Unplugging At Night

We know you’re all busy. With an endless list of things to do and places to be, technology like cell phones and iPads keep us connected to everyone at all times. During the day being connected can make our work and social engagements easier, but at night it can mean the difference between a goodnight’s sleep and no sleep at all. 

Instead of sacrificing your sleep, why not separate yourself from your cell phone? One blogger did just that - at night she began putting her phone away in order to get the optimal level of sleep. In this blog from apartmenttherapy.com she takes a look back at the last four months to document how her routine has changed. Keep reading to find out what she discovered:

(Image courtesy of Rennett Stowe)

About four weeks ago, I declared that I was going to stop keeping my iPhone at my side overnight. I'm happy to stay that I've stuck with the plan, and the results have been positive across the board.

First, thanks to everyone who expressed support for the idea. Telling you about the plan and knowing I wanted to report back were key in getting me to stick to it.

These days, my lonely little phone spends nights on the TV room coffee table, or on a particular window sill in a well trafficked hallway of my house. On the few nights where I've gone on autopilot and brought the phone into my bedroom, I've tucked it into the top drawer of my dresser so I won't be tempted to waste time looking at social media feeds before sleeping or when I first wake up. I've used my laptop from bed at night once or twice more than I would have before, but never for as long as I'd use my phone (which I'd attribute to the device's size).

While I expected to notice the change the most at night, the morning has been the biggest improvement. Using a dedicated alarm clock has actually helped me get up earlier. I'm hitting snooze less often; the alarm has only one, pretty annoying sound. But really, it's the peacefulness of letting my mind ease into wakefulness, rather than checking to see who's shared an interesting photo of flowers or dogs, that makes me happiest about reshaping my habits.

What do you think? Would you be able to unglue the phone from your hand to help your sleep schedule? Leave us a comment and let us know!

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5 Ingredients Inspiring Us This April

Which ingredients are becoming popular with cooks this month? Check out "5 Ingredients Inspiring Us This April" and see if any of them tickle your fancy. Also, if you have any ingredients to add, let us know!

Here are a few of our current obsessions this spring. Can you relate to any of these?

Cambria says: "I'm eating Haitian mangoes, which Whole Foods brings in every spring. I've made Emma's shrimp tacos with avocado-mango salsa twice in the last week!"

• Recipe: Roasted Shrimp Tacos with Mango-Avocado Salsa

Faith is all about the Meyer lemons. Their season runs from late winter through May and the citrus and herbal notes are basically the best ever thing for spring cooking.

• Get a recipe: Spring Recipe: Meyer Lemon Shaker Pie

In California, Anjali is on a "half basket a day" strawberry habit. "I think it’s because of the drought, but they’re super flavorful this year," she says.

• Get a recipe: Strawberries, Sour Cream & Brown Sugar

Ariel has been making chicken with artichokes all the time this spring, mostly using frozen artichokes, but she's excited for the fresh ones to start showing up at the markets in New York.

• Get the recipe: Chicken & Artichokes in Wine Sauce

Emma is loving fresh asparagus (yes, she lives in California too!). She says, "I'm roasting it in olive oil and sea salt and then eating it straight from the baking sheet."

• Get a recipe: Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg and Parmesan

What's inspiring you to cook right now as spring bursts through the door?

(Image credits: Danielle Tsi; Faith Durand; Emma Christensen; Cambria Bold; Rachel Joy Photos;Ariel Knutson; Rachel Joy Baransi)

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-ingredients-inspiring-us-this-april-202034

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Dish Washing Tricks

Are you tired of washing the dishes?  There are some great tricks that will help you reduce the amount of time washing.  Apartment Therapy has seven different tips that will cut down the time it takes to finish the dishes after meals.   Keep reading below to learn more!

1) Start clean. Cleanliness begets cleanliness. Starting with a clean kitchen motivates you to keep it as clean as possible as you cook. For example, a clean counter makes your dribbles obvious and helps you wipe them right away. Also, prevent a backlog by making sure your dish rack and dishwasher have enough empty space to accommodate new dirty dishes.

2) Don't stack. Stacking dishes almost doubles the amount of surfaces you have to clean. Have everyone clear their own dishes and place them on the counter near the sink or in a soaking tub.

3) Clean as you go. The more you clean as you go, the less you have to clean at the end. Aim for no dirty cooking utensils by the time you begin eating your meal. You'll have enough to clean afterwards.

3) Prepare a soaking station. Although it's best to clean as you go, you can't always clean every single thing as it gets dirty. To corral dirty cooking utensils and keep messes from drying on them, prepare a soapy side of the sink or a tub placed in the sink. Do the same for dirty dishes after the meal. If possible, put dirty dishes in the dishwasher right away, but if you can't, keeping dishes submerged will also prevent caking on of food and save you lots of time scrubbing.

4) Fill pots and pans with water. Again, the idea is to keep food from crusting, which takes significantly more time to clean. While you're eating, fill dirty pots and pans with water so they can soak. Note: Don't put cold water into pots or pans until they've cooled. The sudden change in temperature can warp them.

5) Keep dishes to a minimum. Unless you're entertaining, don't dirty more dishes just for serving. One solution is to serve portions in the kitchen or bring pots and pans to the table. Another solution is to serve from containers that can double as storage for leftovers, such as glass tupperware.

6) Wipe it while it's wet. Swipe counters, appliances, the floor, and the stove when spills are fresh. This will keep your space clean and will keep the mess from spreading (like to the bottom of the spice jars that you place on the counter when you're cooking, for instance). Perhaps most importantly, wiping while it's wet will keep you from having to scrub dried-up messes.

7) Spray and wait. Inevitably, you'll have some spills to clean up. Spraying with your cleaner and giving it some time to soak in a bit before you wipe usually softens the mess and makes it much easier to wipe away.

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Recipe: Lamb Meatballs with Lemon Sauce

Have you ever tried lamb before? If not, would you consider trying something new? If you said yes to either of these questions, you should check out "Recipe: Lamb Meatballs with Lemon Sauce"

Lamb Meatballs with Egg & Lemon Sauce

Serves 8 (makes 24 meatballs and 1 1/2 cups of sauce)

For the meatballs:3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 cup matzo meal
2 jumbo eggs
1 cup water
10 large sprigs flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound ground lamb
1 pound extra lean (96/4) ground beef

For the egg and lemon sauce:1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
4 jumbo egg yolks
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional, for color)

To make the meatballs: In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, sauté the garlic in the olive oil just until some small bubbles appear around the garlic and it becomes aromatic, about two minutes.

Add the diced onions and salt to the skillet, and sauté until the onions are softened, translucent, and have wilted considerably but not yet begun to brown, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set the mixture aside to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, whisk together the matzo meal, eggs, water, parsley, and black pepper to form a paste. Let sit for about 15 minutes.

When the onions and garlic have cooled, add them to the mixing bowl with the matzo meal paste and stir until thoroughly combined.

Add the ground lamb and beef to the mixing bowl. Using your hands, a sturdy spatula or a wooden spoon, gently combine the ground meats with the matzo meal mixture until just combined.

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Use an ice cream scoop or 1/4-cup measure to portion out the mixture into meatballs, rolling them by hand and placing on the baking sheets, two inches apart.

Bake the meatballs until cooked through and golden brown on top, about 40 minutes.

To make the egg and lemon sauce: In the top pot of a double boiler over medium heat, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, egg yolks, and turmeric together. Whisk often and vigorously until hot and thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes.

Serve immediately, spooning about a tablespoon of sauce onto each meatball.

Recipe Notes

• If you are holding the sauce before serving, it will thicken up a bit — thin it out to a pourable consistency by whisking in a tablespoon or two of hot water.
• If you are unable to track down ground lamb, you can ask your butcher to grind a pound of lamb shoulder, or grind your own at home. Here’s our tutorial on how to use your food processor for this task.

(Image credits: Coco Morante)

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-lamb-meatballs-with-egg-lemon-sauce-recipes-from-the-kitchn-201810

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Easy Easter DIY: Use Discarded Eggshells to Make Colorful Tealights

Get started on your Easter Activity planning early this year! Check out these adorable tealights here and get your DIY on with "Easy Easter DIY: Use Discarded Eggshells to Make Colorful Tealights"

These tealights would look beautiful clustered in a group as seen in the tutorial below, but would also look nice individually or as a small group of tealights in a bowl for small gatherings. The pastel colors obviously go well with the Easter theme, but I bet these would also look great if the eggshells were painted gold, silver, and black for something a little more glam.

What do you think? Would you ever make something like this for Easter or any other spring celebration?

Get the tutorial → DIY Eggshell Tealight Candle Centerpiece

(Image credits: Little Inspiration )

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/easy-easter-diy-use-discarded-eggshells-to-make-colorful-tealights-202041

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