About.com - November Recap

It's December 1st and do you know what that means? It's the baby's BIRTHDAY month!! I'm officially due on December 22nd but the doctor will only let me be 7 days late meaning between now and December 29th it's ON! December is going to be a fun month on the blog too! We are thiiiiis close to being ready to reveal the nursery AND we will be decorating our new house for Christmas for the first time. But before we get into all of that let's dig into my About.com kitchen articles from November.

Up first:

1. Don't be your own Road Block to a Great Kitchen

It's a good thing we are supposed to keep these articles around 600 words because I could of written a novel on this subject. In a nutshell I wrote up a few guidelines to ensure that if you do decide to spend your hard earned money on a kitchens designer that you don't go and get in your own way. It may seem ridiculous, but it happens all the time and it's such a shame. Especially if I'm the designer in that blue car and you are that giant fuzzy buffalo prancing across the road. 

2. Why an Ice Maker in the Kitchen?

To me ice is a game changer. You know how water is all good for you and everything? Well, I'm 100% on board with drinking water as long as it is ice cold. I do not like lukewarm water. NO! Most kitchens do have some form of ice maker built into the refrigerator but this article is talking about whether or not having a second ice source like an under counter ice maker is a good idea or simply overkill. And if it is a decent idea, in what instances would you even use it? Read on to hear my thoughts. 

3. Is a Second Sink in the Kitchen Ideal?

2nd sinks, like under counter ice makers can seem like an unnecessary luxury, but in this article I talk about several different scenarios where a 2nd sink doesn't just make sense, it's almost a must! *Fun fact, this topic was a request from a reader, if you have any specific kitchen topics you would like me to cover seriously let me know, I listen!!* 

4. Metal Accents in the Kitchen

I truly believe the prettiest spaces are those that are layered with various textures and finishes. Metal is great option to layer into your space and this article talks about several different ways you can do it. Notice the simple, yet powerful brass accent on the side of the backsplash above? SO GOOD!

5. 3 Navy Paint Options for your Kitchen Cabinets

I am such a sucker for blue, especially navy blue. I rarely meet a navy piece (clothes, shoes, cabinets, accessories) I don't like. In this article I'm dishing on my current top 3 navy picks in the paint department. 

UPDATED ARTICLES:

1. Is White Marble the Worst Idea Ever?
2. How to Select the Best Remodeler for Your Kitchen
3. Touch Faucet Love
4. Why Quartz?
5. Spotlight on Style: Shaker

To read more of my kitchen articles click here to go straight to my About.com Kitchens page. 

Ice: A Cocktails Best Friend

Let's talk ice!

Ice  

Noun: the solid form of water, produced by freezing; frozen water.

While the topic of ice may be a seemingly boring subject, ice is actually pretty interesting, versatile and maybe a little more important to you than you think. Without ice, cocktails and mixed drinks would be nowhere. Ice not only chills drinks , but as it melts or is shaken it becomes a part of the mix and because of this, the frozen water deserves more than a little attention.

There are four basic types of ice, and all of them are used in different ways accordingly.

Ice Cubes:

Ice cubes are probably the most popular type of ice, the general rule of thumb: the larger the ice cubes, the better.  Ice cubes are good for almost all mixing, shaking, stirring, drinks on the rocks, or with juices and sodas. Large ice cubes keep your drink colder longer, and melt slower, resulting in less dilution. Less dilution means your drink will maintain its flavor longer and will not become watered down as quickly.

Ice trays may be a pain to dump and refill, but they make a lovely sized ice cube.



 Shaved Ice:

Shaved ice is a great way to cool down a product quickly. This ice is great for molding, packing and shaping around the item you are trying to cool down. It is used frequently for therapeutic applications, to quickly cool meats and sea foods and of course it is perfect for snow cones. Shaved ice is soft so it will not damage your teeth like cubed ice will. The downside to shaved ice is that it melts quickly and can dilute the tastes of beverages if the ice melts before the drink is finished.

Nugget Ice:

Nugget ice may be more commonly known as Sonic ice or Zaxbys ice. Nugget ice is shaved ice that has been moulded into compact, random sized nuggets. This ice is of course, fun to chew, cools drinks quickly and does not stick together.

Cracked Ice:

Cracked ice is smaller than cubed ice and melts faster, adding more water to a drink. This ice is perfect for M A R G A R I T A S, daiquiris and other frozen beverages. Cubes are so large they can clog the blender blades and be inconsistent, cracked ice is small enough to avoid this problem.  Typically, the bagged ice you buy at the store or gas station is cracked ice.

Like all things, the more attention you pay to detail the better the results. So, as far as ice goes, here are some general guidelines to ensure your drinks turn out their best.

• Don't use ice cubes that have been sitting in your freezer for a month, or even a week. Fresh ice is the best. Ice will pick up all the flavors floating around your refrigerator/freezer and transfer those flavors to your drink  - think frozen pizza or fish.. eww!

• The colder the ice, the better. The whole point of ice is to cool off your drink. If you are drinking a cocktail, the colder the ice the more "heat" it will pull from the warm spirits and mixers. Cocktails have a high percentage of alcohol so they need to be much cooler to avoid the hot alcohol sensation.

• Do not put liquor in the freezer. While, this seems like a good idea to increase the coldness of the drink it fails in one very important area: dilution. The liquor needs to be warm enough to melt the ice, and dilute the alcohol, softening the edge a little.

*You walk a fine line with dilution. Dilution is very important to the taste of your drink. Too much dilution (caused by ice melting too fast) is bad because it will water down your drink. However, as I mentioned above you need a little dilution especially for drinks with gin, vodka or other strong tasting liquors because it softens the strong, hot taste of the alcohol.

Scotsman, one of the leading ice maker manufacturers, has recently introduced an ice maker that makes pellet ice. Ice makers are a popular addition to many kitchens, butler's pantries, outside kitchens and basement bar designs today. Companies like Scotsman offer ice makers that make all types of ice. Consumers today find that having an ice maker inside their home is very convenient, not only for entertaining but also for everyday living.

It has been said that ice is to a bartender what a stove is to a chef. It is one of the most important ingredients in a good drink, so familiarize yourself  with the rules above and make your next cocktail drinking experience that much better. Cheers!