olive oil sprayer (and a giveaway!)

this is an item i think should be in every kitchen. it's an olive oil sprayer. i will admit, they are frustrating at times, but once you have figured it out, you will use it regularly. if you have ever owned one, you know what i am talking about. if you haven't, they seem to have a mind of their own. sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. i have gone through a few and the one shown here i bought at williams-sonoma. it has caused me no frustration. by using the sprayer, you will not over oil your food, you will not add any unnecessary additives or preservatives that you get from using pam, and i think you will begin to replace butter. i make an egg white sandwich for breakfast every morning and using this olive oil sprayer has replaced the need for using butter in my pan.  when sauteing vegetables, it allows for a light coat, rather than a hand pour from an olive oil bottle. it's little things that can begin to reshape your eating habits.  why not start with this?  so, i have a little contest for you all, a little give away, if you will.  i am going to pick a winner at random one week from today.  the winner will receive this brand new olive oil sprayer.  the rules are simple.  on a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being the greatest), respond in the comment section of this post and tell me how happy you are with what you are doing with your life. you don't have to go into details, just a number will be sufficient. i will contact the winner and get their address and send them this most wonderful kitchen tool.  the winner will be chosen at random and announced monday, august 9th.  good luck!

so psyched!

this just thrills me! i was asked to cook for a client of mine who was having people over for a wine tasting. he asked that i make a pasta dish using one of the wines they would be enjoying. so, what did i turn to but of course, a bolognese. the head count was 12, so i needed a pan large enough to hold all of the sauce without having to make 2 batches. i have a few le creuset dutch ovens, but not one large enough. i went to william sonoma to invest in a 6 quart le creuset dutch oven. after 45 minutes or so of kicking around the reality i was about to drop $300, i went ahead and pulled the trigger. a bit of buyers remorse came over me, but i quickly got over it. on my way home i stopped by target to grab a few items and what did i see...giada de laurentiis has a line of cooking products. and guess what? yep, she has a beautiful 6 quart dutch oven. for a mere $89. i know what some of you are saying, especially those of you who have and use le creuset. "you get what you pay for" but, come on, how could i resist? needless to say, i made a trip back to willliam sonoma. i have only used it once, but it worked beautifully. it's incredibly heavy, great quality and it's at a fantastic price. i'll keep you posted on how it stands up after a few more uses. she has several fantastic kitchen wares that i can't wait to get my hands on.

Lemon Cubes

i purchased a huge bag of lemons and they where slowly going bad. i couldn't stand the thought of throwing them away and knew i would need them in the next few days . . .i use lemon juice in so many recipes, from salad dressings, to pasta, to chicken salad and almost anything seafood. so, i went out and bought a few ice trays and squeezed the juice into the trays. i now have a quick go to of fresh lemon juice in my freezer, that can be used when i don't have a lemon in the house. i think i am so clever! as you can see from the photo above, these little cubes of freshness will also perk up any cocktail. i think this photo is so pretty. one lemon cube with a sprig of mint, made for the tastiest vodka tonic i've had in a while.