Kitchen

Get Your Kitchen Holiday Ready!

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

The holiday season is HERE, you guys! After an extremely rough year – I’m ready to rock this festive time of year, and move on to 2017. A few things that are a big deal in our world right now:

Keeping me well. My combo of lifestyle changes and meds seems to be working for now, and I’m feeling ok. Not good. But SO much better than the first half of this year. I’m now one of those compromised immune system people, so my body can’t fight infections very well. But I got my flu and pneumonia shots, have lots of natural remedies stocked up {most cold meds contain alcohol or other ingredients on my no-no list}, and am limiting my plans to make sure I don’t overdo things. So far, so good.
Getting back to work. I have been blogging for over 6 years now, full time. But the whole first part of this year, I was MIA. Between being sick, being in the hospital, being at the doctors office, being in bed resting in between… There wasn’t much room to think of anything else. It feels good to be getting back into blogging a little bit – I’ve missed you guys!
Redoing the house. My Mister moved out last year, we broke up right before Christmas, and I haven’t cleaned up his office or the shop. {Still sad.} And I’d been sick, so things had gotten messy even before that. And then Abby and I had to live with my mom for a few months, after this last stay in the hospital. So the house just became this messy, unorganized, jumbled up place. But – we’re working on getting things back in order, and prettified. Abby says we’re making it our “Girl Cave” now :)

And a big priority in anyone’s home this time of year is the kitchen, right? Right. It’s where you cook those holiday meals, bake those delicious holiday treats, and gather during holiday parties. So, I want to share an awesome idea for updating your kitchen right now – New KitchenAid Black Stainless Steel appliances are so gorgeous and sleek, making any kitchen seriously classy and cool. Check ’em out…

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on October 14, 2016 Filed Under: Home Decor | No Comments

Why I’m Falling in Love with the Philips Airfryer

Big thank you to Best Buy for sending me a complimentary Philips Airfryer to test out and share with you guys. It is AWESOME and I know you’ll love it too!

I am a healthy eater, 90% of the time. You wouldn’t know it by looking at the size of my hips, but it’s true. I eat small portions, whole grains, lots of fruits and veggies. But…. I have been known to say that “deep fried” is one of my favorite flavors :) And this would be an area where I splurge once in a while. We have a deep fryer, and ohmanohman can it make some good stuff. But it’s hot, messy, and FATTENING! So when I learned that there was a new super-cool technology that would give me a healthier alternative to frying… I was totally excited to try it out. Skeptical, I admit. But excited.

Philips Airfryer is a total multitasker in the kitchen. It can fry, bake, roast, AND grill. Which I appreciate… I’m a kitchen gadget addict. But I only have so much room in the kitchen. So anything that has multiple purposes is a win, and a space saver. So – let’s take this as a dating scenario… He looked good in his online ad. And, upon meeting him – he made a good first impression. [Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on September 22, 2014 Filed Under: Featured Tech, Busy Mom Solution, Food | 2 Comments

Kitchen Makeover: Organization Tips on a Budget

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Duck Brand. All opinions are 100% mine.

We’ve lived in this house for about 3 years now. But just finally closed on the sale and made it official a couple months ago. {Yayayayayaya!} So, I’m starting to work on some projects I’d kind of put off for awhile, and get this place whipped into shape. We entertain a lot, so the big projects are the kitchen and living room. The kitchen is right off the patio where the pool is – so it’s the most “seen” room when people visit, since that sliding glass door is our usual entrance – I figured it’s the first place to start.

The kitchen has got good “bones,” if you know what I mean – nice cabinets and appliances, a great kitchen island, and awesome tile. Everything is very neutral colored, so I decided to decorate based on my favorite thing in the kitchen – my red KitchenAid mixer. I’m working on a couple of pieces of wall art, and have some shopping to do – but first job is organizing cupboards and drawers.

First step was emptying out drawers. Next step? This super pretty Duck® Brand shelf liner. It’s not an adhesive liner, so you don’t have to worry about a mess or any damage when you want to remove it or change styles. It’s machine washable, which is really cool. And even though it’s not adhesive – it still “sticks” when you put it down. Like, just stays in place really well.

There are like a million styles and designs – check ’em out here: Duck Brand’s Shelf Liner. You just measure, cut, and place in the drawer or on a shelf. And you know what’s crazy? The patterns match up awesomely – this is two pieces of shelf liner next to each other. You can barely see the difference in the pattern – and I did NOT try at all to match them. Cool, right?

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on July 10, 2014 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 3 Comments

How to Look Trendy in the Kitchen

I love aprons. I have way too big of a collection of pretty aprons, especially considering that The Mister does most of the cooking around here. But, I’m just a sucker for a good lookin’ apron. I feel all clever and domestic and in-control of my kitchen when I’m baking and wearing one of my favorite aprons – even though I’m not a kitchen pro. And we entertain a ton, especially in the summer, and a pretty apron makes me look more put-together when guests show up early than when I’m wearing sweatpants covered in flour-y hand prints :) And my very favorites come from Flirty Aprons. Check out this new one that I am dying over right now:

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on March 9, 2014 Filed Under: Shopping | 2 Comments

7 Clever Ways to Use Apple Cider Vinegar in the Kitchen

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Heinz Vinegar, to share clever ways to use vinegar in the kitchen. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and as a thank you for participating.

“Housework is something you do that nobody notices until you don’t do it.” – Unknown… The kitchen is usually the center of the home, so it makes sense that it’s often the messiest part of the home too. 3 meals a day are created there, mail is sorted there, kids rummage through cupboards for snacks, the dog’s dish might be there, and in our house – it’s the main entrance we use when coming and going every day. So between dishes, the garbage, the pets, and the clutter – I feel like it’s a constant battle to keep things clean and germ-free! And, to add another bonus layer of challenge, I’m really trying to cut back on using store-bought cleaners that contain a lot of toxic chemicals and additives. I mean, if I wouldn’t want it to go into the kid’s mouths, why would I rub it all over the counters that their food touches, right? Let me share one amazing product that can help solve the majority of your kitchen-cleaning dilemmas – Apple Cider Vinegar.

Kitchen Tips: How to Use Vinegar in the Kitchen [Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on August 14, 2013 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 2 Comments

3 Ways to Do Dishes – Plus a Chance to Win a Kitchen Makeover

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

There are three different ways to do dishes. You can make your kids do them – but unfortunately, my little girl is only two. She’s not even tall enough to reach the sink. You can make your partner do it – but that doesn’t work for me either. He doesn’t believe in pre-rinsing anything, and it leads to a dishwasher filled with not-so-clean dishes. So that leaves the third way, the one moms end up with more often then any of us would like – do it yourself. But this doesn’t work for me either. I absolutely – more than any other task in the house – hate washing dishes. I sometimes look at an overflowing sink filled with dirty dishes and wonder how much it would cost to just buy new ones…

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on June 18, 2013 Filed Under: Giveaways, Busy Mom Solution | 2 Comments

Whisk Up Something Delicious: Simple Kitchen Tips Will Have you Cookin’ Like a Pro!

Whisk up something delicious…. Ok ladies, I was recently introduced to a new site, called Whisked Foodie, that I have fallen in love with – and I think that you’ll love it too! It’s filled with amazing recipes, food and wine pairing, regional foodie info, and more…

About Whisked Foodie

“Through information and inspiration, we’re here to cut through the fat of gourmet culinary jargon and deliver the skinny on how to make real food taste real good—right in your own kitchen. With a small team of culinary and drink professionals, our goal is to bring out the gourmand inside the home cook. It doesn’t take a fancy degree, a high-tech kitchen, or an unlimited budget to bring the flavor and flare of good food to your table.”

Why I love it, let me count the ways…

There are so many great things on this site… As you know, I’m definitely NOT a gourmet momma. I’m more of a kinda-homemade style cook, looking for new shortcuts and ways to jazz up some packaged ingredients to make dinnertime simpler. But, I do like to cook. I enjoy finding new tips, discovering cool new recipes that are easy enough to put an impressive meal on the table with minimal effort, and learning new skills. Those are all things you’ll find on Whisked Foodie – recipes that look fancy, but can be made on a busy weeknight. Here are a few of the things you’ll find there:

Recipes: Learn how to make the most of simple ingredients, seasonal foods, and regular kitchen staples to create something you thought was reserved for the pros. Great photos too!
Mixology: Yep, they make cocktails simplified too! If you have a thirst, they’ll have a way to quench it!
LA Foodie: Recipes and trends with a Westcoast perspective resident Los Angeles Foodie.
NYC Foodie: Just the opposite – here you’ll find an Eastside look at new culinary trends and tips, including restaurant reviews from their resident NYC Foodie.
Chef’s Table: From perfecting a pie crust to boiling an egg, this is where readers get the tried and true how-to on mastering culinary techniques. Seriously, even I am able to learn new things here!
Videos: Follow their team as they taste local cupcakes, compare holiday turkey recipes, talk to experts in the field, and more. Very fun to get an inside peek at some really cool restaurants, kitchens, chefs, and more.

Sound good? Sure as heck does! If you’re ready to learn some new skills to make you a kitchen wonder, make sure to check them out today. You can find meal ideas on WhiskedFoodie.com, or follow them on Twitter and Facebook for new updates too.