2019 Kitchen Resolutions

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Utilize tools and gadgets to make eating healthy easier

I have done a pretty good job of filling my kitchen with a variety of small appliances, gadgets, storage solutions, and more. However, I haven’t quite figured out the most efficient way to use all these things to make eating healthier easier than grabbing a salty processed snack.

This year, I want to really put my tools to use – things like the salad spinner and juicer can contribute to eating more fruits and vegetables. For when I want to eat better carbs, I can put my bread machine and pasta attachment to work. The goal is to have things on hand that are better for me than a bag of chips.

Clean small appliances immediately after using

I am not one of those people who cleans as I cook. Instead, my cooking style can be better compared to some sort of natural disaster. I spin my way through the kitchen, leaving behind spice containers, a dusting of flour on every surface, and every measuring spoon I own.

So this is a challenge goal for me. It’s not fully become one of those cleaning machine people. That’s a stretch for a single year. Instead, the goal is to keep my small appliances clean so they are ready for action when I need them.

Things like my KitchenAid mixer, food processor, and espresso machine can be super helpful assistants to have around, but not when every piece is soaking in the sink until I get around to washing it.

Fill my fridge with locally grown produce

Another part of eating just one step elevated from where I am now is to source more fruits and vegetables locally. I am lucky to live in a place that has a bountiful harvest season all summer, and is filled with farmers markets. There is no good reason that I should be buying apples shipped from California, when there’s a perfect apple orchard up the road.

For winter, or any other off-seasons, I’d like to work on my preserving and canning skills a little bit, by creating jams and pickles where I can. For others, I may be able to make the sacrifice of shipped produce occasionally, but I’m expecting to find it’s not as tasty or worth that up-charge.

Attempt to make a sourdough starter – and keep it alive!

When I mentioned this one to my husband, he laughed and said, “You can’t even keep a mint plant alive,” and he’s not wrong. However, one of the new cookbooks I got for Christmas might serve as enough inspiration for me to actually keep a sourdough starter fed.

Sourdough just feels like the next logical step in my bread making. I’ve mastered quick breads, worked significantly with yeast rising, and now I feel like I can move on naturally leavened bread. I’ll be following the instructions (and hopefully trying some yummy recipes) from the book Toast & Jam by Sarah Owens.

Here’s to a new year of kitchen adventures!

What are some of your kitchen, cooking, or baking related goals for the coming year?