Sassafras

The weather is turning brisk and if you're like me, you have a renewed excitement for being in the kitchen with your favorite Fall recipes. Are you ready for some fun ways to sass up your kitchen experience?

I'm straying from the usual recipe format this week to bring you five easy, useful, and creative tips to help add some sassiness to everyday cooking and entertaining. These are my kitchen go-to's that I'd somehow forgotten were pretty neat until recently when a friend said, "Hey, that's cool! You should totally put that on the blog!"

Enjoy the premiere of *Girl From Scratch- Sassy Tips and Tricks, and have lots of fun taking your kitchen skills from drab to fab.

1) Use lemon to add punch to a pot of chicken soup.

Add the zest and juice of an entire lemon to your next pot of chicken soup. This adds a layer of bright flavor and a dose of Vitamin C (which is great for a cold!). 

2) Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to your coffee grounds. 

What a great way to add a little luxury to your morning with cinnamon-scented coffee. I used to do this with guests only, but now I pamper myself daily with this easy trick.

3) Easy Pizza Pizzaz. Need an easy no-fuss appetizer? Take advantage of your local pizzeria and order a couple of thin-crust cheese pizzas. Add pizzaz by:

Prepping some simple toppings

Arranging them on a platter before pizza arrives.

When pizza arrives remove it from box and place on a baking stone, rustic cutting board or some other serving plate.

Add toppings before guests arrive or let them do it as a fun activity. (Pictured here: peach and prosciutto pizza)

Sun-dried tomato, shaved parmesan and basil.

4) Repurpose and rethink what you have. No need to go out and buy a special dish, platter, or container. Brainstorm ways to use what you already own in a new way.

Brownie Sundae dessert shooters in a shot glass.

A vintage cigarette holder now used to hold straws.

Goblets and glassware to hold nuts, seeds or candy.

Stack plates and bowls on top of each other to make a tiered server.

Organize cook-books or magazines in a wine case or milk-crate. (We found this is the garbage!)

5) Spice cabinet potpourri. Looking for an all-natural and inexpensive way to fragrance your home? Look no further than your spice rack. Whether you're skeeved out by synthetic air-fresheners or you've run out of your favorite Yankee candle, try this simple trick to fragrance your home.

Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, etc to a small sauce-pan. Fill with 2 inches of water and let simmer. For less mess take a cheese cloth, wrap all the spices in that and submerge it in water. Your home will smell amazing! If heaven has a smell (which I'm sure it does- this is what it smells like!).
Nail Color: Essie- Pretty Edgy 

That's all for now and there's plenty more where these came from.  I hope you enjoyed my sassy tips. Let me know if you try any of them and how they work out. What are your go-to tips that you want to share?