Meet our blog partner Brittany.
She works at home writing Brittany’s Pantry with her three children around her. Her blog grew out of her own love of reading, writing, and experimenting with food in her own kitchen after some years in the food industry. She likes to simplify recipes that she finds and tweak them until they are family-approved keepers. And that is what you will find on her site: recipes that are tested and approved by her family and friends.
If you’d like to check out more of Brittany’s recipes, check out her blog or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Here are some of our favorites:
Original: Cheeze-It Chicken (Traditional, kid-friendly)
Freezable: Cheeze-It Chicken (log-in required)
Original: Honey Buns (Traditional, kid-friendly, nut-free)
Freezable: Honey Buns (log-in required)
How long have you been blogging about food?
I have been blogging for a little over 4 years but haven’t really told anyone other than my family and friends until 2 years ago.
Have you always loved cooking, or was it a skill that you learned to love? Who taught you to cook?
I have ALWAYS loved to cook. I grew up watching Julia Child, Ming Tsai, and Jeff Smith on PBS and then acting out my own cooking shows while I made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. My Mom is an excellent baker and my Dad is a great cook so I learned the basics early on.
What is your favorite meal to serve to family and friends? What is your favorite treat to make for yourself ?
I pretty much like everything, so it is especially hard to pick a favorite! As a family, our favorite meal is probably Chicken Piccata and Lemon Spaghetti. Out. STANDING! My favorite thing to serve guests are things they wouldn’t normally make for themselves or meals they only order at restaurants. I love to show them how easy it is to make those special foods at home and to remove some of the mystery of cooking!
What is your favorite kitchen tool or gadget? Tell us a little about how you fell in love with it and how you use it in your kitchen.
I am a firm believer in only keeping things you use so, even though my kitchen is full, I use everything in it. I don’t like useless items that take up space so I regularly purge my pantry, shelves, and cabinets. That said, I am kind of in love with my knives. My favorite is my 5 inch, Santoku chefs knife. I use it for everything and since I have small hands, the size of it is easier for me to control.
When you are meal planning or looking for new recipes, what kind of guidelines do you follow for choosing them or what gives you inspiration in the kitchen for new flavors?
Planning new recipes, for me, is usually born out of necessity and the need for something specific. Occasionally its because of a crazy craving I have for a certain flavor or ingredient. When I feel like I need something new to shake up routine, I often grab my Grandmother’s recipe box or a cookbook I haven’t opened in awhile, and just start rifling through it. I end up finding all kinds of things I missed before. Even though I have so much fun trying new things, I do have limits. Anything that takes a ridiculous amount of steps to make or several days to prepare, is just not practical for my current, mommy-on-the-go type of lifestyle.
What items are ALWAYS on your grocery list? What items will you NEVER put on your grocery list?
I always have eggs, milk, yogurt, apples, bell peppers, string cheese, fresh spinach, and peanut butter on my list. We go through these items every single week. What do I never buy? Sugary cereals, pop, or individually wrapped pastry treats.
Tell us the best kitchen tip or trick that you’ve ever discovered.
Hmmm. This is tough! The only things I can think of is that I keep my fresh ginger root in the freezer and it lasts forever! I take it out break off as much as I need, and tuck the rest back in a sealed bag. Also, my Dad taught me to add a pinch of sugar to anything involving tomatoes. So I do. 🙂
Right on about the fresh ginger! That is where I keep mine. You can even grate it while it is still frozen.
What do you like to do when you aren’t cooking or blogging?
It is true I love to write and I love to spend time in the kitchen. But I love to read just as much and am a huge book collector. I also love the water and was a competitive diver and synchronized swimmer in high school so anything involving chlorine, a lake, or the ocean is on my list of favorite activities.
Have you ever freezer cooked? Share some of your favorite recipes or tips.
I love to prep and use my freezer for meals as often as I can. My absolute favorite dishes to freeze are Indian Summer Chili, Freezer Coffee Cake (because you bake it fresh RIGHT from the freezer), and Chewy Ginger Cookies. These are three of the recipes you will most often find in my deep freezer!
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