Welcome to my kitchen (part 1)!

My kitchen

I love to cook.  I know I've blogged about this before, but never in depth.  I'd have to say that I spend a great deal of time in my kitchen.  For me, cooking isn't just a chore, it's a way to express myself with food, almost like art.  Since my skill level in art is equivalent with that of a five year old, it's nice knowing that my "art" doesn't stink.  Secondly, it's a way to express my love, appreciation and care for others.  For example, any of us who've had babies can attest to the fact that right after having that baby, you are incapable of doing anything for yourself.  Few things are more appreciated than the neighbor, friend or fellow church attendee who brings a lovingly-prepared meal to you so that you don't have to worry about it.  And when I bring meals, I do it right!  I usually pack a breakfast in addition to dinner.  You should be so lucky!

As I was pondering this post, there were so many things that I wanted to include that I think it will have to be a multi-part post.  Otherwise, it would end up reading like a short novel.  So, I've decided to start with what I like to call, healthy substitutions.

Healthy Substitutions
There, it seems more official when it's underlined and in bold letters. My cooking is full of these.  There was a time when I was extremely poor (my pre-sugar daddy days), and I lived on chicken, spaghetti, peanut butter, and apples...literally.  And while I admire those gals who coupon out the wazoo, I just don't want to do it.  I want to feed my family very well, even if it means I have a slightly higher grocery budget.  I skimp in other areas.  So, having said all of that, there are some substitutions I always make.  Perhaps you'd like to give them a try too!

1. I NEVER (okay, almost never) use ground beef.  I use lean ground turkey.  I know a lot of people don't like it, but I think it tastes just fine when spiced and seasoned properly.  I even use it in meatloaf and burgers.

2. Try Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  Greek yogurt is much lower in fat and calories.  For example, in just one Tbsp. of typical sour cream, there is about 3 grams of fat and 30 calories!  You can eat a whole cup of skim milk Greek yogurt and get no fat and only 120 calories.  Plus, just one cup of Greek yogurt has about 20 grams of protein!!  This will help you stay full longer.  I use GY for anything I would put sour cream on.  It's a great substitution.

3. Whole Wheat flour-I know a lot of people are afraid to use this, especially in baking, because they are afraid their baked goods won't taste the same.  That can be true.  The key is to find a very well ground flour.  I really like Wheat Montana whole wheat flour.  You can do a store locator search here.  When I lived in Missouri, they sold it at HyVee.  It's such good quality flour that I never had to add white flour to it.  I used it for pancakes, cookies, breads, waffles, etc...and it always turned out just as moist and tasty as when I used white flour.  I haven't been able to find it here in Austin, so I use half whole wheat flour and half white flour, and it still works just fine.

4. Similarly, I like to use whole wheat pasta.  Occasionally I'll get the regular stuff because hubby likes it better, but I try to stick with whole wheat as much as possible.

5. Grape seed oil-I love this product.  I used to be an EVOO junkie, but I rarely touch it anymore.  I started selling Wildtree products about eight months ago, and they have a great line of grape seed oil products.  I love GSO because it doesn't burn like EVOO.  It can get up to about 420 degrees before it burns, so it's ideal for pan cooking on the stove.  Also, when compared with other oils, it has the lowest saturated fat (bad fats) and no trans-fat.  Here's my little plug: in some places, you can find GSO in the grocery store.  But, if you can't, please visit my website here and you can take a look at our products.

6. Spinach is so versatile.  I use it on hamburgers (made with ground turkey) instead of lettuce.  It's nutrient dense, and the taste is very subtle.  It also can be well "hidden" in food if you have someone in your home who doesn't like it.  Try pureeing it and adding it to spaghetti sauce.  I like to chop it up and put it in meatloaf.  I also use it in salads, on pizza, and in fruit and veggie smoothies.

7. I use Agave nectar as a sweetening agent instead of sugar.  I don't substitute it for sugar in my baking, but I will use it in coffee, tea, on fruit, etc... Supposedly, it has a low glycemic index.

8.I rarely substitute butter.  I just feel that something like margarine, which is composed of things I can't even pronounce, may not be a better choice than the real thing.  So I usually just try to limit my butter intake, or when I do want to substitute something for it, I use my Wildtree Natural Butter GSO.  I love that product!  The same goes for sugar.  I'm not a big fan of any of the sugar substitutes out there.  I guess if I had to use anything, I'd spring for Truvia, but I don't really like the taste of it.  For some things, I use agave nectar (as mentioned above), but in general, I just try to limit my sugar intake.

So there you have it, secrets of my kitchen.  Since I love cooking and eating, I'm of the opinion that it should be as enjoyable a task as possible.  I'm out to make healthy food taste good.  I want my family to eat it and enjoy it.  In my next post, I will either talk about home-made baby food, or share some recipes from my kitchen.  Happy cooking, y'all!