Football Party Beer & Cheddar Dip

Image courtesy Nealey Dozier, The Kitchn

When you think of football, food also probably comes to mind. From pizza to wings to beer, the unhealthier the food, the better it tastes on game day! Whether you're hosting a party or attending someone else's on Sunday, this beer & cheddar dip (courtesy of The Kitchn) is sure to please! After all, it's the best of both football food worlds--beer and melted cheese!

Beer & Cheddar Dip

Serves 4-6

1 cup (8 ounces) evaporated milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

10 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup amber beer

2 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bacon crumbles and green onions, for garnish (optional)

Pretzels, pretzel bread, or crudités, for serving

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together evaporated milk, eggs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and half of the shredded cheese. Once the cheese sauce begins to warm, add the beer and cornstarch-water mixture (aka the slurry). Whisking frequently, gradually add the remaining cheese and cook until the sauce reaches desired thickness, about 10 - 12 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Keep warm over lowest heat setting, stirring frequently, until ready to serve. Garnish with bacon crumbles and green onions and serve with pretzels, pretzel bread, or crudités.

What are your favorite Super Bowl snacks and recipes?

Maximize Your Kitchen Space

"counter space!" by Maggie Hoffman is
licensed under CC BY 2.0

Regardless of the size of your apartment’s kitchen, it seems like there is never enough space for cooking, not to mention storage. If you are especially pressed for space to cook, storing your kitchen utensils in an organized and efficient way is paramount. Get creative with maximizing the space in your kitchen with these storage ideas from The Kitchn:

Add shelving anywhere you can: When space is at a minimum, you have to make the most of whatever you can find. That will likely mean adding shelving or a hanging cabinet to spaces that might otherwise go unused. Just make sure you have stylish storage containers if you opt for open shelving.

Hang your pots and pans: By storing your pots and pans vertically, you’ll free up cabinet, shelf, and drawer space for more pantry storage. We’d much rather see a beautiful Calphalon or All-Clad pan than a box of cereal or a bag of chips.

Make use of your cabinet doors: The inside of your cabinet doors are a woefully underused resource. Use them for storing spices or small kitchen utensils to free up even more space for larger items.

Put even narrow spaces to use: Think an awesome skinny storage rack is out of your reach? Think again! Find out how you can easily DIY a rolling pantry that is designed to fit whatever space your kitchen has to offer.

Organize in tiers: A simple and inexpensive addition, risers in your cabinets will not only make use of the vertical space on your shelves, but they’ll help you know what you already have and avoid buying duplicates.

Add a cart: If you have more space near your oven than you do in your pantry, keep a rolling cart with all your essential items at hand. You can move it around to wherever you’re cooking or stash it away when you have guests over and need more floor space.

Don’t forget about the space under your cabinets: Steal a trick from woodworking workshops, and affix lids to the bottom of your cabinets to keep jars of your most used items handy. Just be sure your cabinet is sturdy enough to hold the jars when they are full.

How do you make the most of the space in your kitchen? Share your tips with us!

Five Domestic Skills to Master

"Doors Open Toronto: Eastdale Collegiate Rooftop Garden" by Karen Stintz
is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Living in an apartment community definitely has its advantages--no shoveling sidewalks, mowing the lawn, and you have a maintenance person on hand to help you solve problems. However, there are basic skills that everyone should have, regardless of your current housing situation or financial status. Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to call the super and schedule your day around a 5-minute fix? Apartment Therapy describes five time- and money-saving skills to master.

1. Cooking

Cooking is probably the most effective money-saving domestic skill you can possibly have. My cooking skills have improved a lot since my 20s when I was first living on my own, but even then I was able to (and did) cook for myself. Growing up, I spent a fair amount of time observing and helping my mom in the kitchen and I really believe this is the best way to learn. But I also came of age when the Food Network was taking off and I learned many basic techniques and was inspired to try new ingredients and recipes from watching food tv.

Nowadays, the internet offers so much cooking inspiration and instruction—there's no excuse not to learn.

2. Sewing and mending

Sewing your own clothes is usually not a money saver because clothes are relatively inexpensive these days compared to the price of fabric, but the ability to alter and repair your own clothes can save you plenty of money at the tailor's. (I'd love to know what percentage of people don't have to have new pants hemmed.)

Sewing for your home is where you can really save money though. Making your own pillow cases, placemats, napkins, curtains, etc. as well as gifts for others are places where sewing for yourself can amount to a lot of savings.

3. Gardening

Gardening takes time and patience, but pays you back with "free" food and herbs. Grow what you love to eat and "shop" from your garden before meals. I love snipping a bit of herbs to put in a meal knowing I'm not buying a huge bunch of basil, for example, when I only need a few leaves. Saving money is only one benefit of having your own garden—easy access to fresh, homegrown food when it's in season—may have you eating better, too.

4. Plumbing

Unless you are an experienced plumber you should not attempt big plumbing fixes, but everyone should know some very basic things like how to stop a running toilet, unclog a drain or toilet, fix a drain stopper, turn off a water valve, etc. Year ago someone gave me the book Dare to Repair by Julie Sussman & Stephanie Glakas-Tenet and I turn to it whenever I'm facing a very basic plumbing task.

5. Painting and Wallpapering

If you have more money than time, go ahead and hire someone to paint or wallpaper for you. But you will save a lot of money by learning to do it yourself. Painting is not as easy as buying paint and a slapping it up with a brush - do some research (or ask an experienced friend to help you) to learn the best techniques for both. And don't be intimidated to learn how to wallpaper. It takes patience, but is actually quite easy.

If you have more money than time, go ahead and hire someone to paint or wallpaper for you. But you will save a lot of money by learning to do it yourself. Painting is not as easy as buying paint and a slapping it up with a brush - do some research (or ask an experienced friend to help you) to learn the best techniques for both. And don't be intimidated to learn how to wallpaper. It takes patience, but is actually quite easy.

Finally, before you hire - see if you can barter.

You may not acquire all of these domestic skills, but even learning one or two, especially as a young person, will save you a lot over the years. For things you've yet to learn, try bartering with a friend or neighbor. A basket of veggies from your garden for shortening some pants, perhaps.

Setting Up a User-Friendly Kitchen

Photo courtesy Erika Tracy

When you first move into a new apartment, one of the first things that makes you feel at home is to preparing a meal. In order to do this, you need to set up your kitchen first. How can you do so in a way that is conducive to cooking? Apartment Therapy offers these tips for putting together a ready-to-use kitchen.

1. Organize. Arrange the pantry, tools, dishware in a way that works for you. Use containers for pantry staples that are appealing to you even if your kitchen isn't.

2. Deep clean. Before loading the cabinets with your belongings, give their interiors a good scrubbing. Cabinet exteriors are often wiped down but the inside might be overlooked. Clean the floors (even under appliances) and the appliances themselves. By deep-cleaning the kitchen when you're setting up home, you'll make it a truly fresh start.

3. Accessorize. See those nice woven baskets in the photo above? They aren't expensive or hard to come by, but they contribute to making that kitchen something special. Same with the vintage rug and curtains. Pick out storage and decor accessories that will help make your kitchen lovely even if the bones aren't what you would choose given a blank slate.

4. Use it. Eating out every night and leaving your kitchen unused isn't going to make it feel like a loved space. Instead, put it to use! Choose quality ingredients and cook meals with care at home and you'll see that even just doing that can make a kitchen feel better.

5. Go freestanding. If lack of storage or counter space is what's holding your kitchen back, make it lovely by repurposing a freestanding piece of furniture. Both kitchens pictured above are fine examples of this move. Even the tiniest of kitchens probably has someplace you can work this in, even if it's just a small wall-mounted shelf.

What’s something you must to have in your kitchen before you’re ready to cook in it?

So You Think You’re A Foodie? 10 Items Every Foodie Should Own

Photos (L-R) courtesy US Department of Agriculture, Lars Plougmann, Andrea Goh

You scoff at Easy Mac and Ramen, you know the best spots in town to eat, and you have even tried re-creating things you have eaten at a restaurant in your apartment…does this make you a foodie? Maybe, depending on how good cooking actually is. If you’re serious about creating your own dishes at home, according to Whole Green Love, you must own the following items:

Immersion blender. You need one. I’d have to say we use ours four days a week or more. We use it to blend smoothies, puree soups, make homemade fruit snacks, among other things. I have even used it to make dog treats. I’ve heard people say, “Well, I have a blender.” I would probably kill myself trying to blend hot soup in batches in a blender. With an immersion blender, you don’t need a traditional blender. Plus, it’s WAY easier to clean. 

Butter. I think I put this on my list because I got super anxious today when I noticed the only butter we had in the house was what was left in the butter dish. I need way more than that on hand to feel comfortable. I am currently soaking oats in a butter, coconut oil, and yogurt mixture. Lyla and I made cookies last night with butter, and we cook just about everything in it when we aren’t using coconut oil. It’s a great high temperature cooking fat. And let’s be real – the flavor is amazing. Kerrygold is a wonderful option and is easy to find in stores.

Coconut oil. While I’m talking about fat, coconut oil is a must have in any foodie kitchen. It goes great in smoothies, and I find more and more recipes that I’m using it in. The last few body products I’ve made included coconut oil. It’s not only moisturizing for the bod, but it’s nourishing as well. It’s antiviral, antifungal, and contains a wonderful saturated fat called lauric acid, which is known to increase your HDL (good cholesterol). Find a great source here.

Mason jars and glass food containers. Last year, I rid our kitchen of any food storage containers that were not glass or BPA free. We had some old containers our cabinet that were warped and stained, and I just wasn’t sure if they were BPA free. As more research comes out, they still aren’t sure if BPA free products are keeping us completely safe. Because of that, stocking your kitchen with glass food storage containers is so important. We still have some plastic containers, but I’m careful that we do not heat food in them. Plastic still serves us well when we need to keep food in our chest freezer. Glass just doesn’t always work well for that.

Eco-friendly cleaning supplies. The kitchen is a dirty place. We are always in the kitchen and as soon as you clean up and leave, you are back in there again preparing the next meal. I’m not an antibacterial freak in general, but I like to use a cleaning product in the kitchen that can disinfect with after I’ve handled a big ol’ raw chicken. I use this for cleaning the sink to get rid of grime and keep it squeaky clean, and I made this natural spray to use as a disinfectant. You can find tea tree oil here. Ready made cleaning products can be found here.

Bone broth. Easy to make and a serious superfood, bone broth is a staple in our kitchen. We use it in soups, I drink it straight, use it when cooking grains, and I include it when cooking a roast for extra moisture. If you buy part of a cow, you should have gotten the soup bones which is what you need to make broth. If you don’t, ask your local butcher. The other ingredients are inexpensive kitchen scraps that you likely already have. Here is a recipe to get you started!

Nourishing Traditions. Basically the bible for real foodies, this book includes wonderful non-mainstream guidelines for nourishing your family. It also includes some great recipes to get you on the right track. Click here to check it out.

Quality olive oil. Two things about olive oil: not all oliveoils are created equal and there are many reasons you should stop cooking with it. It is, however, a perfect topping on already cooked veggies, drizzled on top of soup, used as a salad dressing, or in dips, and it contains some excellent fats and nutrients that we need.

Stainless steel pots and pans. Non-stick pans contain toxic coatings, which leach from the pan to your food during the cooking process. Stainless steel, cast iron, and enamel-coated cast iron are better options for fabulous cooking without the toxins. It is possible to season your stainless steal pans in order to create a non-stick surface. Read more about that here.

What items would you add to this list? What are your favorite DC kitchen stores? Share your comments below!