Home & Garden Blog » Kitchen

Target Coupons: Get $5 Off $50 and Free Shipping

ernani — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:11:39 +0000

Shopping can sometimes be a drag. Each time I make my weekly trip to buy necessities and items I may need for the house, it always feels like I have to park really far, fight through a crowd just to see whatever is on sale, and wait in a long line that can literally take 20 minutes (and that’s excluding all the cash and credit transaction difficulties, price checks and, of course, the lovely, unprepared individuals who search every inch of their bags/wallets to find coupons or coins). If this sounds familiar, then you’re definitely going to love what I’m about to tell you.

Shop online at Target.com today and get $5 off $50 or more, as well as free shipping on select home items. Just click on this Target coupon and begin your shopping spree. You will be able to choose from a variety of home items including furniture, small appliances, home decor, and rugs. You will also find a large selection of patio and garden items for all your outdoor living needs. Your discount will automatically be applied when you check out. Offer expires August 1, 2011.

By shopping at Target.com, you can save money, avoid the shopping hassles and be able shop from the comfort of your very own home. Find more coupons and offers on our Target coupons page and be sure to check back for more great offers that will help you save!

All About the Oven Vent: To Duct or Not to Duct?

brock — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:32:41 +0000

I was staring at my oven the other day and for the first time, I realized that it doesn’t have any kind of venting system for smoke. I guess it just never occurred to me in the five years I have lived here. My wife and I are decent cooks, so the giant plumes of black smoke from burnt food has never been an issue (well, maybe that once…)

Still, to be on the safe side, I started looking up the different types of vents for stoves and discovered there are several options. Who knew there were several types of vents? I just thought there was a fan that sucked the smoke out, but I guess things have evolved a bit since I was a kid who loved to turn on the vent fan over Mom’s stove top.

1. No vent: This is a common option for many smaller homes and apartments because you don’t have to do anything. Most times the smoke and steam from cooking is negligible and will do little more than create a haze in the kitchen. When smoke is created, you run the risk of setting off the smoke alarm, which I have done a few times in the past. Other than my childhood home, no residence I have lived has ever had a vent for oven range smoke. When you have a vent, it limits where the stove can be placed and can be a hassle to move or disassemble if you renovate your kitchen.

2. Duct vent: This is the kind of vent I grew up with, and it is the most elaborate of all the vents. A fan sucks the steam and smoke from the range into a series of ducts that run from the stove to the outside of the house. While the ductwork isn’t nearly as extensive as that of your furnace, it does require outside access. Depending on where the oven is, that could mean a few feet, if it is close to the outside, to 10 feet or more if it is in the middle of the home and nowhere near an outside access point. The vent may have a filter to eliminate any particles in the smoke, and it has to be cleaned regularly, especially if a lot of grease is used in the home. Over time, buildup of grime will likely cause the motor of the fan to stop working if it isn’t cleaned much.

3. Ductless vent: This is the oven equivalent of an air purifier. A fan runs the smoke through a filter and instead of taking the air outside, it simply circulates the purified air back into the kitchen. This requires no duct work and is easier to move during kitchen renovations. The major drawback to this is that the filter must be replaced regularly. If not, the smoke will clog the filter, so not only will it not be purified, but also it will just bounce off the clogged filter and back into the kitchen. This must also be cleaned regularly to eliminate a buildup of grime.

There is a another option called a conversion vent that can operate as a ductless vent or be converted into a duct vent depending on your preference.

I have never had the need of an oven vent, but I have also never had a major fire or smoke experience, either. I don’t cook anything exotic and hardly ever use cooking wine, so a vent isn’t much of a necessity for me. Vents are nice to have if anything occurs, but don’t feel as though you absolutely need one unless you plan on doing a lot of cooking with oils, wine and other potentially flammable materials.

Tile Vs. Linoleum: A Flooring Dilemma

brock — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:08:16 +0000

Several years ago, I had the unfortunate opportunity to help my father-in-law tile his kitchen floor and can honestly say that it was not one of my favorite experiences. Even though the tile has a beautiful end result, it can be a pain to put down.

I have linoleum in my kitchen, and I am not very fond of it myself. Honestly, though, I realized that in a battle between these two giants, I don’t know which one I would pick. They both have their fair share of pros and cons.

I think it is safe to say that the end product of tiling looks beautiful, especially if you have taken the time to pick the best color and texture for your kitchen or bathroom. When I helped my father-in-law, he had purchased several extra tiles in case of breakage, and that was a good investment.

The basic process of laying tile is simple. You start at one end of the room and place a piece of tile on the floor, putting a spacer in between the tiles to allow for the placement of the grout. The difficult part comes when you get to the other end of the room. Unless you are incredibly lucky, the final tiles at the end of the room will not be a perfect fit and will have to be cut.

There are electronic cutters that make the experience much easier, but my father-in-law used a manual cutter that was about as fun to use as an unplugged toaster. Basically, the cutter scores a line in the tile, and when the tile breaks, it does so along the score… ideally. It’s not always the case, though, and we went though many tiles because they broke every which way. Also, if you want your kitchen to look perfect, you need to be meticulous when you measure.

Once the tile has been laid, you fill in the spaces with grout to solidify the whole thing and voila! You’re done. If you don’t do a good job (and with two tiling novices such as me and my father-in-law, we did not do a good job), then the grout will eventually deteriorate and the tiles can become loose. Yeah, it doesn’t look good. This shouldn’t happen if you actually do everything correctly.

Linoleum is by far the easiest of the two to put down. There is adhesive on the back of the linoleum, and you just unpeel the protective covering and stick it down. When you get to the end of the room and need to cut it to size, a utility knife will do the trick with ease. The final product doesn’t look nearly as good as tile, but it takes you a quarter of the time. A drawback is that over time, the adhesive on the back of the tile can wear out, and it will start to curl and come up. Also, linoleum is much less expensive than the faux stone and textured tiles.

When it comes time for me to redo my floors, I would like to use tile because I love the look. Sure, it will take me longer than linoleum and it will be a pain, but I’ll make sure to buy plenty of extra tiles. I’m going to need them.

Mold the Perfect Kitchen with Concrete

brock — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:41:03 +0000

When most people think of concrete and home decoration, they envision pointy hatted elves standing guard over flowers or unmoving deer silently grazing in the backyard. I have always found both a little creepy, but that’s just me. These are now outdated concepts as concrete makes it’s way from the garden into the home.

Architects and interior designers are looking at concrete as an easier and cheaper way to create everything from countertops to kitchen sinks. I know what you’re thinking. Who would want a dull gray concrete sink and countertop? The truth is, concrete is one of the most malleable and controllable compounds for interior design, unlike the popular granite, which is what you see is what you get.

Concrete starts out as a liquid and in this form the color and texture can easily be changed. If you want your countertop to match your kitchen walls, no problem. Designers can take a swatch of the color and incorporate it into the raw concrete. There is no chiseling to create the perfect shape, or rock quarries being dynamited so you get the perfect shade.

Also, since concrete starts as a liquid, it can be molded into whatever shape or design you want. It can be a straight, smooth countertop or fireplace or you can incorporate custom designs that can be pressed into the wet concrete. The added touches can be as simple or artistically elaborate as you want.

The first thing I thought when I saw a concrete tabletop was “Ok, it’s great. It’s versatile. But what does it cost?” When you include installation, the concrete is comparable to popular granite, quartz and synthetic surfaces. The advantage is that while it’s also just as durable as the other surfaces it’s easily, and less expensively customized to your desires.

How would you like to sit in a concrete chair or rest your drink on a concrete coffee table? Designers are using concrete for almost everything. My only suggestion is once you find that perfect spot, don’t move it for a while unless you’re looking to get a hernia.

I admit that I was more than a little bit skeptical at first. I thought about the time my dad and I poured the concrete pad for my basketball court and how that would have looked in my kitchen. Blech. After seeing the breathtaking designs, colors and textures, I have become a concrete convert and hope to include it in my home one day…without the coffee table.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/virtualcourtney/3922945112

Recipes of the Week: Easy Appetizers!

brendan — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:25:53 +0000

Hi All! I hope your week is going well. It’s been a long week for me, and I’m sure glad that it’s almost over. I’m going to go to bed early tonight, probably. But before I do I’m going to make the mother of all unhealthy dinners. If you want to cook along with me, please go ahead. I’m cooking up two of my all-time favorite appetizers and making a meal out of it.

The menu: bacon wrapped dates and iceberg lettuce wedges. I’m going to finish it up with some fudge brownies a la mode–the old fashioned kind. From a Betty Crocker box topped with Haagan Dazs ice cream. (Hey, you can’t cook everything yourself. Unless you have an ice cream maker. In which case, you are way cooler than me.)

Bacon Wrapped Dates: This is the easiest, most delicious appetizer ever. Ingredients: a pound of bacon. (Don’t do the turkey mess–go all the way. We’re being unhealthy on purpose, which somehow makes it ok. K?) Other Ingredients: pitted dates, toothpicks, and brie cheese. Process: Preheat the oven to 375. Stuff the dates with brie cheese, and wrap them with bacon. One slice of bacon per date. Bake for 45 minutes in a baking pan, turning them occasionally for even cooking. Note: a lot of recipes call for slicing the bacon in two so that its the right length to wrap around the dates. I say wrap it around twice. It’s your call though. We’re talking fats and sugars. You basically can’t lose.

Iceberg Lettuce Wedge: Get a nice, crisp medium sized head of Iceberg lettuce. Cut it into four equally sized wedges. Then get these ingredients: a delicious blue cheese dressing, finely chopped scallions, two cloves of minced garlic, and the juice of half a medium sized lemon. Process: gradually mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Plate each iceberg lettuce wedge on a seperate plate. Top with the dressing mixture and serve. If you have extra bacon from the dates, fry it, and crumble it over the top to make it the most delicious and least healthy salad you will ever eat.

Brownies are, of course, super easy. Make fudge-like brownies from a box (I’m all about the shortcuts after a long week of working). Top with a delicious ice cream from Haagan Dazs or Ben and Jerry’s. Accept no substitutions. I recommend a Vanilla flavor or a coffee flavor. Your topping a brownie with this, so get a complimentary flavor. (No one loves Mint Chocolate Chip more than I do, but it was not made to go ontop of a chocoholic brownie.)

The final step in my evening: do absolutely nothing. I’m probably going to pass out in front of the TV. And leave all the dishes for tomorrow. (Which I’m going to wash, coincidentally, with eco-friendly soap). It’s going to be glorious. If you’ve had a tough week, I think it’s totally cool to make yourself an easy, delicious, bad-for-you-in-a-good-way dinner, and just chill. I hope you have a relaxing weekend! If you do decide to cook along with me, let me know how it turns out!

Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/scaredykat/451571324

Tips for Organizing Your Kitchen

brendan — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:52:18 +0000

Whatever room you want to talk about, there is probably a more efficient and/or attractive way to store your stuff than the way you’re doing it now. Today we’re talking about that dreaded room, the kitchen (Cue Beethoven’s Fifth). So many ways to be disorganized. Food storage, utensil storage, spice storage, and the motherlode: the refrigerator. Start tackling these huge problems with these space-saving tips:

Wherever you’re storing things, store based on use. If you’re organizing your cabinets, maybe organize spices by country of origin, or have the everyday essentials like salt and pepper in an easy to grab spot and put other things you rarely use, like cream of tartar, in a place that you don’t need to use.

Tip dos: Recognize that your shelf space is real estate, and the easiest to access shelves are the most valuable. Put your most used items in the most valuable real estate.

Tip Three: Organize by use. This method, such all the things you need for baking are in one spot, and all the things you need for frying are in another, is really helpful and fairly popular. You may be able to take this further than you already are, though. Do you really need your muffin tin to be stored with your pots and pans? Put it next to your cookie mix. Organizing your storage this way makes it way easier to find stuff.

The most important thing is to pick one method and stick to it. If you mix and match, finding things will be a nightmare. Also, share your method with your family and/or housemates. It sucks to make an organization method, just to have it ignored. If you don’t believe me, ask my mom.

When it comes to the refrigerator, many of the same rules apply. Just organize by sections, and stick to it. Also, make sure you’re not refrigerating things that do not need refrigeration. The biggest offender: peanut butter. A close second: soy sauce. (although if you have an oily peanut butter, keeping it cool does keep the light oil from rising to the top). You probably will have a lot more room if you just take the stuff out of the refrigerator that doesn’t need to be there. Also, when you are putting away leftovers, put stuff in square containers, don’t just cover a serving platter with cellophane wrap. Platters have low stack-ability.

Finally, throw stuff out that you won’t eat. Yes, this is simple, but it frees up a surprising amount of space. Are you really going to eat that tepid leftover Chinese food? I would too. So eat it, and get it out of the way! That old salad? Toss it and make a new one. This also works with condiments. You probably don’t need so many packets of instant noodles or minute rice. Give it to the local food shelter.

Let me know what you think of these tips, and feel free to post your own! Happy organizing!

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/33636891@N00/4314819373/

Best and Worst: Valentine’s Gifts for Women

colleen — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:49:37 +0000

The worst gifts you can give a woman are gifts that seem judgmental. Remember, this is different for many women. The general things to stray away from are weight, body image, and anything that seems to draw attention to a woman’s faults. Giving a woman a scale is probably the worst gift imaginable, and if you have given the special lady in your life a scale, you have to go back to step one of general care and compassion for others, and beg forgiveness immediately, if the woman is still talking to you. In this same line, giving a woman the gift of a gym membership or extra large yoga pants are less than desirable, but remember, some women would find these extremely caring and thoughtful gifts. Keep your special lady’s feelings in mind before you damage them this holiday season.

Good ideas for Valentine’s Day gifts involve heartfelt messages and thoughtful, convenient solutions. I suggest going for the triad gift giving experience: give one sweet/ edible gift, one small heartfelt gift, and one practical, useful gift. There isn’t a lack of sweets to choose from, and the heartfelt gift I can’t really help you with, but the practical or useful gift I can. Think about kitchen supplies and storage, like cookware, cutlery, kitchen linens, and food storage. These gifts don’t exactly scream “I love you”, but they do say “I care about you and want to make your life easier, so we can spend more time together”. And that’s a wonderful message too.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/back_garage/3250024891

Recipe Spotlight: Make your own Chocolate

colleen — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:49:28 +0000

We all have food cravings. Sometimes, it’s for something super salty, sometimes super sweet: whatever is going on biologically doesn’t concern me, it’s how you best manage your craving to do the least amount of damage to your waistline, and still feel satisfied.

For me, it’s all about the chocolate. And with Valentine’s Day coming up, there’s nothing I’m more excited to do that bake some delicious desserts for me and my loved one. My favorite website for delicious, decadent desserts is Williams-Sonoma’s recipe site. They have some outrageous recipes and never cut corners, which can be a good and bad thing.

If you want to go more basic, though, you can always make chocolate truffles with this simple recipe from Essortment.com: All you need is eight ounces semi-sweet chocolate, three-fourths cups of heavy whipping cream, one-half of a stick of unsalted butter, one-half of a cup of cocoa powder (or as much as needed to coat truffles), and optional fillings. Check out the rest of the recipe for more detailed instructions.

Beyond the recipe and the ingredients, you need the machinery to make the chocolate! Fondue pots are perfect for melting chocolate without burning it. To make the bite-sized chocolate truffles, you are going to need a melon baller.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/41954547@N04/4226993126

Eco-Friendly Dishwashers

colleen — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:01:28 +0000

Dishwashers can eat up your water supply if you aren’t careful. Even some of the “economy” styled dishwashers are so monstrous that they take on more water than you’d like! While hand washing and air drying dishes is always the most thrifty and water-economical way to do the dishes, people with big families know that hand dish-washing would be an hourly affair.

Before you start blaming all the problems on the dishwasher, though, take a look at your family’s habits: do you use only reusable cutlery, or do you end up using paper plates and cutlery at the big family parties? Do you use a three different knives to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Do you drink a glass of water and immediately put it in the dishwasher? Think about how you can reuse cutlery before you start looking at the stuffed dishwasher in shame. Sometimes little steps can make all the difference. But if you want to invest in an appliance that will be water-economical and eco-friendly, here are some top products on the market:

Automatic Undercounter Dishwasher, 30 Racks/Hr, Built-In Booster, Energy Star : $3,145.80

Jackson Undercounter, Low Temp, Energy Star Dishwasher: $3,099

Shop for more eco-friendly dishwashers and other eco-friendly appliances.

Customized Sink: Everything You Need

homegarden — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:25:01 +0000

This is the cleanest that a kitchen can get during food preparation. The new All-in-One Kitchen Sink is perfect for you love to cook but hate cleaning up afterward. This new revolutionary sink, designed by cook Ulrich Koberstein’s team of professional chefs and Kohler, contains a sliding two-in-one serving tray and cutting board. It even has a third benefit as counter space when you’re not using the sink. Not only is it practical but it is aesthetically pleasing.

You no longer have to run around your kitchen as you cut, rinse, chop, etc. Once you gather your ingredients, you’re ready to cook with ease. Its accessories will make you want to try new things! The white dishes are practical and its got a place to keep your knives and necessary tools.

It’s got a place for everything and makes it easier for you to keep everything in its place. In fact, the design idea was centered upon the french idea ”mise en place,” which means “everything in place.”

It’s definitely a great addition to a modern-style kitchen. However, if you don’t really cook that often–it’s not really as sleek and tidy as other just-for-looks sinks out there. So if you are the family chef, this new design was made for you.

Shop for sinks at Smarter.com.