Kitchen Conundrum

  • Home
  • About
  • Eat
    • Appetizers
    • Bread
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Desserts
    • Fish
    • Meats
    • Pasta
    • Poultry
    • Side Dishes
    • Sauces, Dressings and Condiments
    • Soup and Stews
    • Vegetables
  • Drink
    • Beer
    • Cocktails
    • Wine
  • Recipe Index
  • Travel
    • NYC/Metro
    • Cambodia
    • England
    • France
    • Greece
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Vietnam
  • Kitchen Sink
    • Classes
    • Contests
    • Cookbooks
    • Cook The Book Fridays- My Paris Kitchen
    • French Fridays with Dorie
    • Kitchen Gear & Gadgets

NaBloPoMo-The End

November 30, 2013 by Renee

Thirty days, thirty posts. The end is here.  It’s been wonderful having you share this month with me and I am grateful for all of you who came, visited and commented.  Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! From the bottom of my heart. I could not have done it without you.

I’ll be back in a few days. I won’t be gone for long. There are plenty of posts for me to write- cookbooks to review, recipes to test and even some products to discuss. But in the meantime, I’ll be spending a few days resting and catching up on some reading. And hanging out with my kids, helping with homework, catching a few movies, and just being.

So I leave you with this…

 

See you soon!

Filed Under: Kitchen Sink Tagged With: NaBloPoMo

NaBloPoMo- Some thoughts on a month of writing.

November 29, 2013 by Renee

Only two more posts to go. This one and tomorrow’s. This NaBloPoMo thing has been a real challenge.

They say a habit takes 30 days to be created. So perhaps posting daily and making sure that something, anything is down on paper (on the web) every night before I turn in, has created somewhat of a routine. I actually don’t mind it so much anymore. I could keep going, really. Except for one thing- content.

I just don’t have that much interesting content to write about.  Truth be told, my days, more often than not, have not been in the kitchen developing recipes or cooking fabulous meals as I would have liked but have rather been spent in a myriad of other ways.  Not that I am complaining!  I had an out of town guest for a long weekend, I’ve been interviewing for a corporate position again (fingers crossed and lots of prayers please!), I’ve been helping with a lot of homework and science fair projects and working on client websites and several other projects.  There have been nights of order-in pizza and Chinese take out. There’s also been cereal and pancakes for dinner. And there have been too many days filled with migraines, exhaustion and just plain ole’ ‘stay in bed in pjs’ kind of days.  So not too many recipes or real cooking happened this month.

Unless you count Thanksgiving and then tons of cooking and food happened. But that was only one day and while I could have had two full weeks of posts just for that one day, I didn’t.

I have not always been so forthcoming in my writing either. It’s something that I struggle with every time I begin to write. I feel as though I have been rather reserved here. Cautious and actually kind of boring in a lot of posts, I think. (Feel free to tell me I’m not boring! haha) There are posts where I feel my “voice” doesn’t  seem to even appear.  I don’t really like that and it needs to change.

Yet, despite the challenges, it’s been very rewarding as well.

One of the best parts of this month has been reading other people’s blogs. I’ve added a few to my bookmarks and I will try to keep up reading and commenting when I can.

Apparently, another perk, I can also stay up much later than I would like too. But not without some snafu. There was one night that I actually fell asleep writing a post and had to do some creative editing in the morning. Oops!

So, I could write every day. I have proven that  I could, with almost 30 days of posts behind me. But I think paring back to a steady 3x a week would be sufficient if I posted something worth reading. Something you might actually be interested in, told in my authentic voice, letting you into my real life a bit more and actually giving you something to connect with.

Are you ready?

#NaBloPoMo- Entry 29!

Filed Under: Kitchen Sink Tagged With: NaBloPoMo

How Wolfgang Puck Saved Thanksgiving

November 29, 2013 by Renee

Last month we received a Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven to test out.  The idea is that this table top oven works on the same concept as a pressure cooker- except in an oven form. When you close and lock the oven door, the pressure sealed compartment browns your foods perfectly while locking in juices and cooking much faster. It bakes, roasts and much more in less time.

The first thing we made was a rotisserie chicken, which turned out perfectly! It was so incredibly delicious- juicy and flavorful. Just like a chicken you’d pick up in the market’s take out section. This is a really great feature of the oven.Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2 Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2168

Pleased, we then made some cupcakes in it and those turned out really well too. They baked perfectly and around five minutes faster than my regular oven- which for something that only takes 20 minutes normally, that’s a striking 25% faster!Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2-2 Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2-3

We pulled it out today when we realized that not everything was cooking that well in our regular oven. It’s been on the fritz for some time,  it doesn’t always keep temperature and everything was taking much longer than expected. Especially the turkey! It was only supposed to take 5 hours to cook at the standard 20 minutes per pound method, but nearing 6 hours, it was still very undercooked.

So we cut the turkey apart and in shifts, we finished roasting it in the Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven. It worked like a charm. Not only did the turkey have a turn in the oven, but so did all of the side dishes. We also used it for warming everything up right before we sat down to eat too.

Having this extra oven really saved the day! I am really glad we had it here.

Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2275 Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2277 Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2286 Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2278 Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven-2287

There are some drawbacks to the oven though that might cause some raised eyebrows. For one, the steam valve on top is a bit quirky to use and you really have to wear an oven mitt when you turn it, or you could be seriously hurt by the steam it releases. It’s rather hot!  Secondly, the oven itself gets very hot on the outside. It’s an all metal casing and that gets very heated when you are cooking, so be careful not to touch the outside of the oven.

Speaking of the casing, it’s very easily dented. The oven I received first had many dings and dents, and was replaced but even this one has a nice big dent in the side, but because it doesn’t affect the way it cooks, I kept it. It’s just an aesthetic kind of thing and I really wanted to test it out without waiting for a third one to arrive.  I was told that the manufacturer has since changed the packaging to protect the ovens a bit more, so hopefully they won’t be dented anymore when they arrive to the consumers.

Lastly, the timer doesn’t work on the oven at all. I am sure it’s just on my model, but the knob doesn’t do anything.  We have tried it on every cooking occasion, and no luck, so, we just kept an eye on things from the glass window and our estimates were correct with the timing of things being fully cooked.

Even with those few negative things, overall, the positive outweigh them.  The oven cooks really well and in less time than my regular one. The rotisserie will be used often too. That’s my favorite feature.  I’m glad we had the opportunity to test it out.

Having a second oven is a huge help- especially when your primary oven isn’t working well. It is most especially useful on a huge food holiday such as Thanksgiving! It really saved the day! The turkey made it to the table in good time and all the sides were hot!

And that’s one thing I am thankful for!

 

 Disclosure: I received a Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven to test and review. I was not compensated in any other way for this post. As always, the thoughts and opinions are my own! 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Kitchen Sink, Product Reviews Tagged With: NaBloPoMo, Product Review, Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 10
  • Next Page »

Categories

Archives

kitchconundrum

Patatas Bravas. There’s really nothing better. S Patatas Bravas. There’s really nothing better. Spicy, smoked paprika on roasted potatoes with tomatoes and créma. Dreaming of Spain. #sogood #comfortfood #eatthemall #potaotes #patatasbravas #spain #camino #caminodesantiago
Chocolate Babka! It’s a two day process but so w Chocolate Babka! It’s a two day process but so worth it. So good! 
•
•
•
#babka #chocolate #baking #chocolatebabka
Tonight we didn’t order in. We had homemade eggr Tonight we didn’t order in. We had homemade eggrolls and chicken fried rice along with some store bought dumplings. #sogood #chinesefood #fridaynight #tradition
Chicken Parm… a nice family dinner. Can’t beat Chicken Parm… a nice family dinner. Can’t beat comfort food! #dinner #family #familystyle
Totally forgot to post the cut of my soap here. It Totally forgot to post the cut of my soap here. Its been very busy and I’m like a whirling dervish in all different directions. On the food front we made some favorites-Chicken Marbella that sustained us for a week and also a Corned Beef and Cabbage dish because it is March after all. But it was good to have the comfort foods we love and old standards as they provide the most contentment when it’s chaos everywhere else. Regular work and then some wholesale orders and getting the line poured for our Spring/Summer scents. And helping others with a few website issues. And kids. Thankfully, it seems to all be under control now and I’m really happy to be busy. All good things! 

The Eucalyptus Mint cut (smells amazing!) turned out so nice. Very happy with it. Had a request for a classic Cucumber Melon soap. Also a lovely fresh and clean spring/ summer scent. Available soon. But the Spring/Summer line of candles are done and are now available! Yay! 
•
•
•
#cpsoap #cooking #smallbusiness #candlemaking #candles #soap #busy #happy
Still cooking. This week I made the amazing stuffe Still cooking. This week I made the amazing stuffed vegetables from Aglaia Kremezi and they were so delicious. But I didn’t take any photos. I did, however, take video of my latest soap pour. White eucalyptus and mint. Smells amazing! Can’t wait to see how the cut turns out. It was a bit thicker trace than I expected. 
•
•
•
#coldprocesssoap #soap #soapmaking #ecualyptus #mint #stillinthekitchen #somethingdifferent
It’s been a week! Time to relax a little. Braise It’s been a week! Time to relax a little. Braised short ribs and polenta. Dinner is served! 
•
•
•
#weekend #weekendvibes #cooking #dinner #shortribs #polenta
Breakfast buddies. I love when he crunches toast. Breakfast buddies. I love when he crunches toast. #sharing #labradoodle #lovemydog #notofficiallyonthebed
It’s been ages since I’ve posted here. Well, a It’s been ages since I’ve posted here. Well, a month, lol. Thats a while! We made it through the holidays and we are into the new year. And while we are still cooking a lot, most of my big concoctions lately have been outside the kitchen and in the soap/candle studio. Here I am mixing scents, clays and mica colorants. Lots of new products coming to @lesilobleu soon. 
•
•
•
#candlemaking #soapmaking #coldprocesssoap #giftideas #smallbusiness
Traditional Sunday Roast with Yorkshire Puddings a Traditional Sunday Roast with Yorkshire Puddings and roasties. Even though it wasn’t Sunday. A favorite. 
•
•
•
#sundayroast #beef #potatoes #yorkshirepudding #dinner #yum
Wishing everyone a safe, healthy and very Merry Ch Wishing everyone a safe, healthy and very Merry Christmas! From all of us to all of you!
A little confiture with our biscuits this morning. A little confiture with our biscuits this morning. Fun flavors with pretty packaging. It’s a bit too sweet for me but I do like the pretty presentation. 
•
•
•
#jam #preserves #confiture #confitureparisienne #framboise #macaron #biscuits
Chicken Piccata for dinner. Love, love, love the l Chicken Piccata for dinner. Love, love, love the lemony white wine and caper sauce. A favorite! #dinner #chicken #lemon #yum
Fried chicken and waffles for dinner. With a maple Fried chicken and waffles for dinner. With a maple sriracha syrup. #dinner #eat #friedchicken #waffle #chickenandwaffles #yum
Leftovers! The best thing for lunch the next day- Leftovers!  The best thing for lunch the next day- Thanksgiving dinner on a roll. #thanksgiving #leftovers #thanksgivingdinneronaroll #yum #thebest
We are full of food and love today! So grateful fo We are full of food and love today! So grateful for the family around our table. #love #gratitude #thanksgiving #family
Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! We are Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! We are so grateful for each and every one of you! However you spend your day, may it be filled with love and deliciousness! 
•
•
•
#thanksgiving #gratitude #love #friends #family #delish
So many blooms from our roses … still!!! It’s So many blooms from our roses … still!!! It’s November! I’m capturing them and will dry the petals for soap and bath salts. #roses #latebloomer #davidaustinroses #loveroses
Load More... Follow on Instagram

© Copyright 2017 Kitchen Conundrum · Privacy Policy & Disclosures · All Rights Reserved ·