What I Make Weekly

I have recently been thinking about my consistency of making certain foods.  I would like to say I make a green smoothie every day, or that I bake a loaf of bread once a week (I probably do, but not in any habitual way), but I don't do either of these things consistently (and sort of wish I did).  But these are the things I do make weekly!  I was kind of surprised at how many of them there were!

Yogurt:  I have a Yogurt Maker, that I adore.  The first time I made yogurt I thought it took a super long time and was incredibly inconvenient.  But most tasks feel like that the first time you do them (and some continue to feel super inconvenient for the rest of your life.  Laundry, anyone...?).  Once I got in the rhythm of making it, it has become a cinch.  I no longer have to look at the list of ingredients, and I can make it in about 20 minutes.  It is very easy, and we have fresh and delicious yogurt every week for a significantly reduced price (It costs about $1.50 for 8 cups of whole milk yogurt).  We eat it on our granola every morning for breakfast.
Recipes: 
Homemade Yogurt in the Crock Pot 
No Bake Raspberry and Peach Parfait

Pizza Crust:  We make a LOT of pizza in our home.  I love it, and have found that it keeps everyone very happy to have a regular pizza night. Pizza crust is a cinch, and only takes a few minutes to make. Plus you can store it for about 3 months in the freezer and pull it out whenever you need a fast dinner.
Recipes: 
Apple Cheddar Bacon Pizza
Thai Chicken Pizza with Peanut Sauce
Pesto Squash Pizza

Pie Crust:  I use pie crust for all kinds of things:  Quiche, galettes, vegetable pot pie, crackers, etc.  It is versatile, freezes wonderfully and it is generally very delicious. I have made this recipe for a number of years and it always turns out beautifully.
Recipes:  
My Favorite Pie Crust Recipe
Roasted Carrot and Parmesan Quiche
Caramelized Onion and Kale Quiche
Caramel Apple Pie
Vegetable Pot Pie
Crackers
Mini Pear and Feta Galettes

Dried Beans: We were about 95% vegetarian for the first 4 months of this year (we are giving up a little early, because we are staying with Adam's parents, who are not vegetarian).  Beans are a staple of our diet.  In fact, when I took Fox to his 15 month appointment a few weeks ago, the nurse practitioner seemed very concerned when I mentioned that we were mostly vegetarian.  Then I mentioned how often we eat beans, and she looked relieved, and moved on without further comment.  Beans are great!  We use them in soups, salads, tacos, and more.  They are really easy to make in the crockpot, using this tutorial.
Recipes:  
Carrot and Chickpea Salad
White Bean and Carrot Salad (see photo above for visual)
Black Bean Soup
Black Bean and Red Pepper Tacos

Granola:  I love granola so much.  We have eaten it almost every morning for about 4 years, and we have yet to grow tired of it. You can add all kinds of nuts, dried fruit, chocolate and more to it and it makes a most satisfactory treat or breakfast.
Recipes:  
Chocolate Granola
Basic Granola
Ways to up your Granola Game

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My Six Favorite Kitchen Tools

If you have read my blog much, you probably know by now that I love to cook.  Today I wanted to share with you a few kitchen items that I think are indispensable, and I will tell you why!

1.  Pizza stone:  We make pitas, naan bread and especially pizza on this ALL THE TIME!  Supposedly it helps regulate the oven temperature, which I can't prove, but my oven seems to be pretty consistent, so I will trust it is doing its job.  It also helps to make what I consider to be "the perfect pizza crust".  I love a thin and slightly crispy half whole wheat crust, and the pizza crust give it just enough crunch on the bottom on sides, and a nice soft middle.  

2.  A Good Blender:  I didn't know a good blender was important until I got one.  For Christmas, my mom bought me a blend-tech.  It has revolutionized my life.  I tell Adam about once a week how much I love our blender.  I make smoothies (I used to be a big time smoothie hater, but now that I can get the texture so smooth, I really love making them!), salsa, pureed soups and I am really looking forward to making my own baby food in them for our baby!  If you don't have one, you should probably get one.  They are definitely an investment, but if you cook a lot, it makes life so much happier!

3.  Sharp Knives:  Adam absolutely detests using a dull knife to cut food.  A few years ago, his parents bought him a $8 set of two large chopping knives from Costco.  We use them everyday and they are still as sharp as ever.  Do yourself a favor and buy some sharp knives.  They don't even have to be very expensive, but they will make a world of difference when you cook!  

4.  Round Cake Pan:  I have actually only made cake in this pan once or twice, but I use it about 2 times per week.  I own an 8" round pan that I used the most often, and I toast nuts in it (for salads, primarily) it is a great size for homemade croutons if there are only one or two of you.  If you are making a single serving of something with roasted veggies, this is a great size of pan.  I just hate dirtying my cookie sheet for something as small as a handful of toasted nuts to top pasta or a salad.

5.  Rubber Spatulas:  We have 3 of them and I wish we had a few more.  They are great on a non-stick surface, perfect for starting bread, mixing pasta sauce, curries, and much, much more.

6.  Silicone baking mat:  Terrific for making granola, cookies, bread, roasting vegetables and probably many other things. Plus, you don't have to spray it because it is a non-stick surface.  Just don't wash them in the dishwasher, and be careful when you use knives or scissors around them.  We ruined our first one by cutting through it...

Do I sound boring or what!  I am curious, do you have any kitchen items that you think are a must-have?

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