Kitchen Staples

First of all, I made this soup today. And it got down to 85 degrees today. In a bout of somewhat questionable logic, I've concluded there's a correlation between the fall food I make and the decrease in temperature. Tomorrow, I'm making hot chocolate and seeing if we can get it down to 80.

Don't laugh, Texas. You'll thank me when we all have to wear jackets.

This is what we're going for. And I shall do it with soup. You heard me. Soup. 

Just for fun, let's do a one-eighty and focus on things I can control. Like the things that appear in my kitchen.
I love grocery shopping and buying things for my kitchen. I drool over all things kitchen; everything from mixers to melons. A-dore. Because the things I make, I give. And I like giving.

But I digress.

These are the things that have been making a regular appearance in my kitchen. And I love them. The end.

1. Glad bags with Frebreeze. My garbage smells good. Mind blown.

Garbage Bags! Yay! 

2. Frozen berries. For muffins, for my morning yogurt (I thaw them in the fridge the night before consumption. At least, that was the plan before they all got baked up in muffins . . . ), and for dessert garnishes. Oh, and they're cheap.

3. McCormick Gourmet Spices. These - these - have changed how I cook. They're are astoundingly fresh, and thus a bit more powerful, so I frequently use smaller doses than recipes call for.

This gorgeous photo can be found here. One day when I get a real camera, I will take photos such as these. Until then, I'll spotlight other fabulous photographers. Let's all give a round of applause for this Game Plan.  

Take, for instance, the cinnamon. It's superb. When I first smelled it, my immediate thought was: "It doesn't smell dead!" Sometimes you buy dried herbs/spices and they just look sad and wilted and tasteless. But these gourmet spices are awesome. They're fresh tasting, and they'll add a perfect amount of "oomph" to any dish.

4. Fresh lemons. They are amazing. I am in love with lemons. Did you know you can freeze juiced lemons in a bag and zest them as needed? I like the idea of having a thrifty kitchen with little waste.

5. Dijon Mustard. You know how I love Dijon mustard. It's amazing the depth it can add to a sauce. It's fabulous combined with yogurt for a spread to top roasted salmon. Oh, and it's also good for sandwiches.

None of the brands mentioned here know that I'm blonde, that I'm married to a seriously cute man, or that I even exist. Just spreadin' the love of things that I love. Oorah.