The Smart Kitchen Defined

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I will attempt to avoid my natural verbosity by saying very simply that a "Smart Kitchen" is healthful, economical, and creative...but also realistic.

To elaborate (because I must always elaborate), this means that a kitchen is "smart" when it is...

Healthful. (Yes, that is a word.) Nutritious and delicious food is the key! Healthy ingredients and food preparation are a focus, as well as getting the most "nutritional punch" out of every meal. "Clean" eating of "real food" is desired (no trans fat, limited artificial ingredients and added salts and sugars) but not obsessively monitored.

Economical. What's on sale this week? Stocking up on ingredients with long shelf lives when they are on sale, or allowing your meal planning to be guided by what's on special that week are all examples of this. Additionally, a Smart Kitchen does not turn its nose up at generic, store-brand products. Ever. (Nor does it feel the need to call these "private label" just to make itself feel better.)

Creative. How can I utilize all of a certain ingredient without being wasteful? What can I do to bring the flavors of this amazing restaurant meal into my home-cooking life? How do I turn these leftovers into an entirely new dish? When you create a pasta dish at home that recreates the flavors of a delicious sandwich you had on vacation, or you use every last bit of the can of tomato paste of which you used 1 Tablespoon for soup as a makeshift pizza sauce for individual flatbread pizzas...that is creativity.

Realistic. Being informed about the state of the food industry is amazing. Having the knowledge that locally grown foods are generally more earth-friendly and delicious is fabulous. However, you can believe in supporting local farmers and still buy generic cereals. Part of cooking in a Smart Kitchen is accepting the reality that sometimes, you really want a pineapple (and you admit it's not really all that "fresh"), and there is no way that it is going to be grown within 25 miles of your central Virginia home. You also know that no matter how much you love 100% natural, organic, unprocessed foods, sometimes they are really, really expensive.....and sometimes the only thing that is going to satisfy you is a commercially mannufactured, completely artificial bowl of Lucky Charms, and you just don't care.

Healthful. Economical. Creative. Realistic.

Smart!