Ok, so this is not my Dear Diary exposed lol, and as much as I would like to think that my personal life thrills you all (and that you’d love to hear about some of the frogs I have kissed!), I am sorry to say my professional life is much more exciting than my personal life these days! After a series of horrific dates that have lead me to want to become a stand-up comedian because THAT’S how comical they were, I have been on a dating hiatus since October. So for now, I am sticking with what I do best, which is apparently not dating, but is of course coooooking. Hopefully this will help me one day, because “they say”, a way to man’s heart is through his stomach!

KISS stands for: Keep It Simple Sisters (and Sirs!). As much as I am ALL about homemade, fresh ingredients for my clients, for the everyday cook, who is simply trying to get a tasty and healthy meal on the table in a pinch, I created a list of some great ready-to -go/pre-made items that you can find at most grocery stores. I am happy to “endorse” all of the items listed; I use them from time to time, and without guilt, because there so few hours in a day, and SO many meals to prepare, that even I get tired of dicing and chopping sometimes and can use a little assist.

You can kiss me later and thank me for this useful list XOXO

Gourmet Garden Garlic Paste

Being an Italian chef, I cannot even begin to tell you just how many cloves of garlic I use on a daily basis. This paste stay fresh for weeks, saves me from having permanent “garlic-fingers”, is non-GMO and is gluten free. Only down side is that if you are oil-free, this item would be a no-no because it does contain oil.

Fresh Gourmet Oven Roasted Sliced Almonds

On any given day of cooking (which is every day lol) I have multiple pots and pans on the stove, and different dishes in the oven, all at the same, and I never use a timer….well, rarely! The nose knows, it is instinctive at this point ….EXCEPT nuts, I always burn the damn nuts, the whole “nose knows” thing can go to hell when it comes to nuts. By the time I smell them, they are burned – every time. Can you tell this makes me angry?! So I either pan-toast the nuts, or I set a timer, and sit and stare at the oven in anticipation of burning them! I almost stopped offering Green Beans Almondine due to the fact of needing toasted almonds, but thankfully, one day while I was in the produce section of my local grocery store, I found Fresh Gourmet Roasted Sliced Almonds, and my life has never been the same since. The almond slices are perfectly roasted and have such an aromatic scent, making Green Beans Almondine a staple side dish once again.  Green Beans Almondine

Pacific Organic Free-Range Chicken Broth

Nothing beats a pot of slooooow-cooked chicken stock, all the flavor and nutrients….and all the time and sanity lost in making it! LOL Seriously, the average at-home chef does not have countless hours to make their own broth, when dinner time rolls around, and you want soup (or just need some broth), you need something that can be ready in a pinch. Pacific Chicken Broth is wonderful reputable company that offers many great items in their line, their broth is my fav to use in soups, or as a base in risottos or many of the dishes that I prepare for myself.

Pre-chopped Onions

Hands down my all-time fav cooking helper!! Oh and pun intended, get it?! Like “hands down” because I am not using my hands, to hold a knife, to cut the onion….ok was clever to me, I digress. Haha. Anyway, in the produce section of most grocery stores, from your Acmes, Giants and Shop Rites, to Wegmans and Whole Foods, you can find pre-diced onions, and they are LIFE to me! Like their partner in crime, garlic, I use onions in just about all my dishes, and since I am trying to keep “garlic-fingers” away, I might as well try to keep “onion-palms” at bay while I am at it too. 🙂

So there ya have it, making a meal from scratch can be daunting and time consuming for some, but don’t feel bad about taking a little store-bought help from time to time, everyone needs a hand in the kitchen every now and again!

You can kiss me now and thank me for this useful list!

TELL ME, what’s your fav “helper” while cooking? Have you used any of the products I mentioned above? Please leave a comment below – I am a needy one aren’t I?! he he…smooches XOXO