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Share Your Kitchen With Us!

partysugar — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:00:03 -0700

OK readers, as you know, I recently moved and am in the process of setting up my kitchen. I've been getting your advice along the way, asking about dishwashers, kitchen islands, and drawer organization devices. It's time to take things one step further: now I want you to share your kitchens with me!

Whether you've got an amazing spice rack, an adorable way to display cookbooks, or an awesome marble counter, snap a photo. Then upload it to the Savory Sights group in the YumSugar Community. I'll be featuring the most inspiring kitchens here on YumSugar, so start sharing now!

Be sure to read this participation tutorial to learn more about uploading photos. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us because we'd love to see you join the YumSugar Community.

Share Your Kitchen With Us!

partysugar — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:00:03 -0700

Be sure to read this participation tutorial to learn more about uploading photos. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us because we'd love to see you join the YumSugar Community.

Off to Market: Kitchen Island

partysugar — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 06:50:52 -0800

OK readers, I'm moving into my new kitchen this week, and I need your help finding the perfect kitchen island. There's a large space between the fridge and cabinets. If I leave it empty, it will be wasted space, but if I get a portable work station, it will be more counter space! Can you help me search the Internet for kitchen islands? Although I would love something with a chopping block on top, go ahead and bookmark everything you find. Save the islands in the Off to Market group in the YumSugar community - that way I can share them with everyone.

I appreciate your assistance and can't wait to check out your discoveries. Interested in learning more about bookmarking? Read the complete instructions here. Need shopping inspiration? See a list of my favorite online stores after the break.

Emergency Re-do of my Kitchen for $75

2ndfloorliving — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:44:17 -0800

Last week a shelf in my kitchen fell and broke pretty much all of my dishes. So over the weekend I rushed to IKEA and spent approx. $75 for this renter-friendly redesign. What do you think? Not bad for a tiny kitchen with no windows and a 50 year old oven I guess.
Here's a before shot with the infamous shelf:

And here's some after shots:

I have my own home decorating blog where I wrote about this kitchen catastrophe (and its aftermath) in more depth. You can read more here if you're curious.

Join Kitchen Challengers!

girlA — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 08:44:00 -0800

Hey Dairy-Free Divas! Check out mine and lauren's new group, Kitchen Challengers!
We'll be posting recipes to challenge each other in a friendly cook/ bake-off. All my recipes will still be dairy-free and the challenge for me with be trying others' recipes but with dairy-free ingredients! Can it be done? We'll see! That's the challenge! It will be fun and exciting to try new recipes and learn what others are cooking up! Take my first challenge with the Rustic Loaf with Cured Black Olives and Rosemary. Find out how mine turned out, make your own and post your results! Even though the first 2 posts are breads, this group is open to all recipes!
I'll still be posting yummy dairy-free recipes here, so stay tuned here for more!

Red Kitchen

mbrown81 — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:16:59 -0700

Wooden Coffee Themed Signs

Le Creuset - Color Palette

KitchenAid�: Stand Mixers

Mikasa Pure Red Fine China Gravy Boat

Retro Coffee Canister and Scoop

Ballard Designs

This is the start of a very long list of kitchen what nots that I would like.

PLEASE HELP with Bentley

gunrock — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:08:40 -0700

Kitchen Transformation with Mosaic Backsplash.

J Paige — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:29:28 -0700

When I bought my house 6 years ago, it was cheap, dirt cheap. But almost nothing had been updated in nearly 40 years! The bedrooms had shag carpet and the kitchen had indoor/outdoor carpet (eck!) and ugly cabinets and plain laminate counters and matching laminate backplashes.

First, I tiled the floor, since that was in our budget at the time. Later it cause slight problems with the new cabinets--we basically stuck with the old footprint.
Then we had new cabinets, a new counter, a dishwasher, and new lights installed. And put French doors out the back of our kitchen and actually put a fan over the stove!
But it took me over a year to finally figure out what I wanted to do with the backsplash. I am a mosaic artist and sculptor but it is always hard to get to work on your own house.

You can't even tell it is the same kitchen!

You can find more info about my art and remodeling adventures at houseinsideout.blogspot.com

Rob on the cover of Vanity Fair Italy + new interview

sharpysunshine — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:16:12 -0700

If humanity is divided between the party of “I wish but I can’t” and the party of “I could but I don’t want”, I propose Robert Pattinson as candidate of the second faction. 23 years old, vampire in spite of himself, unwillingly sexy icon, the boy with the case ( he has three of them, really, like the years that he spent among hotels ), he looks at the world from a porthole and thinks: “Boh?!”. But then he plays a DO, drinks a beer, crunches a Twix and goes on. He admits that he never has had the sacred fire of art, but he was a cute guy, and the acting school of Barnes Theatre Company was the right place to meet girls. One thing leads to another, and so it happens that you find yourself on the set of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Then it happens that you hears they are doing a screen test for Twilight, and then you shoots a video with one of your friends, but this is so disgusting that you not even send it. But since lucky is even more stubborn of you not looking at her, they call you the same, and you gets the protagonist role. If Pattinson had read attentively Twilight before answering yes – or he had made his sister read it – he would have perceive that Edward Cullen ( the intellectual and torn hunk that all women dream ), would have bled him dry first. But he didn’t read it, and the rest is history, if not of the cinema, at least his history: daily chronicle of the prisoner of luxury suites, forced of room service, incredulous witness of collective hysteria phenomenon by fans. Trying to separate Edward Cullen’s canines from his neck, between one episode and another of the saga by Stephenie Meyer, he shoot Remember Me, a romantic drama movie directed by Allen Coulter and place in New York, where he plays Tyler, student from a rich and devastated family, who despises icy dad’s money ( Pierce Brosnan ) and lives in a revolting apartment with a idiotic roommate. But Ally ( Emilie De Ravin ), even her with a baggage of troubles, comes putting in order his heart and his kitchen. The two of them fall in love, save each others, loose each others and then who knows: the ending leaves the audience still and silent, so we can’t tell it. But since movies go faster than life, when I met him, in London, he has already the features of his new character Georges Duroy ( “one which hates everybody. He was needed after all this romantic stuff. Being always good is annoying” he tells me ), the Bel Amy of Maupassant: polished moustaches and beard, under them his t-shirt with shapeless neck makes a strange effect. Just a warning about the interview for all those people who can’t sleep at night asking if Robert is still ( still? Has he ever been? ) or not with Bella / Kristen Stewart: yes, I wanted to ask him about this, no, I couldn’t. “No pics, autographs and questions about private life, or the interview will end”, they threatened us. We have to stick to the official statement: “ we are just friends”. It is certain that there is ( or there was?) feeling between the two of them, “many and complex feelings” said Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke. In their private life they are such as in the movie: between them there is an intense attraction that you can’t realize. In fact, during the shooting, Kristen was ( officially) with her historic boyfriend, actor Michael Angarano. So, I wish but I can’t. Perhaps. Biographic notes that accompanies every movie of yours, describes you like a good and humble person, but it is really possible not getting big –headed when you are perpetually surrounded by screaming girls? “Yes, even because the effect of all of this is more terrifying. Success is a thing in which I literally fall into. Probably, if I have worked hard to achieve it, I would see things in a different way, but since I didn’t do anything, I am, how can I say, perpetually surprised.” Интервюто и останалите сканове след прочетете повече… It doesn’t seem such a great sensation. Did you ever think: give my previous life back? “No, thinking like this would be absurd. I regret some things: meeting people who don’t know who I am, being able to go in a shop, do not asking to myself if people is acting in a certain way with me because I’m famous. While I was shooting Remember Me, it happened that there were 40 people around the corner, ready to take a picture of me, or asking me an autograph. Well, this all is weird.” Where and how are you able to find a little peace? “There are a couple of friends who are close to me. And the presence of my sister Lizzie also ( a singer of discreet success ), helps me to maintain things the most normal as I can. Having some targets give me peace, I must always know what I’m doing, otherwise I get stressed.” Tyler, your character in Remember Me, is so different from Edward. How has it been returning human? “Even Tyler is not such a normal person. It’s strange, but I never performed an ordinary person. Also because the roles of ordinary people are rather boring. Tyler is simple, but not too much simple. I liked the idea of being not a vampire, but at the same time non a banal one.” Was it difficult? “Yes, from a certain point of view, but also not, because I could follow my instinct more. With Edward you can’t improvise. But I allowed myself to give Tyler little things of mine: I thought about how I was at 21, totally at the mercy of my emotions.” Were you one person willing to beat life, too? “Of course, and I’m still so. I know well that anger without any specific object” And how do you get over this? “Splitting everything.” When you go out with a woman for the first time, what do you tell about you first, to make splash? “I don’t talk about me, at the beginning. I think that it is always better listening than talking.” Now that you are famous, is it easier or more difficult to seduce a woman? “I think it’s more difficult, for different reasons. First, I can’t go where I want without someone being able to recognize me, and many of the women approaching me are doing this for exhibitionism. People don’t understand, but I’m not interested in this kind of conquests. So, at the end, all becomes really stressful: distinguishing who is authentic and who is not, fearing to hurt who is really kind. It’s all different from before, when nobody noticed me.” How do you distinguish the good ones from the bad ones? “The good ones call the day after…” Remember Me tells us that love can save a life. Do you believe in this, or is it a romantic thing? “I believe that is a really beautiful and important idea. I think that even seriously ill people can heal, literally, thanks to love all around them. Love gives you purposes. Tyler hadn’t any of them, but he met Ally and his perspective changes. She is like a pair of glasses, and you can see things through them. All begins easier when she arrives.” The movie also tells the things can end in an instant. There are people who spent all their life agonizing over this. And you: would you be ready to loose everything, happy about what you have received? “All movie turns around happiness and being able to see it. Having, here and there in life, moments of consciousness about our happiness makes life deign of being lived.” Do you recognize those moments? Yes, I think so. They last a little, e and I am always ready to ask myself: and now how much time will pass before I will regret or worry about something else? But between a trouble and another, there is peace.” Could you tell me one of those moments? “Little odd things: seeing how my little dog behaved in her last two days of life, how she was proud. I realize that it is a such a depressing thing to be told as happy moment.” What do you do to make the many hotel rooms you attend like home? The presence of my guitar makes much home, to me. And even going to Skype. Last year I practically didn’t talk to anyone and only when I returned to London, I realized that my social life has been completely collapsed. Now I put it again on its feet, and I cultivate it in the distance. Then, luckily, there are people in flesh and bones, the colleagues. Emilie De Ravin, beside that fragile aspect, is a tough person. One evening she drunk 25 beers in succession without feeling the blow. I need two weeks to recover myself and I stopped before her.” Sorry, but what do they mean the words SB on your hat? “I believe Santa Barbara. But I bought it in Tokyo. At least it seems to me….”

Greening Your Home - the Basics Part 2: Kitchen

tdamji — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 03:34:39 -0700

Although one can certainly turn their not-so-green kitchen into an eco-friendly one via renovation, that is not always an option for the majority of people. So, what easy, inexpensive or free things can you do to make your kitchen more eco-friendly? Here's my short-list of what you can do to immediately see a difference and make a change:

1) Use biodegradable or compost-able kitchen bags - see the example of one of the many brands out there, in the list at the bottom.

2) Compost -
from Gaiam:
What is composting?
Composting is a natural process by which microorganisms break down kitchen and yard waste into humus - a rich, dark material that enriches soil, boosts fertility and retards soil erosion.

What materials can be composted?
Compost ingredients generally fall under one of two categories: "browns" or "greens".
Brown (dry) ingredients include: dried leaves, dry grass, straw, sawdust, cold wood ashes, wood chips, all kinds of tissue paper, shredded newspaper, shredded paper cartons, and shredded egg cartons (the paper kind only).
Green (wet) ingredients include: fruit peels, vegetable peels, coffee grinds and filters, tea bags, egg shells, peanut shells, garden waste, plant trimmings, fresh grass cuttings, and table waste.
Some materials should not be composted. These include: bones, meat, fish, dairy products, sauces, oils, fats, pet waste, diseased plants, seeding weeds, wet grass, and inorganic materials.
It is recommended to have a 50/50 balance of green and brown materials. Green materials are rich in nitrogen and brown materials are rich in carbon. Bacteria thrive in the particular ratio of carbon to nitrogen that is provided by this mix of green and brown materials. This allows for efficient composting.

Here are some Faqs about composting, from Gaiam.

Composting isn't always an option for everyone. For instance, I can compost - but what do I do with the composted mess afterwards? This city doesn't have a compost pick-up like some other do, I don't have a garden or any plants . . . so the only place I have been able to practice this is when i lived in a house. Does any one compost? Any ideas on how I can do so in an apartment? I haven't come across any information about that. I am vegan so almost everything I eat can be composted, so it sucks even more to not be able to do so.

CasaSugar defines composting nicely here

3) Use a cloth instead of a paper towel to wipe counters and clean dishes - Here are a few options: Mabu Cloth , Twist Euro Cloth

4) Install a water-filter - As easy as screwing on a filter to the underside of the tap to installing a larger filter that is less noticeable under your sink, there are a myriad of options.

Gaiam's info:
What contaminants are in your drinking water?
This varies by location. Many water supplies contain contaminants such as chlorine, herbicides, pesticides and other VOCs, lead, trihalomethanes, mercury, MTBE, bacteria and biological contaminants such as giardia and cryptosporidium.
How does one choose a water filter?
The first step is to find out what contaminants are in your water supply. Your local water company should be able to supply this information. If not, water test kits are available. Once you know what is in your water, simply choose a filter that removes the contaminants.

5) Grow Herbs on Your Windowsill Fresh herbs are not only tastier, they also give off a lovely natural scent (because they are natural?!) and you can be certain about where the herbs you use in your cooking have come from: your very own kitchen, how much more local can you get? CasaSugar posted about a few herbs that you can plant, super-easily. I can't find the link at present, but she mentioned growing Oregano, Basil and other herbs most-commonly used in the kitchen. I also grow Rosemary. Rosemary is so fragrant and so delicious in many dishes... easy to grow, too!

6) Use eco-friendly cleaning products - Try an organic, non-toxic kitchen bar soap to scrub your hands before and after handling food. Regular soaps can have chemicals that are unhealthy for the environment. Organic soaps with essential oils are nourishing to the skin, gentle on the planet and last longer than liquid soaps. Use eco-friendly dishwashing soap. Here a few green cleaning links from TeamSugar:
- http://teamsugar.com/group/422515/blog/498860
- http://teamsugar.com/node/523719
- http://fitsugar.com/416630
- http://fitsugar.com/516506

7) Use smaller appliances like counter-top convection ovens rather than the entire built-in oven when possible - counter-top convection ovens can easily be found in stores, or save that, Amazon has hundreds of them in a wide range of prices

8 ) Green your meals - Buy organic, local, or grow your own produce! Reduce the amount of packaging used to encase your food. Use cloth bags when you do purchase food.

9) Use Re-useable containers - This is an especially easy one. Its so easy to find glass, stainless steel or other containers to put your leftovers or packed food in. See my list for a few examples.

A few inexpensive eco-friendly kitchen products:

Extras:

Care2.com had a lot to say about making your kitchen energy-efficient:

A recent article in the New York Times reports on a major new study that details the planet's energy scenario. "Because the world's population is growing and living standards are rising, energy consumption globally is expected to rise by over 50 percent over the next 25 years," it notes, and goes on to explain that finding supplies to match that growth is going to be increasingly difficult. It seems prudent to start trimming our energy needs wherever we can. Household appliances account for about 20 percent of a household's energy consumption, so why not start reducing energy use in the kitchen--and get cool while you're at it?

1. Use the proper size pot for the burner or element. A 6" pan on an 8" burner will waste over 40% of the heat produced by the burner.
2. When using an electric range, turn off the burner before the cooking is finished. The burner will retain enough heat to continue cooking for a short while.
3. Keep stovetop burners and reflectors clean - they will reflect the heat better and save a surprising amount of energy.
4. Cover pots when cooking. Food cooks faster and less heat escapes.
5. When boiling something, turn down the heat once it reaches a boil-it takes less heat to maintain a boil than reaching it.
6. Don’t boil more water than you will be using.
7. If you use boiled water frequently, invest in an electric kettle.
8. Minimize preheating--unless you're baking breads or pastries you may not need to preheat the oven at all. A good rule of thumb is that any food that takes more than 60 minutes to bake can be started in a cold oven.
9. Glass or ceramic pans in the oven retain heat well enough that you can turn down the temperature about 25 degreesF.
10. In a conventional oven, food cooks quicker on the top rack.
11. Check the seal on your oven door to make sure it is working properly.
12. Full-size ovens are not very efficient when cooking small quantities of food. When cooking small- to medium-sized meals, it generally pays to use smaller toaster ovens.
13. Rearrange oven shelves before you turn the oven on. Doing it after the oven is hot not only wastes heat, but is an easy way to burn yourself.
14. Don't lay foil on oven racks to prevent messes. The oven works more quickly and efficiently when air can circulate freely.
15. Try not to open the oven and peek when baking.
16. Pressure cookers reduce cooking time.
17. Thaw foods completely before cooking (thawing in the refrigerator is best because it helps the efficiency of the refrigerator).
18. Cut food into smaller pieces for quicker cooking.
19. Try a solar cooker!
20. Slow cooking in a Crock Pot uses much less energy than simmering on a stove, and emits much less heat.

Jennifer Roberts has a book called Good Green Kitchens -

*Greening your dining room and food serving will be a separate post.