I have officially decided when to start my 30 Day Oh She Glows Challenge! It will be on April 1st. I will be getting you good and excited up until then, with pictures of ‘freezer’ food I am making for when the going gets tough (aka. school causes me to pause on my cooking ventures), or when an appliance shuts down. Yes, I don’t own a Vitamix or a state of the art food processor.
Some of my latest Instagram posts from Oh She Glows recipes! Follow me here
This goes to my next point: do you need fancy appliances and kitchen space to make an Oh She Glows recipe? Well I will be testing that out! I don’t want to say I don’t own good appliances, because I do, and I cherish them with all my heart. But I also don’t have some of the fancy equipment shown both on the Oh She Glows blog and on others of the like. And I have so far gotten by fine (with a few trials and errors in times ;)).
So what do you “actually” need for the challenge? Here are the supplies I have on hand for any cooking venture. They are listed from order of importance, and I still think there are ways you can live your life without a few of these items. Some of these items are interchangeable as well (ie. motar and pestle vs. coffee grinder).
1. Food processor
This is a must have – so if you don’t have one already, invest in one! I have a Cuisinart Smart Stick Power Trio – which really is many tools in one! I love it, and it is pretty strong, although there are a few things I’ve realized it cannot do. Tried to make tahini the other day #epicfail. Also not so great at making nut butters or any sort of dough. I usually end up using it to chop finely then mix everything in a bowl. One day I will invest in a super strong food processor, but for now this one does the trick. Also love that it has an attachment for shredding and slicing, works great when grating carrots or yam for my veggie burgers! Also has a whisk attachment, mind you it is very strong and tends to fly things all over my tiny apartment, so I don’t use it often.
2. Blender
Another must have – Angela uses a Vitamix (as do most bloggers) and it is on my wish list, over an engagement ring, to get one! In the meantime, my Cuisinart Smart Stick Power Trio works well as a smoothie function, also great for hand blending soups. See photo above)
3. Lemon juicer
This is one tool that you can get cheap and not really notice much of a difference! I got a glass one from the dollar store, my old roommate and fellow foodie friendie had one and I’ve been turned onto it ever since! (shoutout Kim!) I also learned this great tip – who knew cutting them lengthwise would make that much of a difference!
4. Lemon zester
I have a great zester, I got mine as a gift from Kitchen Aid, that helps when zesting lemons, lime, shaved chocolate for sweet desserts, nutmeg… the list goes on and on! For veggie friends, cheese is also used frequently in mine!
5. Spiralizer/ julienne slicer
I started out purchasing a julienne slicer, after making the Oh She Glows Glowing Green “Pasta” Primavera – and while it worked well, I have an issue with slicers and getting to close to my fingers. I made the plunge and recently got a spiralizer, and let me tell you, this thing is boss! Works great on most vegetables, I had an issue the other day with a carrot because it was too narrow. But great replacement for pasta in meals that you want to cut down the carb intake. Also works well for salads to give it an extra spin. Baked yam noodles anyone? I ate those straight with some coconut oil on them – drool worthy!
6. Motar and Pessle
This was a fine gift my boyfriend gave me that I haven’t used as much as I should, but really works well for grinding up fresh herbs, garlic, basically anything you want to release juices from. I’m not sure where he got it, but I know it’s made of walnut wood – and it’s fantastic!
7. Coffee Grinder
This is one that I just recently purchased as I was getting annoyed with grinding up finer things, such as flax seed. I read online somewhere that you could use a coffee grinder, and because I don’t drink coffee, I never even thought of it. I bought one for 11$ and I’m so amazed by how well it works! I ground up homemade spices for christmas with it, ground up sesame seeds to make tahini (this was part 2 of my tahini disaster), and made my own icing sugar out of coconut sugar. It’s glorious and a worthwhile investment. Break the bank why don’t you 😉
8. Silicone cupcake liners
Wow – these liners are another seemingly simple investment which has saved me headache after headache. I will mention here now that my fridge is TINY. And for a foodie like me (and an equal foodie boyfriend who has different dietary habits) it can become a big struggle to cook, cool and freeze items. Any Oh She Glows recipe that uses a pie tin – I use these babies and freeze individual desserts. For example: The carob fudge? Great in these liners! I also plan to make the banana no bake elvis bars – I always have to have a healthy dessert in the freezer on the go!
9. A set of good knives and prep bowls
This is more of a general kitchen supply, but a good chopping knife for veggies, and some prep bowls are always good to have on hand. I used to only have one bowl and then I went to my local home hardware and got a big mixing bowl, and it’s so amazing how many times I use it! Great when mixing flours or messier items. I tend to make a mess…
10. Parchment Paper
Last but not least, I always have parchment paper on hand. So useful for any of the OSG bars or items that tend to stick to the pan. Angela mentions it a lot in her recipes and it just helps save time, clean up, and spoiled recipes. Sometimes vegan baking is not fool proof as there aren’t eggs or other binding ingredients, so you rely heavily on proper cooling and handling. Parchment paper is therefore your friend! One day I will invest in a Silpat to avoid the waste, but for now this is recyclable and handy.
That’s all folks! Stay tuned for another post in a couple days on my kitchen space and common food supplies that will be needed for the challenge. Can’t wait to follow along with you guys!!