Coffee Grinders: Not Just for Grinding Coffee

Coffee Grinders are not just for grinding coffee. Consider getting 2 of them to keep in the kitchen. Not only can you have one for grinding your favorite roast coffee beans; you can also get one for spices and chocolate.coffee grinder: there are many types available

I have 2 coffee grinders in my kitchen and let me tell you they come in handy. I use one to grind up my favorite coffee beans (usually Starbuck's Cafe Verona, that is my favorite yummmmy!) and one for grinding spices such as nutmeg, allspice berries, whole cloves; just to name a few. I have even been known to grind chocolate when I need chocolate dust or chunks for garnishing desserts.

I have found it is more economical to buy the whole spices and it keeps longer than when you buy it already ground. You could save about 50 cents to $1 per pound when buying whole spices.

Whole spices have better flavor and if you need ground spices for something and whole spices for something else, all you have to do is grind what you need and only have to buy one jar of spice when you grind your own. I like not having to buy more than I need and only grinding it when I need it, makes perfect sense to me!

Just make sure you wash them after each use so your chocolate doesn't taste like allspice and your coffee doesn't taste like cloves, and vice versa.

Make Your Own Zest

You know those recipes that call for lemon or orange zest? And, so you know how expensive that can be at the store. Well don't buy your zest at the store anymore, make it yourself. You can buy a Lemon Zester at my store, or at any kitchen store that sells tons of gadgets. I especially like the Oxo brand. It holds up great to any type of kitchen abuse it may receive. With an ergonomic handle, that makes it easier to hold onto effectively as it does not slip out of the hand. It is a brand that is not outrageously expensive, but it is great quality. This is the zester I personally have at home and I highly recommend it.

lemon zester

When you need some lemon or orange zest in your recipes, all you have to do is go buy a lemon or orange from the produce section at the store (or any local farmer's market) and take the tool and start scraping away at the peel. It zests your fruit easily and this homemade zest tastes better than store bought stuff any day of the week, because it is fresh rather than from a jar. You can have zest for pennies per serving doing it this way.

With this tool, you can also make fancy garnish decorations using orange, lemon, or lime peel making curly-Qs that go well in drinks, or garnish for an elegant meal. In peeling mode, it can even peel chocolate curly-Qs from a regular chocolate bar, I have garnished many a dessert with this tool.

The benefits are it cost way less, the food will taste better since fresh zest has better flavor, and there are no preservatives added such as what some commercial spice companies use to make it last a long time. That's what I like!

Coffee Grounds for Plant Food

Did you know? Instead of throwing out the old coffee grounds, you can use them in plants to give them extra nutrients in the soil especially for plants that prefer acidic soil such as rosebushes, azaleas, evergreen, and rhododendrons. It also adds nutrients if you use a compost pile.

Some say that it even repels ants, snails, and slugs from eating your outdoor plants by sprinkling it around the plants.

Don't throw away those grounds when you make new coffee or clean the coffee maker, just take them outside and work it into the soil for your plants. I have a friend who does this and she swears that it makes her roses have bigger and fuller blooms from the extra nutrients her roses are getting from the grounds. Try it and let me know if it works for you.

Get Fizzy With It!

Ever wonder why your pot roast is tough? I once wondered the same thing. I tried meat tenderizer (doesn't work well with roasts as it does with thinner cut meats), the cut of meat, etc and what I found is that something so simple is so effective.

My mom told me to put some soda in with the roast. Soda? yeah soda... I use Coke or Pepsi (or any cola) or Dr. Pepper. When I make my roast in my crock pot, I add about 1/8 cup of soda pop to the liquid I put in the crock pot. I have found that my roast comes out falling apart and the gravy I make from the drippings and juice is richer than usual.

Now, when I make a pot roast (I always use my crock pot, I do not do roasts in the oven or dutch oven; they do not turn out for me like I would like using those methods for me anyway) I add the soda and other liquids and spices and let it cook. I have found this effective for beef roasts, I do not need it for pork roasts for some reason. Try it sometime, you will be surprised!