http://lihomecenter.com The kitchen is the heart of the home. Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:13:33 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en You can almost feel Fall in the air and imagine the beautiful crisp colors the season will bring. It also makes a lot of us want to start changing the colors inside our home too, and break out the slow cooker and make a delicious batch of your favorite stew. ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=58 I took a look in my cabinets recently and discovered my storage containers were in pretty sad shape. It seems some were missing covers while other of my favorite containers were simply gone. I recalled that some of them were used to send holiday leftovers home with family and haven't ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=57 I'm one of those people that thinks you can never have too many good pieces of cookware and bakeware. Of course, then I wonder why I don't have any more room in my kitchen cabinets. Plus it can get a bit expensive buying things I want but that I don't ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=56 Ah, spring is here and the urge to get out and work in the yard has taken over, at least for me! I love browsing through the weekend papers looking at all of the lovely flowers, plants, and garden accessories advertised. It makes me want to go out and re-do ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=55 If you're like a lot of people, you're probably getting by with some basic kitchen knives that you got when you moved into your first place. Most of us do not put a lot of thought into what kind of knives we need for cooking unless we're serious about our ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=54 It never fails, spring fever hits and we start taking a closer look at our homes and our yards. Suddenly the paint in the den seems a little tired or the carpets are looking a little worse for wear. Then there are the old counter tops we've grown tired of ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=53 Easter is just a couple of weeks away so now is a good time to begin planning the menu and making up a "to do" list to make the holiday go smoothly. If you're having a large gathering, you'll want to make sure you have enough dishes,, silverware, and glassware ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=52 I've been looking for the perfect gift to give my friend for her new home. She's moving in next month and she's  very excited about owning her own home for the first time. She's been renting for years and most of the things she's owned are due to be replaced, ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=51 While spring is still months away, I've found myself lately yearning to do some spring cleaning. I think it started after we took our holiday decorations down at the beginning of the year. After everything was restored back to normal, things still looked a little cluttered. I can't help but ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=50 Do you find yourself cooking (and eating!) a lot more now that it's so cold outside. I have! And it wouldn't be so bad if I was getting more exercise in my schedule. But it's too cold out lately and it's a perfect excuse to sit on the couch and ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=49 It's hard for me to believe that it's nearly Thanksgiving.  Doesn't it feel like we were just putting up Halloween decorations and carving our pumpkins, doesn't it? Now family is calling to see what the plans are for Thanksgiving, who is cooking what, and who needs to bring the wine, ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=48 While many people might not have heard of cooking in clay, there is a population of people around the world who have always cooked in this material. It actually dates back to Roman times, or perhaps even further. Then the meat would be covered in moist clay, tossed into an ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=47 Suddenly the beautiful fall colors are everywhere! The stores and garden centers are stacked with Halloween decorations, colorful mums, and rows of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. The air is crisper and it feels to good to get outside and enjoy the day without dealing with heat and humidity. ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=46 While many people are not familiar with it, cooking in clay is wonderful option for cooking some of your favorite dishes. Being rather delicate, it is not meant for stovetop cooking as the rapid heating of cool clay would cause the clay to crack. When cooking in clay, the meal ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=45 Do you ever feel like you have run out of ideas to make for dinner? Especially in the summer when you've likely been barbecuing every weekend. Then of course there's pizza, which many families order weekly.  Lots of people make slow-cooked meals during the summer. One of our friends likes ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=44 Like many people I have quite a few plastic containers that I use in the kitchen. Mostly they serve as food storage containers, but we also grab them sometimes as a mixing bowl or food prep bowl. They're generally  handy and inexpensive. But they have their limitations. For one thing, ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=43 With many children home from school for the summer, it takes a bit of creativity to find budget-friendly activities to keep them busy. If you're one of the lucky ones with your own pool, then you've got one of the best ways to entertain the children right in your own ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=42 Pasta is probably one of the easiest foods to make, even though it can get a little mushy if you leave it in the hot water too long. And if you buy one of the whole grain or sprouted varieties offered in the grocery, your pasta dish will offer a ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=41 I walked into a friend's home recently and was shocked to find how stark it was. Now I know I have a bit too much clutter in our home and trying to tackle it is a bit of a lifetime challenge. I heartily give the children much of the blame ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=40 During the summer we often have a lot of company that comes to visit. Mostly it's because our family is spread out across the country and it's the only time many have off from school for extended vacations. So they'll hit the road for a couple of weeks to visit ... http://lihomecenter.com/?p=39