Part of the mission of Kitchen Stewardship is to continuously be making small changes to work toward the goal of truly being a good steward of all four:
Kitchen Stewardship’s Monday Missions are small challenges that will help rookies to healthy living find their way without stressing out or giving up!
Beginner Baby Steps: This is a small change that can usually be made without buying anything new, making a huge change in routine, or even thinking something through very hard. If you’re low on energy or don’t like changes, accept a Baby Step.
Mid Range Making Strides: You may have to put some thought into this level of commitment; you may need to forage for a resource or item in your home. You might want to think about this level for a few days and gear up mentally before trying it. Bravo for accepting the challenge of Making Strides!
Advanced Leap of Faith: These are the big dogs, the missions that take some research, some multi-step processes, or a rather major change in routine. Don’t be afraid of a Leap of Faith, but at some point God may call you to change something drastic in your kitchen. I’ll show you how!
The more I read ingredients labels, the more easily convinced I am that getting rid of anything that has an ingredient label is a really crucial goal. Just try to keep track of the number of time you see “soy” and “corn” as you peruse your cupboard. That brings us to our next Monday Mission: […]
Monday Mission: Healthy Upgrades – Real Food Recipe Renditions Read More »
Your mission, if you choose to accept it (on a Friday!), is to decrease what you throw away while attempting to keep a clean house. Watching some people clean up is like being the unfortunate witness to another mother’s child’s screaming hissy fit: I’m embarrassed and pained to watch, and the memory can be seared
Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to find one way to reduce plastic usage by using the real thing instead of disposables on the table. How to Reduce the Use of Plastics It’s a Choose Your Own Adventure Monday Mission. Click each idea for more details on how to reduce the use of
In order to be good stewards of what we have, I’ve brought you healthy holiday school parties and non-toy gift ideas. Today, we’ll be exploring baby steps to decrease your holiday disposables. Make these habits part of your holiday family traditions. Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to find a way to reduce
While others are meticulously organizing their cupboards and pantries or posting beautiful pictures of their type A storage systems, I’m taking the alternative route and showing you some ways I use what I have and watch for strange and unusual storage solutions. Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to throw away and recycle
Monday Mission: Repurpose Kitchen Containers as Unusual (Frugal) Storage Methods Read More »
Simple things. What can I do that is simple and will increase my nutrition? I’m often asked that question, and the folks who ask it don’t know that it’s the question I ask myself all the time. When I read about soaking grains for the first time, I was pleased to find out that it’s
In addition to storing grains long-term, I like to soak my grains. Here’s why. Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to try soaking grains in one recipe this week. You’re right: it’s controversial. But it can’t hurt. It is said that traditional cultures almost exclusively soaked or sprouted their grains before baking with
It’s time. Time to sign off of the fake butter revolution, and start putting real butter on your toast. And your mashed potatoes, vegetables, in your baked goods…and anywhere else you might use margarine or a “spread” that makes some health claim or another. This might be incredibly difficult for some of you, having grown up
Butter vs. Margarine vs. “Spreads”: How do They Stack Up? Read More »
Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to maximize your dinner salad (or start eating one if you don’t already). If you’re watching your weight, research shows that people who eat salads eat fewer overall calories at the meal than those who don’t. It’s not all about calories, but it’s nice to fill up
Monday Mission: Make Your Salads Count & Healthy Dressings Read More »
Have you ever felt ill after inhaling too much bleach? Do you feel that tickle in your throat when you clean with it? Do you wonder if it’s actually safe to clean with bleach, or wish there was a natural alternative? Bleach kills germs and mildew, whitens fabric and is a great all-around, frugal cleaner,
Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to make a conscious effort to conserve energy when cooking and baking, and make it a habit that lasts longer than this week. Check out last week’s Food for Thought on energy use in the kitchen and an old post on how to calculate your appliance costs
Monday Mission: Conserve Energy with Your Oven/Stove Read More »
It’s been a few years now since I began to understand that using aluminum in my cooking and personal products had a good chance of increasing my risk of disease. I’ve been avoided it almost religiously ever since, and even stopped wearing antiperspirant in favor of a simple homemade deodorant. If you’ve read about the
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to “choose your own adventure” in the new and exciting field of condiment awareness. Last week in the mental mission, I encouraged you to begin reading condiment labels and being conscious of how many condiments you use and what quantity. (photo source) At our house, we
Monday Mission: Upgrade Your Condiment Awareness Read More »
Spinach is one of those items that, when you want to use fresh, almost always results in some leftovers. A nice big bag or box of spinach is usually more than one recipe calls for. I think it’s important to use fresh spinach in your diet (it’s a Super Food, after all), and it’s also
How to Use Up That Bag of Spinach Before it Gets Slimy Read More »
The FDA actually FINALLY made a final call regarding trans fat in Sept 2017: FDA update from 9/29/17 FDA update from 2015 – “trans fat” has officially been banned by the FDA (after they allowed it in foods for decades, harumph). But you should still avoid fake fats, including anything “hydrogenated” or “interesterified.” That scary word is the
Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to make a pledge not to buy canned vegetables. They’re not worth your money for the nutrition they provide. But don’t worry – there are some great alternatives that are just as convenient. Why Shouldn’t I Cook with Canned Vegetables? Canning vegetables involves plenty of heat and lots
Monday Mission: Can the Cans (Vegetables, for Starters) Read More »
It might sound scary, but making homemade yogurt is quite simple! I’ll give you step-by-step instructions and a yogurt troubleshooting guide to make sure you have yogurt success! It’s a Choose Your Own Adventure Monday Mission today…Find your yogurt profile below, and take one (maybe two?) step forward. I don’t eat yogurt…Your challenge is to
Dry beans make a frugal, nutritious addition to your weekly menu. Learning how to cook dry beans is a great skill for everyone to master. You can even teach your kids to prepare dry beans! Or cook dry beans in your Instant Pot. Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to simply eat more
Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to avoid drinking from plastic as much as possible. One way to be both healthy in body AND good to the environment in the kitchen is to make sure the materials you’re using aren’t dangerous to either. There’s a lot of buzz about plastics lately, mostly focusing
Don’t Drink BPA: Plastic Safety for People and Earth Read More »
Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to focus on being master of your dishwasher: getting it to do its best to serve you with clean dishes and serve the environment by using the least energy and resources possible. 1. Cut down on the detergent you use. (click to skip down) 2. Exchange your
