Healthy Kitchen Hacks #34
Homemade Chai Latte Mix * Brands We Love * DIY Sparkling Water Bar * Magical Way to Get Kids to Eat Soup * Kitchen Sponges vs. Dishcloths: Which are Better?
Here are this week's top 5 tricks that actually worked in my kitchen. I was inspired by a long-time reader to research 'how do I keep my dish sponges from going sour.' The answer surprised me! And speaking of inspiration: How about some new (easy!) drinks --> Hot and cold. I'm sipping one right now...
1) Homemade Chai Latte Mix
@Cooking Light
I adore chai lattes: Spicy, creamy...and full of sugar - so the coffee shop version is a like-once-a-year-treat. And it's tough to find a chai latte mix in the supermarket that doesn't contain non-dairy creamer plus a host of other manufactured ingredients...and lots of sugar.
Enter this DIY Chai Tea Mix from Cooking Light; just add to hot black tea. When made it, I left the sugar out so I could self-sweeten - and sometimes I didn't - as the spices were so nice they were all the sweet I needed.
2) The Magical Way to Get Kids to Eat Soup
My kids are pretty used to eating lots of soup in the winter time. I love that it's a great way to get them to eat their veggies from beans to zucchini. But occasionally they decide soup isn't for them.
That's when I whip together grilled cheese croutons. They are sort of a magic bullet to make the soup more fun. I let the kids add them themselves. And they get to (carefully!) dish up their own soup; usually this leads to more bites of soup.
3) Brands We Swear By: Pam Cooking Spray
From time to time, Deanna and I will offer a peak into our pantry to see the brands we actually use - a lot. Today it's: Pam cooking spray. Fed up with the sticky yellow residue I got on my casserole dishes when using sale-brands of cooking spray, I actually paid attention to a Pam commercial advertising "Our all-natural spray oil leaves up to 99% less residue".
And it's true. Now my slow cooker and rice cooker and casserole dishes are much easier to clean. (Disclosure: None! I've never attended a Pam or Con-Agra sponsored event or been asked to write about the company's products.)
4) Kitchen Sponges vs. Dishcloths: Which is Better for Preventing Bacteria Breeding?
@TheKitchn and @EatRight
The answer: Dishcloths are the safer option - if you launder them often, according to the Public Health Department inspector interviewed by TheKitchen.
I'll admit, after worrying about the freshness of sponges when my kids were babies, I ditched them and use dishcloths now. But if you still use sponges, here are tips from the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics on the: Dos and Don'ts of Kitchen Sponge Safety.[bctt tweet="Kitchen Sponges vs. Dishcloths: Which are Better? Plus 4 more top #HealthyKitchenHacks via @tspcurry" via="no"]
5) DIY Sparkling Water Bar
EA @Spicy RD Nutrition
Still trying to stay on track with that New Year's Resolution to cut sugary beverages? The Spicy RD has tons of: Simple Tips for Healthy Hydration including ways to make small changes and 'go halfsies.'
My favorite way to stay hydrated is to set up a DIY Sparkling Water Bar - even if it's just by keeping these ingredients together in your fridge so you can grab-and-go. I'll be ordering up one of these! --> Sparkling Water + Fresh Blueberries + Blood Orange Wedges + Fresh Basil
Would you try any of these hacks? Do you have healthy kitchen or healthy living shortcuts to share? Shoot us an email (ddaly@teaspooncomm.com or sball@teaspooncomm.com ) or share below in comments and we’ll try them out.
Chai lattes are my favorite drink ever- my hack for making them iced is to steep several tea bags in a large pot of water, allow to cool and transfer to fridge- it's not as good as using all the spices but it's quick. Add a little chocolate milk for a special treat.
I love this hack Jess! And the chocolate milk will be my new flavor to try. Thanks so much for sharing!
Definitely going to be making my own chai lattes in the very near future! I love that tip!
Hope the chai latte warms up your day Sues! (:
Great tips! I love the DIY Sparkling water from EA. I just picked some up yesterday to make today actually! I have to say I buy the Kirkland brand of cooking spray, but now that you have me thinking, I'm fairly certain I have residue on my pans lol! I'll have to give PAM a whirl again!
Pam will change your life Elizabeth....well, at least make doing dishes not so frustrating. (:
Don't change from the KIRKLAND brand. Pam is made from palm oil... Something we should all avoid not only to protect the environment from deforestation but also for the detrimental effect on labor and animals. I switched to the Costco brand and actually really like it. Haven't found a residue at all. http://www.ran.org/palm_oil?gclid=Cj0KEQiAr8W2BRD2qbCOv8_H7qEBEiQA1ErTBjJnyXK_rEAa9HKjk4GX10Zlpw8oF1PNQbxT8dRIfaMaAm9C8P8HAQ
Good point Jessica. I don't have a Costco near me. So I checked the label on my Purely Olive Oil Pam and it has no palm oil - so that would be a choice if the no-palm-oil issue is important to someone. Thanks for visiting and commenting - we really appreciate it!
Great hacks and thanks so much for sharing my DIY Sparkling Water Bar! I love the Chai Tea mix b/c my daughter sometimes likes Chai Tea in the mornings, and, like you say, most of those mixes contain way too much sugar. Right now I buy the unsweetened chai tea bags from Trader Joe's and mix it with unsweetened soy milk plus a little maple syrup or honey to taste. Good to know about dishtowels vs. sponges!
I adore your DIY water bar and your gorgeous pics!
I love the DIY Sparkling Water Bar- such a great way to make drinking water more fun! And I have to try the grilled cheese croutons- I think my daughter would love them!
Thanks Sonali! Grilled cheese croutons are awesome on lentil soup - just sayin'....
So many useful tips here! 1. I shall make my own chai latte (love love love) instead of getting the giant cartons from Costco (you know the tazo kind). And I also bought a big bag of sponges for my dishes from there as well..now I'm wondering if I should try to use it all up before moving onto dishcloths? I shall follow the tips in the meanwhile! Thanks for sharing!!! I always learn something new everytime 😉
OK #NoShame if you use sponges...but I will say, now that I'm in the habit of dishclothes, I do find them easier. Thanks so much for your kind comments Min!! (:
I love the grilled cheese crouton idea (I nanny a 7 year old!) and I love the sparkling water bar idea. Yum!
Thanks Tara. The grilled cheese croutons work every time (OK every time for my 10, 8, 5 yr olds, not always for the 3 y old, but she learns from watching her siblings!) LMK if you have luck!