DIY Sprouting Jar

I've been wanting to make my own sprouts after spending an insane amount on some tasty prepackaged organic ones. I finally bought the seeds months later but opted not to spend even more money on a large sprouting jar. Cost aside, where would I even store it? Sprouting jars are pretty tall, which allow you to sprout a lot at once, but the large size seems cumbersome to fit in a cupboard. So I came up with this homemade solution using two things I have in my kitchen: a leftover glass jar and an in-mug tea strainer.

The photo below shows the sprouts prior to draining during a twice a day rinse. The tea strainer is great because it allows water to easily get in and drain out.

Find a glass jar with a mouth sized appropriately for your tea strainer; I used an old pasta sauce jar. Put your sprout seeds into the jar, put the tea strainer over the mouth of the jar, then moisten, drain, sprout, and rinse your seeds per the sprout packet instructions!

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How to Pit a Cherry (Without a Fancy Tool!)

I love when I find great tips in unexpected places. I came across this one on Lifehacker to pit a cherry using a wooden chopstick and a bottle.

Basically you take a cherry, hold it upside down over the top of the bottle and then poke the cherry pit and stem out with a chopstick. The bottle catches all the pits and stems and you’re left with a whole cherry!

I had never considered getting a cherry picker until my friend Tammy showed me her really cool one that uses a canning jar; a much better tool to pit several pounds for cherry preserves than a handheld model.

I bought some cherries at the neighborhood farmer's market today and tried the technique out.

How to Pit a Cherry (Without a Fancy Tool!)

Ingredients / Tools:

• Empty, clean glass bottle
• Clean wooden chopstick--no splinters!
• Cherries, stems removed

Method:

1. Take a cherry and up it on top the bottle, stem side down.
2. Poke the cherry with the thick end of the chopstick to push the pit out.

The cherries splatter some juice making a bit of a mess, but it works! Not as efficient as a dedicated machine, but just as effective.

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Multigrain Rice

I've had a 1kg bag of a special 6 grain blend rice in my pantry for probably a year now, using it ever so often when I wanted something different from plain white or brown rice. I used the last of it not too long ago and then set out to make my own version, hoping to never go without it again. The rice has a great, hearty texture to it and a gorgeous purple color from the black Forbidden rice that stains the rice as it cooks.

The Kagayaki 6 Grain Rice I had contained black rice, purple barley, hulless barley, rye berries, red rice, and short grain brown rice. Quite a variety to hunt down in a bulk food section. Unfortunately, while I wasn't able to source all the exact ingredients at my local store, I came out with a pretty nice variety and the result is just as delicious and pretty as the original. Feel free to mix up your own variety, though I recommend to keep the black rice for color.

Hand-blended Multigrain Rice

Multigrain Rice

Ingredients

• Short grain brown rice
• Spelt berries
• Red hard winter wheat berries
• Pearled barley
• Black (forbidden) rice

Method

1. In a large bowl or container, combine equal parts of each ingredient and stir until well blended.
2. To cook, combine 1 part rice to 1.5-2 parts water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until water is absorbed. Alternatively, cook in a rice cooker. Fluff with fork before serving.

So far I've had this rice a couple times since making it up and I really love it. I can see this quickly becoming my new standard "brown" rice!

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How to Cut Pineapple...the right way!

Did you know there's more than one way to cut a pineapple? Odds are, you're doing it wrong. And so was I.

Instead of ineffectively attempting to explain how to do it, watch this video. It starts off slow, but wait until 1:40 when your mind will be blown:

I used to pass buy whole pineapples at the grocery store (even on special!) because it always felt so wasteful to buy one and throw what felt like at least half to two-thirds of it away. At the same time, the precut stuff is too expensive to justify.

I did a test using the "right" method of cutting a pineapple and calculated the cost per pound of the pineapple when cut by hand. My original pineapple was on special for $0.99/lb and I determined the price of the cut-by-you pineapple to be $2.50/lb. Compare that to the $4.99/lb at several grocery stores in the area! I'm definitely more likely to buy one as a special treat once in a while knowing how to cut it and the "real" price per pound.

DIY bonus: With proper planning, you can make tepache - a lightly fermented pineapple drink - with the leftover rind and core of the pineapple. (I found a recipe in this book from the library, though there are similar ones online)

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Almond Milk

I've gotten into homemade non-dairy milks as of late, first it was pecan milk, then coconut milk, and now I'm at almond milk. After some hesitation, I recently bought a nut milk bag. Previously I had used a sieve to strain out the pulp, but even that leaves you with a slightly grainy texture, so I decided to take the plunge.

The thing I love most about using a nut milk bag is the speed. The one I purchased suggested using your hands to squeeze out the liquid from the solids which is much quicker, and releases more liquid in my opinion, than simply allowing the liquid to drain on its own (as I had been doing with the sieve method). Not to mention, the nut milk bag yields a much creamier milk.

Almond Milk

1 cup raw almonds

water for soaking

4 cups water

1/2 vanilla bean

3 pitted dates

1. Place the almonds and soaking water in a large bowl for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the almonds well. Combine almonds and remaining ingredients in blender, blend until smooth.
3. Place nut milk bag over a bowl or storage container, then pour blender contents into the bag. Allow milk to strain for several hours or squeeze the bag by hand to extract the milk.

Stays fresh for 2-3 days, if you can hold onto it that long!

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Pantry Storage Recycling

I love buying stuff in bulk bins at the grocery store. I can buy small quantities of recipe specific ingredients and replenish my stock of staple ingredients without spending a fortune. Only problem is my pantry quickly fills up with plastic bags full of ingredients, sometimes unidentifiable if I forgot to write the item name along with the bulk code. My solution? Instead of buying those (expensive) plastic storage containers, I reuse glass jars. Even canning jars work great for this.

Rinse the jar clean and peel as much of the label off as possible. If there's any remaining paper or adhesive left, soak the jar in water and vinegar overnight, then scrub again. If the jar and/or lid have any lingering odors, soak in vinegar (otherwise your food will absorb these flavors). Wash and dry the jar and lid thoroughly, then label and fill with dry goods.

I also save large drink bottles (bottled juices often come in these) to store cold drinks, like homemade iced tea, nutmilk, or smoothies. Small spice jars store seasonings, simple syrup, or salad dressings, all of which are handy to take and use at work.

Above is one shelf of my pantry. I love this method because I can easily see the items that I have and what needs replenishing.

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last taste of summer

It's been really hot around here for over a week, then suddenly, cool temperatures are back! Kinda makes it feel like the real end to summer and while I'm not quite yet ready to let it go, I will carry this drink with me into the fall: shaken iced tea.

I discovered this drink on the menu at Starbucks and couldn't get enough of it. Perfectly brewed black tea, served over ice, and just slightly sweetened? Yes, please. Also doesn't hurt that it's the cheapest drink on the menu ;) Then I realized I could make the same drink and have it on hand all the time at home. All I'd need was some tea, some sweetener, ice, and a cocktail shaker for good measure.

Tea: experiment, play around, find what you like! I tend to use black tea (PG Tips tea bags or loose-leaf), but I've also had success with Yerba Mate. I make a batch of 1.5 liters at a time, traditional hot brew method, then chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Sweetener: simple syrup is quick and easy to make--boil equal parts water and sugar, then lower heat to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Otherwise, I think agave could be quite nice. It needs to dissolve completely in cold water.

Using a cocktail shaker, for added flair, add several ice cubes, followed by tea, and a splash of sweetener. Shake vigorously and pour into a glass. Without cocktail shaker, put ingredients in a glass and stir to combine.

I love this too because it can be custom tailored to your taste. Like extra strong tea? Brew it up! Extra sweet? Bring on the simple syrup.

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Chai Tea Concentrate

This stuff is handy to have around at home if you're a chai tea fan. The final chai tea product is much more flavorful than anything you'd buy prepackaged at the grocery store or buy at the corner coffee shop.

Chai Tea Concentrate

Ingredients

• 10 thin slices of ginger
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 10 cardamom seeds (from about 2 pods)
• 5 cloves, or 1/2 tsp
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup sugar, honey, agave, etc. to taste

Method

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a full boil, and then simmer over very low heat for 20 minutes.
2. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.
3. To serve, blend about two parts chai tea concentrate to one part warm or steamed milk, to taste.

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chai tea mix

A good cup of chai tea is always fabulous. I am partial to Oregon Chai brand; I really like its mild yet creamy flavor. I've had homemade chai before, the kind you actually boil with black tea and spices, but honestly the flavors are a bit strong for me. My palate has been trained, for better or worse.


I used this recipe for chai tea mix which I found on allrecipes. I found a couple recipes posted elsewhere which were exactly the same. I finally got a chance to use my vanilla sugar in making this which was great. This mix does have a bit of spiciness to it, but it is mild enough for all those chai tea concentrate drinkers out there (it was for me), so I definitely recommend at least trying a half batch.

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