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Which Salt Is Right For You?

This one simple ingredient can transform your cooking. It can make a hum hum dish sing and take your desserts to the next level. It also is something that the body craves but can’t keep. SALT! Formal name Sodium Chloride.

Despite its simplicity, the choices are seemingly endless. Just look at the grocery aisle, and you will come across many different options. Kosher, table, pink Himalayan, canning, pickling? Coarse or fine? Which do you choose and why?

Just a little bit of information, and you can learn which to use and when. It’s important because, throughout this research, I’ve learned that not all salts are the same.

Let’s go to The Chalkboard.

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Do Food Expiration Dates Matter?

by Kristen Leave a Comment

We all head to the grocery store and want to purchase the freshest products we can afford. I know that when grabbing milk, I go through all of the gallons to see if I can find one that has the latest date on it. If I am lucky, I will find one that is a day after all of the others. Score!

Recently, as I looked at the various items throughout my kitchen, I started to realize that they were all labeled differently — sell by, freeze by, use by. Which got me thinking, what the heck did it all mean? How can you tell if food is spoiled? Do food expiration dates matter?

Let’s go to The Chalkboard.

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The Mediterranean Diet For Beginners

by Kristen Leave a Comment

I turned 40 this year. And I was tired. I had two little kids running around and no time to focus on my health. I was trying to survive. My birthday came about, and I thought it would be cute to try and do a backbend. I could barely get up. Thankfully my girlfriends told me AFTER the fact that their girls watch Youtube videos of gymnastics fails, which include severe injuries from backbends. I needed a change.

I was determined to get healthy. Now, I’m not the kind of drastic measure girl. I love food, so the idea of trying a traditional, restrictive diet was not in the cards for me. Not to mention that my carnivorous family would probably revolt if I made a massive immediate change. I knew that I didn’t want a diet per se, but more of a lifestyle change.

Then I remembered that my husband had mentioned the Mediterranean Diet in passing a few times. Boom! Let’s give it a go. As usual, he regretted those few words as I fully integrated the Mediterranean Diet within a few weeks. Gone were his steaks, No helper Cheeseburger Macaroni dinners and in were fish, tomatoes and feta, a whole lot of feta. You would think he would choose his words more wisely around me by now.

Want to learn about how to do the Mediterranean Diet for beginners?

Let’s go to The Chalkboard.

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How to Eat More Vegetables in the Winter

by Kristen Leave a Comment

Everyone has a different feeling about winter. Some love the snow and the cold and look forward to the change of seasons; others hang on to fall with dear might, hoping that winter never comes.

No matter which camp you are in, the winter doldrums can hit hard. Flu season arrives, you haven’t opened the windows in weeks, you can’t remember what sunshine feels like, and inevitably you start to get down. You don’t feel healthy. Along with making every effort to remain active, there’s another way to feel better in the winter — eat more vegetables. Sounds so simple, right? But when you go to the grocery store and see sad-looking produce, it’s not too enticing.

Want to learn how to eat more vegetables in the winter?

Let’s go to The Chalkboard.

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Bravo TV Themed Party Menu

by Kristen 2 Comments

Your love for Bravo is strong. You watch all of the shows, know every Real Housewives franchise, and dream of being a charter guest on Below Deck. The quotes pop in your head at all times. You are in a slow working meeting, and you are fighting back the urge to say, “mention it all!” or “what are you doing here without Dorinda?” Perhaps that’s just me?

It’s time to host a Bravo TV themed party. Whether you are celebrating a birthday, bachelorette party, a season premiere party, or just a Tuesday, a Bravo themed event is sure to please. But the big question its, what the heck do you serve?

We’ve got you covered with the best Bravo TV themed party menu.

Let’s go to The Chalkboard.

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The Best Meal Planning Apps of 2020

by Kristen 1 Comment

It’s a New Year, and it’s time to start right. Is part of your New Years Resolution to get organized? Perhaps you want to get fit? Or maybe you want to save some money? If any of those are your goals, it’s time to start meal planning.

We are big proponents of meal planning here at The Kitchen Chalkboard. The benefits are enormous. But starting can be daunting. There are so many ways to meal plan; it’s hard to know what to do.

Technology to the rescue! We reviewed twelve different meal planning apps, and the experience varied from life-changing to frustrating. Want to learn what the best meal planning apps of 2020 are?

Let’s go to The Chalkboard.

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Hosting a Roaring 20s Party? Then You Need 1920s Themed Party Food!

by Kristen 4 Comments

What a better way than to ring in 2020 than with a roaring 20s party!

2019 is almost over! Can you believe it? Good or bad, it’s always a great time to celebrate the new and usher out the old while. And with 2020 coming up, why not host a 1920s themed party?

I bet images of flappers and opulence immediately come to mind, but what about food? What the heck do you serve? I’ve got plenty of ideas for crowd-pleasing and easy 1920s themed party food plus shortcuts to save you time and money.

Let’s go to the Chalkboard.

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Black Friday Deals for Cooks

by Kristen Leave a Comment

Raise your hand if you love a good deal! I know I do! Especially around the holidays when you have a bunch of people to shop for. And Black Friday is a great way to save some money. But not all sales are worth it if the price isn’t right or the item is a dud. So how do you know what is worth your precious dollars? I’m here to help. Read on for the best Black Friday Deals for Cooks.

I’ve analyzed the circulars of most major retailers from the past few years to see what goes on sale. Then I did the research to see what’s the best items in each category. Below you will find the best Black Friday Deals for cooks.

Let’s go to the Chalkboard.

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Online Grocery Shopping Comparison

by Kristen Leave a Comment

Which Online Grocery Shopping Service is Right for You?

I needed to run to the store to grab a few things and I took the boys with me. As we were walking through the aisles my youngest said, “Woah they sell food here? This is unbelievable,” he marveled as we walked around. The women in the store were having a good laugh. It was at that moment that I realized just how much I grocery shop online.

I’m forever on the quest to simplify my life. I love to use technology to make things easier, and with two kids, it is a necessity. Based on my son’s reaction to the grocery store, one may even say I’ve gone too far. I’m not alone in my obsession. According to industry estimates, online grocers are said to be worth $100 billion by 2025.

That estimate was proof that I’m not alone in my thinking — online grocery shopping may just be the greatest invention ever. Being able to meal plan and shop anywhere, at any time? Amazing!

But which service should you use? After using three different services over the past few years, I have out these services to the test and learned their strengths and weaknesses. Want a comparison of three popular services, Amazon Fresh, Instacart, and Peapod?

Let’s go the Chalkboard.

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Gift Ideas for Cooks

by Kristen Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year! Oh, the holidays –the time when you wonder just what the heck to get everyone on your list! Some people are so easy to buy for like my husband who gets silly socks every year or my boys who only want Nintendo Switch games. But other people — oh boy, they are hard to shop for!

Well, if you have a cook in your life or just someone that loves to eat I’ve got the gift guide for you.

Let’s go to The Chalkboard.

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Which Online Grocery Shopping Service is Right for You?

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