In My Kitchen: October 2011

Joining Celia and her 'In My Kitchen' posts - head on over to Fig Jam & Lime Cordial and join the fun....

In My Kitchen.....

....is a whole lot of new gadget acquisitions courtesy of birthday loot.  First up, a food mill.  This will come in so very handy this summer when it comes time to preserve the masses of tomatoes that will come my way (I may have gone a little crazy with the planting of tomato seedlings in the garden).  Last year, after 3 months of constant peeling and seeding tomatoes before cooking and bottling them I had had enough and started giving them away by the kilo instead.  Hence I ended up having to buy canned tomatoes when I ran out through winter.  Not this year.

In My Kitchen....

.....is a new mandolin slicer - another birthday loot acquisition.  No more sliced fingers in the pickled cucumbers (jokes!) - though the blades do look kind of deadly so that may be hoping for too much.  I am expecting the slicing process to be done super quick though.

In My Kitchen....

....is a new food dehydrator.  This one joined the family following a favour I did for my mum's boss.  Totally unexpected and very, very welcome.  Semi-dried tomatoes are high on the list for this little beauty!

In My Kitchen....

.....is a new book.  No butter, no white flour, no added sugar.  My kind of sweets book.  Birthday loot addition also.

In My Kitchen....

.....is some strawberry icecream made from the previous book.  I don't think it can really be called icecream though because it contains no cream - only egg whites, macerated strawberries and a little dextrose (the recipe called for honey but I didn't have any and in the spirit of no sugar, I used dextrose - not as bad as sugar).  It tastes delish.  I reckon a lemon one would be super nice too - in a lemoncello kind of way.  There is also a recipe for a chocolate version.  That one will be getting a workout as soon as I've been to the shop to buy some 70% dark chocolate.  So tomorrow then.

In My Kitchen....

....is the latest edition of my newest favourite magazine in the whole wide world!  This month, 62 recipes from 20 cuisines in Australia - yum! - and a look at Sri Lankan seafood, pies of the world and a Cambodian banquet.  I really need to start cooking these recipes and not just looking at the pictures and drooling!!

In My Kitchen....

....is some Roasted Curry Powder that I picked up from the Markets in the Mountains in Stanthorpe a couple of weekends ago.  The smell is divine and I can't wait to use it.

In My Kitchen....

......is today's loaf of bread.  I love fresh bread.  Nothing beats homemade.  And nothing beats waking to the smell of fresh baking bread wafting under the bedroom door and waking me from my slumber.

In My Kitchen....

....are three jars of jam waiting to be labelled.  Strawberry, Orange & Cinnamon and Mulberry.  All made using homegrown fruit.  I love my house and yard and everything growing in it.

And, In My Kitchen....

.....are some sprouting peas (these one's have had a haircut - mum had some in her lunch today) grown from half a cup of a $1.38 packet of dried peas from the soup section of the supermarket.  Who'd a thunk it!  Since I found out this worked I've now added dried mung beans and some chickpeas to the pantry to give a go.  I've also read that mustard seeds can sprout too....shall be trying that one as well.

What's happening in your kitchen this month?