Did you know that you can make great coffee at home that will make you forget Starbucks? Here are a couple of essential items get you going.

Popcorn Popper – A popcorn popper for roasting coffee? Sound crazy? You can find the directions to do this here. It’s way cheaper than buying a coffee roaster. Just buy some green coffee beans…you won’t believe the prices!  Once you’ve tried freshly roasted coffee beans, you may never pay for an overpriced latte again. Oh, and this popcorn popper makes popcorn too!

The new Food Network Magazine is packed with 133 new recipes from top chefs on the Food Network and from the Food Network Kitchen.  The premiere issue is loaded with 133 recipes, several of which I’ve already tried.   

What were the hits?  Bobby Flay’s vegetable meatloaf with balsamic glaze.  Everyone in the family loved it.  In the like category:  Paula Deen’s white bean chili (but my sixth and eighth graders and husband wouldn’t eat the wilted collard greens), Cat Cora’s “baked” chicken(husband thought the crushed cornflakes added a not-so-great sweetness to the coating),  and Micheal Chiarello’s quick bolognese.  Although easy-to-follow photos showed the steps needed to make Chiarello’s homemade pasta, I chose not to.  Everyone also liked the London Broil with herb butter, but not Anne Burrell’s orecchiette with broccoli rabe pesto. 

Next up recipe?  A Greek moussaka casserole.  If I can’t find the kefalotiri–salty Greek cheese–the magazine says I can substitute parmesan mixed with feta.

The magazine has beautiful photos and instructions for cooking, stirring and preparing sophisticated new foods.  It’s fun to try the new recipes and not-so-common ingredients, but be prepared for surprised comments from your family as they taste bok choy or pine nuts for the first time.

A continuation of yesterday’s post about my favorite kitchen gadgets!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lijSizul0OE

Kitchen Aid Mixer - Our traditional, 5 quart capacity Kitchen Aid has stood the test of time for at least 17 years. I’ve kneaded bread, made cookies and cakes, beat egg whites and made whipped cream in a flash.

If and when the times comes when I can get a new one, this is the one I’d get. The 6 quart, extra large bowl is great for double batches of cookies and baking bread. It has ten speeds and comes with wire whip, burnished flat beater, spiral dough beater and pouring shield.

Grain Mill - When I first heard about modern day women grinding their own wheat, my initial thought was that they must be a bit crazy. Then I discovered the wonderful taste and health benefits of grinding my own wheat for use in breads and baked goods. Modern grain mills can get the grinding job done in seconds.

Whole wheat bread is currently around $3.00 a loaf. If you commit to baking your family’s bread you will easily recoup the cost of the mill during your first year. Where can you get wheat? Check out Bread Beckers or Wheat Montana for a local co-op near you.