Kitchen Creations and Solutions
Storing baked goods on the kitchen counter was making an unsightly mess. The green containers help keep things fresh longer, but they sure aren't pleasant to look at. The visual discord also really messes with the calm and organized effect we want. Luckily, I was able to easily deal with the problem.
While I always prefer a second hand (and especially vintage) solution, I hadn't seen anything that went with the design of our new kitchen. So, I broke down and ordered a new bread box off of the Walmart website. It was under twenty bucks and this large size can hold two loaves. It fits nicely next to the bin for holding soiled kitchen rags.
Everything fit into the tin just fine. I also managed to stick in a small loaf of sour dough bread. This storage solution is going to be just what I need to hide the jumble of food stuff that we use throughout the week but have no storage room for in our cabinets.
The bread board we most often slice on, lives in a cabinet over our refrigerator. I have a hard time reaching it without opening the fridge and standing on my tippy toes. My bright idea was to hide it behind the bread box. This is so much easier!
My thrifty treat today, was a way to use up a small amount of coffee from this morning. While the grounds went into the compost jar that I keep by the sink, the liquid was reduced on the stove to make a flavor base for ice cream.
This batch with be mocha almond fudge. These are the flavor ingredients I mixed into the syrup. I also added a little butter for extra fat.
I like having half and half (an American "creamer" for coffee that is half heavy cream and half milk) in my base. The xanthan gum helps with thickening and blending. I also had evaporated milk in my cupboard so after using the rest of the carton, I had another dairy product to add. Evaporated milk is thicker, which is never bad in ice cream base.
I made two pints. They are labeled so I don't mix up what's in the freezer. I make base whenever I have ingredients to use up. It's also nice to always have some on hand. Once these are frozen tomorrow, I will put them in the Creami to mix. I'll blend in some mini chocolate chips and almonds, then give it a few runs to get mixed in. Since it's a double batch, and because it's not always easy to scoop out of the pints, the final product will go into a larger oblong container.
We have a very frugal lifestyle but are lucky that we can buy things that help us on the way. The cost might add to our spending, but we save in the long run by making so much from scratch. And even our splurges are mostly healthy.
What kind of gadgets or items do you think are worth the spend so you can do more on your own?
Comments
Post a Comment