Making the most of
life in the kitchen

Improving life at home

We are spending more time at home than ever before, and people around the world are embracing new hobbies and skills. Almost a quarter of those polled in our recent survey said they are cooking a lot more as a family. Here are some creative tips to keep your kitchen running smoothly.

Grocery Shopping

Buy less and keep food fresh longer  >>

Cook Together

family-friendly recipes
to cook and bake with the kids  >>

Meal Planning

eliminate stress and reduce waste  >>

Skills for Foodies

Learn more about wine, fermenting, and pickling  >>

Expand Your Creativity

Build your skills and kitchen confidence  >>

Family-friendly recipes

Cooking together can add new layers of fun to family life! The best recipe will likely never be written down, but as you invite kids to join you, you’re creating your own recipe that bakes sweet memories. Sure, there’s usually a little more mess in the kitchen, but bonds are created, experiential lessons learned while engaging the senses, and conversations flow.

Family-friendly recipes

Looking for more inspiration? Check out

21 Cooking recipes you can do with kids!

More fun, family-friendly recipes can be found here from Yummly.

Not sure where to start? We’ve gathered a selection of recipes from Yummly to make new family favorites from scratch. Try your hand at everything from handmade pasta to homemade chocolate-mint energy bites. 

Did you know

Yummly can personalize your recipe preferences? You might start with kid-friendly, then filter by food allergies. Vegetarian, paleo, or keto? No problem, choose a diet you follow. Ingredients you don’t want? Filter them. Want to eat healthy, save time, money, or even learn new skills? Set your cooking skill level and even your family goals. Don’t want to go to the store? Enter the ingredients you have on hand and Yummly will give you recipes to make.

 

fruit, vegetables, bread

Maximize your grocery shopping

Research shows people have been making fewer but larger grocery trips in recent months as new habits emerged from people spending more time at home. But how do you make the most of the food you buy to ensure it doesn’t go to waste? Here are a few tips from our brand experts.

Keep food fresher longer

  • Wrap bread in a dish towel and put it in a paper bag or use a bread box to keep it fresher longer. The bread actually goes stale faster in the refrigerator than it does at room temperature, so keep it out of the fridge.
  • Keep your meat and fish in the middle of the refrigerator–the coldest part–to extend its shelf life.
  • Wrap lettuce in aluminum foil to keep it fresh longer. A plastic storage container or wrapping the head in a damp paper towel will also help.
  • Herbs stay fresh for longer if you wrap them with a paper towel.

Here’s the article on how to keep fresh food lasting longer.

Purchase less

  • Think about your weekly menu in advance. Which days will you be at home, will the children be eating with you, or at school?. This way, you can cook the right amount. Also, why not try batch cooking on the weekend?
  • Write a shopping list: Look in the fridge and cabinets before shopping and write down what you need. Don’t deviate from your list.
  • Buy fruit and vegetables in small quantities (less and more often) and resist special offers. It may seem like a good deal at first, but it’s not if you have to throw away half of it.
  • Check expiration dates. Always look at the packaging for use-by dates.

Click here to visit our KitchenAid UK website for more tips to reduce waste in the kitchen.

Freeze food safely

  • Organize your freezer so food moves from the back to front as you add new items.
  • Allow for air to circulate. Don’t overstuff the freezer.
  • Minimize freezer burn with vacuum sealing. Otherwise, this can leave your food less colorful and tasting less flavorful.
  • Label everything with an expiration date. This will make it easier to identify which food you need to consume first, and which items are past their shelf life.
    • Click here for more tips on how to store food correctly in the freezer.

    Meal planning made easy

    It has taken some effort but you have succeeded: you’re eating healthy, balanced meals. Congratulations! Now the one thing you need to do is keep up this good habit. The easiest way to do this? Don’t rely on a daily dose of willpower alone, follow a meal plan!

    Check your pantry

    See if you can plan meals based on what you have on hand. Yummly makes it easy by offering a pantry search tool for recipes based on ingredients you already have.

    Jot down any ingredients you don’t have, and add them to your shopping list immediately to eliminate two trips to the grocery store.

    Stock up on staples

    As you intentionally begin planning your meals, it saves time and money having your favorite staples on hand.

    Pasta, rice, canned chopped tomatoes, stocks and grains are always helpful to have on hand, and then check recipes for commonly used herbs and spices. Keep some of your favorite dried spices in your pantry, but stay mindful of expiration dates.

    Start to prep

    Choose a day to chop, seed, cook and freeze as needed for later in the week. Use this time to prepare sauces too. Blend and store them in portions for use throughout the week.

    The night prior can also serve as a great time to get started. Use the time to wash and chop vegetables,and make sure utensils are clean and ready for meal-making the next day. The reward will be less time in the kitchen during the week, and more time with your family.

    Looking for a few more ideas?

    Our friends from the KitchenAid U.K. brand team share three simple steps.

    Find them here.

    Yummly logo, a brand of Whirlpool Corporation

    Get dinner on the table with ease using Yummly’s integrated shopping list and meal planner.

    • Get personalized meal plan recommendations.
    • Add ingredients for planned meals with a click.
    • Take your list on the go or order groceries for delivery.

    Get creative in your kitchen

    More time at home has brought out a creative streak in many amateur chefs. Have you become more adventurous in the kitchen? Whether it’s trying new cuisine, embracing cooking from scratch, or using up what you have in the pantry, experimenting in the kitchen is also a great way to spend more time with family and friends. 

    We’ve pulled together some tips from our experts and restaurant-favorite recipes to inspire you to continue to create in the kitchen, and spend more time with the people you love.

    spiralized vegetable tray

    Creating means…trying something new

    With more and more people adopting flexitarian diets, it’s easier than ever to find vegan alternatives at the grocery store.

    So why not try switching mayonnaise for a silken tofu mayonnaise sauce? Put all ingredients in a blender and puree. Click on the link for ingredients and how-to.

    Or try an easy food swap by switching minced beef for black beans with this black bean vegan burger recipe.
    Fancy something sweeter? Try this vegan cinnamon pumpkin pie.

    beets, tortillas and greens

    Creating means…replacing take-out with new restaurant-style dishes from your kitchen

    • Pick a dish that’s slightly more extravagant than something you would normally cook (in time, ingredients or cooking technique) and one that’s more decadent than usual—treat yourself!
    • Part of the restaurant experience is the presentation and how food feels in your hands. Even a simple burger or sandwich can be wrapped in parchment paper to hold it together and keep the juices and toppings in for an upgrade to your dining experience.
    • You probably already know your tastebuds secretly crave salt and butter, and the pros never skimp here. It’s a special occasion, so splurge!
    • Consider inviting friends or family, ones you don’t live and eat with every day, to join you remotely. Virtual dinner party? We’ll toast to that!

    Find 15 restaurant-style recipes here from Yummly that will inspire you to level up your cooking at home.

    Creating means…finding seasonal inspiration

    • Seasonal recipes can add extra flair and freshness to your repertoire and inspire you to leave your comfort zone. Why not attempt to make a pumpkin pie from scratch or cook a warm garlic mushroom soup?
    • Baked goodies can double up as great presents. Try your hand at a traditional British Christmas pudding or chocolate madeleines and gift them during the holiday season.
    • Head to the sale aisle for produce packed full of flavor. Purchasing seasonal ingredients tends to be cheaper and more delicious!

    Click here for more British KitchenAid recipe ideas.

     

    Creating means…fresh favorites from scratch

     

    You too can be a foodie

    Baking has been a huge trend in 2020. Many people attempted baking for the first time during the pandemic, based on a poll we conducted with research agency YouGov.

    So if you’ve perfected your banana bread recipe and are on the lookout for your next challenge, why not try your hand at fermenting, pickling or learning more about wine? Don’t know where to start? Have no fear, we’ve compiled some top tips from KitchenAid Stories and Whirlpool brand’s Appliance IQ that will have you at expert level in no time!

    fermenting

    A beginner’s guide to fermentation

    We know from the KitchenAid experts that fermentation gets a bad rap. In recent years, culinary trends have positioned fermented foods as a kind of specialty, but the art of fermentation is more common than you think.

    Harness the power of fermentation with the help of our friends with KitchenAid.

     

    The power of vinegar

    The nuanced language of vinegar

    Vinegar brings balance between seemingly contrasting flavors while also brightening dishes with pucker-inducing tartness. Consider the tang of a barbecue sauce, the pungent pop of chimichurri, and the sweet complexity vinegar can bring to baked treats.

    Want to know how to push flavor, aroma and nuance into your food? Learn more from KitchenAid.

     

    Wine cooler

    How to store your favorite wines

    When you serve wine at the right temperature and pair it with the right dish, you’ll discover the complex flavors and subtleties that make it such a wonderful beverage. Our experts from the Whirlpool brand team will explain the best way to store your favorite wines.

    If you’re planning to serve wine at home, start with a few basics:

    • Learn why storage temperatures are classified in two segments.
    • Know the optimal long-term wine storage temperature and minimum/maximum temperatures.
    • Understand the importance of making sure your wine stays in a dark, quiet place.
    • Determine the right humidity for storing wine.
    • And more! All the details are here from Whirlpool.