SpicySaltySweet's Profile

I've moved 27 times in the last 15 or so years--I was a bit of a wanderer--but I loved what all that moving taught me about stuff. I would do a big purge before every move, and then as I unpacked I would do a little more weeding through of things, since some stuff wouldn't work with the new space. Moving a lot has also taught me how important it is to be and stay organized--it keeps you from getting super overwhelmed by the things you didn't even know you had--and makes unpacking super easy. I also only pack boxes that I can lift, even if it means more boxes; that way I only need to count on others to help me move furniture if I'm bringing it with me. My husband thinks I'm a little OCD when it comes to moving and he's probably right. I draw little diagrams of my old and new kitchen cabinets and plan where things are going to go and label the boxes accordingly, that way the kitchen is unpacked and ready for dinner within days of moving in.

Thanks everyone for all of your comments. I definitely don't want to be wasteful, I just want to make it al little more my taste, and I think you all had some good ideas. I think I'm going to find an old salvaged ring shower curtain to put up. it will solve the shower problem and give me a way to distract from the floor and wall tiles. Not sure yet if/when I'm going to paint--I've got the rest of the house to do.

Roses from the Loire and Provence are the best, they're never sweet, just refreshing!

Meat is in the air! If you live in SoCal and don't have access to Stone's incredible beef, you can also try J&J Grassfed.

I have a pot rack over the stove - since there's really no where else to put it in my tiny kitchen. I find it a great use of space, convenient for cooking since I'm not running across the kitchen to get what I need, and my pots don't get too grimy. Then again, I cook every day, which means the pots are all getting cleaned quite frequently.

I'm with MyLastBite, my Dutch Oven makes cheap cuts savory, rich and delicious - like in the easy shredded taco recipe I posted on my blog last night. I used cross rib roast from J&J Grassfed beef. Only $5/lb (for grassfed!) this fed my fiance and I for dinner and two lunches so far.

These are one of my favorite treats. There are so many varieties that differ in flavor and texture. Bautista and the Hollywood Farmers' Market sells some of the best, including the Barhi dates, that you can let dry and home, plucking them off the stalk and popping them in your mouth as they ripen!

The first thing I learned to cook from scratch was homemade mac & cheese in second grade. While I've since substituted the Kraft singles for farmhouse cheddar, Munchee, grueyere or a host of other cheeses, having learned how to make a simple roux and build a sauce has come in handy as I've learned to cook more. Plus, it's unbelievably satisfying and your don't need a cookbook!

My favorite homecooking blogs are, hands down, Foodwoolf, Matt Bites, White on Rice Couple and Wrightfood for the the excellent pictures, exemplary writing and sense of culinary adventure they all embrace!

I love the Sea Salt Caramels from Boule and can't wait to try these. They look much easier to make than the torrone I attempted last year.