What's the plan, man?

Hey y’all. I know things have been a little quiet around here, but with my daughter’s visit and various other hectic stuff happening for me, I feel as though I’ve (already) let my blog slip through the cracks. So, in an effort to get myself back on track and bring you all the awesomeness I promised, I’ve got a plan. Yup, there I go again with my plans. Those of you who know me know I’m a planner, a perpetual check-it-off-the-list-er, and this, my creative outlet, is no exception.

So here’s the deal: I’ll be bringing you new content nearly every day for the entire month of August, and from Saturday to Tuesday through September (or as long as I can; school starts on Sept. 9^th, and I may have to shift focus at that point- just some fair warning). Each post will build upon the last, giving you a solid foundation for kitchen confidence. Here’s how it’ll go:

-          The tools for the job: Plan all you want, you won’t get very far if you don’t have the right equipment. I’ll give you a list of things you’ll want to keep in your “cave” as well as some bonus items that make things easier, but aren’t absolutely essential. Look for this post tomorrow night. =)

-          What to keep around: So you’ve got the right tools; what about the right ingredients? Nothing’s worse than being in the middle of making a dish and finding out you’re missing a key part of the recipe. I’ll give you a list of items to have on hand all the time to make just about anything you can imagine.

-          A foundation of basics: Right tools, right ingredients; now what to do with them? Every recipe stands on a base of the good ol’ tried-and-true. Knowing how to make broth, what mire poix is, how to (properly) hard-boil eggs, making your own spice blends… you get the idea. These kinds of posts will be comin at you on Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays, followed by a recipe using your new knowledge on Tuesdays. On Thursdays, I’ll post a list of recipes from around the cooking blogosphere featuring the basics you read about earlier in the week.

-          The know-how & safety of your kitchen: Even the most professional chefs slip up from time to time. I’m barely an amateur, and I’ve already got the scar to prove how quickly things go from chopping asparagus to needing seven stitches in your thumb (and believe me, it’s faaaaaast). Fortunately, you CAN prevent accidents just by using common sense (such as keeping your thumb out of the way of the sharpest knife in creation), but I’ll throw in a few extras that you may not be aware of, like how to put out a grease fire (tip: don’t use a fire extinguisher). I’ll also give you some food safety tips, how to store and handle fresh, raw foods, and the times and temperatures to use for some of the more common foods. Look for this one on Saturday.

-          On the 31^st, I’ll post a Monthly Roundup, which will be a re-cap of what I posted throughout August. I’ll also be asking for feedback, so be sure to leave me some comments or contact me via email and let me know how I’m doing!

As always, I value your feedback. It keeps me accountable, and makes certain that I bring you nothing but the good stuff you need & want. So be sure to leave a comment or hit me up on Facebook. Thanks for stopping by today. Grok on!!!

~Megan