Kitchen Activites

When the grill’s fired up, and the smoky aroma of BBQ fills the air, nothing pairs better than a refreshing drink in hand. If you’ve ever wondered what to sip on while enjoying your BBQ in Athens, Alabama, look no further. Whether it’s a casual backyard cookout or you’re dining at a local barbecue restaurant, finding the perfect drink to complement those rich, smoky flavors can enhance your entire meal. Here are the best beverages to pair with your favorite BBQ near me.

Crisp Local Pale Ales That Cut Through the Smoke

When you’re digging into a plate of smoky BBQ, a crisp pale ale can be the perfect match. (more…)

Pizza is a food that tastes better when it’s hot. Luckily, there are many ways to keep your pizza warm on the way home from the restaurant. These methods include using an insulated delivery bag, a blanket, and aluminum foil.

These tips are sure to help you enjoy your pizza at its best. So, try these techniques the next time you order delivery from a restaurant!

Place the Pizza in an Insulated Bag

Placing your pizza in an insulated bag is best if you want it to be hot and fresh when you get it home. You can find insulated bags made explicitly for pizza delivery, but you can also use a regular grocery bag, or even a blanket will do the trick. Just take out all the air before putting the pizza in the bag. (more…)

Mixing bowls are an essential kitchen tool for many cooking tasks. They’re ideal for whisking up meringue, stirring the batter, and making salad dressings.

The best mixing bowls should stand up to intense use and be dishwasher-safe. They also need to be durable and rust-resistant. (more…)

So this is how I’ve been keeping busy over the past week or so… it took 3 tries, but here I present:

Gluten-free, vegan, low-sugar (but still yummy!) Pumpkin Pie

3.5 Tbsp tapioca flour (or cassava, from Asian or Caribbean grocery)**

• 400g EcoMil vanilla almond dessert (recipe originally called for amazake; soya dessert could also work but haven’t tried it)
• 125g fructose
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 4 tsp. cinnamon or to taste
• 2 tsp. mixed spice or to taste
• 100g firm silken tofu (Clearspring UHT is good)
• 425g cooked and pureed pumpkin – Libby’s gives best results, use whole can (organic pumpkin wasn’t as good)
• 9” or 10” gluten-free pie crust – I used ready-made pastry (Genius) but it does have some whey in it; read ingredients carefully

Note: This is not a quick recipe! It’s faster with a food processor or blender to puree the mixture, but allow at least an hour to get the filling ready.

Cook the tapioca flour in the vanilla dessert until the mixture has thickened enough to stand a spoon in it. (more…)

This past week I worked on organizing my friend’s top-freezer in her kitchen.  It was a blast, probably because friendship – and children playing together nicely – makes any project go by quickly.

I spent two afternoons with her and a few trips to one of my favorite stores, The Container Store.  I hadn’t been there in a while and if I wasn’t focused on finishing Mollie’s freezer, I may have gotten swept away in their giant Spring Organization Sale going on now.  But I remained strong (ha!) and powered through. (more…)