Tasty Kitchen Tools and Cookware Contest!

Happy 2010! I hope you all survived the holidays with plenty of nourishing food in your bellies, and time to relax with loved ones. I had a great time away in New York City with my boyfriend, where I was able to spend time with my sisters and friends reflecting on our intentions for the new year. We even got to see HAIR on Broadway (Let the sunshine in, indeed), and eat at many yummy restaurants like this one! For those of you looking for great fitness tips to start the year off on the right foot, and don’t have too much time to spend at the gym, check out One Fit Foodie’s blog.

To kick off the New Year, I am offering a free giveaway from Rachael Ray Cookware . All you have to do is post a comment on this page about what your favourite kitchen tool is and why. I will then put your name in a cooking pot (as opposed to a hat) and have a draw on January 22nd. If you would like additional entries to increase your chances of winning, then try these 5 suggestions and make sure to include the links in your comments of where you have posted them.

1. Become a Fan on Facebook , and post it as your facebook status
2. Subscribe to my newsletter
3. Follow me on Twitter @tastylife
4. Retweet this contest on Twitter
5. Link to this contest from your blog
* Contest closes Sunday, January 24th

My Favourite Kitchen Tools of the Trade

1. Garlic Press: Since I put garlic in almost every dish I make (except for the sweet ones), I use a garlic press to crush the garlic without any mess. I put this in a bit of olive oil on a hot pan and wait until the garlic turns golden and emits a strong aroma, then I add onions and everything else! I also add it into all my dressings. Garlic isn’t the same if it’s chopped, it needs to be crushed!
2. Salad Spinner: When you’re washing lettuce this tool is a must. The other option would be to dry it with towels, but I have found that method only stains all my white kitchen towels- green! Simply toss in your washed greens and “spin” them dry. There are all kinds of products on the market. Some have knobs you turn, or use a push-down mechanism. Other pluses, it’s a good workout for your biceps, and makes a fun paired activity- one person holds the bowl still, while the other turns it.
3. Flexible Plastic Cutting Board: Because of the flexibility you can lift the contents of your cutting board into the bowl, and then you can toss it in the dishwasher! You should also own a few cutting boards, and use some just for meat, fish and poultry and others just for fruits and vegetables. Once I forgot I used the cutting board for an onion, and next thing I knew I was eating an onion flavoured apple!
4. Spray Bottle for Oil: Fill this nonaerosol sprayer with your favorite oil and use it to coat pans and grills. Make sure to buy a container specifically advertised for use with oil.
5. Food Processor and Blender: A food processor can make quick work of slicing, dicing, shredding, grating and chopping much easier and nicer to look at, (especially for vegetables like carrots, beets and cabbage that otherwise come out in funny shapes.) For smaller quantities, some people like to use a mandolin to make really paper-thin decorative cuts. A blender purees ingredients quickly, I use my blender for making smoothies! you can also get a hand-held immersion blender for pureeing soups easily in the pot. If you want the best blender in town, check out the Vitamix blender it is top of the line, and you can literally put in an entire squash to make a soup, or put in whole almonds to make almond butter!

Here's a yummy gingery dessert for you to fight off winter colds!...

Yummo Pineapple-Ginger Sorbet

1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, 1 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and cut in cubes , 1/4 teaspoon almond extract pinch salt 4 Tablespoons your choice of sweetener ,juice of 1 lime 3 Tablespoons orange juice or more if needed.

Freeze pineapple in a Ziploc bag. Remove from freezer about 25 min. before starting the recipe so it will not be brick-hard. With food processor running, drop ginger through feed tube. Add pineapple a few chunks at a time. Add remaining ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as required. Process till the mixture is smooth and creamy, adding a little more oj to help it along if necessary. Serve immediately. As you can imagine there are a lot of possibilities for this. You could add a half of a very ripe banana to the mixture for example, or you can serve it with slice banana and shredded coconut. Serves 6 generously, even 8. (Thanks C. L for the recipe idea!)

Live creatively,give wholeheartedly & nourish yourself like your heart depends on it