Tools Of The Trade

(J's note) Most of our dinner posts will be by T. Since becoming diabetics, he is cooking the majority of our meals from scratch with fresh ingredients. He wanted to talk about the Tools Of The Trade.

To start with you will definitely need a cutting board. In fact I have 3 that I use, because I don't use the same board for meat, as I do fruits and vegetables, and I have a little one for single prepped meals.

You see 2 knives. I started with just the big one, but I like the shorter one for working with the meats. It's easier to trim the fat and slice for strips, which in my weekly cooking I do a lot. I also have a sharpener and keep them very sharp as it makes them easier to work with.

Measuring cups and spoons are totally essential because now you are regulated to how much of everything you can have. What do you mean we can't have a whole pound of pasta!? Grrrr. What? I can't just lather my salad with dressing? Uh no, it has to be 2 tablespoons of low fat. I have tried some different dressings and there are some that are quite good.

You noticed the scale I'm sure. This is important for measuring your meats, because you can't have that 16 oz steak any more or 8oz either. Everything you are cooking with now is weighed and measured and found wanting. Hey... that's a line from one of my favorite lighter movies. Can you guess the movie?

I do use the larger knife when cutting up vegetables, especially when working with large amounts. But you might be looking at the cylindrical device with the black top and you're not sure what it is. This is my favorite tool of all.  Because like to chop up my veggies for salads, but not into the mushy puree I always seem to get with the food processor, this is my chopper. It is not the TV version but it does work the same. I got this one because I knew if  I bought one that was cheesy, cheap, and really didn't work out, I would have gotten discouraged. It works and it works very well.

Now, not pictured is one more item, my Wok, that allows me to cook meals that I can take to work. I pretty much cook all my foods for work, and pack my meals. What?! No more whoppers for lunch? Well it is ok if you don't want to eat again that day. The days of 16" subs, General Tso's chicken, 12 sushi rolls (too much rice) or whatever you might have thought was good are now gone.

It's ok, life is not over.  I promise to give great lunch ideas that you will be able to eat and enjoy.  The recipes we will give here will be things we have tried and are good enough to share.
J's next post will be about some fall baking success!