New Year Goals

This time of year we all tend to think of a fresh start with expectations and goals for the new year! I'm no exception.  This year will continue to be one of change, as we plan to make the total transition of moving to the lakehouse. I have personal goals this year, too...for my health and habits.

I am participating in~

We have lots of goals for the lakehouse move this year.  The lakehouse kitchen will need some changes. We have old appliances here now that will be replaced.  We already have a large stainless steel refrigerator that will be making the move.  In order for it to fit, we will be removing this upper bank of cabinets at this end of the kitchen and adding open shelving.  We'll also be removing the narrow base cabinet.  (we'll probably re-use those pieces in the laundry or storage room) 
The new range will be a slide-in piece with two ovens.  

One of our goals this year is to dine out less, and to eat healthier.  
One appliance we will also be adding to the kitchen is the
Cuisinart 0.6 Cu Ft. Air Fryer Toaster Oven that I recently received from Wayfair!

This little workhorse does a lots of kitchen duties...it's an extra oven, and also has settings for convection oven, broil, convection broil, toaster oven, 
and air fryer!  It has such a good look and sleek styling and will fit 
perfectly with the style we are bringing into the space. 

I have been experimenting with ways to use it that will help with 
our goals of dining out less and adding healthier ways of cooking.

I've made several items and thought I would share a few with you!

The first thing I tried was a take and bake pizza from the grocery store.  I am gluten free, along with others in our family.  Before I became gluten free, I always made my pizzas from scratch, but gluten free crusts can often be quite tough or doughy.  So we have used frozen or take and bake...still with not the best results.  

I add my own extra toppings...this with chopped green pepper and onion.

It's fun to watch as it bakes.

It baked beautifully...with a very crispy thin crust!

It's the best I've made at home and I am going to try making pizza from scratch again!  There is a pizza stone available for this this oven, 
that makes it like a brick pizza oven!

I also tried baked potatoes!  
I often judge a restaurant by how good the baked potatoes are.  
I used a teaspoon of oil with seasonings, and rubbed it on the potatoes.

These turned out like baked potatoes I would be served at a restaurant...
crisp exteriors and creamy interiors! Love!

French fries were easy, too!  I cut 3 potatoes into 4" long strips, 1/4" wide...you can also do larger homestyle fries.  I tossed them with a small amount of oil and seasoning, and air fried them.  I forgot to toss them in the middle of cooking to get them more evenly cooked, but they were delicious...and with so much less oil than eating out.  I'm looking forward to making fries with other vegetables, 
and roasting vegetables, too! There are so many things I want to try with this oven!

I also have a goal of eating less sodium this year. I can control 
that much easier cooking at home rather than dining out. 
Restaurant food can be very high in sodium!
 And another good reason to cook at home?  Dining out is expensive! 

I'm looking forward to working on our kitchen 
and preparing good food there this year!

{This post was sponsored by Wayfair.  All opinions and good eats are my own.}

Until next time...