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Are you ready for the easiest impressive gourmet DIY you’ve ever seen? (Ok, maybe not EVER, but it’s pretty easy).  Two words for you: Rosemary Salt. You’ve already probably figured that out from the post title. So away we go!

You will need:

-1 cup of sea salt, your choice (they say there’s a difference in qualities of sea salt but darned if I can tell the difference, so I just use whatever’s on sale)
-1/4 cup packed fresh rosemary
-Jar in which you can put your salt (can’t say this enough: save your old glass jars!!)

Step 1: Measure.

Step 2 Put in food processor.

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Subtitle: When All Else Fails, Get Your Siblings Drunk!

You remember the extreme limitations imposed upon my family gift-giving this year, don’t you? After trying and failing at a few different ideas for my siblings and their SOs, our highly scientific thought process went something like this:

Without further ado, our Crafty Christmas:

To set the theme, I made booklets for each couple that were printed on cardstock, hole-punched, and tied with holiday ribbon. I forgot to take a photo of the finished products, but here are the jpgs. Read them vertically, and click for a larger version.

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It would be easy for me to write a post professing love for my most expensive kitchen tools. I could wax poetic about Le Creuset and All Clad, expound upon my favorite Shun knives, and admit that I, too, have fallen victim to the lure of the Peugeot grinder. (And oops, I guess I just did.) But this is a different kind of year, and in this recession I know I’m not the only one feeling the tough times. Here, then, are my favorite kitchen gadgets that are both economical and multi-tasking. These inexpensive yet invaluable tools might be just what you need to round out your holiday wish list for yourself or a loved one, guilt-free.

Cuisinart Mini Prep Processor
(Doubles as: Food processor)

I’ve had my mini prep since college, and it’s still going strong. Some day I’ll upgrade to an adult food processor, but I’m really not in a rush. This little guy is the definition of a workhorse – it’s made me buckets of hummus and pesto over the years, takes care of nuts and herbs in a flash, and is a dream with dressings. Plus, it’s small enough that it never, ever takes up too much space.

Immersion Blender
(Doubles as: Stand-up Blender, Food mill)

I don’t own a stand-up blender, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve rolled my eyes at recipes that call for lifting my enormous dutch oven full of yumminess and pouring its contents into a blender for pureeing. I can do basic pureeing in my mini-prep processor (I told you it was handy!), but it still involves scooping out batches of soup one at a time. Messy, messy, messy. Having an immersion blender is a dream because you can puree right in the pot, thus avoiding a more expensive blender purchase if you don’t need one. I have a friend who swears by her immersion blender to make baby food, too. There are expensive models out there, but this is Recession Kitchenware, remember?

Bonus: A delicious recipe for testing out your new immersion blender.

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Hope this post finds everyone relaxed, content, and carefree on this beautiful fall day!  It’s been getting a bit cooler around here (FINALLY!) and we decided to make some delicious soup today using seasonal ingredients.

This recipe can be adjusted for any season. The key step is truly the sauteeing of the vegetables, which brings out their flavor and makes the soup’s flavors have more depth.

Seasonal Soup

4 garlic cloves, chopped (or more, depending on taste)
2 shallots, diced
5 or so celery stalks, sliced
1 leek (slice lengthwise and rinse with cold water–use only the white to light green section. Then dice!)
9 medium carrots, sliced
1 tbsp. fresh thyme
1 can white beans
1 can black beans
bag of frozen corn
Two 32-oz cans of chicken broth
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp olive oil
Chopped cilantro or parsley, for garnish

1) Sautee 1 tsp. salt, celery, leeks, shallots, and garlic in olive oil for about 15 minutes until transluscent and aromatic.

2) Add chicken broth and 4 cups of water (this makes a HUGE pot of soup!).

3) Bring to boil; add carrots, thyme, beans. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.

4) Add frozen corn last, so it remains a bit crunchy.

5) Simmer until carrots are done: not crunchy, but not soggy either!

Serve topped with chopped cilantro or parsley.

And there you go…a delicious, heartwarming, yummy soup for those cool autumn days. It’s also super easy to reheat, so this meal could last 2 people a few days!

Add whatever veggies you like or are in season: we’ve added zucchini, acorn squash, cabbage…whatever suits your fancy!

What’s your go-to meal during the cooler months?

Much love,

-B

There are a plethora of recipes for roasted chicken. I loosely followed this Double Herb Roasted Chicken recipe from MyRecipes.com.  Roasting chicken is very easy and economical.  One chicken provides two meals for two (perfect for newlyweds) or one meal for four (perfect for two couples).  You can also use the leftovers to make homemade chicken noodle soup!

A few tips for a the perfectly roasted chicken:

• Before seasoning, rinse the chicken and then pat dry.  Dry skin equals better roasting.
• Don’t be afraid to season (outside, under the skin, in the cavity).
• Cook at 450 degrees for the first 30 minutes, and then reduce to 350 for the remainder of the time.  This seals in the flavor and creates a crispier outside.
• Remove the skin equals removing fat.
• Use a broiling pan for crispier potatoes and a lower fat dinner.

Any other chicken roasters out there?

The backstory: A friend of mine, D, has a daughter who plans to go on an organized trip to Europe through her high school in the spring.  Her parents want to instill the value of saving money and a work ethic in her, so they’ve told her she needs to contribute half the cost of the trip.  With the daughter’s busy athletic schedule, D doesn’t think the daughter will have time to work enough hours to meet her goal.

{Image from 513Coupons}

The great idea:
Another friend suggested that D involve her daughter in coupon clipping.  Every dollar saved by coupons will count towards the trip fund.  This works out well for the whole family.  Instead of just paying her daughter to do extra chores around the house and taking more money out of D’s own pocket, now D’s daughter is working to save the money instead of merely earning it.  Earning by saving – pretty cool.