensive but worth it! I love how it distributes heat evenly, is easy to clean, and lasts a lifetime.

I use mine for stews and soups. It is so pretty it can easily go from oven to table as a serving vessel. Click the link below to check out all of the striking colors. Seriously, swoon worthy colors and gorgeous shapes await you!

Find Le Creuset here.

 

This is the rice cooker that made me look like a rice cooking pro.There are so many ways to ruin good rice. After too many dinners with mushy rice, rice that was dry, or rice that was caked on the bottom of the pan, I took the advice of a friend and invested in a rice cooker. I started with the one above because it was easy to use and turned out perfect rice each and every time.

Throw in the correct measurements, hit the button and make the rest of your dinner while you wait for the rice. This simple little machine even keeps it warm until you are ready to serve! Zojirushi is a great brand and my rice cooker has been in heavy rotation for years! It comes in three different sizes (choose the one that fits your needs), has a clear lid, and the handles don’t get hot. It’s a simple but masterful machine.

Perfect Rice. Easy to clean. I’m in!

Find rice cooker here.

 

 

Meet the book that changed my husband’s life! This book has been a fixture on my nightstand for the last 6 weeks. It’s my bible to the Whole30 lifestyle and helped me get my husband through 30 days of the program. I intentionally use the word lifestyle instead of diet because this experience seriously changed my husband’s life.

For 3o days, you take out things like sugar, soy, dairy, and processed foods. You focus on wholesome, pure foods. Basically, you take all of the junk out of your diet. Oh, and if you make a mistake and eat something that’s off limits? That whoopsie will cause you to start over and go back to day 1. Since I cook for him and didn’t want to be responsible for him going off track, I had to learn about Whole30. This book made it so easy!

Doug is done with Whole 30 but isn’t going back to his old eating habits. I’ve watched him break bad habits and transform how he thinks about food. 30 days later, the transformation is dramatic. Doug sleeps better, has more energy, and yes, looks great. You can see it in his body but also things like his energy, skin, and eyes. He looks healthy and feels so much better. It’s been such a success for him that friends who see him immediately order this book and start the program.

This book is written with humor, understanding, and offers excellent recipes. The book explains the program and helps you understand the actual science. My favorite was the DAY BY DAY section where it not only talks about what’s happening to your body but explains things like headaches, cravings, and moods. The recipes are chef-developed, easy to make, and delicious! Once you get the hang of reading labels and start cooking, it’s easy. There is an entire Whole30 community out there on social media to help you on your journey. People are incredibly supportive and generous in sharing their experiences and best of all, great food!

This program has taught us so much about food and changed our lives. We eat better as a family since Doug started the program. We are eating food that is better for us but is still crazy delicious. Good food is something I will never give up. We’ve had hearty chili over baked potatoes for dinner, meatballs with marinara sauce, beautiful frittatas, flavorful sweet potato fries, and amazing chicken dishes for dinner. The kids have no idea that we are eating cleaner because we haven’t compromised flavor.

This book is a winner and a game changer for my husband. My entire family is eating better thanks to Whole30. Whole30 is a phenomenal program and it all starts with this book. Find Whole30 Program book here.