One Stop Fitness Shop» Cooking, Food & Wine

Ceramic Cookie Jar and Vase All in One

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:23:16 +0000

We were trying to figure out what to get my mother-in-law for her upcoming birthday. It’s tough because she has everything and what she doesn’t have, she tends to buy for herself immediately, leaving us short on ideas. We’re planning on chipping in as a family and treating her too a trip since she’s overdue for a nice vacation. But we’d also like to get her some small items for her home. One thing we’re planning to get her is a digital photo frame filled with family photos. But since she has such a sweet tooth, we’re going to get her something tasty too. I think we’ll buy her this white ceramic cookie jar and fill it with her favorite chocolates and cookies.

What’s nice about this classic attractive cookie jar is that it looks just as nice without it’s cover, making it a great flower vase as well. The style is perfect for just about any kitchen, looking both contemporary and classic at the same time. At over eight inches tall and over six inches in diameter, it’s a great size without taking up too much precious counter space. And at the holidays she can fill it with her delicious homemade cookies for everyone to enjoy too.

Think the Winery Kitchen Personalized Cutting Board as a contempoary housewarming gift

admin — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 21:18:50 +0000

The Winery Kitchen Personalized Cutting Board will look great hanging in any kitchen. It is essentially a piece of art that is useful too. Glass cutting boards are much more sanitary than wood or plastic. Wooden and plastic boars can get cut by knives and those cuts can breed bacteria. Glass is easy to clean and sanitary. It won’t cut easily like wood and plastic. It has a nice down home look and feel to it as well as being a safer cutting board.

A cutting board and knife set are good contemporary housewarming gifts. Everyone has to eat and most people will cook at least occasionally. Vegetables need to be cut for salads and meats for dishes. A baker could use the cutting board for breads and cakes. Even if they aren’t cooks they will enjoy the look of it on display in their kitchen. It is especially good for people living on their own for the first time. It would also make a good wedding gift if you put their last name on it.

Moving Beyond Spaghetti On Italian Food Night

admin — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:51:54 +0000

If your family is stuck when it comes time to think of another Italian-style dish to serve, try this economical and nutritious Italian Beans and Rice meal. Italian food is usually all about the spices, and there’s no lacking in flavor when you mix up a kettle of this rice dish. I always use brown rice because I like the nutritional value. What comes through with the brown rice is also a nice nutty flavor and great texture, as well. Beans are a great source of protein as well as dietary fiber which makes this dish the perfect meal to serve your vegetarian friends and family. Be sure to include a nice green salad alongside to complete your meal.

If cooking up a pot of beans and rice appeals to you, but you haven’t been able to think outside the “Spanish Rice” or “Cajun Rice” box, this is a great flavorful dish that will please your whole Italian food loving family. When it comes to inexpensive bean recipes, this one is just different enough to keep your family coming back for more.

Pasta Serving Bowl for Pasta-Lovers

admin — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:40:58 +0000

Do you eat a lot of pasta in your home? We sure do! We enjoy many varieties of pasta including: penne pasta, shells, linguine, fettuccine, you name it. We often try to find the whole-wheat versions for a healthier choice, and when we’re feeling particularly ambitious we actually make our own homemade pasta. Now for all of the years we’ve been eating pasta, somehow we hadn’t gotten around to actually buying a pasta serving bowl. So recently after shopping around we decided to finally purchase a ceramic bowl that we now use all of the time.

We chose a nice, sturdy ceramic bowl that holds 3 quarts. But what we love about it even more than it’s quality is its style and especially the color. The bowl comes in 10 color choices, and while it was at first hard to decide, we opted for the terracotta exterior with the blue interior. It’s a beautiful dish and we get compliments on it all of the time. As a matter of fact, we’ll probably buy one or two bowls as Christmas gifts this year since some of our family members have hinted that they could use some lovely serving bowls in their home.

My Favorite Bean Salad Recipe

admin — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:42:56 +0000

I have always wondered why this dish is called hot kidney bean salad. To me it always tasted more like a hardy side dish. I usually make it when we have sloppy joes, or serve it with hamburger patties or some pork chops. I’ve also made this for family holiday meals and it’s always been a big hit. My kids love the tangy taste of it and will gobble up a nice sized portion with the rest of their meal. Since the beans are full of protein, I’m always glad to find some that they will gladly eat.

When it comes to bean salad recipes, this one is probably my favorite because it’s so simple and fast to put together and you can’t beat the flavor. You can also easily make it ahead of time and just leave it sitting on the counter. The flavors blend together nicely and it tastes just as good at room temperature as it does hot. I’ve made this with canned beans as well as with home cooked kidney beans. I prefer it with the cooked beans since they tend to be not quite as soft as the canned ones, but it’s still good that way too. If you’re in a rush, just grab a can of beans; otherwise, cook them ahead of time to use in this salad.