In My Kitchen – February 2015

Posted on February 2, 2015 by thecompletebook

I am so far behind that I started typing January in my title.

Thanks to our friend Celia over at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial who hosts our monthly IMK event, we are able to peek into kitchens all over the world. Thank you Celia for the fun of being able to pop in and see so many wonderful things that everyone shares.

In my kitchen…

I honestly squealed with delight when I opened our post box to find Celia’s envelope with my sourdough starter Connie, South African cousin of Celia’s Priscilla. I have just bought some bread flour and will get cracking and report back on how I am getting along. Can you believe loaf after loaf will be baked from that wee packet of dried starter. So exciting!

In my kitchen…

Is a pair of herb scissors. I have wanted a pair for the longest time and found this pair at a very reasonable price. For the most part, I have used them every day for the past 2 months.

In my kitchen…

Are 2 homemade cupcake separators. I was taking two dozen birthday cupcakes to a friend’s party and only have a holder which holds 12 and couldn’t find another the day I was in town so into the garage I went and found 2 pieces of wood, used Pete’s round hole cutting thingy with his drill plus a little bit of spray paint et voilà I now have dividers which fit perfectly into an old Tupperware which has a handy carry handle. I can’t bare the thought of having cupcakes bump into each other en route somewhere and have the icing all messy so this was the perfect solution. Now, here’s hoping Pete wasn’t saving the wood for something else.

In my kitchen…

I have been searching forever for mini wooden spoons and came across these which were dirt cheap in a store I never frequent as its not in my normal stomping ground. The shape wasn’t quite right so back into garage for some sandpaper and a few minutes later I had just what I wanted, although the handles are a teeny bit short.

In my kitchen…

Is some beautiful olive oil and balsamic vinegar from the Tokara wine estate. They were part of a Christmas gift from my cousin.

In my kitchen…

See, now this just goes to prove how far behind I am… Pete brought this Pret orange and cardamom chocolate back for me from the UK last year. It was fabulous! I loved how both the orange and cardamom came through in the flavour and very true to their natural taste. Probably just as well we can’t get these chocolates here otherwise I would eat far too much of it.

What’s in your kitchen this month? Please remember to link back to Celia’s blog Fig Jam and Lime Cordial if you partake in the fun and drop her a quick note to let her know when your post will be up and please note Celia needs all IMK posts submitted by the 10th of every month.

64 thoughts on “In My Kitchen – February 2015”

lizzygoodthings on February 2, 2015 at 01:20 said:

Hello lovely one… so many good things in your kitchen, as always… and yes, time is flying by! I have those herb scissors… they are ok, but I must admit I’m not 100% happy with them… things seem to get caught in the blades. Exciting to have some of Priscilla from Celia… I must get cracking on my sour dough! Happy baking and have a great week xo

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- thecompletebook on February 3, 2015 at 13:46 said:
  
  Hi Lizzy, what a pity your scissors don’t work too well. So far, mine are brilliant! I’m looking forward to getting cracking with my Connie and hopefully soon will be able to make Celia proud. Have a super day. 🙂 xo
  
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Choc Chip Uru on February 2, 2015 at 01:30 said:

Haha I am still writing 2014 instead of 2015 😛
Those herb scissors are excellent!

Cheers
Choc Chip Uru

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- thecompletebook on February 3, 2015 at 13:47 said:
  
  Takes the brain a while to catch up hey CCU. 🙂 I am loving my herb scissors and thinking of ways to keep using them through winter. I see a lot of corianer (cilantro) being cut on to the top of soups and stews. Have a beautiful day. 🙂 xo
  
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My Inner Chick on February 2, 2015 at 01:54 said:

O’, those scissors are so cool. And the chocolate looks FAB.
Luv flowing to you, sweetheart. xxxx

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- thecompletebook on February 3, 2015 at 13:47 said:
  
  My darling KIm love flowing right back to you. Hope you are well and received my “newsy” email. 🙂 xoxoxo
  
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hotlyspiced on February 2, 2015 at 02:44 said:

You are very handy in the workshop! I would be hopeless. I do love the sound of that chocolate and I haven’t seen that flavour here at all. I am most envious of your herb scissors and I would really love a set in my kitchen. Looking forward to seeing what you make with Priscilla’s cousin xx

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- thecompletebook on February 3, 2015 at 13:50 said:
  
  Must say Charlie, cutting the holes out wasn’t the easiest task but very well worth the effort. I am not sure how I lived without herb scissors all these years. I have gone and bought a second pair as a gift for my sister-in-law. I am so excited to give them to her. Silly me. Haa haa. Have a wonderful and happy day. 🙂 xo
  
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kathryningrid on February 2, 2015 at 05:55 said:

As always, many lovely things. But you know me…chocolate! And with one of my all time favorite spices, cardamom? Dangerously delicious, I should think!!! Enjoy all of it, and we’ll look forward to seeing what marvelous mischief Connie can get you into as you bake. 😀 I love your “cupcake cowboys”—that’s my new name for them, ’cause they will lasso and herd and protect your cupcakes hereafter—and there isn’t the slightest doubt in my mind that if Pete has any questions about the wood you used, they will be instantly silenced by one good cupcake out of the corral. 😀 !!!
Have a gorgeous week, my darling!
❤
Kath

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- thecompletebook on February 3, 2015 at 13:52 said:
  
  Kath, how I have missed you. The chocolate was absolutely dangerously delicious and oh so moreish. LOVE IT, cupbake cowboys, how brilliant are you, thank you for that. Have a beautiful love filled happy day. 🙂 xoxoxo
  
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Tandy | Lavender and Lime on February 2, 2015 at 05:59 said:

Did your herb scissors come with a brush. Mine didn’t so I use the brush from my juicer to clean the blades. Well done on using the drill and the holesaw! Have fun with your starter 🙂

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- thecompletebook on February 3, 2015 at 13:53 said:
  
  Hi Tandy, yes they did. Not sure why I never photographed the scissors without them although I am sure they are going to be lost in the bottom of the draw – I only have 4 and they are packed full albeit as tidy as possible. Have a happy afternoon. 🙂 xo
  
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My Kitchen Witch on February 2, 2015 at 13:00 said:

Those herb scissors are very interesting. I’ve never seen them before. I also squealed when Celia’s sourdough starter arrived in the post. I’ve now had many lovely loaves of bread from it. I am sure you will, too. Happy sourdough baking!

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- thecompletebook on February 3, 2015 at 13:57 said:
  
  The scissors are fabulous! Not sure how I lived without them before. I really hope I can get out a few good loaves of bread to make Celia proud. Crossing fingers… Have a wonderful and happy day. 🙂 xo
  
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Angie@Angie's Recipes on February 2, 2015 at 15:48 said:

The homemade cupcake separators are pretty cool!

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- thecompletebook on February 3, 2015 at 13:57 said:
  
  Aww thanks Angie. They really work well. Have a wonderful day. 🙂 xo
  
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Anne Wheaton on February 2, 2015 at 20:36 said:

Wow, what a mess I could make of my fingers using those herb scissors (or am I the only one who snips her fingers too). Who needs kitchen shops when you can make your own accessories? Looks good to me.

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- thecompletebook on February 3, 2015 at 13:59 said:
  
  I must say Anne, the scissors are extremely sharp and I quickly learnt to not get my fingers too close! I hope I can have another brainstorm session when I need to. Have a happy day and thanks for stopping by. 🙂 xo
  
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dedy oktavianus pardede on February 2, 2015 at 22:37 said:

i want that scissors!!!

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- thecompletebook on February 3, 2015 at 13:59 said:
  
  They are brilliant Dedy. Hope you can find a pair for yourself. Have a super day. 🙂 xo
  
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ladyredspecs on February 3, 2015 at 14:31 said:

I have never seen herb scissors either, they look amazinginly useful! I’ve loved reading everyone’s sourdough adventures…

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- thecompletebook on February 3, 2015 at 15:23 said:
  
  Herb scissors are the best invention ever and I am a little nervous about the sourdough. I will get there. Have a upser day and thanks for stopping by Sandra. 🙂 xo
  
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MamaD1xx4xy on February 3, 2015 at 15:36 said:

Nice to see you having fun in the workshop! My husband has all kinds of fun tools as well and I have been known to make requests for kitchen goodies as well. Once he finishes building the new workshop and organizing everything maybe I’ll make something like you! That chocolate sounds fantastic, I may have to consider making truffles with cardamom for Valentine’s Day.

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- thecompletebook on February 4, 2015 at 16:30 said:
  
  My Pete has made me a revolving cake decorating stand. Now that I think about it, I am sure it is from the same wood. I love having something homemade. Hope you get to playing in your hubby’s workshop soon and I would love to try one of your Valentines chocolates. Have a super day. 🙂 xo
  
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A Famished Foodie on February 3, 2015 at 16:47 said:

The herb scissors look so cool! I’ve never heard of that.

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- thecompletebook on February 4, 2015 at 16:31 said:
  
  They are awesome to have in the kitchen. Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by. 🙂 xo
  
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Jessica Maher (@kbelleicious) on February 3, 2015 at 23:50 said:

that orange and cardamon chocolate sounds delicious and the herb scissors sound like the perfect tool for me:)

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- thecompletebook on February 4, 2015 at 16:32 said:
  
  I could eat copious amounts of the chocolate. It was divine Belle and the scissors are fabulous too. Have a beautiful day. 🙂 xo
  
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K. / Pure & Complex on February 4, 2015 at 02:04 said:

I am in LOVE with that cupcake separator. I really need one in my kitchen. You should put up a DIY for it. Love your kitchen post 🙂

Please don’t forget to take my Readers Survey

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- thecompletebook on February 4, 2015 at 16:33 said:
  
  Hi Kay, hmm, now why did I not think about taking photos while doing the separators. Silly me.
  I took your reader survey yesterday. Was fun. Have a lovely day. 🙂 xo
  
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Norma Chang on February 4, 2015 at 03:38 said:

I too love those herb scissors, can’t recall ever seeing a pair, may be because I never knew they existed so never looked for them, will pay attention when next I go to a kitchen store.

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- thecompletebook on February 4, 2015 at 16:33 said:
  
  I hope you can find a pair Norma. They are wonderful to have. Have a super day. 🙂 xo
  
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emmabarrett1508 on February 4, 2015 at 15:57 said:

I have never seen herb scissors either. Wow! The cup cake separators are a neat idea as well. Thanks for sharing whats in your kitchen this February. Emma xx

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- thecompletebook on February 4, 2015 at 16:34 said:
  
  I would love to be able to send everybody a pair of herb scissors Emma. They are really handy to have. Have a wonderful day. 🙂 xo
  
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Zirkie on February 4, 2015 at 21:04 said:

I just looooove these IMK posts! Always so nice to see what everyone have in their kitchens!

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- thecompletebook on February 5, 2015 at 16:06 said:
  
  Hi Zirkie, these really are fun posts. Sadly I have not had much time to get to every ones posts this month. I need to see what happened to my subscription to your lovely blog. Have a wonderful day. 🙂 xo
  
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Fiona Ryan (@TIFFINbitesized) on February 5, 2015 at 05:51 said:

Well aren’t you the crafty one. Just scrolling through to see Pete’s response but I see he hasn’t had time yet… I’m sure he wasn’t using that wood for anything but now, suddenly, he will have a needs. Fun post! Fiona xx

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- thecompletebook on February 5, 2015 at 16:07 said:
  
  Hi Fiona, I manage to post these things when Pete is away on business – clever timing I tell you. 😉 My Pete would never get upset anyway, he is such a sweetie. Have a wonderful and happy day. 🙂 xo
  
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shenANNAgans on February 5, 2015 at 13:30 said:

Herb scissors, how is it that I didn’t know such a thing existed. Going to google to see how they work. Mmmmm… cardamon in chocolate is the business and balsamic, that brand rings a bell, hope its delicious, that bottle wouldn’t last long in my house.
Are you doing well my friend? I hope so. Wishing you a lovely weekend. Hugs and love. xox

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- thecompletebook on February 5, 2015 at 16:10 said:
  
  My darling Anna, I shall have to invest in a pair of them scissors for you for when you visit and keep the balsamic for us to share too. 😀 Yip, the reality has set in – woohoo! You will be here in a few months time – who would have thought hey!
  My Pete home so the computer has taken another step to the side as it loses its impact of importance.
  Have a beautiful and happy weekend ahead sweet Anna and hope all is well your side too. 🙂 xoxoxoxo
  
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Glenda on February 5, 2015 at 17:43 said:

Mandy, I have a pair of those scissors and I think they are fab. I love it that you made your own cup cake separators. Good work.

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- thecompletebook on February 6, 2015 at 10:17 said:
  
  I am considering buying a second pair of scissors just to have a spare. I am sure to get many years of use out of the cupcake separators. Have a beautiful weekend. 🙂 xo
  
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Chica Andaluza on February 5, 2015 at 18:48 said:

Lots and lots of gorgeous things! And if I had a Pret near us I’d send you some of that chocolate 😉 But what I love most is the way you manage to mix carpentry with cooking….that’s my girl!!

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- thecompletebook on February 6, 2015 at 10:18 said:
  
  Aww Tanya, you are so sweet, thank you! Carpentry and cooking go hand in hand some days. 😀 Have a beautiful weekend. 🙂 xo
  
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dianeskitchentable on February 5, 2015 at 20:50 said:

I’m glad that we’re FB friends & that Celia posts the list of IMK’s because for some reason WP decided to unsubscribe me to your blog. I have no idea why this happens but I know others that it’s happened to. Hopefully, after changing the switch I’ll get notification again of your fun emails.
Now, I seriously NEED those herb scissors and while I’m at it I might as well get some for my daughter because once she sees mine, she’ll want some too. What a nifty idea.
You’ve been busy out in that shed (no spiders?). Such a practical solution for cupcake bumping & you did a wonderful job. Of course Pete won’t be needing that piece of wood. If he does, I hope you saved him the cutout holes & maybe he could make do with that? And you’ve also got customer made wooden spoons – sounds like you know how to solve a problem Mandy.

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- thecompletebook on February 6, 2015 at 10:21 said:
  
  Oh no Diane, so sorry about the subscription thing. Seems a few people are suffering the same thing. I will see if I can get some joy out of WP.
  The herb scissors are the best! I cannot believe how much I am using them!
  Thankfully the workshop seems to be spider free. I hope! My dearest loving Pete wouldn’t mind even if he did need the wood. Love him so much!
  Have a beautiful weekend Diane, I hope your snow doesn’t carry on too much longer. 🙂 xo
  
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  - dianeskitchentable on February 6, 2015 at 18:16 said:
    
    I think when WP does upgrades or makes some changes, people seem to lose their subscribers randomly. Oh well…I’ll keep an eye out now that I know you’re back. Snow? did you say snow? Guess what – it’s 11 degrees F and supposed to start snowing again tomorrow for 4 days straight! House swap?
    
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    - thecompletebook on February 8, 2015 at 11:56 said:
      
      Hope WP can fix the problem moving forward as so many of us suffer the same problem.
      Oh my goodness. We are in a scorcher today at 40C (104F) – bet that would melt your snow in a flash! I would love to do a house swap for a holiday – what fun!
      Have a beautiful week ahead Diane. 🙂 xoxoxo
      
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      - dianeskitchentable on February 8, 2015 at 19:06 said:
        
        Mandy, I can’t even imagine that kind of heat right now. Another storm is on the way – 1 & 1/2 more feet of snow expected. I hope you have air conditioning.
      - thecompletebook on February 8, 2015 at 20:35 said:
        
        Send me some snow in the mail to help cool me down. 😀 Nope, no air conditioning. Far too expensive to run in our country unfortunately. xo
Jennifer from Milk and Honey on February 7, 2015 at 02:48 said:

Good luck with your sourdough making. I’ve been elbow deep in the stuff (my own starter which I’ve had for years) lately. You won’t be able to stop once you get going. Orange and cardamom chocolate sounds like a lovely combo that I haven’t tried. I bet those flavours would be lovely in a cake. Thanks for the peek into your kitchen.

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- thecompletebook on February 8, 2015 at 11:57 said:
  
  Hi Jennifer, I hope I can make Celia proud with a few loaves of good bread. Problem is we LOVE bread so will probably be eating too much of it. Oh well. I love your idea of orange and cardamom in a cake. Have a super week ahead. 🙂 xo
  
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Bill on February 7, 2015 at 14:15 said:

This month we had venison back in the kitchen, after a long absence. In the fridge right now is leftover venison jambalaya and venison summer sausage. Today I’ll be picking some kohlrabi and kale for a new recipe Cherie is trying tonight. There’s not much in the gardens here this time of year, but enough to keep us supplied with some tasty seasonal treats.

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- thecompletebook on February 8, 2015 at 11:59 said:
  
  I would love to share in your meals Bill, especially seeing as so much is homegrown and homemade. Fabulous! Have a wonderful and happy week ahead. 🙂 xo
  
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cheri on February 8, 2015 at 15:05 said:

Hi Mandy, so many great things in your kitchen this month, love your little spoons.

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- thecompletebook on February 8, 2015 at 17:17 said:
  
  Thanks Cheri. I will still look out for little spoons with longer handles. Have a beautiful week ahead. 🙂 xo
  
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Sophie33 on February 8, 2015 at 23:43 said:

There are a lot of good things happening in your Kitchen! that special milk chocolate sounds really tasty & those wooden spoon handles look cool & great! That sourdough starter sounds like a winner!

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- thecompletebook on February 9, 2015 at 10:00 said:
  
  I would love more of the chocolate Sophie. It really was exceptional. Have a super day. 🙂 xo
  
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Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial on February 12, 2015 at 22:03 said:

Mandy, how nice to see the end result of your wooden spoon quest, I’m glad you found something you liked in the end! And your homemade cupcake holders are fabulous – so much nicer in wood than the usual plastic versions! xxx

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- thecompletebook on February 13, 2015 at 09:09 said:
  
  I am sure I remarked outloud in the store when I saw the spoons – people must think I am barking mad. 😀 Have a wonderful weekend Celia. 🙂 xo
  
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SeattleDee on February 14, 2015 at 14:14 said:

Total tool envy here when I saw your herb scissors, they just hit the Want/Must Have List. The orange and cardamom chocolate would make a perfect sauce for cardamom ice cream… or a perfect standalone snack. Yum.

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- thecompletebook on February 19, 2015 at 16:02 said:
  
  I do hope you enjoy the herb scissors as much as I do. Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome weekend ahead. 🙂 xo
  
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Kim Bultman on February 25, 2015 at 17:29 said:

Mandy, I admire your “do it yourself” spirit in outfitting your kitchen! That orange & cardamom chocolate looks wonderful, too. 🙂

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- thecompletebook on March 10, 2015 at 15:28 said:
  
  Thanks very much Kim! Have a super day. 🙂 xo
  
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