Notes-To-Self: Stevia Minced Garlic and Other Random Kitchen TidBits

Here is a little collection of kitchen notes -- things I've noted in my head, that I want to remember. Some of them may prove useful to some of you too!

1. Stevia Extract
Stevia is awesome. Here are several articles sharing the whys of its awesomeness:

Plastic is better for shipping ;)

• Life With Stevia: How Sweet It Is! (Daniel B. Mowry PhD)
• Stevia: Good or Bad? (The Iron You)

I tried to find an article badmouthing stevia, and this is all I could come up with on short notice.

I was slow to try stevia, but I now love it. I tend to steer clear of the white powdered version, but I can't find the less-refined, naturally green versions on my supermarket shelves. What I've come to rely on is this:
NuNaturals Pure Liquid Clear Stevia (2 oz)

I purchase this for $11 to $12 in a glass bottle at Wegmans. Seems high priced? Actually, it's practically the least expensive safe sweetener out there. Get this: 5 drops a serving, 236 servings per 2 oz bottle. I've had my current bottle for several months and it's only half-empty, and trust me, I use it several times each day. Often, 5 drops is too sweet for me... and so I get even more uses out of this tiny bottle that sits so conveniently next to my coffee grinder.

Just get it.

2. Minced Garlic
I use so much garlic that I've wimped out and started buying it pre-minced/chopped in cute little jars that would get lost in my fridge if I weren't using them as often. It's a time saver both in terms of smooshing/chopping and in dish-cleaning, as I'm more likely to use fresh garlic than onions in many of my recipes -- and yes, I'm too lazy to dirty up yet another dish just for a clove of garlic.

Last time I bought a jar, I skipped the Wegman's brand and went for the (much) cheaper, larger jar sitting on the lower shelf. Bad idea. It reeks. It's obviously not as fresh. It don't taste as good. The quality of oil it's jarred within is not as fine. It sucks, and I am working my way through the jar as fast as I can to get it out of my fridge.

Next time, I'll just get the Wegmans brand Minced Garlic in Olive Oil. It's worth it.

3. Red Onions....
....go so much better in beans and brown rice. Wow, what a difference! They add a wonderful sweetness that goes so well with the tang of the red-pepper flakes. The regular ol' white or yellow onions can make one want to add hot sauce -- the red onions make the dish stand alone. I'm writing that straight into the recipe book.

4. Bins for the Freezer
Uh, yeah, now that the local, pasture-raised meat CSA has started, get some cheap plastic bins to sort the foodstuffs in our tiny freezer. That way things won't fall out every time we open the door. ;)