Monthly Archives: October 2015

Beverage, Healthy, Informative, Less than 5

Morning Health Shot

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One of the most consistent recommendations for better health is     always to drink more water.  It is almost certain the majority of        people do not drink as much water as they need.  (Take your weight, divide it in half, and that is how many ounces you need per day. For example, a 200 pound man needs about 100 ounces of water.)  The next most common advice I have found is to drink lemon water, possibly with cayenne pepper and/or honey every day.

The reasons for doing so range from boosting the immune system to cleansing the liver, kick-starting the metabolism and weight loss to a burst of natural energy.  Lemon juice itself has several health               benefits associated with it. It is well known as a useful treatment for kidney stones, detoxifying with Vitamin C, reducing diabetes risk, and aiding in alkalinizing the body.  Lemon is antioxidant, astringent, and contains boatloads of vitamins and minerals.

Lemon and Pepper

Cayenne pepper is recommended because it contains capsaicin, a spicy compound which stimulates the circulatory system.  It opens capillaries, aids digestion, and helps to regulate blood sugar levels.  It also kick-starts the metabolism and increases your internal body temperature, which can contribute to weight loss over time.

And finally, honey can also help in weight loss when consumed with warm water and lemon juice. Honey is packed with 22 amino acids and a number of valuable vitamins and minerals, many of which       benefit the body’s metabolism. By regulating metabolic function, food is broken down and utilized properly, fat is converted into usable energy, and overall health is improved. Be sure to use local, raw, unfiltered honey whenever possible.

Heart shot glass

I gave this a try for 4 weeks.  I could not handle the full-glass-of-warm-spicy-water, so I distilled it down into one shot.  I know, the whole drink-a-big-glass-of-water is part of the deal, but I always        followed it with a 16 oz glass of water.  Here’s what I did:

  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice (fresh when I had it, bottled when I didn’t)
  • 1-2 tsp local honey
  • Pinch chipotle pepper (I didn’t have cayenne, but it is basically the same thing)

Mix those in a shot glass, down it, and follow with a big glass of plain water.

The results?

Well, the horrible taste of sweet/acidic/spicy does kinda wake you up a bit.  Overall I didn’t notice a huge variation in energy levels, in the morning or throughout the day. Neither did I notice a big difference in how I felt, health-wise.  This may be because I already eat a pretty nutritious diet full of things that help detox and alkalinize me, but I didn’t notice a big enough difference to stay with it long term.

 

How about you guys? Have you ever tried a lemon water/cayenne detox, or is it part of your daily life? What benefits have you seen? Please share your experience in the comments!

 

Healthy, Informative, Snacks

How to Harvest Sunflower Seeds

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Has anyone ever seen a field full of happy go lucky sunflowers and not smiled to themselves?  These giant beauties can be seen all over farms and more recently suburban front yards soaking in the sun and brightening people’s days.  Sunflowers are large, pretty, and one of the few species that really take heliotropism seriously!  They turn their entire heads, leaves, and bodies to the sun and track it across the sky throughout each day.

Sunflowers are an abundant source of nectar as well, attracting friendly insect like bees and butterflies.  All summer long these     pretty, helpful creatures can find the nectar they are looking for in abundance.  And when the sun starts to wane, so too do the flowers.  They tell you when they are ready to drop seeds by tilting over, and the backs of the flowers and stems turn yellow, and then brown.

This is the sunflowers’ final gift: abundant, protein-filled seeds for all.  Birds, squirrels, and humans all love these tiny seeds and seek them out.  Luckily one flower can produce up to a half pound of seeds alone!  Leave the seed heads on the flower, and birds will perch on the stalk to harvest.  As they dry, seeds will fall to the ground where squirrels and other vermin can scoop them up.

To harvest seeds for your own use, drying & roasting or saving to plant next year, there are several options.

  1. Place a paper bag over the seed heads as they start to droop.  Let the flower dry on its own, and shake the bag every so often.  Be sure it doesn’t get wet.  As seeds dry out and fall they will collect in the paper bag.
  2. Cut off the seed heads, bring them indoors, then hang them somewhere and place a bag over them.  This ensures they will not get wet and no critters can interfere with your harvest.
  3. Cut off the seed heads and scoop out the seeds by hand.  This way you don’t have to wait for the seeds to fall out on their own.

Large Sunflower With White Seeds

You can see that each individual floret has turned into a seed.  One tablespoon of sunflower seeds has 4.5 grams of protein! And one seed is capable of producing a giant flower next year which will give you thousands more seeds. Amazing.

Harvesting Sunflower Seeds

The way I harvested the seeds is to simply use my fingers to gently rub the seeds back and forth.  You can feel them loosening, and when they fall out.  The easier & faster way to do this is to use a spoon to scrape the seeds out.  Be sure you do this over a large bowl or basket to catch all the seeds. It does get messy.

Bag of Sunflower Seeds

Now you have a big basket full of seeds.  Pick out any large petals, leaves, or debris.  If you are saving seed to plant next year, spread them on a flat surface and dry fully for a week or so, then store somewhere cool, dry, and dark until next spring.

To roast your sunflower seeds, there are two ways to do it:

  1. Rinse the seeds 3 times, and dry them in a salad spinner or on a large cloth.  Place in a frying pan over medium heat with a pinch of salt, and shake them around over medium heat until they sound like pebbles rolling around.
  2. Rinse the seeds & dry.  Bring 2 cups water + 1/2 cup salt to a boil, and boil the seeds for 5 minutes.  Spread them out on an oven-safe pan, and roast at 350 for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally and being sure not to burn them.

Roasted sunflowers make a great snack, and if you grow the flowers yourself with nothing sprayed on them, you know they are nothing but organic, healthy protein! You can try using different spice mixes to liven things up too.  Unfortunately you need heavy machinery to de-shell them easily, but you appreciate things more when you have to work for them. =)

 

Have you ever harvested sunflowers? What do you do with the seeds? Feel free to share in the comments!

Appetizers, Dips and Sauces, Holidays, Side dishes, Sneaky Healthy

Spider Web Taco Dip

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This dip is super easy, it takes less than 30 minutes to put together! And with just a little bit of creativity, it turns into a perfect Halloween party appetizer, sure to please all your spook-loving guests.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 can refried beans
  • 1 block cream cheese
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1 large head romaine or 1 cup spinach
  • 1/4 cup shredded cheese
  • 4-6 tbsp sour cream
  • 1/2 can olives
  • 1 zip-lock baggie
Step 1: Mix the refried beans and the taco seasoning together.  In a casserole dish, spread the refried beans into a thin layer with a spoon.  Bring the cream cheese to room temperature, or heat briefly in the microwave, until you can spread it on top of the bean layer.
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Step 2: Spread the salsa over the cream cheese layer.  Shred the lettuce or spinach, and layer that on top.  Then add the shredded cheese.  Spoon the sour cream into the zip lock baggie.  Use scissors to snip off a corner, and pipe a spider web on top.  Scatter black olives around.
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To make olive spiders: Take 2 olives and slice in half, then into thin slivers.  These will be the feet.  Take another olive and cut in half.  This is the head.  Lay one olive on its side, then the half-olive just next to it.  Add 4 thin slices on each side for legs, and your creepy-crawly treat is party-ready!
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Happy Halloween!

 

 

Administrative, Comfort food, Finances, Informative

How to Build a Pantry Immediately Under $50

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This is an article on how to start building a pantry immediately, with very little up-front cost. If you already have ten years’ worth of canned beans in the basement, that is awesome, but this article is not for you. I am writing this article to the people who:

  • Are tired of looking at bare cupboards.
  • Can’t sleep at night because they just used up their last box of <insert boxed food here>.
  • Just like to be prepared for stuff.
  • Would really love to have the makings for a meal readily available without having to go to the store.
  • Want to eat real food, without spending a lot.
  • Know winter is coming.
  • Like to save money!
  • Want to have some kind of food around no matter what.
  • Don’t have much money to spend building a pantry.

asian spices & sauces

Whether you are preparing for a hurricane, tough economic times, flexibility in meal planning, or just because you know you’d sleep better at night, you can start building a pantry right now, and for less than $50 per person.

A pantry by definition is a room or place in which food is stored as an ‘extra’ or backup to the kitchen. There is a wide variety of ways      people build pantries, from an extra can of soup on the top shelf to a maximum-prepper-root-cellar type pantry with hundreds of freeze dried meals, and everything in between. If you have a few boxes of ramen under the bed, that’s a pantry. If you have a stash of your      favorite cookies hidden somewhere you don’t have to share, that’s a pantry.

Home Canned Tomatoes

This article will give you an exact idea of how to build a pantry in one shopping trip, for less than $50 (per person) which could provide  enough calories to survive for 1 month. But, keep in mind this is “survive”, not eat like you’re on a cruise ship vacation. It is, however, way better than ramen noodles, and is real, healthy, good food.       (Heck you could even just use this as your personal “less than $50 monthly grocery shopping list & meal plan” any time).

Prices are based on stores in the New Haven, CT area.  Prices may vary based on where you are located, sales and/or coupons, and time of the year.  Feel free to make certain substitutions tailored to your situation.  If you have access to free or cheaper foods, stock up on those as well (for example, a garden, barter system, foraging, etc).

Always be on the lookout for opportunities for urban foraging like an overhanging apple tree, rogue tomato plant, whatever. Also, many plants we consider weeds are edible. Just be sure to read/watch enough to know what you are doing before eating      anything wild you pick.

Stocked freezer

This plan is meant to provide enough food for one person for three meals for thirty days.  Most meals will be very simple, but will be enough to survive. And this is real food, not freeze dried astronaut ice cream. You could eat any of these suggested meals at any time.  If you have more room in your budget, you can add more “comfort” foods like sauces, spices, dried fruits, desserts, snacks, or other items you desire.

I’d recommend ALDI if you have one near you. (Go here to see their locations). They have the most consistently low prices overall for packaged and even fresh foods that I’ve seen. Otherwise, find the store nearest you that has good deals. Follow general grocery rules, like shopping produce that is in season, making a list, buying in bulk when the prices are low, etc. to save even more.

Purchase per person:

  • 3 cans chicken — 2.97
  • 5 cans tuna or salmon — 5
  • 15 lbs beans (any type) — 8.50
  • 5 lbs rice — 2.99
  • 5 lbs potatoes — 1.99
  • 1 large canister oats — 2.29
  • Tortillas (12 pack) — 0.99
  • 10 bags frozen vegetables — 10
  • 2 cans any type fruit — 2
  • 1 jar pasta sauce — 1
  • 1 pound pasta — 0.88
  • Dozen bananas — 2.22
  • 1 jar peanut butter — 1.49
  • 1 jar jelly — 1
  • 5 cans diced tomatoes — 4.40
  • 2 loaves bread — 1.70

Grand Total: $49.42

These items can sit wherever you have extra room, and you know they will be there in a pinch. You can also add any items that your family specifically goes through a lot of, such as chickpeas, eggs, or a certain spice mix.

Be sure that you use these items prior to their expiration dates by incorporating them into what you already cook. There is no sense in spending even a small amount of money on food that you end up not eating. A list of many suggested meals using these items is below.

Suggested meals:

And if you happen to have a pantry already, hopefully this list can help jump-start your creativity. Just a few simple ingredients can quickly come together to create a satisfying meal for far less than you would spend outside the home. Having a well-stocked pantry means you can have a snack or meal ready to go in minutes, and without having to wait in line or drive 30 minutes.

Counter covered with groceries

To continue to build your stockpile, simply pick up one extra item each time you go to the grocery store. Add two jars of pasta sauce to your cart when you only need one, and now you have a spare. When there is a great sale on peaches and you can afford to, stock up. That way you keep your overall cost lower, by purchasing frequently      eaten items in bulk when the price is low. Just don’t get too crazy, you don’t want to buy way more than you will ever eat or buy things you end up hating and throwing away.

Also keep an eye out for mark-downs on products that are about to expire (like meats & fresh vegetables, but use or freeze ASAP), slightly dented (I’m lookin’ at you, 10 cent dented cans of soup), or out of season (sprinkles in the shape of a leaf are still sprinkles in the summertime). One extra can or bag at a time can make a big impact on your yearly grocery tally. And you will get the satisfaction of knowing that you have a buffer of food for whenever, whatever, happens.

(Title picture is of pantry items used to make Salsa Chicken Soup)

Breads, Breakfast, Dessert, Healthy, Snacks

Cranberry Orange Muffins

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One of the best things about fall is all the wonderful scents and flavors that come into season.  Of course the powerhouse is Pumpkin Spice, undisputed king of the fall flavors.  But I’m more of a fan of the littler-known seasonal delights, like nutmeg, fall squash, citrus, and cranberries.

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And of course, cranberries & oranges go together like peanut butter and jelly in the fall. Cranberry & orange tastes great on chicken, pork, or fish, they go together in relish for your Thanksgiving turkey, or baked into bread, cookies, and of course muffins!

These muffins are light and moist, with a lovely sweet tang from the juice and the berries. Perfect for snacking, quick breakfasts, or midday snacks. These muffins can also be frozen in single layers and popped into baggies for an on-the-go treat later. Simply microwave or pop in a toaster oven for a warm fluffy breakfast.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 large orange
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 cup fresh, dried, or frozen cranberries
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda

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Step 1: In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder & soda, ) and in another bowl mix all the wet ingredients (egg, oil, juice). You can juice an actual orange for the juice if you have the ability.

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Step 2: Grate the peel of one orange, and mix it into the wet ingredients. Mix the wet into the dry ingredients, and fold together until moist. Add in the cranberries. If you’re using frozen cranberries, thaw and drain them first so your batter doesn’t get too watery.

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Step 3: Either spray muffin tins with cooking oil or line them with muffin papers. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter into each opening. Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes, until the muffins are browning on the top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

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Remove your lovely muffins and let them cool enough to take out of the pan. Then enjoy at least one (or three, I won’t tell!) while they’re still warm.  MMMM MMM! So delicious with coffee, hot tea, or some fresh hot chocolate.

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Breakfast, Casseroles, Healthy, Main Dishes, Side dishes

Spaghetti Squash & Kale Stir Fry

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For those who are unsure of trying new “health craze foods” like kale or spaghetti squash, let me assure you, they are SUPER easy to cook and incorporate into your repertoire.  By now the interwebs are bursting at the seams with kale related recipes, so that’s a good place to start.  You can pretty much use it anywhere you would use lettuce or spinach, sometimes coating in oil or steaming first since it is much more hardy in texture.

As for spaghetti squash, this baby is coming into its own in the fall. I have written before about my “spaghetti” and turkey meatballs, where you use the strands of squash just like noodles for the same texture but way more filling fiber and nutritious vitamins than wheat pasta. You can try starting this trick by using half-and-half squash and pasta, then working up from there according to taste.

Cooking a squash is as easy as 1-2-3 with a microwave. Simply cut the squash in half, and lay cut-side down on a plate in the microwave. Add about a 1/2 inch of water, and microwave 5 minutes. Flip the squash over, and microwave again. If it is soft when poked with a fork, you’re good to go, otherwise continue flipping and microwaving a few minutes at a time.  When it is done, you can take a fork and drag it down the sides, pulling out the flesh in spaghetti-like strings.

Hence the name.

You can of course also bake it cut-side down in a shallow oven-safe pan with a little water, 45-60 minutes or until softened. These preparation methods work well for pretty much all types of winter squash as well, from spaghetti to acorn to butternut.

Kale and Spaghetti Squash

For this recipe, spaghetti squash, kale, and other yummy veggies come together in a warming, filling fall favorite. You can make this in a frying pan or in the oven, and once made can be stirred into omelets, served alone or with sauce, or like I did wrapped into a burrito!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 small spaghetti squash
  • Handful kale (about 1 cup)
  • 2 slices bacon — optional
  • 1 tbsp olive oil — if not using bacon
  • 1/4 white onion, sliced
  • 1/4 pint mushrooms
  • Nuitritional yeast
  • Sprinkle of sea salt

Step 1: In a frying pan, add the onions and bacon if using. (Otherwise, cook onions in olive oil). Cook 1 minute, then add the mushrooms and kale, and flip the bacon. Cook, stirring, about 5-7 minutes. Then add in the spaghetti squash. Cook until everything is heated through.

Spaghetti Squash & Kale Burrito

Step 2: Now you can enjoy as is, add some sauce, scramble some eggs into it for a lovely omelet, or wrap it up into a burrito!

Healthy, Informative

How To Ripen Green Tomatoes

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Sometimes, green tomatoes will fall off the vine or be pulled off in the process of harvesting ripe red tomatoes. And sometimes you need to harvest all the potentially edible green tomatoes before first frost kills everything. So if you have lots of tomatoes left on the vine, but all of them are nowhere near red, and you’ve already made all the fried green tomatoes you can handle, you may be wondering, can I speed up the ripening process?

The short answer is, yes you can!

Green Tomatoes

You may wonder, do you need a specific temperature? Nope.

Do you need special equipment? Nope.

Do you need the whole plant? Nope again.

Green tomato wrapped in newspaper

There are two ways to go about this that I have tried with great success.  The first way is to wrap the tomatoes in newspaper, then place in a paper bag with an apple or two.  Apples give off ethylene gas, which causes fruits and plants to ripen (and at too high concentrations, to die).

This is also why you should not store apples & bananas next to each other, as the apples will cause the bananas to ripen more quickly as well. Unless your bananas are green and you want to eat them immediately, then by all means, use the apple trick.

Green tomatoes in newspaper with apples

The second method, which the writer  of InMyKitchenGarden agrees is far easier and does indeed work, is to bring them inside and simply set them on the counter until ripe.

Yup. Just like that. Done.

You may of course lose one or two to rotting, and they may dry out a bit the longer you leave them, but that’s okay.  Older home-grown tomatoes are still far better than no tomatoes, and sure will be better than anything you can buy at the store months from now.

Green tomato in newspaper

Since in Connecticut, first frost is predicted for this Sunday (heads up to anyone who hasn’t heard!) I will be out in the garden Friday or Saturday, loading up on anything larger than a marble to bring inside. A few will become fried green tomatoes (which I have totally fallen in love with!), another handful I’ll put some into paper bags, and others I’ll simply leave in a basket on the counter.

Then you can enjoy your green tomatoes through their various stages of ripening for weeks, and possibly months, to come. The speed at which they ripen will depend upon how close to ripe they were when picked, the temperature of your house, humidity levels, etc. and could take from a few days to a month or more.

As long as they aren’t mushy, liquid, or covered in black or white spots, they are still safe to eat. And if by chance they aren’t very pretty by the time they are red (or pink/orange/yellow) then you can try canning sauce from them, or oven drying them, and then cosmetics won’t matter.

Now go get those green tomatoes before Jack Frost does!

Finances, Healthy, Informative

5 Ways to Preserve Tomatoes

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As summer winds down into the gorgeous chill days of fall, gardens are finally running out of steam on producing tomatoes.  If you’ve read earlier articles you know how much fun I’ve had with gardening in my neighborhood this summer!  Baskets upon baskets of these lovely red jewels.  And now, sadly, my final harvest is coming to fruit on the vine, and soon I’ll pull up the plants before Jack Frost takes them away.

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For those who still have one last bumper crop, or have a huge pile on the counter starting to soften, here are 5 ways to easily preserve tomatoes for all year round.  From as simple as cut & freeze to the process of canning (made simple with my one easy trick!) there are lots of ways to put up what you have now for when it is no longer available fresh, and preserve the lovely nutrients inside.

Option 1: Cut & Freeze

The simplest of all: just cut up your tomatoes into halves or quarters, and toss into a freezer bag. Label and put in the freezer. Later, you can use these tomatoes in sauces, soups, stews, and chilies with no problem. If you want to remove the skins, simply defrost and the skins will fall right off! Or you can leave whole, or puree them with the skins on.

Option 2: Oven Drying

Oven Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil

It is oh-so-easy to dry your own tomatoes! All you really need is a wire rack, a knife, oodles of tomatoes (preferably roma), and some time.  See my article How to Make Oven Dried Tomatoes.

Option 3: Canning diced tomatoes

Quarts of Homemade Canned Pasta Sauce

Canning your own diced tomatoes is a snap! As long as you have the time to invest, canning your own will create a much healthier, flavorful option than store-bought cans. Simply dice up your tomatoes, place in a canning jar, and process. Be sure to always follow the rules of safe canning whether using a water bath or pressure canning method.

Option 4: Canning pasta sauce

Canning Pasta Sauce

Canning pasta sauce is only slightly more involved than diced tomatoes in that you add spices to the jars. I added fresh basil, garlic salt, and dried onion. Read the full article HERE.

Option 5: Turn them into tomato products

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If plain tomatoes aren’t your favorite, there are still SO MANY tomato-based products we use daily that you can make in your own kitchen. Give some or all of them a try:

And there you have it, easy ways to preserve tomato bounty! Any home gardener who has weathered at least one tomato season has had more chopped fresh tomatoes than they could handle, and these are all tried-and-true preservation methods. Using these techniques you can enjoy the flavor of summer all year long.

Comfort food, Healthy, Main Dishes, Pasta, Sneaky Healthy

Sausage & Veggie Parmesan Alfredo

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In the warm-to-chill days of autumn, we begin to crave more hearty, filling, stick-to-your-ribs kind of foods.  Soups, stews, chilies, and pasta all sound wonderful as seasonal hibernation signals kick in.  However, you probably don’t want to already start putting on your “winter coat” do  you?  I know it is pretty socially acceptable to gain a few pounds over winter, who doesn’t?  With these filling foods, not much time outdoors, and lots of holiday treats, it is easy to succumb.

But not this time!

A lightened up parmesan pasta alfredo to the rescue!  This recipe is intensely flavorful, with lots of meat to satisfy the carnos in the family,yet packed with good-for-you veggies for vitamins and fiber.  With a homemade alfredo sauce, you get to control how much and what kinds of fats are included, and can amp up the vegetable content, to make a much healthier alternative to a frozen-bagged or restaurant meal.

simple sausage & veggie alfredo

This recipe takes about 20 minutes, and serves 2-4.  If you don’t have the specific vegetables mentioned, feel free to substitute any kind you like, as long as you try to keep at least 2 cups’ worth.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound sausage links (or loose)
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1 large potato, diced
  • 1 small eggplant, diced
  • 1 large head broccoli, cut into florets
  • 1/2 bunch kale, rinsed and chopped
  • 1 pound pasta (save 1 cup of cooking water)
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
  • 1/2 cup milk or cream
  • 2-4 tbsp. butter

simple sausage & veggie alfredo

Step 1: In a frying pan, cook your ground sausage or links until browned, and pour off any excess fat. Add the potates first and cook with a lid for 10-15 minutes.

simple sausage & veggie alfredo

Step 2: Add the rest of the vegetables, in order of firmness/needed cooking time, and continue until all veggies are added and beginning to soften. Meanwhile, boil and drain the pasta.

simple sausage & veggie alfredo

Step 3: Add the pasta, water, parmesan, milk, and butter, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce coats the noodles and thickens.

simple sausage & veggie alfredo

Serve and enjoy!

Administrative, Dips and Sauces, Informative, Less than 5

How to Make Infused Oils

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Ever read a recipe that calls for a “garlic-infused oil” or  some such thing?  Thought to yourself, “That would be way too expensive to buy! I’ll just use regular“?  Have you ever tried something in a restaurant or cooked by a friend that had a little special something hiding in the other flavors?  It may have been an infused oil!  And guess what? They are so easy to make your own!

I had this idea originally because I had found some very pretty small glass jars at a garage sale. They were the perfect size for something you only use a little bit of at a time, or as gifts. This made them the perfect medium for experimenting with infusions!

Infused olive oil and vinegars

An infusion simply means that an aromatic is soaked in oil long enough that some of the aromas and/or flavors of the additions are imparted into the oil. The beauty of this method is that you can use pretty much anything you enjoy the flavor of and want to taste in your oils!

You can choose to blend herbs with the oil, or simply put some into the bottle and let it sit. This makes a lovely presentation, and since these were meant as gifts, that is what I chose to do. I also had made my own vinegars, so a nice set of one oil and one vinegar will make for a great gift in the coming months!

Ingredients:

  • Oil to fill your container
  • About 2 tbsp flavoring per 1/2 cup oil

Step 1: Whether using garlic, fresh herbs, citrus, ground spices, or citrus fruits, make sure your produce is as fresh as possible and washed and dried.

Step 2: Heat your oil and your flavorings for about 5 minutes, to just bubbling. This helps release the flavors and smells into the oil. Let cool completely

Step 3: Filter your oil, or don’t, and pour into your jars. If you do include more herbs for looks, be aware that it will likely cause the finished product to look cloudy. This is ok.

Homemade infused oils and vinegars

You can try pretty much any flavoring you can imagine, and can get creative with combinations too! Try citrus and rosemary, cilantro and lime, lemon and black pepper, or basil and garlic. For the very brave, try infusing hot pepper for a spicy oil to fry your chicken in.

These infusions can now be gifts to a foodie in your life, who will likely be very impressed with your kitchen DIY abilities. Or you can use them to cook with of course, or as dipping oils served with crusty breads. Swirl into homemade hummus, or drizzle some on top of quick vegan tomato soup.

Have fun with it, & good luck!