In My Kitchen posts are hosted by Sherry, from  Sherry’s Pickings. Please visit her site to see what everybody else is sharing this month. I join four times each year, on the first day of January, April, July and October.

In our kitchen…

Thanks to the skill and efforts of my beloved husband, we managed to get a second little harvest of lettuce, planted from seed. Amazing how much more flavorful home-grown lettuce can be.

In our kitchen…

I don’t follow keto or other strict diets, but sometimes I like to explore ingredients that are low in carbs. These tortillas called my attention because of the enthusiastic reviews it received on amazon. I decided to order a bag and was quite pleased by both taste and texture. They are very small, but for my appetite, two are perfect for a meal. I’ve read that some people like to cut them in four pieces and use as tortilla chips, by baking or frying. Here they are over a regular dinner plate, so you can have an idea of their size. I pass them over a flame on my stove, they get charred and ready in seconds. Maybe you can find them where you live, but if you’d like to give them a try, amazon is your friend (click here).

In our kitchen…

A set of small plastic bowls that I just could not resist, after my friend Gary pointed them out to me. Color, color, color… It’s my weakness…

In our kitchen…

I’ve been flirting with Korean ingredients, after falling in love with all things South Korea through shows such as “Crash Landing on You” and “The Extraordinaire Attorney Woo.”

I am learning my way through this intriguing cuisine, and exploring ingredients that are new to me. Top left is Doenjang, a miso-type paste that I have not yet played with, but apparently is super flavorful. Top right is Gochugaru, a red pepper flake with unique smoky flavor, and bottom left my favorite, Silgochu, very thin threads of chili pepper. It looks very cool sprinkled over food, and it packs a lot of flavor in those tiny, fragile looking threads.

In our kitchen…

A Mix-and-Match Animal Cookie Set (available at etsy.com), with many possibilities to create designs. These make large cookies, and the moment I got the set, I had to work on a special project…

In our kitchen…

Two types of cocoa powder. The left one is my favorite Dutch type, and the right one I found in our grocery store and decided to give it a try. Loved the delicate coffee flavor, and have used it with my default chocolate cookie recipe, omitting the chipotle in that case.

In our kitchen…

A pumpkin mold that is large enough to shape a cookie. Stay tuned for some serious Halloween baking in the near future.

In our kitchen…

This was a total impulse buy. I was shopping at our grocery store and happened to walk by the Halloween aisle. This platter jumped into my shopping cart and would NOT leave. Odd how these things happen. Must be the Black October Magic at work.

In our kitchen…

When you have a cookie cutter problem, you’ll need storage. I finally caved and bought something I had been flirting with for the longest time. These have drawers of two different sizes, so you order what is most convenient for you (click here). They live in our basement and made my life a lot easier. I might add labels to the drawers at some point.

In our kitchen…

These are great if you need to take cakes for a get together or if you donate them as I do. Each holds a little more than 1/2 cup of batter, depending on the recipe and how much they rise. A little experimentation might be needed. I used my brownie cupcake default recipe just like described here. They have lids that fit well, and it all looks super cute. Several sizes and shapes available, take a look here.

And now it is time to allow a certain trio of pups to bark their piece, and wow,
do they have a lot to say this time!

Buck and Oscar were set in a smooth routine, predictable with a few ups and downs…. For Osky, the worst would be a certain style of haircut, for Buck just having to deal with this odd silence in the world, interrupted by hand clapping that he does his best to follow as guidance.

Little did they know, that Chaos was coming! Full disclosure: we debated whether we should change Prince’s name to Chaos or Trouble, but decided that His Royal Highness would not approve the motion. He has definitely turned our universe upside down, but let’s be honest, we would not have it any other way. The sadness that Bogey’s departure left in us was so intense, and somehow this bundle of energy with a heart-shaped nose and a hear-shaped mark on his leg, made our own hearts feel lighter.

He is sweet, funny, strong-willed, naughty, and clumsy like puppies often are…
it just makes him even more adorable…

The polls about Prince Lucifer of Darkness are a bit divided….

Buck does not mind, in fact they quickly became quite good buddies, even if Prince’s chasing of Buck’s tail can be a bit overwhelming at times…

We have of course countless videos already, but this one below is probably my all-time favorite! Keep in mind that Buck is deaf, so all the noise Prince does to try and invite him to play fall on “deaf ears” (literally). I love the way Buck yawns when it all starts. And of course, Prince stretched back legs crack us up. Too funny! At the very end, Prince seems to understand what I tell him, but is just not buying it!

Of course, as a good Prince, he sees the world as his domain….

And all things shoes must subject to his rules:
you exist to provide amusement for my teeth and paws!

Yes, he is a ton of trouble in four powerful legs… but the level of cute is off-the-charts…

And he also teaches us lessons about how to live…

He is growing so fast, we already miss the times we could hold him like a little bundle in our arms…

That’s all for now, folks! Stay tuned – assuming we humans will survive puppyhood – for the next installment of In My Kitchen, when 2023 starts bright and early!

ONE YEAR AGO: In My Kitchen, October 2021

TWO YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, October 2020

THREE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen (and Beyond), October 2019

FOUR YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, October 2018

FIVE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, October 2017

SIX YEARS AGO: Little Bites of Paradise

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Coxinha de Galinha: A Brazilian Delicacy

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp Skewers

NINE YEARS AGO: A Simple Dinner

TEN YEARS AGO: Brown Butter Tomato Salad

ELEVEN YEARS AGO:  Spelt and Cornmeal Rolls

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Roasted Potato and Olive Focaccia

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Multigrain Bread Extraordinaire