One thing that drives me crazy is a disorganized fridge or pantry. With ten or more people living in our household, everybody has a different approach to putting things away and different ideas where things belong. As a card-carrying OCD Kitchenaire, I believe that everything has a place, and every place has a thing. I'm getting a bit better about not melting down when I … [Read more...]
Kitchen Gadgets – Dutch Oven
I'll admit it, this isn't exactly a gadget, but recipes call for Dutch Ovens all the time, and frankly I have to think about what the means. While this Wikipedia article explains what a Dutch Oven is in the historical context, it doesn't really help all that much when you're looking at your pots and trying to figure out which one is the Dutch Oven. Let me put your mind at … [Read more...]
Tonight’s Menu – Sloppy Jose’s for Wrestlers
What's on the Hectic Kitchen table tonight? Weather and sports in Kansas make for an exciting combination. The combination is difficult in lots of parts of the country, but it's especially true in Kansas where we really have very little to slow down weather patterns and storms. With winds regularly in the 40-50mph range, we have lots and lots of cancelled, postponed, and … [Read more...]
Tonight’s Menu – Ham with trimmings
What's on the Hectic Kitchen table tonight? We're starting the new year off with a Cook's Half Shank Ham that I got on sale during the week of Christmas. With the holiday falling in the middle of the week, and two traditional holiday meals (Wednesday and Saturday), I had lots of opportunities to go shopping. I also took advantage of all the sales that I could. As I've … [Read more...]
Tonight’s Menu – Chicken & Chocolate
What's on the Hectic Kitchen table tonight? We have had a tradition for as long as I can remember of having fondue on New Year's Eve. Over the years, I've made cheese, broth, and chocolate fondue. I've tried complex cheese fondue recipes, and simple one. They have all gone over OK, but don't really substitute for a substantial dinner. They're great for snacking though. … [Read more...]