Comments on: we have the spice but we’re still not cooking http://thatbrownhouse.com/blog/2008/06/30/we-have-the-spice-but-were-still-not-cooking/ Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:36:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: steph http://thatbrownhouse.com/blog/2008/06/30/we-have-the-spice-but-were-still-not-cooking/#comment-310 steph Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:39:22 +0000 http://thatbrownhouse.com/blog/2008/06/30/we-have-the-spice-but-were-still-not-cooking/#comment-310 erin, oh no! good luck with the heat pump...after all, it's getting to be the time of year there where you can bake things just by leaving them on the front porch, no oven required...heh erin,

oh no! good luck with the heat pump…after all, it’s getting to be the time of year there where you can bake things just by leaving them on the front porch, no oven required…heh

]]> By: Erin W. http://thatbrownhouse.com/blog/2008/06/30/we-have-the-spice-but-were-still-not-cooking/#comment-306 Erin W. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 03:38:50 +0000 http://thatbrownhouse.com/blog/2008/06/30/we-have-the-spice-but-were-still-not-cooking/#comment-306 LOL - will do Steph. May be a while, though. Our heatpump officially bit the big one this week, and the new one comes with a hefty price tag. Will be a while until we get back around to toying with the oven, I imagine. LOL - will do Steph. May be a while, though. Our heatpump officially bit the big one this week, and the new one comes with a hefty price tag. Will be a while until we get back around to toying with the oven, I imagine.

]]> By: steph http://thatbrownhouse.com/blog/2008/06/30/we-have-the-spice-but-were-still-not-cooking/#comment-304 steph Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:41:35 +0000 http://thatbrownhouse.com/blog/2008/06/30/we-have-the-spice-but-were-still-not-cooking/#comment-304 thanks for the compliments and suggestions! we have a toaster oven, but it's so small that two slices of toast side by side often overlap. i did find a small loaf pan that i can fit in there and i even made baked apples (with apples from the back yard!) in the toaster oven last night. unfortunately, after 40 min. they still weren't quite done, so i don't have high hopes for the toaster oven...the kitchen smelled wonderfully like cinnamon, however! so far, i'm enjoying experimenting with the crock pot. i always associated crock pots with pot roast (ick) so crock pot cooking is new territory for me. furthermore, the temperature dropped last week from the 90s to the 60s, so i've been making soups! so far i've made potato-cheddar soup, vegetarian not-quite-chili over rice, and a creamy cauliflower soup...all using the crock pot! plus, it amuses me to know that dinner is simmering away while i'm at work. the spice shelf doesn't come anywhere close to accommodating all of our spices, but it goes a long way towards making up for the deficiencies of my spice rack. the spice rack has smaller shaker jars that really only work well for powders, therefore, i still had a basket of mismatched jars of leaf and pod spices. then, i found (and purchased) <a href="http://www.worldmarket.com/kitchen-tabletop/Home-KeepingStorage/kitchen-storage-containers/Boxed-Spice-Jars-Sets-of-4/lev/4/productId/8303/Ne/1100001/sectionId/2866/N/1100177/categoryId/1100177/pCategoryId/1100176/gpCategoryId/1100131/Ns/NEW_ARRIVAL_FLAG|1||CATEGORY_SEQ_3020|0/index.pro" rel="nofollow">these jars</a> with easy screw tops and a choice of three shaker hole sizes. so now the powders are in the small jars and the larger spices (plus a few powders that i use in larger quantities) are in uniform jars on the shelf. there are only a few infrequently used or bulky spices left in the basket (such as cinnamon sticks that don't fit well in jars and old bay which i think i only have because you didn't used to be able to get it out here...) anyway, enough babble from me. erin, if you get the microwave/convection oven, i'd love to hear how it works out for you! thanks for the compliments and suggestions!

we have a toaster oven, but it’s so small that two slices of toast side by side often overlap. i did find a small loaf pan that i can fit in there and i even made baked apples (with apples from the back yard!) in the toaster oven last night. unfortunately, after 40 min. they still weren’t quite done, so i don’t have high hopes for the toaster oven…the kitchen smelled wonderfully like cinnamon, however!

so far, i’m enjoying experimenting with the crock pot. i always associated crock pots with pot roast (ick) so crock pot cooking is new territory for me. furthermore, the temperature dropped last week from the 90s to the 60s, so i’ve been making soups! so far i’ve made potato-cheddar soup, vegetarian not-quite-chili over rice, and a creamy cauliflower soup…all using the crock pot! plus, it amuses me to know that dinner is simmering away while i’m at work.

the spice shelf doesn’t come anywhere close to accommodating all of our spices, but it goes a long way towards making up for the deficiencies of my spice rack. the spice rack has smaller shaker jars that really only work well for powders, therefore, i still had a basket of mismatched jars of leaf and pod spices. then, i found (and purchased) these jars with easy screw tops and a choice of three shaker hole sizes. so now the powders are in the small jars and the larger spices (plus a few powders that i use in larger quantities) are in uniform jars on the shelf. there are only a few infrequently used or bulky spices left in the basket (such as cinnamon sticks that don’t fit well in jars and old bay which i think i only have because you didn’t used to be able to get it out here…)

anyway, enough babble from me. erin, if you get the microwave/convection oven, i’d love to hear how it works out for you!

]]> By: Erin W. http://thatbrownhouse.com/blog/2008/06/30/we-have-the-spice-but-were-still-not-cooking/#comment-302 Erin W. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:26:47 +0000 http://thatbrownhouse.com/blog/2008/06/30/we-have-the-spice-but-were-still-not-cooking/#comment-302 Looking good - I love the spice rack! Although personally I'd need a second rack above it to hold the countless number of spices I've bought that sound good and I might even use one day! (ha!). The oven conundrum - well - I sympathize. Our oven works after a fashion (it takes about a half hour to light on a good day.) We've been toying with the idea of upgrading our microwave to a microwave/convection oven. With what ever choice you make, good luck. Looking good - I love the spice rack! Although personally I’d need a second rack above it to hold the countless number of spices I’ve bought that sound good and I might even use one day! (ha!).

The oven conundrum - well - I sympathize. Our oven works after a fashion (it takes about a half hour to light on a good day.) We’ve been toying with the idea of upgrading our microwave to a microwave/convection oven.

With what ever choice you make, good luck.

]]> By: Harimad http://thatbrownhouse.com/blog/2008/06/30/we-have-the-spice-but-were-still-not-cooking/#comment-299 Harimad Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:28:03 +0000 http://thatbrownhouse.com/blog/2008/06/30/we-have-the-spice-but-were-still-not-cooking/#comment-299 There are some really good toaster-ovens you can get as an interim measure. Even a cheap toaster-oven can bake all sorts of stuff. The best, which are essentially oven replacements, can be $200, pretty good ones in the $50-75 range, the cheapest I know of is probably $35. With the mixer next to it, the wall looks great. There are some really good toaster-ovens you can get as an interim measure. Even a cheap toaster-oven can bake all sorts of stuff. The best, which are essentially oven replacements, can be $200, pretty good ones in the $50-75 range, the cheapest I know of is probably $35.

With the mixer next to it, the wall looks great.

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