Kitchen Tip: Flour Storage, Blogiversary and a Giveaway (Closed)

Wow, what a title... I'll be discussing flour storage first. All purpose flour can be stored at room temperature in a tightly sealed container for one year. You can double this amount of time by either storing it in the fridge or freezer. Whole wheat flour is a little different, it tends to go rancid faster. It can be kept in the fridge for 8 months and in the freezer for 2 years. Keeping it in a container at room temp it will last for a few months.

One tip I can give you to remove possible Weevil infestation - when you buy the flour, put it in the freezer for 3 days before putting it into your storage container. This kills all Weevil and Eggs that may be in the flour. (There is an allowable number of bugs that can be in the flour and still be sold – disgusting=yes, but true. However if you think about the fact that wheat is grown outside, etc it is understandable-nature is nature.) I have done this for the past 5 years and have not ever had Weevil in my flour, it has been great!

I started blogging recipes on Friday, July 24. Shortly after I moved to this blogspot address on August 10th. So I count the 10th as my blogiversary. I'm celebrating later due to family commitments last week. I can't believe it's been a year!! I feel that I've learned a lot in this past year, but I feel that I still have a lot to learn. When I started this blog my husband was looking for employment and trying to finish his thesis, I had no way of knowing that one year later we'd be in the same boat... except having moved 1300 miles to my parent's basement (another thing I thought wouldn't be happening at this point in my life!). Since it is 2010 and the 10th is my blogiversary I'm going to list the top 10 visited recipes on my blog:

1. Honey Truffles

2. French Toast Bites

3. Goopy Bread

4. Cute German Pancakes

5. Breakfast Potatoes

6. Pizza Crust

7. White Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

8. Five Cheese Stuffed Shells

9. Oatmeal Pancakes with Raspberry Syrup

10. BBQ Chicken Tortilla Pizza

I was going to list my top ten recipes BUT when I started to sift through the weekly recipes I've posted, I had over 10 and I hadn't even gotten to the treats! So I decided to veto that idea.



Now for the Giveaway - Today because I'm celebrating my Blogiversary,
And because it's Wednesday,
And because I'm still sick,
And because I love you more than my luggage
(can you guess what I'm giving away yet?)
That's right - The Pioneer Woman Cooks! (I love how she always says I love you more than my luggage. It doesn't apply so much in my case. I'm not the hugest fan of luggage!)

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl
This cookbook is amazing, it has step by step color photographs of every recipe. Plus it also has some stories and pictures from her life on the ranch.
Maybe someday I'll be able to give away Kitchenaid mixers like her, but for now to enter to win this cookbook:
1. Be a resident of the US (sorry for all you International readers!)
2. Leave a comment telling me what your favorite recipe I've posted is. (Weekly Recipes or Treats) All comments not listing a recipe will not be counted in the giveaway - I will only publish the recipe comments until after the giveaway is over.
3. One entry per person
4. Entries allowed until Thursday Night (roughly 10PM)
5. Winner announced Friday - Congrats to Elise for winning!
6. Winner selected Randomly.
Have a great day!