• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Sweetphi logo

  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Five Ingredient Fridays
    • Meal Plans
    • Reader Recreations
  • About
    • About & Contact
    • Partnerships
  • Cookbooks
  • Life
    • Love Lists
    • Catching up with the Kelnhofers
    • Travel
  • Shop
  • Work With Me
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Catching up with the Kelnhofers-81

Feb 28, 2021 · 2 Comments

This week on Catching up with the Kelnhofers, we’re talking about weird pantry ingredients, how great Instant Pots are and some great seafood recipes to try.

Boy girl twins in cute outfits this image

 

I have a question for you: what’s the weirdest ingredient or thing you’ve found in your pantry?

This year, we’re making it a goal to go through our pantry and use all those random ingredients. 

Those things you purchase with no real plan, or things that come as part of a gift basket that you just put on a shelf…and then get forgotten. 

For me, the weirdest thing in my pantry was coming across a packet of Knödel – they’re German potato dumplings. I grew up with them, but had never made them. We were at a small farm-style store a few years ago and got the box (<- Nick remembers how excited I was to see them). 

So I made a meal out of them. Delicious.

Knodel Dough

Knodel – German potato dumpling dinner with pork chops and corn (surprisingly, a 5 ingredient meal! Knödel mix, pork chops, ranch seasoning packet, corn, butter)

  • 1. Pork chop sprinkled with ranch seasoning packet mix in a nonstick pan with a little bit of butter (you could use chicken breast instead). 
  • 2. Make a bag of frozen corn, add 1 tsp butter
  • Knodel, make mix as directed (it was just the mix and water, you let it sit, then boil the dumplings.)

Feedback: would make again, surprised by how light and fluffy these were compared to dense ones I’d had. The ones I’d had in the past came in a little mesh paper bag, you’d boil the bag with the mix inside of it, and then you’d remove the casing after you’d boil it. 

Hope you’ve enjoyed this fun peek inside our pantry.

New on the blog header

  • Chocolate coins – these are so fun to get creative with toppings and have on hand for a quick snack.
  • Meal plan – this is only week two, but these posts have been so helpful (both for you and me)!
Chocolate coins, anchovy breadcrumbs and vegetarian chili
Chocolate coins | Anchovy breadcrumbs | Vegetarian chili
  • What to make with anchovies – this post is a must-read, especially if you’re skeptical about anchovies!
  • Love List – sharing the weekly finds from across the web
  • Instant Pot vegetarian chili – a great option if you’re looking for a meatless-chili that comes together in less than 30 minutes!

What I made header

  • For some reason I was craving iced coffee (in the dead of winter) – the twins love doing ‘cheers’ in the morning and it’s the cutest thing ever. 

Iced coffee cheers

  • Ben helped me make the eggplant chili I just shared on the blog. He chopped the eggplant with his kid safe knives and was surprised the color inside was different than the outside. He also loved when I added a little greek yogurt and made it into a ‘dip’ for him.

Ben cooking with eggplant

Ben was so cute – he came into my office when I was photographing the chili and was eating the avocados off the top, lol.

Ben eating avocados

What to Make

If you’re celebrating Lent, here are a few great seafood recipes to enjoy!

Tomato whitefish, Glazed salmon, tuna salad and shrimp in a pan
Butter and tomato poached whitefish | Teriyaki glazed salmon | Tuna salad | Thai shrimp and quinoa
  • Butter and tomato poached white fish – my latest seafood recipe that’s been a hit.
  • Ginger teriyaki salmon and green beans – a great 5 ingredient recipe
  • Tuna salad recipe with pickled celery – a great option for a lunch on-the-go
  • Thai shrimp and quinoa – all made in one pot!

Reader comments header

I get so many wonderful comments on my recipe for eggless waffles, so here are just two more:

  • “I had no eggs but was craving waffles, and my search for eggless waffles landed me here. I’m so glad! I was skeptical that my waffles would turn out thick and fluffy, but they were perfect! I felt that my batter was a little too thick per the recipe but I just added a little more milk and all was well. My lemon was already zested from a previous dish so I did without the zest. My kids loved them so much, their eyes were rolling in the back of their heads while they said, “Mmm so good.” Thank you! This will be my new waffle recipe whether I have eggs or not!”

And one other quick one:

  • “I made this recipe and was so happy to have great waffles with no eggs. In addition to egg sensitivities, cane sugar is not my friend so I used a little maple syrup instead and they turned out great! Yum!”

Reader Recreations Header

I dug back in the archives to find a reader recreation from almost exactly one year ago!  The date doesn’t matter because how delicious do these raspberry cream cheese swirl brownies look!?

Reader submission of cream cheese and raspberry swirl brownies

Amazon item you didn't know you needed header

  • Reusable heat/cold compress – a few weeks ago I hurt my back. I couldn’t even get out of bed. I did Facetime with the kids and Nick; that’s how bad it was. Nick found we had a hot/cold compress. You put it in the microwave to heat it. It worked wonders (that and arnica cream from True Botanica). Fast forward 2 weeks, I slept funny and my shoulder neck hurts, so here I am with the hot compress as I write this newsletter and it’s helping so much.

Kids and parents Facetime

​This is the compress in case you need it too! ??

Hot/cold compress

What I'm Reading header

Books I’m reading:

  • Kevin Hart’s book I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons is really good. Surprisingly so. It’s funny and there’s some really interesting lessons in it. A beautiful one where he says everyone has a story and it’s how we choose to look at it and tell it. “Not only do you get to choose how you interpret each chapter, but your interpretation writes the next chapter,” he says. “So why not choose the interpretation that serves your life the best?” But fair warning, there’s a lot of swearing, so don’t listen with kids around. 

I can't make this up book cover

  • Love at First – this was a reader recommendation.  It just came out 2/23 and it seems like such a cute read (her recommendations are always spot on).  This is a modern romance novel so I think I’ll give it a try.

Love at First book cover

Cookbook of the week:

  • Skinnytaste Fast and Slow – I’ve talked about this cookbook before when I shared the best ground turkey tacos – a recipe we make all the time. This week we revisited the cookbook and I made some delicious slow cooker bowl meals, so good!

Frankie reading Skinnytaste cookbook

Personal Stories header

  • The twins picked their outfits. When we take the twins out of their cribs in the morning, they immediately run to their dresser and each pull out their respective drawer and pick an outfit. It’s so cute. Freddie picked a vest that was in the back corner of a drawer, lol. He looked so dapper.

Twins in outfits they picked out

  • Twins playing. It’s so sweet to watch the twins playing with each other.  I feel like it’s something that’s started more recently. They were both playing with Freddie’s tool bus (his Christmas present).

Toddlers playing at a Tool Bus

  • We’re not really a Disney family. We’re not really what you would consider ‘a Disney family’ – but Ben was really into the Buzz toy (also funny story, when we got him the toy for Christmas, we got him the cheap $30 one and said to each other “what’s the difference between that and the $100 one? He’s 2 and won’t notice. When he opened it, the wings don’t retract and it doesn’t do anything really. I’ll never forget when he opened it and said “this one’s broken” HAHAHAHA. Nick and I just looked at each other and laughed.) Anyway, Toy Story came on, and Freddie ran into the other room and dug in a toy bin and found the Buzz toy and ran in and was pointing at the TV. What a smart kid. Frankie just sat like a little princess with Nick, and Ben was climbing all over me. 

Nick and Frankie cozy in a blanket and Buzz Lightyear

  • Craft time. I mentioned last week, but these daubers are just so fun.  The kids are loving them for crafts. I got some really cute messages about people playing bingo – so if you’re an adult, they’re fun too!

Kids doing art projects

The Final Note header

EAT

  • I’m really craving risotto; it’s a comforting and delicious winter dish. I have two recipes I love. This Instant Pot lemon chicken risotto and this stove top almost no stir risotto. 
Risotto in a white bowl with spoon and risotto in a pyrex bowl
IP lemon chicken risotto | Almost no-stir risotto

WATCH

  • On the weekends after we put the kids to bed, we watch SNL. 

Mug cheese and kids in the couch in pajamas

PURCHASE

  • If you don’t already have one, you need an Instant Pot.  A reason I like the Instant Pot vs. a slow cooker sometimes, is that you can cook meat/soups directly from the freezer into the Instant Pot quickly (like ½ hr).  And there’s a saute feature so you can use it to cook onions/ mirepoix and then add other ingredients without getting a second pot/pan. The other thing I love is that when the lid is sealed, you can’t open it and mess with it, so no stirring or anything once it’s cooking and coming to pressure.  There is something lovely about a true set-and-forget type thing.

Intant Pot

I’d love to know – do you own an Instant Pot? Love it? Hate it? Also…totally curious about your weird pantry ingredients, do you have any?  Just leave a comment below and let me know!

Blog Posts, Catching up with the Kelnhofers, Lifestyle Catching up with the Kelnhofers

Did you make this recipe? Hashtag with us! Be sure to follow/tag @sweetphiblog and hashtag #sweetphiblog – we love to see what you’re cooking up!”

Get the Weekly Newsletter right in your inbox

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Corrie says

    February 28, 2021 at 3:46 pm

    Happy almost March! We’ve been clearing out our pantry, too.

    We lost power for 36 hours due to a snowstorm/ice storm (Oregon). After the power came back on, we had to dispose of the contents of our fridge and its freezer. (Luckily, our two big freezers stayed cold.)

    Disposing of so much food made us realize how much we need to USE the stuff we have. So we organized our basement pantry, and made a “project” box of the stuff expiring soonest.

    We’ve eaten the goodies out of it for the last two weeks. Hainanese Chicken Rice (Anthony Bourdain was right–yum!); oatmeal every morning; shepherd’s pie in a cast iron skillet. With more yumminess to come!

    We are filled with gratitude.

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      February 28, 2021 at 4:09 pm

      Oh my goodness, this is such a wonderful reminder to use what one has and practice gratitude. Happy to hear you’re all ok, thank you sharing this comment!!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Top 5

Related Posts

  • 1 Are Tieks worth the price tag? A Tieks review
  • 2 Catching Up With The Kelnhofers - 147
  • 3 Love List-27; New Year organization and journals
  • 4 Love List-58; Advice Needed and Cell Phone Cases
  • 5 Love List-31; beautiful cutting boards and Bling Empire

Philia Kelnhofer, Danish, Chicken tacos, Kelnhofer familySweetphi.com is a destination for easy recipes, showcasing beautiful content and inspiration, everyday family life, motherhood, and fun finds from around the web. 

Learn More

Footer

Chicken Teriyaki and Vegetables 🥕 Cook these Chicken Teriyaki and Vegetables 🥕 
Cook these on the grill OR on the stovetop! Plus, the marinade comes together quickly, and the chicken cooks on the grill in just 10 minutes. It’s a hassle-free recipe that doesn’t sacrifice taste or quality 🤩
Grab this recipe on the blog! ❤️
https://sweetphi.com/chicken-teriyaki-and-vegetables/
#recipe #grilledchicken #chicken #teriyaki #chickenteriyaki #grilledvegetables #grilling #easyrecipe #quickandeasymeals #quickandeasymeals #easyrecipesathome #summerrecipes #grillrecipes
In this week’s Love List we’re sharing a guide In this week’s Love List we’re sharing a guide to meditation for people who think they can’t meditate, clothing finds that are a MUST for your closet, Summer date night ideas and more! ☀️
A few of our favorites this week include an @abercrombie dress, @mrsmeyerscleanday hand soap and @crateandbarrel baking dishes!
Read this week’s Love List on the blog! ❤️
#lovelist #lifestyle #mke #milwaukee #midwestblogger #midwestmom #milwaukeeblogger #dresses #crateandbarrel #amazonfinds #targetfinds #kidstoys #hairproducts
Looking for a scrumptious and satisfying salad? Lo Looking for a scrumptious and satisfying salad? Look no further than this Arugula Salad with Roasted Chicken and Potatoes 🥗
This combination of tender roasted chicken, perfectly cooked potatoes, and peppery arugula leaves creates a mouthwatering dish! 🤩
Grab this recipe on the blog! ❤️
https://sweetphi.com/arugula-salad-with-roasted-chicken-and-potatoes/
#salad #saladrecipe #saladideas #arugula #arugulasalad #chicken #chickensalad #mealprep #mealprepideas #healthyrecipes #lunchinspo #dinnerideas
Looking for a simple yet flavorful meal that requi Looking for a simple yet flavorful meal that requires minimal ingredients and effort? Look no further than this 5-ingredient crispy onion honey mustard chicken! 🤩
Why this recipe is THE BEST:
Simple and convenient
Quick and efficient
Wholesome and nutritious
Grab this recipe on the blog! ❤️
https://sweetphi.com/5-ingredient-crispy-onion-honey-mustard-chicken/
#5ingredients #easyrecipes #honeymustard #honeymustardchicken #chicken #chickenrecipes #crispyonions #dinnerrecipes #familydinners #quickandeasymeals #recipe
This 5 ingredient Tzatziki sauce recipe is one of This 5 ingredient Tzatziki sauce recipe is one of my all-time favorite recipes ever 🤩🤩
Tzatziki is a super easy and quick cucumber-yogurt-garlic-dill sauce!
All you need is:
1 medium-large cucumber
1 cup (8 oz) plain yogurt
2 garlic cloves 
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
pinch of salt
Find this recipe in the blog! ❤️
https://sweetphi.com/5-ingredient-tzatziki-sauce-recipe/
#tzatziki #tzatzikisauce #sauce #dips #recipe #easyrecipe #5ingredients #quickandeasyfood #quickandeasyrecipes #appetizer #snacks #healthyrecipes
This delicious 3 ingredient cherry smoothies recip This delicious 3 ingredient cherry smoothies recipe is one you’ll be making on repeat. It’s super tasty and full of health benefits from cherries (they’re a great antioxidant and help regulate sleep-wake cycles, among many other benefits) and is sweet and tart at the same time! 🍒
Grab this smoothie recipe on the blog! ❤️
https://sweetphi.com/3-ingredient-cherry-smoothies-recipe/
#smoothies #cherry #cherries #cherrysmoothie #breakfastideas #healthybreakfastideas #recipe #easyrecipe #kidapproved #summerrecipes #smoothierecipes #3ingredients #quickandeasyrecipes
This skillet pizza pot pie recipe only needs 5 ing This skillet pizza pot pie recipe only needs 5 ingredients to complete and will get dinner on your table in less than 30 minutes!! 👏🏼
It seriously comes together quickly and I make this one on repeat!
All you need is…
1 lb ground beef
2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 oz. each), with garlic and onion
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 premade pizza crust dough (13.8 oz.)
Grab this recipe on the blog! ❤️
https://sweetphi.com/5-ingredient-skillet-pizza-pot-pie-recipe/ 
#5ingredient #quickandeasymeals #pizza #potpie #pizzarecipe #potpierecipe #30minutemeals #recipe #easyrecipes
In this week’s Love List we’re sharing a few k In this week’s Love List we’re sharing a few kids summer activities, dress recommendations and iced coffee essentials! 😍
A few things we're loving:
A flower playset – even though it’s Frankie’s, all the kids play with it. the other morning Sam and Ben were playing with it for a solid half hour! 🌸🌻🌼
Now that the temps are warmer iced coffee is in full swing! See our favorite iced coffee essentials! 🧊☕️
I'm also debating between two Summer dresses...help me choose which one! 👗
Read the Love List on the blog! ❤️
https://sweetphi.com/love-list-reusable-water-balloons-and-iced-coffee-essentials/
#lovelist #lifestyle #kidsactivities #summer #icedcoffee #kidssummeractivities #dresses #amazonfinds #amazondeals #amazonfind #nespresso #midwestmom #mke #milwaukee #
  • Recipes
  • Baby
  • Cookbook
  • Five Ingredient Fridays
  • Travel
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · SWEET PHI