#Rice Cooker Meals: Fast Home Cooking for Busy People: | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

jennydorseyconsulting · 1 year

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8 Liter Rice Cooker

Rice cookers are an essential appliance for any kitchen. They make it easy to quickly and conveniently prepare delicious meals with minimal effort. One of the best rice cookers on the market is the 8 Liter Rice Cooker, which has plenty of features that make cooking a breeze! In this article, I'll be taking a closer look at what makes the 8 Liter Rice Cooker such a great choice; from its large capacity to its multiple settings, you're sure to find something that suits your needs perfectly. So if you're looking for a new way to add some variety to your diet or just want an easier way to cook rice, read on!

Features Of The 8 Liter Rice Cooker

I'm so excited about this 8 liter rice cooker! It's perfect for large family meals or potlucks, and it can cook enough food to feed a crowd. The cooking time is really quick and efficient - I don't have to wait around all day for my meal to be ready. Plus, the quality of the cooked rice is always great; even after several hours in the cooker on low heat, the texture remains just right. It also has some cool features that make it easy to use. There's an adjustable temperature control knob and timer settings so you can customize your cooking times depending on what type of food you're making. You can also set up automatic keep-warm cycles if needed. And there are different functions like 'steam' and 'simmer', which allow you to create delicious dishes with minimal effort. This 8 liter rice cooker is definitely worth investing in if you want larger portions of perfectly cooked rice each time. Not only does it save me time and energy, but its innovative design ensures my meals come out hot and tasty every time.

Benefits Of Using A Rice Cooker

I love the convenience of using a rice cooker! Not only is it an easy task to do, but also saves me so much time. Cooking with a liter rice cooker can be done in minutes and requires very little effort. Cleaning up after cooking is even easier – all I have to do is give it a quick rinse and set aside for next use. Using this appliance means that I don't have to keep stirring or watching over my pot while boiling; instead, I can just leave it alone as it does its job perfectly every time. Plus, there's no risk of overcooking or burning my food because the unit turns off automatically once the timer has gone off. This makes meal prepping quicker than ever before! Having a liter rice cooker makes life so much simpler in the kitchen. It’s great for saving time on busy days when you need something delicious ready fast without having to worry about timing things right or dealing with messy cleanup afterwards. With one-touch controls, anyone can whip up tasty meals quickly and easily!

Types Of Rice Cookers

Cooking rice can be a daunting task, but with the right equipment it's a breeze! Rice cookers are an essential kitchen appliance for any home chef and come in various types to suit different cooking needs. From simple models that create perfectly cooked white or brown rice to advanced options that offer multiple functions and stages for specialty dishes like sushi, risotto, and more - there’s definitely something out there for everyone. With so many varieties of rice available plus all kinds of cooking methods, you are sure to find one that works best for you! Whether you prefer steaming your favorite jasmine rice or using induction heat technology to make perfect paella every time, having the right cooker will make all the difference when creating delicious meals at home.

Benefits Of A Large Capacity Cooker

Moving on from the types of rice cookers, let’s talk about how beneficial a large capacity cooker can be. Firstly, it can save time in cooking multiple dishes at once. If you need to make dinner for a lot of people then having one liter rice cooker is invaluable as it will reduce your overall cooking time significantly. Secondly, with this kind of capacity you won't have to worry about portion sizes anymore - there's plenty of room so you don't run out of food halfway through. Plus, if someone wants seconds they're easily accommodated! Finally, the convenience factor playing into all this makes the choice even easier; no longer do you need to stand over several pots and pans while each dish cooks separately – now it can all happen in one place without any fuss. In short, investing in a larger capacity rice cooker is definitely worth considering!

Tips For Using A Rice Cooker

I love using a rice cooker to make my favorite dishes. It's so easy and convenient! With the right cooking techniques, you can get perfectly cooked rice every time. To get started, it's important to measure out your portions correctly. A liter of rice usually calls for two cups of water in most recipes. When adding the ingredients, be sure not to overfill the pot as this could lead to uneven cooking or even messes all over your kitchen countertop. When setting up your rice cooker, choose a program that best suits what you're trying to cook and also adjust any additional settings like heat level and timer if necessary. Once everything is set up properly, all you have to do is press start and wait until its done. If you don't feel like waiting around, some models are equipped with automatic shut-off features which will turn off when finished so there's no need to worry about overcooking or burning your meal. Rice cookers are amazing kitchen appliances that allow anyone to enjoy delicious meals without having to spend too much time in the kitchen. Plus, they help simplify portion control since each batch yields enough food for several servings - perfect if you're feeding a large family or hosting dinner parties at home.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Does The 8 Liter Rice Cooker Cost? When it comes to rice cookers, the price can vary depending on size and features. For example, an 8 liter rice cooker is typically more expensive than a smaller one. If you're looking for an 8 liter rice cooker, you should compare prices from different retailers so that you can get the best deal. Additionally, look out for cooking tips online - they could help you make the most of your new appliance! Is The 8 Liter Rice Cooker Easy To Clean? Yes, the 8 liter rice cooker is easy to clean! Its compact design makes it simple and convenient for storage. Moreover, its non-stick surface ensures that no matter how much cooking time you put in, your cleaning up process will be effortless. You won't have to worry about scrubbing off any stuck bits of food or having to use harsh chemicals either. All you'll need is a bit of warm water and soap - making cleanup quick and easy so you can move on with your day! Can I Cook Other Foods In The 8 Liter Rice Cooker? Yes, you can cook other foods in an 8 liter rice cooker! While the appliance is mainly used for cooking rice, it's also great for various culinary tasks. With some creative cooking tips and a few food types, you'll be able to make meals like steamed vegetables, boiled eggs, and even soup. So don't let its size fool you – this little machine is quite versatile! Is The 8 Liter Rice Cooker Energy Efficient? Yes, an 8 liter rice cooker is energy efficient. Its cooking times and portion sizes are adjustable so you can adjust to whatever recipe or quantity of food you need to cook. It also has settings that let you keep the cooked food warm until it's ready to be served without using any extra energy. This makes it a great choice for anyone looking for an energy-efficient way to cook meals quickly and easily! Does The 8 Liter Rice Cooker Come With A Warranty? When it comes to warranties, you want to make sure your purchase is protected. We understand that, which is why we offer a warranty for our 8 liter rice cooker. Our warranty coverage includes return policy details as well as what's covered and how long the coverage lasts. So when you buy an 8 liter rice cooker from us, you can rest assured knowing it'll be protected against any defects or malfunctions.

Conclusion

The 8 Liter Rice Cooker is an excellent choice for anyone looking to cook large batches of rice with ease. The price is reasonable, the appliance is easy to clean and maintain, and it can be used to cook other dishes as well. Additionally, its energy efficient features allow you to save on your power bill while using this cooker. Lastly, the 8 Liter Rice Cooker comes with a warranty that ensures it will last for years - giving you peace of mind when making your purchase. Overall, I would highly recommend investing in an 8 Liter Rice Cooker if you’re in need of a reliable and efficient kitchen appliance. You won't regret it! Read the full article

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tsukkiscake · 4 years

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what goes on || tsukki x reader || ch. 10

✰ previous || next

✰ masterlist

✰ taglist open!

✰ wordcount: 2.4k

During your middle school years, you were always in advanced classes. This meant being in class with some of the same kids every year. Tsukishima Kei was one of them. You guys had been in the same class for all of middle school. At the end of your last semester of middle school, you hear Tsukishima and another one of your classmates, Yamaguchi Tadashi, discussing their plans to attend Karasuno High School. Looks like another year of Tsukishima for you. This year, you were determined to become at least his friend. This was proving to be a lot harder than you originally intended.

Chapter Ten: Here, There, and Everywhere

You were standing in your kitchen, blasting modern Japanese rock music. Though you listened to a lot of English rock, Japanese rock was easier to sing along to. Your hair was tied in a loose bun, to prevent it from getting in your face while you were cooking. You had on a white apron over your clothes to make sure your shirt stayed clean. You were so preoccupied watching the takoyaki cook, you didn’t notice the knocking at your front door.

Tsukki was standing at your door, waiting for you to answer. He could hear the loud music playing and figured you probably couldn’t hear him. He knocked and rang the doorbell again before sighing and sliding open the unlocked door.

“Pardon the intrusion,” he mumbled, as he slipped off his shoes and set them by yours. Tsukki could smell something good coming from the kitchen. He had never been inside your house so he followed the smell to find you. He stood at the entrance to the kitchen and watched you for a moment. You were singing along to the music and you looked so carefree. Tsukki smiled to himself before announcing his arrival with a cough.

You whipped your head around and saw Tsukki standing at the door to your kitchen. You scrambled for your phone and paused the music, your cheeks heating up at the thought of him possibly hearing you sing along to your music. “Tsukki. Why didn’t you knock like a normal person? You can’t just go barging into a girl’s house you creep,” you fake scolded him.

“I did knock. Multiple times. Someone is just too deaf from all of that loud music,” he retaliated. His voice didn’t have its usual edge, it was softer sounding.

“Oops,” you felt your cheeks get even warmer. “Sorry about that. I get pretty into music while I cook. Here, you can set your bags over here,” you showed him to the hooks on the wall where your school bag was hanging.

“What are you making?” Again, Tsukki’s voice was soft. Softer than you had ever heard it before. Maybe he really did feel bad about what happened earlier.

“Takoyaki! I haven’t made it in a long time, but it should still be good,” you smiled and walked back to your prep area in the kitchen. Tsukki took a seat across from you at the kitchen counter. “I thought you’d be hungry, coming over after practice and tomorrow’s your tournament so I thought I could make something special.”

“I haven’t had takoyaki since last year’s summer festival. I went with Yamaguchi, well actually it was more like he dragged me along, but the fireworks were nice,” Tsukki held his head in his hands as he watched you work on cooking the takoyaki. You turned around and looked at him strangely.

“Do you have a fever? Are you feeling okay?” You pressed your hand against his forehead in a joking manner. “The Tsukki I know wouldn’t willingly give up any information about himself.”

He sighed and dropped his gaze down to the counter. “I’m sorry about that, I’ve never been very good at opening up to people. And I’m sorry I snapped at you today. I really was being selfish. You had every right to get upset. I am so so sorry,” he looked back up at you.

You smiled softly and walked around to the side of the counter where he was sitting. You wrapped your arms around him, giving him a warm hug. He was stunned at your response. After a moment of him not reciprocating the hug, you were getting ready to let go when he wrapped his arms back around you. He smelled like clean linens and the volleyball gym. It was welcoming feeling. For someone who could be extremely cold, his arms around you felt like being wrapped in a blanket that had just come out of the dryer.

Tsukki’s cheeks were bright red. He was glad that you couldn’t see his face, which was nestled in your neck. He could smell your sweet shampoo. He took deep breaths, not wanting to forget that scent. You tentatively began to stroke his back, which made every bit of tension within him come undone. He felt like melting under your touch.

“Thank you,” you whispered in his ear.

You weren’t sure how long the two of you were like that, but the warm moment was broken up by the timer for the takoyaki. You let go and walked to where it was cooking and began to put them on a large plate. Your back was to Tsukki, but you could feel him watching you. You grabbed two smaller plates as well as the bowl of takoyaki sauce you had made before Tsukki arrived. You drizzled the sauce over the dish and walked over to your dinner table to set everything down. You grabbed two pairs of chopsticks and two cups as well, finishing setting up the table. With perfect timing, your rice cooker beeped, signaling the rice was done as well. As you finished preparing the meal, Tsukki sat down at the table and watched you.

He thought you looked so content and in your element while you cooked. Like nothing else mattered but how the dish turned out. When everything was ready, you set down a kettle of tea and two bowls of rice next to the takoyaki plate.

“Lets eat,” you sat down across from him and smiled.

Tsukki put his hands together. “Thank you for the food,” he said. You followed suit and did the same thing.

You both began eating quietly. It was a comforting silence.

“Are you nervous about tomorrow?” You finally asked.

“No, but also yeah kind of. I’m nervous but I know that it’s just a club, and there’s so many players that are better than me. All I have is my height,” he sighed and took another bite of takoyaki.

“But volleyball isn’t about individuals, right? It’s about the better team. Plus, I’ve seen you play, you’re not bad at all. But if you go into it with the mindset of, I’m not the best so I shouldn’t even try, you’re never going to win or get better,” you had been wanting to say this to Tsukki for a while, but you had been too nervous to. However, the Tsukki who came to your house seemed like he’d be ready to listen.

“I know, but this team is still new. It takes time to fully feel like a single unit. Especially with those crazy idiots who keep doing new things, they exhaust me,” he gave an exasperated sigh. “I guess I am nervous. I hope we do well. It’s just so hard to be hopeful when there are teams like Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa in our prefecture.”

“But you don’t go up against either of them in the first round right? Then don’t focus on them. Pay attention to the opponent at hand, if you don’t, they may be the ones to clip your wings,” you set down your chopsticks and placed your head in your hands as you watched Tsukki.

“You sound just like our coach,” Tsukki gave a soft laugh as he continued to eat. “Thanks for making this, it’s really good. And thank you for making me a cake again, your shortcake is probably the best I’ve ever had.”

You could feel your cheeks heat up at his compliments. You waved your hand, trying to dismiss him. “Stop, it’s not that good,” you laugh slightly.

“How did you learn to cook like this?”

The smile dropped off of your face slightly. “Oh, my mom taught me,” your eyes shifted down to the table. Your tone of voice was sad, Tsukki wasn’t sure if he should ask more or let it be. “I have a box full of her recipes. She’s the key to my good cooking,” a smile, albeit a sad one, spread across your lips.

“Oh, gotcha. Where are your parents by the way? Do they work?” Tsukki asked, hoping this question wouldn’t have the same effect.

“Yeah, my dad works. He’s usually away on business though so I’m home alone for the most part. I think that’s the other reason I’m good at cooking, since I cook for myself so frequently. My mom didn’t work when she was still around, so I didn’t used to be alone so often,” you spoke softly, memories of you and your mom together flashing through your mind.

“What happened to her?” Tsukki asked softly. He set his chopsticks down, giving you his full, undivided attention.

“She died about a year ago from ovarian cancer. She suffered from it for a while, but we thought she was going to beat it. She had been in remission for a year before the cancer came back, but then it all happened so fast. Within two months of the cancer resurfacing, she was gone,” your sad smile was gone, the look replaced with one of pure sadness. You hadn’t talked about your mom with anyone in so long. It almost felt like this knot in your chest was finally unraveling. “She was my favorite person in the entire world, it’s still really hard dealing with her not being here.”

“I’m really sorry, (Y/N),” Tsukki stood up and walked to your side of the table, similar to how you walked over to him at the counter. He sat down next to you and placed a hand on your shoulder. It was a small action, but coming from Tsukki, it felt full of meaning. You leaned into his touch as you thought about your mom. It felt nice to talk to someone about this.

“It’s okay. I just haven’t really talked to anyone about it,” you rested your head on Tsukki’s shoulder. His cheeks turned bright pink but he didn’t stop you. Tentatively, he put his arm around you.

“I’m a pretty good listener, if you ever wanna talk,” he said so quietly, it was barely more than a whisper.

“Thank you,” you smiled softly. You could get used to this Tsukki.

You sighed and slowly sat back up. The takoyaki dish was empty, so you stood up and began to clear the plates. Tsukki got up with you and helped clean up the bowls and cups of tea.

You both worked to clean the kitchen. After you finished, you took off the apron you were still wearing from cooking and took your hair out of its bun. “If you want, you can hangout a little longer, I don’t mind,” you smiled at Tsukki.

“I’d like that.”

____________________________________

Tsukki was currently lying on your bed, staring up at the plastic stars on the ceiling while you sat in your desk chair, watching him. You guys had been talking about small things, favorite colors, childhood memories, what movies you liked. You learned Tsukki’s favorite color was green, he and Yamaguchi had been friends since grade-school, and that he didn’t watch that many movies. You had put on music in the background, one of your calm playlists, just for the ambience.

Tsukki sat up and looked around your room again, his eyes landing on the clock that was above your door. Without having realized it, you guys had been talking for three hours. It was nearly nine in the evening. His eyes widened as he began to get out of your bed. “Oh my god, I didn’t realize how late it had gotten. I’ve gotta go home.”

“Oh, okay, let me walk you out,” you smiled and stood up, stretching your arms. Tsukki walked back towards the kitchen where his bag was hanging, you trailing behind him. He grabbed his things and walked with you towards the door.

Tsukki kneeled down and put his shoes on as you stood by his side, watching him. He stood back up and gave you a small smile. “Thank you for inviting me over. And thank you for being my friend,” he spoke very softly. You smiled back and wrapped your arms around him for a goodbye hug.

“Of course, Tsukki.”

You watched Tsukki leave, waving to him as he went. After you couldn’t see him anymore, you ran up to your room and scrolled through your music, looking for one very specific song. Here, There, and Everywhere by the Beatles played through your room.

Here, making each day of the year

Changing my life with a wave of her hand

Nobody can deny that there's something there

______________________________________

When Tsukki got home, he immediately walked to his room. He set his school bag down on his desk and ruffled through it, looking for the letter you had given him with the strawberry shortcake. He settled into his bed and began to read it again.

Tsukki,

Thank you for being my friend. You have this cold, don’t talk to me, vibe, but I know you’ve got your reasons. And you don’t have to tell me, not if you’re not ready. But I want to be a person you can rely on and confide in. I won’t stop trying to be your friend! Because you’re just so intriguing! Also we’ve been in the same class for three years and I thought it might be fun to finally get to know you.

I know you’re going to crush it at the tournament. Whenever I watched you in practice, I got so excited seeing you play. You’re like this cold, mean presence on the court. You’re always getting ready to attack from the shadows of the fancy things Hinata and Kageyama do. I really love watching you play.

I’ll be rooting for YOU extra hard, okay? So do your best for me! If you win both matches tomorrow I’ll give you a coupon for ONE strawberry shortcake, redeemable at any time. So win, okay?

Anyways, I’m super excited to see you play and I can’t wait to see you guys win. Remember, I’ll be rooting for you.

Love,

(Y/N)

Tsukki couldn’t help but smile at the card. It wasn’t long, but it was so thoughtful. He read it twice more before opening the bottom drawer of his desk to store it.

He neatly placed it alongside all of the sticky notes you had passed him during class.

✰ okay so i’m sorry this is being posted SO LATE! but i was having computer trouble earlier then my computer updated so,,,it's been wack. but anyways, here’s chapter ten! i hope you all enjoy! i like this chapter because we meet soft tsukki

✰ thank you all for 115 followers, im so happy about that! also this story has over 700 hits on a03 and im SOFT!

✰ taglist: @mitiyou @goopycookie @freyafolkvangr @luckynumberseven @akaashislefttoe @animeanxiety @ysasian @childoftheplanets @tooru-bread @flouffyy @kozumesupremacy (i saw your user changed!) @cjs-weeb-corner @montys-chaos @loser-keiji @phantomabiding @totorosleaff @jackie00000 @vianey2527 @winunk @smuttycumslut @amberisnotcrazy (italics means it didn’t let me tag!)

✰‘what goes on’ playlist!

✰ let me know if you’d like to be on the taglist!

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fiti-vation · 5 years

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Hi! Do you have any tips on eating on a college dorm/meal plan? I’ve found myself having a lot more veggies by having salads at night, but I stopped eating fruit and usually resort to a green smoothie for breakfast and have junk food or starve during lunchtime. I also binge on chips a lot more! Thank you!

Hey there, let me start by apologizing for the super late reply. That said, before answering your question, I just wanted to let you know to always check the FAQ section of my blog or search for hashtags in the search area of my blog. Although I like to take the time to answer queries, as mentioned previously I stopped responding to questions that I have already answered.

As a university student myself, I understand the challenges of healthy eating, especially if you are on a tight budget, so over the years I have published many articles on healthy eating while at uni. If you type in recipes, healthy eating, healthy meals, nutrition or anything around those lines in the search box of my blog, many posts will come up. Here are a few examples:

30 Ways to stay fit & healthy when you get to college

Smart way to eat at uni

33 things to eat when you have no food at home

Easy bento box lunch for work and school

25 15-min healthy dinner

30 low-calorie snacks

5 ingredients sheet pan dinners

7 high protein breakfasts that aren’t eggs

10 insanely yummy and healthy 2-ingredients recipes

5 ways to turn Naan into dinner

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

7 fast fillings for hot tacos

16 lunchbox ideas that aren’t sandwiches

5 simple snack boxes for busy people

10 vegetarian lunch ideas

10 no-fridge lunchbox ideas

10 sweet and savoury morning oatmeal

5 bistro box lunch ideas

13 healthy lunches that aren’t salad

Superfood breakfast

10 easy way to stuff a pita pocket

10 sandwich free lunches

A month worth of school snacks

4 yummy ways to set up your breakfast bagel

Pasta salad lunchbox

In terms of advices, I would recommend picking a day during the week specifically for meal prepping. I prefer Sunday. Of course, meal prepping isn’t for everyone, so you can always write down meal ideas for each day of the week. You can print meal plans calendars from various online templates and search easy meal prep ideas on Pinterest. Although I like to think of myself as very resourceful, I must say that I came across some very easy meal ideas on Pinterest that I had never thought of before.

Other tips:

If you live on res and don’t have access to a kitchen in your dorm, I’d recommend you make friends that have kitchens. I’m not kidding! I bet if you made a few extra goodies for them, they wouldn’t mind. You should also check out some microwave-only meals. Buzzfeed has an awesome list here.

If you can have a mini fridge in your dorm or room (if you share a fridge with lots of people in a house) DO IT. Best investment ever. You can grab one for under $60 on Amazon here.

You can do a lot with just a crock pot or Instant pot. If you don’t have access to a stove or oven, this would be an excellent investment too. Here’s a cheap crock pot (slow cooker) on Amazon. How easy would it be to throw in a bunch of ingredients and let it cook while you study or chill with friends?

Try some no-cook meals. Delish has an amazing list here! You can make these on the cheap without a kitchen.

If you use Chrome or Firefox as web browsers, you can create a cooking folder and whenever you come across great recipes save them in that folder. In a way you’ll have a lil digital cookbook.

And lastly, when you go grocery shopping here are THREE RULES FOR CHEAPER GROCERIES:

Go dry. You’ll save by choosing dry beans, rice, polenta, quinoa, and other grains — make a bunch and use it for multiple meals.

Go big. You may pay more up front for a larger container of oatmeal (store brand, natch), but the cost per ounce will be lower.

Go frozen. Not only are frozen veggies, meat, and fish perfectly healthy, but you also don’t run the risk of having them go bad.

On that note, I hope this was helpful and although I’m late I’d like to wish you success this semester. Also, finals are approaching, so best of luck.

Love Stephie 🤗

#FAQ #replies #reply

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mr-my-sg-deals · 2 years

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Tefal Pressure Cooker – Tefal Home Chef Smart Multicooker Review

As we emerge from lockdowns and resume our busy lives, meal preparation has become increasingly important. You might find that the multicooker is insanely popular recently and is taking over everyone’s kitchen. Over the last few weeks and months, it appears that an increasing number of people have acquired one of these useful cooking appliances.

If you’re one of the busy working people and are looking for a handy helper in the kitchen then the Tefal Home Chef Smart Multicooker might just be the one piece of kitchen appliance that fit your needs.

Here is a list of its feature taken from Tefal Malaysia resellers Lovetubuy Malaysia. Fast Cooking A multicooker is set to save your time spend in cooking. The pressure cooker will cook 80% faster for you thus saving your time in the kitchen. For example: Rendang beef cook using a pressure cooker will need 40 minutes whereas using a gas cooker will need 4 hours. This function is especially convenient and important for working people or those who wanted to save time in cooking. Versatile & Easy to use As we all know a multicooker is versatile and has various cooking programme. This Tefal pressure cooker has 15 pre-set cooking programme and 2 special functions. It also includes adjustable cooking time and adjustable temperature which allows users to create own cooking recipe. Special Recipes This Tefal pressure cooker also has special function known as the Sous-Vide, which has a precise temperature control that can achieve constant and tasty result every time when using this function. For instance, when cooking the abalone that requires a long time is no longer a tiring process when you use this pressure cooker. All you need to do is just push a button and you get to save a lot of time, without having to monitor the cooking process! Other than that, it also has the Quick Rice function. 2 cups of rice will be cooked and ready in less than 24 minutes. It also has a Slow Cook function: High and Low options for you to choose from. Special Cooking Functions Other than having special cooking recipes, it also has a special cooking function which is the sauce thickening function that will thicken soups or sauces. Large Capacity and Convenient Tefal Home Chef Smart Multicooker has a large capacity of 6L cooking pot which is enough for a big family. Automatic keep warm function and pre-set timer function both up to 24 hours. Easy to clean This Tefal pressure cooker is also very easy to clean and all the accessories are dishwasher friendly. Safe Pressure Release Button It also has a safe pressure release button when you release the steam from the multicooker to avoid direct contact with the steam.

#tefal

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seonghwahugs · 3 years

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euphoria | yunsan oneshot

San felt a sense of pride and joy in the life he’d been able to create with Yunho. When he was younger he truly saw no purpose in his existence, going through the motions day by day like a robot. Then came along Jeong Yunho, the human epitome of a puppy, teddy bear, and sunshine all rolled into one. He brought him out of his darkest times as a friend, and eventually, the two confessed in the middle of a cheesy rom-com with their friends screaming in happiness and shock around them.

Their teenage years were filled with so many bumps, even following them into their university years as well. But now, the two were proud fathers of two little girls and their older brother, holding down steady jobs that made them happy. They lived in a cozy apartment out in Incheon, near the international airport since San had expressed such amazement in airplanes and Yunho just couldn’t get over the look of pure wonder in his lover’s eyes. He’d do anything to see that look every day of his life.

San had gotten off work about half an hour before he had to pick the kids up from his close friend Seonghwa, the older man offering to watch them since the daycare had to temporarily close on short notice due to major plumbing issues. He slung his backpack over his shoulder with a deep sigh, cringing at the mild pain in his shoulders from spending so much of the day playing violin and viola consistently to teach his students. Stepping out of the front doors of the school the chill of the autumn wind bit at any exposed skin it could, leaving him shivering as he ran full speed to the subway a block away. The train was just about to leave the station when he all but launched himself through the doors and found a bar to hold onto, sending Yunho a quick message of, ‘getting the kids then heading home, stay safe!’ and pocketing his phone again.

The ride didn’t take long and before he knew it he was standing in front of Seonghwa’s door, able to hear his laugh followed by another man scolding him. Hongjoong. San smiled fondly at the voice, tugging his keys from his pocket and finding the one he’d marked with black tape, sliding it into the lock and twisting it. There was an audible yell of ‘daddy’s here!’ from inside the apartment before he could open the door, drawing a laugh from him as he finally pushed it open.

“Daddy’s here!” San called out, stumbling as he felt the weight of two small children charge him full force at the same time. “Careful, careful, don’t want you two getting hurt.” He chided his daughters gently, bending down to hug them. Minhee curled up in his arms while Minsoo tried to climb on his back, disappointed upon finding his backpack in her spot.

“Hyunwoo’s finishing up a phone call, Sungho and Seohyun wanted to talk about that date they’re going on this weekend.” Seonghwa explained upon seeing his friend’s confused expression. As if on cue the teenager in question stepped out of the bedroom, his face and ears bright red from laughing and a still-fading blush.

San gave him a knowing look before grabbing the girls’ travel bag and slinging it over his shoulder on top of his backpack strap, scooping up Minhee and settling her on his hip while Hyunwoo let Minsoo climb on his back, spinning in a circle to draw a laugh out of her.

“Thank you so much for watching them while I worked, especially on such short notice.” San said to Seonghwa and Hongjoong, his sincere appreciation clear in his voice. He hated having to ask for help and he was keen on giving ample notice when he would need help, so it always left him feeling guilty when he couldn’t.

“Oh of course, the girls are always welcome over, we love playing games. And Minsoo really likes my in-home studio setup, might wanna get her into music too.” Hongjoong chuckled. Seonghwa gave a hum as his reply, tidying up the dishes from lunch.

“Well, we’ll be off now! Thank you both again, I’ll buy us dinner this weekend.” San said with a smile before leaving, heading towards the subway for home. He made sure to do a head count before they left, and again when they got to the subway, and when they got off the subway, and a final time when they got home. The girls took off toward their shared room while Hyunwoo settled himself off the couch, guitar in his lap as he went back to working on the song he was preparing for his two lovers.

San, on the other hand, busied himself in the kitchen to begin dinner. He’d decided on bulgogi and japchae for him and the kids with the addition of kimbap for Yunho, sorting out the ingredients along the counter and setting up his music. Between cutting vegetables, boiling noodles, cooking meat, and rolling kimbap he lost track of time and didn’t realize his husband had come home until arms circled his waist, the familiar scent of cinnamon and vanilla invading his senses. He dropped the rice spoon in his hand and spun on his heel, kissing Yunho before he could say hello.

Yunho chuckled against San’s lips, enjoying the kiss while rubbing at his waist, slipping his thumbs under his shirt as he did so. He’d missed his lover while he worked, always being the first to leave in the morning and last to return home. It’s not like he minded though, treasuring any moment he had with San, no matter how long or short it was.

“Missed you so much, the kids were hard on me today.” San murmured once they pulled away, burying his head in Yunho’s neck and peppering little kisses there as well. His most expressive love language was physical touch, something Yunho caught onto quite fast. He’d always be hugging him or holding his hand or laying his head in his lap, anything that meant they were touching.

“I missed you too. Why don’t you finish up dinner and then we can snuggle after the girls are in bed?” Yunho suggested, running his hand through San’s hair and smiling as he saw the meal he’d prepared, the kitchen spotless aside from the rolling mat he was using and the plate with the veggies. He never counted the rice cooker as it was almost always in use. San let out a small hum at his words, turning back around and making sure Yunho wouldn’t let go of him before he continued his kimbap rolls, making sure to plate them as nicely as possible for serving.

Dinner went by in a blur, the two fathers taking in their daughters stories about the games they played at the park, struggling to keep up with the fast pace of their words. Hyunwoo spoke much slower, discussing the details for his weekend date. He wanted to take his lovers out to the river and play the song he’d written for them and was considering packing lunchboxes as well. San offered to help him with the lunchboxes, smiling as his son’s eyes lit up.

After they’d finished eating and tidied up Yunho took care of helping the girls bathe and getting into bed and San poured them both a glass of wine, leaving the glasses on the table while he stepped onto the balcony. The winter air bit into his skin more than it had in the earlier parts of the day, likely from the lack of sun and movement. There was faint music from the street nine stories down, a hopeful group doing a busking performance and San caught himself humming along with the familiar song, getting lost in thought about his lesson plans for the next coming Monday.

He was torn from his thoughts when arms once again circled his waist, his smaller frame being enveloped in warmth. He melted into Yunho’s touch, letting his head fall back against his shoulder while the older man tucked his head in the crook of his lover’s neck, warm breath fanning over his skin. They stayed that way for a while, soaking in the feeling of one another.

San could feel his thoughts drifting as usual, back to people he shouldn’t think about. It was common when he was stressed, he’d ignore what was stressing him in the moment so his mind would wander to the past. Why did they hurt him? Why did they leave him? Would Yunho take the kids and leave him too? He couldn’t handle that, he just couldn’t. Tears pricked at his eyes and he tried to disguise his sniffle but Yunho could feel his body shaking and knew it wasn’t from the cold alone.

“Hey, hey, Sannie.” He gently turned his lover around and cupped his face. He could see the pain in his eyes, the way his lips trembled and he furiously blinked back tears. He wordlessly brushed his hair from his face before pulling him to his chest. It only took a few seconds for San to begin crying, starting as gentle cries and morphing into harsh sobs. Despite those negative thoughts telling him to shut up, to stop being a baby, he let him cry. He knew it was better to get everything out than hold it in.

Yunho held him through it, scooping him up and settling them in one of the chairs on the balcony, making sure he was comfortable sitting with his legs thrown over the taller man’s lap. Hyunwoo came out as San was calming down, the tears being brushed from his cheeks as he sleepily laid his head on his husband’s shoulder.

“Is dad okay?” Hyunwoo asked softly.

“He’ll be alright. Work has been stressing him out again.” Yunho replied, watching as the blond’s eyes fluttered shut before snapping open again, attempting to stay awake.

“Can I give him a hug?”

There was quiet shuffling before San felt another pair of arms wrapped around him, his son’s head laid on his stomach. He couldn’t help but smile a bit, bringing his hand down to pet his hair. No matter how old he got he never lost his attachment to his fathers, so different yet still the same cuddly boy they adopted all those years ago.

“Love you so much, all of you. My angels.” San whispered.

“And we love you too dad. We couldn’t ask for better dads.” Hyunwoo spoke before Yunho could, smiling up at his fathers.

“Why don’t we go get ready for bed, yeah? How does that sound?” Yunho suggested, earning a hum and a small ‘sounds good’ from the two in front of him. The next few minutes were spent washing faces, brushing teeth, changing into pajamas, and the small conversation about dyeing their hair before Hyunwoo’s date.

They took a few minutes to calm down and admire each other, San resting his hand on Yunho’s chest while Yunho cupped San’s cheek with his hand, brushing over the soft skin. The feeling lulled his lover off to sleep, barely able to stay awake long enough to murmur a small ‘love you so much, g’night babe’ before he was off to dreamland.

The teen bid goodnight to his fathers and shut his door behind him, San and Yunho doing the same and climbing into bed. San slotted himself against his husband’s chest, the pink haired man tilting his head down and capturing his lips in a soft kiss. His hands snaked up his hips and with a mischievous smile he began tickling him. San let out a small shirek and laughed, squirming in Yunho's hold as he continued his tickle fest until San was red in the face and out of breath.

“Goodnight my prince, I love you too.”

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weknowrice · 4 years

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Best Gourmia Rice Cooker

Your Ultimate Guide to Gourmia Rice Cookers

With rice cooker brands popping up around the world promising quick cooking and fancy technology, it’s getting a little harder to figure out which brands are reliable. Luckily, Gourmia is one such brand that has long dedicated itself to the philosophy of a healthier, brighter kitchen lifestyle for families and individuals all over the globe.

Gourmia has been around for a long time, manufacturing multipurpose cookers and instant pots and perfecting each formula for the modern home cook’s needs. In this review, we’ll be taking a closer look at each rice cooker to see which ones are the best in the Gourmia roster.

In a Hurry? This is the Best Gourmia Rice Cooker

Gourmia GRC970 11-in-1 Digital Rice Cooker

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Our Overall Rating:

 3.8/5

Our pick for the best Gourmia rice cooker is the Gourmia GRC970 11-in-1 Digital Rice Cooker, a 20-cup rice cooker that is perfect for the avid meal-prepper or a large family of five. Not only is this cooker able to serve 20 people, it’s also built for longterm use with its durable material. You’d be surprised at how much rice this rice cooker can house in just one go, because it’s also pretty lightweight compared to other Gourmia models.

With the GRC970, you’re also getting Gourmia’s signature multifunctional cook settings. This model in particular has 11 different cook settings, as well as the technology to preset cooking times, adjust the keep warm setting, temperature controls, and so much more. Being on-the-go is no problem, because this rice cooker can do the cooking with minimal supervision. You can do chores, run errands, or even catch a movie while letting this rice cooker do its job.

At a Glance: The Best Gourmia Rice Cookers

THE BEST OVERALL GOURMIA

Gourmia GRC970 11-in-1 Digital Rice Cooker

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Our highest-rated Gourmia rice cooker is the GRC970 11-in-1 Digital model. Housing enhanced cooking technology, a 20-cup capacity, and 11 cook settings…

Full review > >

BEST AFFORDABLE GOURMIA

Gourmia GRC770 Rice Cooker

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This simple-looking Gourmia rice cooker isn’t what it seems. It can serve up to 12 people, steam vegetables, meat, and chicken while cooking rice…

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BEST MULTIFUNCTIONAL GOURMIA

Gourmia GPC625 ExpressPot Electric Digital Multi-function Pressure Rice Cooker

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BEST FAST-COOKING GOURMIA

Gourmia GPC965 Digital ExpressPot Pressure Rice Cooker

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There’s nothing better than being able to cook your meals with ease, without worrying about being late for an online meeting or thinking about other chores you could be doing around the house…

Full review > >

About Gourmia

Gourmia is a kitchen appliance company that holds decades of experience in creating small kitchen tools that improve each user’s home experience. Located in New York, this company puts a premiere on its healthy cooking technology that is backed by research and science from the best health and cooking experts in the industry that is infused into each appliance. Notably, Gourmia seeks to foster a kitchen environment for each individual’s needs.

If you’re someone who prioritizes perfectly cooked rice as well as versatility in your cooker, then Gourmia is the right place to look. They’re known for their highly innovative and multifunctional cookers that also serve as steamers, slow cookers, and pressure cookers. Aside from that, each rice cooker is ensured to have quick cooking speeds so you’re not dilly dallying in the kitchen.

Core Features of Gourmia Rice Cookers

Versatile Cookers

Gourmia has since been unparalleled when it comes to versatility. If you’re someone who wants to cook a quick rice-based meal but don’t have the energy to take all those different pots and pans out, then you’re in luck. Most Gourmia rice cookers are made with 13-in-1 preset cooking functions, which sounds absolutely crazy on paper, but is a useful tool for anyone who wishes cooking was more of a breeze and less of a hassle.

The multifunctional Gourmia rice cookers include a variety of cooking settings, each done to perfection. These are:

Rice

Porridge

Dessert

Sautee

Steam

Meat

Poultry

Beans

Slow Cook

Soup

Unparalleled Speeds

Gourmia prioritizes not only healthy cooking, but quick and efficient preparation so there’s no time wasted in the kitchen — perfect for the home cook on the go. With their advanced technology, Gourmia rice cookers are able to deliver perfect meals in record time, and not just rice. Their multifunctional rice cookers allow them to cook everything from meat and poultry to desserts and vegetables, and at quicker speeds each time.

Every nutrient is also retained while cooking so you won’t have to worry about losing all the healthy, vitamin-dense bits of your food. This company prioritizes health and safety over anything, and it shows even in the tiniest parts of their products. The rice cookers are no exception, and you can enjoy healthy meals without worrying about spending too much valuable time in the kitchen.

User-friendly Technology

Gourmia is also well-known for having technology that is geared to make the user’s experience simpler and more streamlined while giving them more features and functions. Gourmia isn’t one to include advanced technology and settings that most users don’t need or have the energy to try to understand. Instead, each rice cooker is equipped with the necessities for efficient cooking: different cook settings, easy-to-understand buttons, LED display, and preset timer settings for convenience.

Each feature and function of a standard Gourmia rice cooker is made with the consumer in mind. So whether you’re living alone or cooking for a family, always on the go, or only have a few minutes to spare in the kitchen, Gourmia rice cookers have got you covered.

Best Tiger Rice Cookers

ImageProductDetailsCheck Price

Gourmia GRC970 11-in-1 Digital Rice Cooker• Advanced Functions & Features • Large Cup Capacity • 11 Functions in 1 Cooker

Gourmia GRC770 Rice Cooker• Doubles as a Food Steamer • Large Cup Capacity • Includes Delay Timer & Keep Warm Function

Gourmia GPC625 ExpressPot Electric Digital Multi-function Pressure Rice Cooker• Speedy Cooking • Lets You Cook Meals 24 Hours in Advance • 13 Cooking Options & Various Menu Settings

Gourmia GPC965 Digital ExpressPot Pressure Rice Cooker• Easy to Clean • Cooks Rice, Meat & Vegetables 70% Faster • Stainless Steel Pot & Precision Thermostat

Let's Go Over Each Gourmia Rice Cooker

Best Overall: Gourmia GRC970 11-in-1 Digital Rice Cooker

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Our Overall Rating:

 4.3/5

Our highest-rated Gourmia rice cooker is the GRC970 11-in-1 Digital model. Housing enhanced cooking technology, a 20-cup capacity, and 11 cooking settings, this rice cooker is pretty much perfect for anyone looking for an efficient rice cooker that won’t wear over time, and also doesn’t break the bank. The Gourmia GRC970 11-in-1 Digital Rice Cooker weighs only 8.5 lbs. and has a host of features and functions that make it one impressive appliance suitable for anyone’s needs.

One of our favorite things about this rice cooker is the versatile cooking functions. Getting those random middle-of-the-day cravings is no problem with this multipurpose cooker, because it can easily make rice of different grains, oatmeal, quinoa, and even yogurt. It can also serve as a slow cooker and a steamer.

Another beautiful feature of this product is its 20-cup rice capacity that is built for large gatherings or individuals who want to prepare the week’s meals in one go. This rice cooker also has a preset cooking setting that makes room for more unconventional cooking methods that suit your lifestyle—all you have to do is wash your rice, pop the grains in, and press a button. Take a look at the best rice washers here.

Pros and Cons of the Gourmia GRC970 11-in-1 Digital Rice Cooker

ProsCons✔️ Exceeds the functions and features of its predecessors ✔️ Large capacity ✔️ 11 functions in 1 rice cooker ✔️ Various cooking and menu settings✖️ May be difficult to navigate without studying the user manual ✖️ May not be best for beginners and busy individuals

Best Affordable Gourmia: Gourmia GRC770 Rice Cooker

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Our Overall Rating:

 4.3/5

This simple-looking Gourmia rice cooker isn’t what it seems. It can serve up to 12 people, steam vegetables, meat, and chicken while cooking rice, as well as let you time your cooking in advanced. Perfect for the on-the-go individual, the Gourmia GRC770 Rice Cooker is a modern piece of equipment that won’t let you down.

At its price, this Gourmia model offers more than what you pay for. It can cook for the entire family (or group of friends) as well as look like a beautiful accent on your kitchen counter.

Its digital display makes cooking a breeze. All you have to do to get a hearty meal is add all the ingredients needed, press a button, then leave the rice cooker alone to do its magic. 25 minutes before the end of the cooking cycle, the digital display starts a countdown that lets you know how long before you get your warm meal.

Pros and Cons of the Gourmia GRC770 Rice Cooker

ProsCons✔️ Versatile rice cooker ✔️ Rather large capacity ✔️ Doubles as a food steamer ✔️ Delay timer and keep warm✖️ Lack of innovative features ✖️ Lack of menu settings to cook different rice varieties

Best Multifunctional Gourmia: Gourmia GPC625 ExpressPot Electric Digital Multi-function Pressure Rice Cooker

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Our Overall Rating:

 4.2/5

Yet another fantastic addition to Gourmia’s diverse lineup is the Gourmia GPC625 ExpressPot Electric Digital Multi-function Pressure Rice Cooker, a rice cooker that is multifunctional as well as intuitive, built to enhance the average user’s experience with cooking. Featuring a massive 13-in-1 cook setting as well as preset timer options that last up to a day, you’ll miss out on a wonderful cooking experience without this superstar.

Included in its various cooking settings are options to cook rice, porridge, dessert, meat, poultry, and vegetables, without reducing any of the nutrients. If you’re someone who usually has a hectic day, this rice cooker will not only save you energy but give you the vitamins your body needs. You’ll be able to cook a single meal in one go, from the rice of your choosing to a perfectly-made viand.

Not only is this a sustainable option, it’s also super fast. Using 1000 watts of power, you’ll be able to cook anything 70% faster compared to most average rice cookers. Its 12-level lid safety lock system also ensures your food is cooked to perfection and the steam stays sealed in.

Gourmia GPC625 ExpressPot Electric Digital Multi-function Pressure Rice Cooker

ProsCons✔️ Has a 12-level lid safety lock system ✔️ Cooks meals and rice up to 70% faster ✔️ Has convenient delay timer settings for up to 24 hours ✔️ Precision thermostat can regulate temperature without supervision ✔️ All-in-one rice and meal cooker✖️ Cook settings may be hard to understand ✖️ Menu selections may be difficult to navigate for some users

Best Fast-Cooking Gourmia: Gourmia GPC965 Digital ExpressPot Pressure Rice Cooker

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Our Overall Rating:

 4/5

There’s nothing better than being able to cook your meals with ease, without worrying about being late for an online meeting or thinking about other chores you could be doing around the house. If you’re someone who’s constantly busy, this rice cooker might be what you’re looking for. It’s geared to help you slash cooking time by 70%, be it grains or meats. Even both.

The Gourmia GPC965 Digital ExpressPot Pressure Rice Cooker is another model that lets you cook in 13 different styles, from brown and white rice to viands like chicken or fish. Craving porridge but don’t have the time to make it the traditional way? This rice cooker allows you to pop in the needed ingredients, press a button, leave the room and come back to a hearty meal.

This pressure cooker can also cook vegetables, meat (even a whole chicken), and many more at record speeds. What other rice cooker can let you cook broccoli at 2-3 minutes or a whole chicken at only 20 minutes max? This Gourmia model is truly a friend to those who can’t afford to spend hours in the kitchen. Worry-free and hassle-free, this is a rice cooker that handles everything with little supervision needed.

Pros and Cons of the Gourmia GPC965 Digital ExpressPot Pressure Rice Cooker

ProsCons✔️ Digital display made easy ✔️ Variety of cooking and menu settings ✔️ Can cook rice & main dish ✔️ Speedsense technology cooks meals faster ✔️ ETL-certified appliance✖️ Cook settings may be hard to understand ✖️ Menu selections may be difficult to navigate for some users

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Gourmia Rice Cooker Comparison

Gourmia Rice CookerModel NamePriceFunctionalityQualityTotal RatingCheck Price on Amazon

Gourmia GRC970 11-in-1 Digital Rice Cooker10999.3

Gourmia GRC770 Rice Cooker10999.3

Gourmia GPC625 ExpressPot Electric Digital Multi-function Pressure Rice Cooker99.599.2

Gourmia GPC965 Digital ExpressPot Pressure Rice Cooker9999

Final Note

There’s a reason Gourmia rice cookers are so well-loved. Especially in today’s climate, almost everyone has a busy home schedule. Work, school, and home life have significantly intertwined and not everyone has a few hours to spare in the kitchen. Gourmia rice cookers have rewritten traditional cooking rules, letting every home chef cook at a more flexible pace. With Gourmia’s delay timers, you won’t have to worry about cooking a late meal. Their large cup capacity has you covered if you have unexpected guests over. Best of all, these rice cookers don’t come at a large price.

Whatever your needs are— multi-functionality, speedy cooking, or an affordable investment — there is sure to be a Gourmia rice cooker for you. Take a look at each product to find out which one is the perfect addition to your kitchen family. With these Gourmia selections, a healthier, more efficient, and flexible home life is just one purchase away.

Looking for more options? Check out our guide to the best rice cookers.

source https://www.weknowrice.com/gourmia/best-gourmia-rice-cooker/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=best-gourmia-rice-cooker

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healthyvip · 4 years

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Cooking at Home

We all love convenience food, but one of the simplest ways to improve your health is by preparing more home-cooked meals.

Here’s how to get started. The benefits of cooking at home

Whether you live on your own or are a busy parent, finding the time and energy to prepare home-cooked meals can seem like a daunting task. At the end of a hectic day, eating out or ordering in might feel like the quickest, easiest option. But convenience and processed food can take a significant toll on your mood and health.

Convenience food is typically high in chemical additives, hormones, sugar, salt, unhealthy fat, and calories, all of which can adversely affect your brain and outlook. It can leave you feeling tired, bloated, and irritable, and exacerbate symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety.

Restaurants often serve more food than you should eat. Many restaurants serve portions that are two to three times larger than the recommended dietary guidelines. This encourages you to eat more than you would at home, adversely affecting your waistline, blood pressure, and risk of diabetes.

When you prepare your own meals, you have more control over the ingredients. By cooking for yourself, you can ensure that you and your family eat fresh, wholesome meals. This can help you to look and feel healthier, boost your energy, stabilize your weight and mood, and improve your sleep and resilience to stress.

Cooking at home doesn’t have to be complicated. The cornerstone of a healthy diet is to eat food that is as close as possible to the way nature made it. That means replacing processed food with real food whenever possible and eating plenty of vegetables and healthy sources of protein. It doesn’t mean you have to spend hours in the kitchen combining hundreds of different ingredients or slavishly following elaborate recipes. In fact, simple meals are often the tastiest.

Cooking at home can even take less time that eating out. There are plenty of quick, simple, and wholesome meals you can cook at home in less time than it takes to travel to a restaurant or wait for a delivery.

Cooking at home is also a great way to spend time with others—and you don’t have to be an accomplished chef. Whatever your abilities or experience as a cook, you can learn to prepare quick and healthy meals that can have real benefits for your mental and physical health. Preparing healthy meals at home can support your immune system and reduce the risk of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes. It can give you more energy, improve how you sleep at night, and help you better manage health problems. In women, cooking healthy food can help reduce symptoms of PMS and menopause, and boost fertility. If you’re on a special diet or trying to lose weight, preparing meals for yourself gives you more control over ingredients and portion sizes, enabling you to better control your weight or cope with food allergies. By practicing safe food handling while you cook at home, you’re less likely to contract a foodborne illness. Cooking at home can sharpen your mind, fight cognitive decline, and decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s. It can stabilize kids’ energy and help them grow into healthy, confident adults. Emotional and social benefits The simple process of cooking at home can be empowering and improve your mood and self-esteem. Taking time out from a busy schedule to cook can also be a great stress reliever. Preparing even simple meals at home can be creatively fulfilling. Adopting a diet of healthy, home-cooked meals can increase your resilience to stress, anxiety, and depression and boost your mood and outlook. Cooking and eating with family is a great way to bond with your loved ones. Inviting friends to join you can expand your social circle, which can alleviate stress. Eating wholesome meals can even add joy to your life. When your body feels healthier, you feel happier—inside and out.

Studies have also shown that when you regularly prepare home-cooked meals, you’re also more likely to make healthier choices on those occasions when you do eat out. In other words, eating healthy food can become a habit. The pleasures of sharing a home-cooked meal

Food brings people together and cooking at home is a great way to unite your family over the dining table. Everyone loves a home-cooked meal—even moody teenagers or picky eaters. And if you live alone, that doesn’t mean you have to cook or eat alone. Sharing meals with others is a great way to expand your social network. Getting appreciative feedback on a meal you’ve prepared for someone can bring a real boost to your self-esteem, too.

Make mealtimes a social experience. The simple act of talking to a friend or loved over the dinner table can play a big role in relieving stress and boosting mood. Gather the family together and stay up to date with each other’s daily lives. If you live alone, invite a friend, coworker, or neighbor over.

Switch off screens. Take a break from the TV, turn off your phone, and avoid other distractions so you have a real chance to connect with the person you’re sharing a meal with. By avoiding screens and eating with others, you’ll also help to avoid mindless overeating.

Cook with others. Invite your spouse, roommate, or a friend to share shopping and cooking responsibilities—one prepares the entrée, the other dessert, for example. Cooking with others can be a fun way to deepen relationships and splitting the costs can make it cheaper for both of you. Overcoming obstacles to cooking at home

Despite all the benefits, many of us still think of preparing meals as a chore, either something that we don’t have time for, or something that’s only suitable for experienced cooks. Maybe you’ve tried cooking before and didn’t like the end results, or maybe your kids just prefer takeout food?

Overcoming obstacles to cooking at home often starts with changing the way you view meal preparation or time spent in the kitchen. Some common reasons why we don’t cook at home, and what to do about them, include: Obstacle 1: “I don’t have the time to cook.”

Sure, shopping, chopping ingredients, cooking, and then cleaning up afterwards can be time-consuming. But there are plenty of ways to speed things up:

Shop online and have all the ingredients delivered to your door. Get your family involved. Trade off shopping and cleanup duties with your spouse or a roommate. Do some of the preparation ahead of time. Chop vegetables over the weekend when you’re less pressed, for example, to cut down on your final cooking time. Use fresh ingredients. Salads and raw food recipes can take just minutes to prepare. View cooking meals as a pleasant, relaxing experience rather than a chore—it won’t seem nearly as time-consuming. 2: “It’s cheaper to eat fast food.”

At first glance, it may seem that eating at a fast food restaurant is less expensive than making a home-cooked meal. But that’s rarely the case. A study from the University of Washington School of Public Health revealed that people who cook at home tend to have healthier overall diets without higher food expenses. Another study found that frequent home cooks spent about $60 per month less on food than those who ate out more often. 3: “I’m too tired to cook at the end of a busy day.”

Creating healthy meals doesn’t have to involve a huge investment of effort.

Loading a slow cooker with meat and vegetables in the morning allows you come home to a piping hot meal at night, with minimal preparation and little cleanup. Make meals in bulk and freeze leftovers in single portions to eat when you don’t have the time or energy to cook. By cooking your main protein once a week, such as a roast chicken or slow cooked turkey breasts, you can use the meat to create quick and easy meals during the week, such as soup, salads, sandwiches, burritos, or pasta dishes.

4: “I don’t know how to cook”

If you’re intimidated by the prospect of preparing a home-cooked meal, it’s important to remember that cooking is not an exact science.

It’s usually perfectly OK to skip an ingredient or substitute one thing for another. Look online or buy a basic cookbook for simple recipe ideas. As with anything, the more you cook, the better you’ll become. Even if you’re a complete novice in the kitchen, you’ll soon master some quick, healthy meals.

5: “Even if I cook a healthy meal at home, I can’t get my family to eat it.”

Over time, you can wean your family (and yourself) off the taste of takeout and packaged food.

Start small, cooking just once or twice a week to give everyone’s taste buds chance to adjust. Young children love to cook and find it fun to eat what they’ve helped to make. The childhood impulse to imitate is strong, so the more your kids see you eating healthy food, the more likely they are to follow suit.

Tips for getting started

Don’t think that have to make every meal at home. Cooking at home just a few times a week to begin with can reap rewards. The more you prepare your own meals, the better you’ll get at it. Eventually, you may find that eating out or ordering in becomes an occasional treat rather than the norm. Here are some tips to get you started:

Start with fresh, healthy ingredients. Baking sugary treats such as brownies, cakes, and cookies won’t help your health or your waistline. Similarly, adding too much sugar or salt can transform a healthy home-cooked meal into an unhealthy one. To ensure your meals are good for you as well as being tasty, start with healthy ingredients and flavor with spices rather than sugar or salt.

Keep it simple. Steam or sauté some veggies, grill some fish or chicken, add some herbs, spices, or a healthy sauce. Simple cooking can be tasty and quick.

Cook enough for leftovers. It’s great to have leftovers that can be used for a quick and easy lunch or dinner the next day. When making things like rice or pasta, cook at least double the amount you need and store it in the fridge to use with other meals. Freezing leftovers can also ensure you have a home-cooked meal on hand whenever you don’t feel like cooking.

Make substitutions for healthier meals. Grill or bake instead of fry. Replace salt with garlic or onion powder. Cut the sugar called for in most recipes by 1/3 to 1/2. Decrease the meat and increase the vegetables in stews and casseroles. Choose whole-grain versions of pasta and bread, and substitute whole-wheat flour for bleached white flour when you bake.

Stock up on staples. Ingredients such as rice, pasta, olive oil, spices, flour, and stock cubes are staples you’ll likely use regularly. Keeping cans of tuna, beans, tomatoes and bags of frozen veggies on hand can be helpful in rustling up quick meals when you’re pushed for time.

Give yourself some leeway. It’s okay to burn the rice or over-cook the veggies. After a few tries it will get easier, quicker, and tastier!

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shysweetthing · 7 years

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I love your financial posts. I am curious what your opinion is on items other than clothes and cars, as far as how much to spend? Like food, kitchen/household supplies, technology, furniture, so on? Like I got that brand names/aesthetics are pretty low priority for you compared to longevity/maintenance, but like, where do you draw the line and for what sort of things? What if it's something that needs time rather than cash to fix, for example a knife that dulls easily?

These are huge categories of things, and there is no real rule for “how much to spend” because it depends on who you are, what you need, how much money you have, and what you’re trying to accomplish.

If you have not surmised from my fics containing thousand word recipes and various posts on eggs and cooking with dashi, and perhaps the first chapter of the fic I just posted which lovingly detailing a perfectly coursed breakfast menu, I really, really like food. And cooking. And food.

I have strong feelings about kitchen equipment and food, PARTICULARLY knives. (I have strong feelings about most things, but particularly strong feelings about food-related things). I also have an unusual amount of kitchen gadgetry–if you read my onsen katsudon post, you’ll realize that I have an immersion circulator, for instance. So I obviously am not going to preach extreme sparsity in the kitchen.

So…massive post about kitchen gadgets and food below the jump.

Random thoughts on kitchen gadgets!

Unless you’re a chef, you don’t need a knife set; you need ONE EXTREMELY GOOD CHEF’S KNIFE. 70% of the knives in any given knife block don’t get used, and 20% only get used because the one knife you do use isn’t clean. Don’t put it in the dishwasher. Don’t let it jostle around in the random crap drawer and get the edge jostled. Hone it on a regular basis. You need to get your knife sharpened when it gets dull (every year or so), and this costs like maybe $7-12. This is the holy grail of knives, but this will do.

It is worth it to pay money for a good knife. Good knives make cooking easier by about eleventy billion percent. Good knives also mean you use less pressure while cooking, which means you’re less likely to cut yourself and have to go to the ER for stitches–an outcome that would probably swamp any savings you might have on the actual knife itself.

It is also worth it to watch some basic YouTube videos on knife skills for that same reason. (As a general rule, buy kitchen equipment at your skill level, not above it.)

By contrast, there is a lot of kitchen equipment that quite a few people actually really don’t need–food processors and stand mixers come to mind. Yes, many people use some of these things some of the time, and some people use some of these things all the time. But if you would only ever use your fancy KitchenAid stand mixer to make whipped cream twice a year, I have a horrifying suggestion for you: get a wire whisk and whip your cream by hand. It really doesn’t take as long as you think it will.

Likewise, food processors–I guess some people use these all the time? But many people get food processors because they should have them, and rarely use them, if ever, because it turns out that while they may chop things faster they’re a lot harder to clean than a knife, and if you have a good knife and decent knife skills, unless you’re cooking for a bloody army, you don’t need it and aren’t going to use it. At the fast and small end, you can use them for home-making pesto, which is definitely useful, but if you have a good blender you can do it there, too.

Here’s my set of kitchen gadgets that I use on a semi-regular basis: blender, rice cooker, waffle iron, immersion circulator. Some people will ditch the immersion circulator in favor of a slow cooker; most rice cookers double as slow cookers. I also have a travel rice cooker that I bring on business trips.

I started with really super-basic versions of all of these things, and then, as those super-basic versions gave up the ghost, replaced them one-by-one, first with really decent medium-quality versions of themselves, and then, as those lasted longer, with the holy grail versions.

Random thoughts about food

Food spending is something I have only recently started to get a handle on, in large part because food is such a deep and emotional subject. I’m still not all the way there, but I’ve learned a lot in the last couple of years, and maybe the things I have learned will be helpful to others.

I’m going to beg your pardon for going into emotional things that may not seem relevant here, but I for me–and possibly for others, which is why I’m detailing it here–spending the right amount of money on food has been very closely related to my emotional relationship with food.

Food is very important. Money is a consideration in purchasing food, but it is not the only consideration. Food is the source of health. You need to be eating a properly balanced diet. If you aren’t, you’ll get tired more easily. You’ll feel sick. You’ll be more prone to developing certain diseases. These things are costly, and you need to take them into consideration.

Food is also (very often) a social activity. It is a time for families and friends to get together and talk about their day. It is (for me) an expression of love–something I can do for the people I care about that shows my caring, because I absolutely hate having to express myself verbally on these kinds of points. One of the ways that I personally say “I care about you” is to spend seventeen hours perfecting a recipe just so I can make something that is utterly delicious. This is particularly true for some members of my family with food sensitivities/dietary restrictions–being able to make delicious things that they would never imagine they could eat just see the look on their face makes me really, really happy.

Food is an emotional activity. Tastes can tap into memories. They can bring up nostalgia. They can bring up bad memories. Eating can be comfort; it can also be a way to hurt yourself.

What you put into yourself is very, very important–it should taste good, nourish you, and feed your soul. I just really, really believe in food, okay?

But. Our society sends us so many bullshit messages about food and our relationship with it. People get told that they can’t eat fats, or carbs, or this kind of meat, or soy protein, and if you eat too much you’re doing it wrong and if you eat too little you’re doing it wrong, and if you spend too much on food you’re an avocado-toast devouring wastrel who will never own a home, and if you spend too little on food you deserve the health disaster that is inevitably coming your way.

Over the course of my life, society and an array of health/diet-oriented books told me that my body was my enemy and the only way to transcend it was to ignore what it was telling me–to ignore hunger, to ignore cravings, to ignore the emotional response food brings in me, to treat these things as pariah, and to see myself as a weak, bad person because I hunger, crave, and respond emotionally.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve started working specifically with a food therapist, and I’ve started to unravel some of this. It has been a deeply emotional process.

And so let me say, with all the love I have in me, FUCK THIS SHIT. My body is not the enemy. Food is not the enemy. And yes, this is relevant to spending–learning to love myself and my relationship with food instead of hate it has helped me save money.

You’ll see why in a little bit.

A couple of years ago, I sat down to figure out how to spend less on food. At the time, I was spending an absolutely ridiculous amount on food–something like $125/week per person. (I’m going to use this as the measure of food–$$/week/person–because it’s most generalizable across the board. I think the national average is something like $50/week/person.) While this wasn’t breaking my budget, I have depressive episodes that really dampen my productivity and earning capacity, and I knew I was due for one, and *cough* I figured it would behoove me to tighten the budget where I could as much as possible.

That meant I had to figure out my pain points in food. At first blush, my thought was–I shouldn’t spend much less money than this, this is the kind of food I should be eating. I was buying lots of vegetables–organic, for the ones where it makes a big different. I bought organic meat, because it’s not laden with antibiotics. Et cetera.

Then I noticed a second thing: I was throwing out a lot of food.

Sure, I was making use of some of it. But I didn’t want to spend time cooking every day, and so I didn’t. Worse, I was purchasing the food I thought I should eat, and not the food I wanted to eat–meaning that my motivation to actually sit down and prepare the food I thought I should eat was weak, and so instead of making the planned uninspiring meal for the day, I would tell myself, “oh, I’ll make that for tomorrow” and then I’d get pizza.

In other words, I was lying to myself about what I actually wanted to eat, because I felt I should eat a certain way. Because I was lying to myself, I was spending money buying food that I was only ever going to hypothetically eat. Spending money for something that is going to get tossed is not a good financial decision. Because I couldn’t admit that I was lying to myself and didn’t want to eat the food I was purchasing, I was eating out more, which is both expensive and rather less healthy than just being fucking honest in the first place.

One additional thing that is specific to me, but that other people share, is this–even if I picked food I liked, and wanted to make, and usually would make, if I was having a really bad week depression-wise, I would not be arsed to take the 45 minutes to prepare it because depression sucks. This meant I was buying food while depressed that there was no chance in hell I would make.

In other words, the fundamental reason I was spending so much money on food is that I was buying food for a different person than I was. To fix the problem, I had to figure out who I was, and how to buy food for me and not this hypothetical always-health-conscious, never-makes-a-mistake, always-cooks-every-meal person I was pretending to be.

It’s taken me about eighteen months to get to the point where I have a food strategy that works for me. Here’s what I’ve come to as my guiding principles.

1. I deserve to eat food I want to eat.2. I deserve to eat well-balanced meals with a variety of foods.3. While I occasionally like going all out on cooking, I mostly want to spend about ten minutes on dinner prep because nobody has time for that shit on a regular basis.

My strategy has basically three components for me, but it will vary for everyone because what you like to eat is…up to you.

Component One: Protein.

I like eating meat. I particularly like fatty meats–chicken thighs over breasts, what have you. But I don’t need to, or even want to, eat a lot of it.

Solution: What I do is prepare meats in large quantity, and then portion them out into three to four ounce per person servings, and then freeze these. Thus, for instance, I’ll braise an entire lamb leg very slowly, and then weigh it into meal-sized bags. Or I’ll make a giant pot of butter chicken. Or turn a butt-roast into carnitas. Or cut up chicken thighs into pieces, and put three ounces per person into bags and freeze them. Or I’ll simmer several pounds of pork belly into chashu pork (https://www.justonecookbook.com/homemade-chashu/) and then set it aside in two ounce servings for person–two ounces because it is SO fatty that the satiety from a few ounces goes a very long way.

The night before, I take whatever it is I’m going to be making and move it from the freezer to the fridge.

Then for dinner, I microwave it. Or, in the case of the chicken thighs, turn on the oven broiler, skewer the chicken pieces, and make yakitori (recipe here: https://www.justonecookbook.com/yakitori/). Or, toss it into ramen broth. Or sometimes I’ll just scramble a bunch of eggs because eggs are delicious.

Things that go in the freezer are things that take 2-10 minutes of prep, max.

Three ounces is enough to satisfy me; two minutes is enough time that I don’t have to think about it.

At this point, I have a Costco membership, which means I can buy organic meat in bulk. That helps lower the price on things substantially.

Component Two: Fruits and vegetables.

I also like eating fruits and vegetables. That being said, I like variety, and unless you’re feeding an army, it takes freaking forever to get through the general amount of vegetables you can purchase from the store.

Solution: What I do is pick 3-4 vegetable side dishes every week. The rules are that the side dishes must vary in color and preparation method, and that I have to want to eat them.

So, for instance, this week my side dishes are: Quick salt-pickled cucumbers (these are pickled, and they’re green). Seasoned soy bean sprouts (these are blanched/boiled, and they’re white and yellow). Stir-fried eggplant (Using this recipe, http://www.koreanbapsang.com/2011/09/gaji-bokkeum-stir-fried-eggplants.html; these are purple). And a tomato salad seasoned with olive oil and red yuzu kosho (these are red and raw).

I also get fruits of different colors, too. The rules are the same–I have to get things I like. This week I have navel oranges and these utterly delicious peony grapes that make me want to break down and weep every time I eat them. It’s usually ¼ of an orange per person + about ½ handful of grapes at the end of each meal.

Component Three: Rice.

Look, I’m Asian, and yes, it’s stereotypical, but steamed rice is delicious and people have been eating it forever around the world, and plus, if you have a programmable rice cooker you can set it up way ahead of time and boom, rice is ready right at dinner time.

Here’s how a typical week works.

I do most of the work on Saturday.

On Saturday, I assess the state of my freezer. Do I need to add anything to my store of meals? If so, I’ll put that first on my list for the week. Sometimes I won’t need to add anything. I’ll round everything else out on the basis of what I have in there. My projected meals will look something like this: lamb / eggs / carnitas / pork belly ramen / yakitori / butter chicken / mapo tofu

I’ll also figure out my vegetable side dishes, and list all the ingredients needed to make them.

I go shopping. I come home. If I need to make something to add to the freezer, I make it. While I’m doing that, I also make my three to four vegetable side dishes and set them in the freezer. (I also make miso soup and some extra dashi; here’s why I make dashi.)

The assessment, planning, shopping, cooking, and parceling out the food I’ve just made takes me around 3-4 hours.

Thereafter, the production of dinner on every day other than Saturday looks like this:

Put whatever protein I have in the microwave/under the broiler/etc.Put rice in a bowl.Add small bits of vegetable side dishes to the bowl on top of the rice, taking up approximately 2/3rds of surface area.Put now finished protein on top of rice. Put on table.Microwave miso soup. Add seaweed to it. Plonk on table.Wash/cut fruit; put on plate.Take things for tomorrow’s dinner out of freezer and put it in fridge.

Dinner now takes approximately 3 minutes of morning prep to set up the rice, and 2-10 minutes to assemble. It consists of some kind of protein, rice, tons of vegetables, miso soup, and fruit.

There is a crapload of variety. It’s delicious. It’s nutritious. I don’t have so much of any one vegetable on my plate at any one time that I get tired of it, and I rotate weekly.

I have other things I do for variety’s sake–for instance, I made a huge quantity of this (https://www.justonecookbook.com/vegetarian-ramen/) up until just before the point where you add the soy milk, and then froze this in tiny packets as ramen base. Now if I want incredibly fucking delicious ramen, all I need to do is take my bag of ramen base out of the fridge, add soy milk and dashi, boil frozen ramen, add pork belly and a bunch of vegetables, and boom. FUCKING DELICIOUS RAMEN.

I’ll also sometimes make katsudon, because katsudon. And so forth.

In terms of cost, because I’m using the vegetables I buy for all the meals, I’m not buying a cabbage and throwing about ¾ of it because damn it is hard to eat an entire cabbage. (I grew up in a family of nine, and it was not hard for us to eat an entire cabbage then, but I am not currently in a family of nine.) Because I’m buying organic meat in bulk, I’m paying as little as possible for it, and because I’m freezing it until just before I use it, I’m not wasting it.

At this point, I probably only have to make a replacement for something in the fridge approximately once every 2 weeks. I’m eating better than I’ve ever eaten before. I’m eating out much less. On those weeks when I’m struggling with depression/have heavier workloads than most, I don’t even bother to try and replenish the freezer stuff, and I go to the Korean grocery store (I’m lucky enough to have one near me) and instead of making my side dishes, I just grab a handful of their pre-made ones, because my strategy is flexible enough to allow me to be the person I am on a regular basis.

The first few weeks when I started doing this, my costs–because I was putting two sets of things in the freezer every week, and because I had no freezer meals to draw off of–were fairly high, probably like $75/week/person, which is still higher than the national average, but less than I was spending before.

At this point, my costs per week are about $35/week/person. This is more than some people spend, but below the national average, and that’s pretty cool, considering that I’m still eating organic meats, and many organic vegetables.

Your solution to this may not look like my solution to this–your pain points are different, and you are different. But for me, I couldn’t start to get a handle on either my food spending or my eating habits until I started buying food for the person I was, not the person society told me I should be.

I also want to point out–again–that there are several items of privilege in this post that should not be assumed to be universal. First, in order to build up a solid store of freezer-stuffs, to the point where you can sustain a $35/week/person grocery bill, you need to be able to overspend the national average for a couple of months. Second, you have to be able to get yourself to a grocery store that sells organic stuff, and if you live in a food desert, it’s hard enough just finding a store that sells fresh vegetables, period. Third, I have a CostCo membership–I live less than a mile from a CostCo, and this isn’t open to everyone. Fourth, I live very close to multiple Asian grocery stores, and I really couldn’t eat delicious food regularly if I had to scramble to find broad bean paste or miso or the ingredients for dashi, or if I had to buy them from grocery stores that largely cater to white people and overcharge on these items by massive amounts if they even carry them. Fifth, I have a reasonably large freezer that is extremely reliable. Sixth, me and my family members are reasonably open to eating a wide variety of foods and have few food allergies or sensitivities. Seventh, I have one day a week that I can reasonably devote a large chunk of to food preparation.

There are other things, too–those are just the ones that jumped out to me upon immediate inspection. So my typical reminder again–this is what has worked for me. I’m telling you because it might work for you, and if it can help, that’s great. But please don’t lecture people with this post, because there are many ways that this strategy depends heavily on privileged statuses.

#food tw #finance stuff #depression tw #kitchen gadgets

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best-reviews · 5 years

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Clever Chef Multi-Cooker - A Good Investment or Not?

Cooking at home

When you intend to cook your own meals, you know that you must dedicate some part of your spare time in order to satisfy your wishes. These days, people are so busy that they cannot find any spare time. We all want to live healthier lives and eat better, but we end up ordering our food from various providers because it is easier this way. In order to solve this issue, the kitchen devices manufacturers came with a great and innovating idea, namely the multi functions cookers. In the following rows of this article I will talk about one of these miraculous machines. Could the Clever Chef Multi-Cooker be a good investment or not? Clever Chef Multi-Cooker features The main purpose of these cookers is to replace other appliances that you might have in your kitchen. From this point of view, Clever Chef Multi-Cooker is able to do this thing. Besides replacing these appliances it can also make things easier for you. At least this is what its manufacturer suggests. When it comes about Clever Chef Multi Cooker, you will benefit of this great advantage of changing your way of cooking completely. Throw all the ingredients in just one place and they will cook by themselves while you could do anything else. It comes with 14 ways of cooking from which you can choose in order to get your meals done. No matter if you want to cook rice, bake bread, roast a stake or cook pasta, all you have to do is choose the proper program that comes with the right cooking temperature. Usually, Clever Chef Multi Cooker is used when you want to cook well, fast and with minimum of effort. However, if you want to prepare a dish that requires slow cooking technique, this is the appliance that you need, because it is also gifted with this program.

Even if each function available has a predefined cooking temperature, you can adjust that manually if you wish. You have a delay timer and other features as well such as warming your dish and a “retain moisture” function. Clever Chef Multi-Cooker pros and cons It is a great device and as I said it could replace a multitude of other appliances that you might already own. However, the main issue is its size. The design of the machine is a bit bulky and you need a wide countertop to place it on. Even if its size is big, some customers complained that it cannot replace big frying pans or other pots in which they could’ve cooked wider quantities of food. If you want to cook a dinner for two, it could be the perfect device. Otherwise, you might need to go for the classic way of cooking. Therefore, the Clever Chef Multi-Cooker is a good investment but not in all situations. Due to its round shape, all the things you intend to bake such as bread or cakes will be round as well. If you have other plans, then you should use another way of cooking. I said earlier that you can adjust the temperature manually. Yes, you can do that but not for every type of dish. Things like rice or bread must be cook at an exact temperature which is set automatically once you choose the cooking program and it cannot be changed. If you want to cook a soup, you can set any temperature you might consider suitable. Whoever has a bit of knowledge about baking, knows that most cookies must be baked at a temperature of 350 degrees. Unfortunately, Clever Chef Multi-Cooker does not reach this temperature. Therefore your baking possibilities are a bit limited or the period of cooking should be extended. What does the seller offer? If you decide to buy Clever Chef Multi-Cooker, you need to check all the conditions imposed by the seller. The price is around $87 and as I read, together with the shipping fee. Another thing offered by the seller is a cooking book that it will be included in the package. One thing that I liked is the 30 days money back guarantee. Remember, however, that the 30 days starts from the day in which you have placed the order and not from the day when it arrived at your door steps. Clever Chef Multi-Cooker reviews The best way to gather more info about a product is to read the reviews posted by people who tried it already. You know the theory “learning from other people’ mistakes” works in this case too. The most often thing said about Clever Chef Multi-Cooker was that it is a versatile device. Maybe you cannot cook large meals, but the dishes that you can cook in it are a real success. The maintenance procedure was another thing that pleased the customers. It is easy to dissemble and clean and reassemble. As you can imagine its main feature that made people bought it, was the fact that the entire cooking process is completely simplified. What displeased the customers? Many devices presented malfunctions since they were delivered. Due to this problem the display of the device showed some errors. The customers complained that the relationship with the customer service provided by the seller was not at the level of the expectations. Those who decided to return the product, or some of them, discovered that it is not an easy task at all. Conclusions The good points overcome the down points on my opinion. As in many other situations, you cannot please everyone when you release on the market a product. Some people will simply love the product and others will not be as satisfied as they thought they will be at the beginning. If your home space is not too big and it will be difficult to fit in all the appliances required in order to be your own chef, then Clever Chef Multi-Cooker is the answer for you. If you do not have a numerous family, or you live alone then Clever Chef Multi-Cooker is the answer to your problems. It will take the cooking activity off your shoulders while you can deal with any other problem. In case you have a big family, you should cook in the classic manner. The same recommendation I will make for the ones who love to cook complex dishes. Read the full article

#aboutCleverChefMultiCooker #cleverchefmulticooker #cleverchefmulticookerreview #CleverChefMulti-Cookercons #CleverChefMulti-Cookerfeatures #CleverChefMulti-Cookerpros #CleverChefMulti-Cookerprosandcons #CleverChefMulti-Cookerreviews #cookyourownmeals #multifunctionscooker #multifunctionscookers

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thesoutherngems · 3 years

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Short Stories

“TILL THE NEXT ECLIPSE”

By: Cheralyn Cruz

June 11, 2021

It was another sunny day, Anony woke up early in the morning to do her daily routine. She goes to the bathroom and washes her face with soap and puts on some skin care trying to make her face blooming to hide the pain she is enduring for a very long time. She faces in the mirror and she is cheering herself.

"You can do it! You can do it!"

The tears slowly fell into her eyes. She can't help herself but to cry again. She was so dumb broke and really don't know how to start all over again. She always wishes that she's still a little girl with no problems.

After she cried, Anony went to her almost empty kitchen, except the refrigerator, one table and chair, one glass, one rice cooker, one spoon and one plate. She is starving, she didn't eat yesterday and now she can feel that her stomach is knocking and pleasing her to eat.

Time flies so fast and it is already 4:30 pm, Anony changes her clothes. She is wearing a black dress and a comfortable sandal that matches her dress.

Anony was walking with a picnic basket. She went to a very quiet place, a place where a lot of people are there but no one is talking. She is in the cemetery to visit Lim.

"I am here again, how are you? I missed you so much".

Her voice is cracking.

"I missed you Buddy, you know what it's been a month now since you left me. It's been a month since the last time I saw your face and held your hands."

She is now crying and sobbing.

Anony lit up the candle and she spread the gasket to the grass and she lay-down. She can feel the air touching her skin and hear the birds singing.

"I really love to visit you here Buddy, I can relax and escape reality".

She got her phone from her bag and started playing a song.

"I thought some time alone

Was what we really needed

You said this time would hurt more than it helps

But I couldn't see that

I thought it was the end

Of a beautiful story

And so I left the one I loved at home to be alone(alone)

And I tried to find

Out if this one thing is true

That I'm nothing without you

I know better now

And I've had a change of heart"

"When you left me, I was so desperate to find another man. I thought it would make me feel better if I can find someone to replace you but I was wrong".

"I'd rather have bad times with you, than good times with someone else

I'd rather be beside you in a storm, than safe and warm by myself

I'd rather have hard times together, than to have it easy apart

I'd rather have the one who holds my heart

Whoo-oo-oo-oo yeah"

"I keep on blaming myself Buddy, I realized that you are the only one who can make me happy even in the hardest part of my life".

"And then I met someone

And thought she could replace you

We got a long just fine

We wasted time because she was not you

We had a lot of fun

Though we knew we were faking

Love was not impressed with our connection they were all lies, all lies

So I'm here cause I found this one thing is true

That I'm nothing without you

I know better now

And I've had a change of heart"

"What if I never got tired? What if I keep my patience much longer? Maybe your still here".

______________________________________________________________________________________________

"I'm breaking up with you Lim".

Anony put all her things in the suitcase as you can see into her eyes that she's now confident to leave Lim.

"Why? Did I do something wrong? Anony please, don't leave me like this"

"I'm tired Lim, how many times did I give you a chance? I'm so tired Lim, please let me go".

Anony grabbed her things and walked away, leaving Lim with tears. When Anony closed the door and walked away Lim was so down on his knees and there's nothing he can do to please Anony to stay. It's been a year since their relationship became toxic to the point that they forgot where they started.

Weeks passed by and Anony didn't receive any messages or calls from Lim. She still loves Lim but she's tired of understanding and always forgives Lim for not giving her time. Lim is always busy to the point that they don't do the things that they did before. Going out and having a date, watching movies together, eating fancy dinner at fancy restaurants, they make surprises every monthsary and anniversary but they didn't notice that their relationship became more toxic, they didn't know what the reasons were, they just found out that the relationship that they built together is now over. They are now turning the page in a separate way.

It was a sunny day, the sun was so bright and the wind was so cold. The weather is so perfect for a vacation. Anony is in Siargao, so she decided to take a vacation where she can relax her mind. The Island is so perfect for all the people who want to relax and to escape the toxic world.

At 6:00pm, Anony went to the seaside where she could directly see the sunset. She lay down on the sand and felt the waves touching her legs. It is so refreshing, this is the first time she felt relaxed since she broke up with Lim.

"Thank God for this wonderful vacation". She sighs.

On the other day, Anony went to a restaurant to take her lunch. It is already 11am when she wakes up. She ordered one cup of rice, one piece crispy fried chicken and she ordered her favorite "kare-kare" a Philippine stew / curry complemented with a thick savory peanut sauce. ... It is made from a variation base of stewed oxtail, beef tripe, pork hocks, calves feet, pig's feet or trotters, various cuts of pork, beef stew meat, and occasionally offal or oxtripe.

"Don't mind if I join you for lunch?". A man said.

Anony turned her back, she saw a tall, handsome man with curly black hair, pointed nose and kissable lips. She doesn't know who the guy in front of her is.

"Su-sure". She responded.

"By the way I am Enzo, there is no other vacant seat, that's why I'm here and it seems like you don't have any company. Am I right?". He asked.

"Yeah, you can set there no worries".

"What is your name?". Enzo asked her.

"Anony, Anony Dela Fuente".

After that day, they always have an exchange of conversation either by call, text or chat.

Anony found out that Enzo is residing in Manila and is working as a government employee. Enzo is a policeman.

It's been a few weeks since Anony and Enzo have met. Every Sunday they go to church together and after that they eat in a restaurant and they go to a park to unwind.

Anony thought that by dating another man, she can forget Lim but she's wrong. She still loves Lim but she doesn't want to feel the pain that she felt when they are together. The toxicity of their relationship is slowly killing her.

One night when she was in her apartment, she received a phone call from Lim. She didn't answer it although she really wanted to talk with Lim. She decided to take a nap and shut down her phone.

In the morning when she opened her phone, she received a lot of text messages from Lim begging her to answer his call.

She received a call from an unknown number and when she answered it she really didn't know how to respond. Her knees are shaking and the tears in her eyes are slowly falling.

"Lim is dead, he committed suicide". A voice from another line.

...

After that incident, Anony kept on blaming herself. Her life became a mess. She ruined her life to the point that she also committed suicide. She stops working, she isolates herself, she never socializes with people and she also stops dating Enzo.

______________________________________________________________________________________

"Buddy! Buddy wake up!". Lim is waking her up.

"I've cooked your favorite meal, kare-kare and fried chicken". Anony heard a sweet voice from Lim.

Anony opened her eyes and she saw Lim with a brighter smile. She is so in love with this man in front of her. The cute smile, the verdurous eyebrows, the pointed nose, the affectionate eyes, the kissable lips and his brown skin tone. Gosh! She is so in love with Lim.

"Really? You cooked my favorite meal? Owwww I love you so much Buddy you're so thoughtful and sweet". She hugs and gives Lim a kiss.

"I love you most Buddy". Lim responded.

When she fixed herself and went to the kitchen he saw Lim looking at her with a sweet smile.

"Buddy come here join me to eat". She said.

Instead of responding to her, Lim gave her a sweet smile.

"What was that smile for? Come here Buddy". She insisted.

"I have to go Buddy, I love you so much please take good care of yourself. You know how much I love you right? Stop blaming yourself, promise me that you will fix all your mess. Start fixing yourself, don't ruin your life because it's not your fault. I love you so much, this time I am the one who asked you to let me go. Let's turn the page separately, till our next eclipse my love".

Anony is crying after she hears that from Lim and she breaks down.

______________________________________________________________________________________

When she opens her eyes she is lying on the gasket. It was just a dream, she saw Lim in her dreams.

She lit the candle in front of Lim's grave.

"Thank you for visiting in my dreams Buddy, I love you so much. I'm so sorry. Till our next eclipse Buddy! Till we meet again".

THE END

#short stories #thesoutherngems

15 notes · View notes

vsplusonline · 4 years

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A different kind of Iftar during the lockdown

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/a-different-kind-of-iftar-during-the-lockdown/

A different kind of Iftar during the lockdown

“It is carrot pola for Iftar today,” announces home baker Haseena Yaseen. The delicacy from Malabar is also called carrot egg cake and is prepared with mashed carrots, beaten eggs, sugar, and a dash of cardamom powder. “I steam this mix in a pressure cooker, and carrot pola is ready,” says Haseena, adding, “Though there is a shortage of fruits, dates and nuts, we are managing to make some Malabar specialities. We also make make pineapple pola.”

For Haseena, Iftar this year has been different because of the COVID-19 lockdown. “Every year, we invite friends and relatives over. This time, it is a smaller and quieter affair.”

But the positive thing is the family members are able to pray and break their fast together. “Usually, people are out at work, even during the fasting. This time, we are spending a lot more time together,” says Haseena.

Haseena Yaseen’s recipe for Killikoodu

Ingredients : 2 finely chopped onion, 3 green chillies, A few curry leaves, 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, 2 tsp coriander leaves, 2 boiled potatoes, 150 gm cooked chicken ( cooked with salt, turmeric and pepper powder), 1 beaten egg, 1 boiled egg and 1 cup vermicelli

Method : For the filling: Heat kadai and add 2 tspn of oil. Add finely chopped onion and green chilli, saute till light brown. Add curry leaves, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and chilli powder, saute well. Add the shredded chicken and boiled potatoes, and garam masala and coriander leaves. The filling is ready.

Shape the filling as small ball and flatten in the palm of the hand, and place a small piece of boiled egg in the centre. Wrap the filling around the egg. Dip this ball in a bowl of beaten egg and roll in a bowl of vermicelli and deep fry. Repeat till the filling and till the boiled eggs are over.

R Mohammed Ali, who runs a garment business, is of the same opinion. “It’s been a happy and content month of Ramzan fasting this time. As my mother prepares kanji (rice porridge) for Iftar, I help her in the kitchen to make crisp vadas as accompaniment. I have never done this before. As food supplies are hit, we keep it simple — for example a fruit chaat with whatever we have.”

Time is moving a lot slower, says Mohammed Saleem, who has never missed fasting in 10 years, but he feels everything is more meaningful and intimate. “I miss my nonbu kanji though,” sighs Saleem. In South India, during Ramzan, most mosques offer this mildly-spiced rice porridge made with lentils. This year, because of the lockdown, preparing nonbu kanji at the mosques is banned. Instead, Saleem keeps his energy levels going with steamed vegetables and salads. “Our meals are more vegetarian, as getting meat is difficult.”

Shaima Saleem rings in Ramzan the Malabari way with kaiveeshal appam, a snack made with beaten eggs, sugar and refined flour. “You have to mix them all together. Then, pour the batter over oil through the hole of a coconut shell. You can make shapes like jalebi. Children love it.”

Shaima Saleem’s recipe for Kaiveeshal Appam

Ingredients : 125gms maida flour, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, a pinch of cardamom powder, salt, 1 cup oil (to fry)

Method : In a bowl, beat the eggs with a fork or hand mixer. Then, add sugar, cardamom powder, and a pinch of salt and mix well. Then, add maida little by little and mix well, till you get the flowing consistency, not too think or too thick.

Heat oil in a pan. Take a coconut shell with a hole. Close the hole with one finger and pour the batter to the shell. Bring it over the pan and then remove the finger and pour the batter in circles like jalebi. Fry both sides till done.

Haseena says, “Our friends love the Iftar spread, especially kilikoodu. It is made with mashed potatoes and minced meat coated with a layer of egg, and broken vermicelli on top for the crunch. And chatti pathiri, a layered pancake made with shredded chicken. The dish resembles a lasagna. For the sweet version, the filling is usually a mix of grated coconut, sugar and dry fruits.”

Some of Shaima’s other specialities include nendran pazham rolls stuffed with grated and fried coconut, ghee and dry fruits, called unnakai; erachi pathiri made with minced meat (now replaced with minced soya) and thari kanji made with sooji, vermicelli, and milk. “What we miss the most is not being able to distribute the goodies to our neighbours,” she says.

Here are Haseena Yaseen’s recipes of Malabar snacks:

Carrot Pola

Ingredients: 2 carrots, 1/2 cup water, 5 eggs, 4 tbsp sugar, 5 tbsp milk powder, 1 tbsp ghee

Method : Cut carrot into pieces and boil in water. Add the boiled carrot, eggs, sugar, milk powder, ghee and blend in a blender.

Pour in the mixture in a flat-bottomed kadai greased with ghee.

Place the kadai on top of a tawa and keep it on fire to get an evenly-steamed carrot pola. Keep on low heat for about 15 minutes till a stick inserted comes out clean.

Chicken cake

Ingredients (for the chicken filling)

1 cup boneless chicken, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp pepper powder, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/4 tsp cut ginger, 1/4 tsp cut garlic, salt, 3 tsp oil, 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste,1 crushed green chilli, 2 finely-chopped big onions, 1/4 tsp garam masala powder, a handful of coriander leaves.

Ingredients (for cake)

3 eggs, 1/2 cup coconut oil, 1 cup milk,1 cup maida

Method:

Cook boneless chicken with turmeric powder, pepper powder, chilli powder and salt and keep aside. Shred the cooked chicken in a blender. Heat oil in a kadai. Add ginger-garlic paste and wait for the raw smell to disappear. Add crushed green chilli and finely-chopped onion. Add garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric powder, and coriander leaves. Add shredded chicken and mix well. Turn off the flame and keep aside. In a blender, add eggs, milk, coconut oil and maida and blend well. Add the prepared chicken filling and mix well. Pour this mixture into a flat-bottomed kadai greased with oil and place the kadai on top of a pan. Keep on low heat for 20 minutes, then flip the kadai upside down on the pan to heat the upper portion of the chicken cake for five minutes in low heat. Remove from flame when evenly cooked and a stick inserted comes out clean, Wait for it to cool down.

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#Health

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pullgram4-blog · 5 years

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How to Make Your Life Easier with an Instant Pot

Pot roast in about 45 minutes. Kale. Hard-boiled eggs. Ribs. Quiche. Chicken wings. Cheesecake with no cracks in it. Steel-cut oatmeal. With an Instant Pot, these dishes are possible with less time, mess, skill, and fuss. We hear no mention of this seemingly miracle device among many of the mainstream-media chefs, but there’s a growing (not-so) underground movement bolstering this special multi-cooker.

Able to slash cooking time by 70 percent, the Instant Pot is the unexpected champion of kitchen appliances that has birthed its own genre of cookbooks, fan groups, and blogs. It does the job of seven kitchen appliances in one countertop device: pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, sauté pot, steamer, warmer, and yogurt maker. And it’s an Amazon best seller, with an average 4.7/5 rating out of almost 12,000 reviews. It’s like that old Crock-Pot craze, but multiplied by seven.

A hit for its efficiency and follow-through on all its promises, it’s especially won over busy full-time workers who have to come home and throw together meals without a plan. Besides decluttering your countertop and cooking super-fast (which is more than enough as it is!), the Instant Pot can relieve your pressure-cooker phobia with sensors to tell you when the lid is safely locked. The food world’s diverse special interest groups like the Paleo community, gluten-free eaters, and vegans are standing together behind the Instant Pot. (Why can’t it just be called the Instapot, and be done with it? Off topic…)

So check out the Instapot, ahem, Instant Pot options, and then a few of our hand-picked recipes that use them.

Top-Rated Instant Pot | Buy Now

Amazon

This is the one that earned almost 12,000 reviews averaging such a high rating. It’s officially called the Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Pressure Cooker, 6Qt/1000W 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Cooker. Phew! That’s a mouthful. The large control panel has14 programs, including dual pressure (high pressure cooks it fast, low pressure avoids overcooking delicate food), automatic keep-warm, and three temperatures for sautéing and slow cooking. There are 10 proven safety mechanisms. It has a three-ply bottom stainless steel cooking pot, stainless steel steam rack with handle, a manual, and recipes in English, Spanish, Chinese, and French. Buy it here.

Least Expensive | Buy Now

Amazon

There are 10 programs instead of 14 in this device that costs about $25 less than the most popular one. Called the Instant Pot IP-LUX60 6-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker, 6-Quart 1000-Watt 6-in-1 Multi-Functional Cooker, it includes a pressure cooker, sauté/browning, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, and warmer. It basically just doesn’t have the yogurt maker, which in many reviews, people didn’t use anyway. Buy it here.

High End | Buy Now

Amazon

For about $60 more than the popular one, this second-most popular version has bluetooth so you can program it with your phone. Called the Instant Pot IP-Smart Bluetooth-Enabled Multifunctional Pressure Cooker, Stainless Steel, you can program and monitor cooking with a free app from an Android, iPhone, or iPad. It has the same 14 built-in smart programs, dual pressure, automatic keep-warm and three temperatures for sauté, slow cook, and keep-warm. Besides the stainless steel steam rack with handle, manual, and recipes, it also comes with silicone mini mitts. Buy it here.

Cookbook| Buy Now

Amazon

You might want some recipes besides the few that come with the manual and whatever you find online. The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook: Easy Recipes for Fast & Healthy Meals is an Amazon shopper favorite. You’ll explore a variety of healthy, easy-to-make pressure cooker recipes ― from savory breakfasts to hearty stews to decadent desserts. And there are vegetarian, gluten-free, and Paleo-friendly options so it can be your go-to guide for fuss-free, all-in-one cooking. You’ll get 100 low-maintenance recipes that can take 20 to 45 minutes. Buy it here.

Also, check out these recipe ideas:

Lemongrass Coconut Chicken

Nomnompaleo

This weeknight recipe converts a NomnomPaleo blog fave from a slow cooker recipe into an easy 30-minute meal. It’s a Thai-inspired chicken stew packed with the cook’s favorite flavors, and it pairs perfectly with cauliflower rice and stir-fried bok choy. Get the recipe.

Butternut Squash Risotto

makerealfood

This is a vegan and gluten-free dinner idea that takes a wonderful dish (risotto) that usually takes a lot of time and stirring. This one can be done in 15 minutes and mostly hands-off. There’s also greens, red bell pepper, garlic, mushrooms, and spices inside this creamy dish. Get the recipe.

Garlic Herb Pot Roast

Wellness Mama

Pot Roast is a go-to recipe for slow cookers, and so it is with this new tool. But an eight-hour recipe takes about 45 minutes with an Instant Pot. Somehow with the Instant Pot, the flavors intensify and the meat gets more tender, so less seasoning is needed. Get the recipe.

Lentil Spinach Dal

flavorrd

Straightforward, inexpensive, this is a great recipe that you can remember without the recipe in no time and make whenever. Besides being packed with flavor, those spices — turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and garlic — all offer functional health benefits to reduce inflammation in the body. Get the recipe.

Pressure Cooker Meat Lovers Crustless Quiche

Pressure Cooking Today

OK, in a way, this is more like a frittata. It’s a crustless quiche loaded with ham, bacon, sausage, and cheese that “bakes” up light and fluffy in the Instant Pot. Of course, you can easily adjust the recipe to what you have on hand, one of the beauties of quiche (or frittatas). Get the recipe.

Instant Pot Oreo Cheesecake

My Baking Addiction

We promised cheesecake, and we deliver. This one is creamy, dense, and yep, no cracks at the cook’s first try. You’ll still need a springform pan. And yeah, Oreos. Get the recipe.

Related Video: How to Make Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs

Header image courtesy of Phoenix Helix.

Source: https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/178920/how-to-make-your-life-easier-with-an-instant-pot/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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eggnogdoubt38-blog · 5 years

Text

How to Make Your Life Easier with an Instant Pot

So check out the Instapot, ahem, Instant Pot options, and then a few of our hand-picked recipes that use them.

Top-Rated Instant Pot | Buy Now

Amazon

Least Expensive | Buy Now

Amazon

High End | Buy Now

Amazon

Cookbook| Buy Now

Amazon

Also, check out these recipe ideas:

Lemongrass Coconut Chicken

Nomnompaleo

Butternut Squash Risotto

makerealfood

Garlic Herb Pot Roast

Wellness Mama

Lentil Spinach Dal

flavorrd

Pressure Cooker Meat Lovers Crustless Quiche

Pressure Cooking Today

Instant Pot Oreo Cheesecake

My Baking Addiction

We promised cheesecake, and we deliver. This one is creamy, dense, and yep, no cracks at the cook’s first try. You’ll still need a springform pan. And yeah, Oreos. Get the recipe.

Related Video: How to Make Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs

Header image courtesy of Phoenix Helix.

Source: https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/178920/how-to-make-your-life-easier-with-an-instant-pot/

0 notes

weknowrice · 5 years

Text

The Best Rice Cookers

NOTE: As an Amazon Associate, We Know Rice earns from qualifying purchases. This post includes Amazon links throughout.

Looking to purchase a good rice cooker for your kitchen but don’t know which one you should get? You’ve come to the right place! There are several rice makers in the market, but not all of them will give you value for your money.

In this rice cooker buying guide, we’ve listed the Top 10 best rice cookers to help you make sure you have an informed choice on your investment.

In a Hurry? This is the Best Rice Cooker

Zojirushi NS-ZCC10/18

Japanese brand Zojirushi has exceeded our expectations to become the best overall rice cooker by creating the NS-ZCC10 and NS-ZCC18 units. Definitely a cooker for the future and worthy to be named the best rice cooker in 2020, the NS-ZCC features high-tech and advanced Neuro-fuzzy logic technology, allowing the device to “think for itself.” It learns and masters the different temperatures, time, and heat requirements needed to cook a perfect serving of rice every time.

With a wide array of features and a fine selection of menu settings for all types of rice, the NS-ZCC10 (5.5-cup capacity) and NS-ZCC18 (10-cup capacity) Zojirushi rice cooker models guarantee a seamless and stress-free process of preparing rice through the use of innovative and advanced technology.

Read our full Zojirushi NS-ZCC10/18 review

Are rice cookers worth it?

For some, cooking may seem like a tedious activity. Plenty don’t have the luxury of time or energy to make their own home-cooked meals, so they opt to eat out or order food from restaurants. But this isn’t always the best choice. Luckily, the advent of rice cookers has made preparing meals a lot easier (as long as you get the right one). Investing in a good cooker will give you a kitchen companion that will make the process simpler and significantly reduce cooking time, giving you the chance to prepare your home-cooked meals while still meeting the demands of your fast-paced lifestyle.

What to look for in a rice cooker?

Capacity

The first and foremost thing to consider when choosing rice cooker brands is capacity. This would depend on how much rice you’re aiming to cook per cycle. Of course, the bigger the serving sizes you want, the bigger your cooker should be.

For single-family households, a 3-cup capacity rice cooker will be more than enough to cook rice for a day’s meal. On the other hand, bigger families are best to opt for a bigger cooker with at least a 10-cup capacity.

Ultimately, it all depends on how much rice you’re going to cook. Take into consideration how often you’re going to eat rice and how many servings you want to yield in one cycle.

Features and Functions

The features and functions to look for in a rice cooker would depend on your needs and preferences. For instance, if you’re the type of person who loves to cook, then a multi-functional cooker that has the ability to prepare different rice and dishes would be the best choice. But if you’re looking for a simple, fool-proof, and easy-to-navigate appliance, then a basic cooker with simple features would do the trick.

Some general functions that would be ideal to have in a rice cooker are:

Keep warm – to allow you to reheat and keep your rice warm and at optimal serving temperature even after the cooking cycle

Timer – to easily set the duration of the cooking time

Induction heating – to maintain rice consistency. Induction heating systems utilize the entire cooking pot as a source of heat through heat distribution instead of solely having the heating element at the bottom. With an induction heating cooker, you can make perfectly cooked rice and you’ll avoid burnt, inedible grains at the bottom of the pot.

Easy-to-Clean

A rice cooker should not only help make the cooking process easier, but it should also be easy to clean, so as to avoid the hassle of washing and rinsing the cooker after use.

Ideally, the parts of the cooker, such as the inner pan, lid, etc. should be detachable for easy washing. You might also opt for stainless steel, non-stick inner pots so as to avoid the difficulty of scrubbing food residue on the pan.

Accessories

Many rice cookers come with accessories such as a measuring cup, spatula, rice scoop holder, etc. Although accessories are not absolutely essential, investing in a cooker that comes with these useful kitchen gadgets will save you the extra cost of purchasing them separately.

Types of Rice Cookers

Standard Rice Cooker

The most common and basic rice cookers in the market are standard rice cookers. These are the conventional electric kinds in which you put rice and water in the inner pot, flick the single switch, and the preparation process begins. The heat used to cook the rice usually comes from the bottom of the cooker and spreads to the other parts of the inner pot. Built-in thermal sensors then signal the cooker that all the water has been absorbed and evaporated. This tells it that the rice is cooked and it automatically flicks the switch from “cook” to “heat.”

Standard cookers are very simple to use and are ideal for those who want to simplify and add convenience to their cooking experience without all the bells and whistles of innovative and advanced technology. They may not be the best and smartest cookers, but they’re tremendously cheap and easy to use.

Digital Rice Cooker

Digital rice cookers can be considered as new and improved versions of standard, conventional ones. They have more functions and features that are navigable using simple buttons in a digital control panel. Usually, the added options include an on/off setting, rice warming function, cooking timer, delay timer, and brown rice or white rice menu selections.

Digital rice cookers give more control to the users to select and choose whichever feature they want to activate through the LCD control panel. They have a slight improvement in terms of rice quality, basically because you can select the options and actions taken by the cooker.

Multi-Functional Rice Cooker

With the advent of multi-functional rice cookers, this kitchen tool can now do more than cook rice. Multi-functional cookers are manufactured with the goal of being the one device you need to prepare a full meal. They are very versatile and can include a vast array of rice settings and features you can select at your leisure.

Many multi-functional rice cookers make use of advanced technology and high-tech innovations to help you cook rice perfectly every time. With their menu settings, you can get it to operate according to whatever type of rice you’re after — whether it’s plain, white rice, sushi rice, porridge, brown rice, sticky rice, etc. Not only that, but they can also double as steamers that allow you to cook vegetables, meat, fish, etc. while your rice is cooking simultaneously.

Induction Heating Rice Cooker

Induction heating rice cookers by far have the highest price range in the market. That’s owing to their advanced features and several available functions. The thing about induction heating (IH) cookers is that they don’t cook rice the same way conventional cookers do. Instead of making use of single heating elements below the cooking pot, IH cookers utilize the entire pot as a source of heat. That way, it cooks the rice at a balanced and equal temperature throughout, which results in the best quality of rice every time.

Pressure Cookers

A pressure cooker, as its name implies, adds pressure to the rice during the cooking process. When the pressure cooker selection is turned on, the cooker traps steam in the pot, which causes the density of each rice grain to change. This makes the rice softer and easier to digest. It also retains the softness and quality of the rice for a longer period of time.

Top 10 Best Rice Cookers

#10. Hamilton Beach Digital Simplicity 37549

Hamilton Beach Digital Simplicity 37549

The Hamilton Beach Digital Simplicity Rice Cooker is highly raved, with everyone wanting to have it in their homes. And there’s no question as to why. This rice cooker can cook anything, from quinoa to oatmeal. It has a large capacity and can yield up to 14 cups of rice, enough to serve the whole family plus several other dinner guests during dinner parties. What makes it even more desirable is its delay timer, making it best for busy people who like preparing their meals in advance. With this feature, you can pop the rice grains into the cooker and set the cooking cycle to start for as late as 15 hours.

Specifications of the Hamilton Beach 37549

ManufacturerHamilton BeachModel NumberDigital Simplicity 37549ColorSilver/ BlackDimensions10.25 x 10.25 x 9.5 inchesWeight4.8 lb.Max Capacity7 cups uncooked 14 cups cooked AccessoriesSteaming tray Rice paddle Measuring cup

Pros and Cons of the Hamilton Beach 37549

ProsCons

Has a steamer function

Easy to clean

Small in size despite its large capacity

Saves counter space

Budget-friendly

Easy to use

Lack of menu settings

No brown rice menu selection, unlike most rice cookers

Read our full Hamilton Beach 37549 review

#9. Tiger JKT-S10U

Tiger JKT-S10U

The Tiger JKT-S10U holds the best of the best innovations that Tiger has manufactured. This model is equipped with Tiger’s unique Tacook Cooking Plate and induction heating technology, both coming together to help you prepare two tasty dishes simultaneously. But beyond that, the JKT-S10U also does the work of a slow cooker and has synchro-cooking and bread baking functions. Whether you like your rice brown, plain, or mixed, this rice cooker can do the trick, thanks to its 11 computerized menu settings.

Specifications of the JKT-S10U

ManufacturerTigerModel NumberJKT-S10UColorBlack/ StainlessDimensions10.2 x 13.9 x 8.4 inchesWeight9.9 lb.Max Capacity5.5 cups AccessoriesCookbook

Pros and Cons of the JKT-S10U

ProsCons

Stainless steel design

Detachable parts for easy cleaning

Lack of accessories and items

Heavy weight

Read our full Tiger JKT-S10U review

#8. Cuckoo CRP-P0609S

Cuckoo CRP-P0609S

The Cuckoo CRP-P0609S is more than just a rice cooker. It has multiple functions and can double as a pressure cooker and steamer. It’s also equipped with a heating plate that’s programmed to cook anything from porridge to crispy rice. This cooker comes with a multicooker function that allows you to cook other dishes such as soup and even bread!

Other notable features of the Cuckoo CRP-P0609S include:

3-Language Voice Navigation – you can turn on the audio instructions, which can be delivered in the English, Chinese, and Korean languages.

Auto Clean Button – If you’re too busy or lazy to wash the cooker after your meals, you can always just press the Auto Clean button which will prompt the device to release a strong steam which can clean and sanitize the entire unit.

Water drainage system – gets rid of excess liquids to prevent over-cooking. The result is perfectly cooked and flawless rice after every cooking cycle, and not to mention a clean and sanitized cooker.

Specifications of the CRP-P0609S

ManufacturerCuckooModel NumberCRP-P0609SColorBlackDimensions10.1 x 11.6 x 14.2 inchesWeight14.2 lb.Max Capacity

6 cups uncooked 12 cups cooked

Accessories

Aluminum steam tray X-Wall Diamond non-stick coated aluminum inner pot Plastic rice spatula Measuring cup

Pros and Cons of the CRP-P0609S

ProsCons

Non-stick inner pot

Detachable inner lid for ease in cleaning

Can double as a pressure cooker

Heavy weight despite its medium capacity

Read our full Cuckoo CRP-P0609S review

#7. Black + Decker RC3406

Black + Decker RC3406

The Black + Decker RC3406 is one of the most reasonably-priced rice cookers in the market. It’s best for single-family households, since it only has a small capacity of 3 cups (uncooked) and 6 cups (cooked). This great rice cooker makes preparing home-cooked meals an easy and seamless experience, especially for college students or those who have busy lifestyles yet still want to prepare their meals on their own. Its 2 main functions (cook and keep warm) can be navigated through the flick of a switch and the selected function is shown through indicator lights.

Despite the simplicity of the RC3406, cooking rice is not all that it can do. This cooker also doubles as a food steamer, equipped with a plastic steaming basket that can hold a small portion of meat, veggies, or fish, among others. With this inclusion, you can steam your main dish while cooking your rice. After the quick and easy cooking cycle, you have a complete and ready-to-eat meal on the table.

Specifications of the RC3406

ManufacturerBlack + DeckerModel NumberRC3406ColorWhiteDimensions8.66 x 8.66 x 7.4 inchesWeight3.25 lb.Max Capacity3 cups uncooked 6 cups cooked AccessoriesMeasuring cup Rice paddle Plastic steamer basket

Pros and Cons of the RC3406

ProsCons

Budget friendly

Lightweight

Fool-proof

Stay cool handle

Tempered glass lid with steam vent

Easy to clean

Warm mode to keep your rice warm for long periods of time

Not suitable for large families because of its small capacity

Basic rice cooker model

Lack of functions and features

Read our full Black + Decker RC3406 review

#6. Instant Pot Lux

Instant Pot Lux

The Instant Pot Lux Mini is rated among America’s top brand of cooking appliances. It earned its title owing to its multiple cooking functions and 10 smart programs that give you a vast range of options on how you want your rice to be cooked. What makes it a family favorite, though, is that it’s 6 appliances built into 1 piece of equipment, thereby reducing clutter in the kitchen and making it easier to clean up after meals. This model also comes equipped with a keep warm function that keeps your food warm for long periods of time.

The ultimate selling point of the Instant Pot Lux is that it comes with a promise of safe user experience. With this device, you don’t have to worry about accidents and kitchen hazards. It has 10 safety mechanisms in place, including: steam release, anti-block shield, safety lid lock, lid position detection, automatic temperature control, overheat (burn) protection, automatic pressure control, electrical fuse, thermal fuse, and leaky lid detection.

Specifications of the Instant Pot Lux

ManufacturerInstant PotModel NumberLUX-MINIColorBlackDimensions11.50 x 10.51 x 10.51 inchesWeight8.49 lb.Max Capacity6 cups uncooked 12 cups cooked AccessoriesStainless steel steam rack Rice paddle Soup spoon Measuring cup Recipe Book

Pros and Cons of the Instant Pot Lux

ProsCons

Abundance of accessories that come with the cooker

Stainless steel inner cooking pot and steam rack

Dishwasher safe

Can be used with the Instant Pot Mobile App

Safety features

Delay timer

Slow cooker function is limited to 4 hours

Not the best for advanced home cooks

Read our full Instant Pot Lux review

#5. Tiger JBV-A10U

Tiger JBV-A10U

The Tiger JBV-A10U is a multifunctional electric rice cooker that’s perfect for beginners and those who easily get confused with buttons and digital controls. This rice cooker has a full range of functions and features that rewrite the cooking experience, while being easy to use at the same time. Equipped with Tiger’s unique “tacook” function, you can steam your viand simultaneously with the rice in one cooking cycle without having the flavors and textures affect each other.

The JBV-A10U gives you the freedom to choose between 4 different cooking settings. If you like your rice brown or plain, you can have it with this cooker. It also has slow cook and synchro-cooking functions. Upon choosing a cooking option, the rice cooker will adjust its heat, timer, and temperature settings to prepare your great tasting rice.

Specifications of the JBV-A10U

ManufacturerJapan Tiger Corporation of USAModel NumberJBV-A10UColorWhiteDimensions13.8 x 10.6 x 8.4 inchesWeight5.7 lbMax Capacity2.25 cups uncooked 5.5 cups cooked AccessoriesNonstick spatula Cooking plate Measuring cup Cookbook

Pros and Cons of the JBV-A10U

ProsCons

Perfect for beginners

All accessories are dishwasher safe for easy cleanup

Easy to clean

Solid and reliable

Short lifespan

Inner pot is prone to nicks and scratches

Read our full Tiger JBV-A10U review

#4. Oster 6-Cup 4722

Oster 6-Cup 4722

The Oster 6-Cup Rice Cooker looks small and compact in size, but don’t judge a book by its cover just yet. More than making rice, this rice cooker also doubles as a steamer. It comes with a steaming tray that can hold a good portion of meat, fish, and vegetables. That means that you can cook your side dish simultaneously with your rice and prepare an entire meal in one cooking cycle.

To ramp up the cooking process, the Oster 6-cup rice cooker has removed all the complications and multiple buttons to navigate the menu settings. It makes operating the cooker so much simpler by using a one-touch menu function that allows you to start and end the cooking process in a touch of a button.

Specifications of the Oster 4722

ManufacturerOsterModel Number00-4722-000-000ColorRedDimensions9.2 x 10.2 x 9.5 inchesWeight3.44 lbMax Capacity3 cups uncooked 6 cups cooked AccessoriesSteaming tray Measuring cup Ladle

Pros and Cons of the Oster 4722

ProsCons

Compact and lightweight

Multi-cooker

Tempered glass lid for monitoring the cooking progress

Best buy due to its cheap price

Not suitable for big families due to its small capacity

Lack of menu selections and settings to cook different types of rice

Limited features

Lacks durability

Read our full Oster 6-Cup 4722 review

#3. Zojirushi NP-NVC10

Zojirushi NP-NVC10

The NP-NVC10 rice cooker and warmer is one of Zojirushi’s best top-of-the-line rice cookers. Similar to the previous NS-ZCC model, this cooker makes use of advanced Neuro Fuzzy logic technology with artificial intelligence to aid the cooking cycle and yield high-quality and perfectly cooked rice, exactly how you like it. This stainless steel rice cooker is also equipped with several menu settings you can choose from. It has the ability to cook any type of rice you want, including 2 healthy meal options.

Other features of the NP-NVC10 include:

Induction heating – it uses the entire inner pot as a heat conductor, therefore balancing the temperature inside the rice maker and yielding rice cooked to perfection throughout.

Pressure cooker system – pressure cooking traps steam in the pot, which makes for softer and fluffier rice.

Keep Warm Monitor – can detect how many times the lid of the rice cooker has been opened and for how long. This will help it determine the amount of rice left in the cooking bowl and adjust its temperature to heat the remaining quantities of rice optimally.

Specifications of the NPC-NVC10

ManufacturerZojirushiModel NumberNP-NVC10ColorStainless BrownDimensions15.4 x 10.1 x 8.6 inchesWeight13 lb.Max Capacity5.5 cups AccessoriesSpatula Rice spoon holder Measuring cups

Pros and Cons of the NPC-NVC10

ProsCons

Wide range of menu selections

Healthy cooking options

Non-stick coating in the inner cooking pan

Stainless steel material

A lot of buttons

Difficult to understand without reading the user manual

One of the most expensive rice cookers in the market

Read our full Zojirushi NPC-NVC10 review

#2. Aroma ARC-743-1NGR

Aroma ARC-743-1NGR

If you think the Aroma ARC 743-1NGR can only make rice, you’re in for a treat. This unit can prepare an entire meal during a single cooking cycle. Equipped with an aluminum steaming tray, you can steam veggies, meat, fish, and even dumplings with your rice cooking underneath. You can even experiment with soups, chili, jambalaya, and more.

Are you the type to get confused with too many buttons and settings? Well, the ARC-743-1NGR makes the cooking process easier with its simple, one-touch operation. All it takes is one press of a button, and you’ll have tasty and fluffy rice in no time.

Specifications of the ARC-743-1NGR

ManufacturerAroma HousewaresModel NumberARC-743-1NGRColorRed, Black, WhiteDimensions8.1 x 11.1 x 10.4 inchesWeight3.3 lbMax Capacity

3 cups uncooked rice 6 cups of cooked rice

Accessories

Nonstick inner pot Aluminum steam basket Plastic serving spatula Measuring cup

Pros and Cons of the ARC-743-1NGR

ProsCons

Lightweight

Dishwasher safe parts

Tempered glass lid for easy viewing

Affordable

Unfit for large families due to its small capacity

Lack of cooking menus to cook rice varieties

Read our full Aroma ARC-743-1NGR review

#1. Zojirushi NS-ZCC10/18

Zojirushi NS-ZCC10/18

The Zojirushi NS-ZCC10/18 fuzzy logic rice cooker is definitely one of the most high-tech cookers in the market. It’s made with the innovative Neuro Fuzzy logic technology that learns and masters the cooking cycle for any kind of rice (or other food!) you wish. Whether it be brown rice, white rice, sushi, or porridge, the NS-ZCC10 (5.5 cup capacity) and NS-ZCC18 (10 cup capacity) can make it for you. By utilizing its temperature sensor and heat settings according to the selected menu option, it can yield tasty and perfect rice every time. There’s really no question as to why we have hailed it the best rice cooker for 2020.

Other features of the Zojirushi ZCC10/18 are:

10 different menu settings – including: white (softer or harder), regular, sushi, mixed rice, porridge, sweet, semi-brown, brown rice, rinse-free, and quick cooking.

Microcomputer technology – this MICOM rice cooker adjusts settings like temperature and heat on its own, eliminating the need for you to monitor the cooking progress.

Automatic Keep Warm and Extended Keep Warm Settings – lets you keep your rice at optimal serving temperature for long periods of time.

Specifications of the NS-ZCC10/18

ManufacturerZojirushiModel NumberNS-ZCC10/18ColorPremium WhiteDimensions11-⅛ x 14-¼ x 9-½ inchesWeight10.63 lbMax Capacity

NS-ZCC10: 5.5 cups NS-ZCC18: 10 cups

Accessories

Spatula Spatula Holder 1 regular measuring cup 1 rinse-free measuring cup

Pros and Cons of the NS-ZCC10/18

ProsCons

Low maintenance

Advanced technology

Variety of menu settings

Easy carry and transport

Extra large, easy-to-read LCD display

Might be difficult to navigate

Basic body design

A little pricey

Read our full Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker NS-ZCC10/18 review

Top 10 Best Rice Cookers in 2020 Comparison

RankRice CookerModelPriceFunctionalityQualityTotal RatingCheck Prices on Amazon1

Zojirushi NS-ZCC10/1810101010

Aroma ARC-743-1NGR109109.7

Zojirushi NP-NVC10810109.3

Oster 6-Cup 47229999.0

Tiger JBV-A10U8998.7

Instant Pot Lux9898.7

Black + Decker RC340610888.7

Cuckoo CRP-P0609S79108.7

Tiger JKT-S10U8888.0

Hamilton Beach Digital Simplicity 375498888.0

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Final Note

Investing in a rice cooker will give you a kitchen companion that can help you prepare tasty, home-cooked meals faster and easier. There are tons of available rice cookers in the market, but they all differ based on capacity, functionality, features, technologies, etc. The key to finding the rice cooker that’s perfect for you is to figure out your needs and preferences. Once you’ve got that lined up, then you’re bound to find a perfect rice cooker that suits you and your household.

This rice cooker review lists the top 10 best cookers in the market when it comes to the standards of cooking perfect rice, easy-to-use features, advanced technology, and performance quality. Take a look at our other rice cooker reviews to read and learn more about cookers that are worth your investment.

The post The Best Rice Cookers appeared first on We Know Rice.

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healthyeating43-blog · 5 years

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Eat Out Less with These 6 Tips

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Eat Out Less with These 6 Tips

The median American spends merely over $3,000 a year on dining out, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Lunch alone can rack up an annual bill of $2,000.

As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I’ve expended the last 20 years teaching thousands of people how to improve their diets, and one of my most frequent recommendations to clients is that they cook more for themselves. Not everyone accepts that recommendation easily; clients come to me with all sorts of excuses about why they buy their meals instead of inducing them: no time , no groceries, social obligations. But the financial and health benefits of cook for yourself far outweigh any of the perceived downsides.

A 2017 study in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found that people who eat home-cooked snacks at least five times a week eat more fruits and vegetables and are 28 percent less likely to have an overweight BMI. It’s not only about weight, either. Recent research published in the American Journal of Preventive medicine suggests that the snacks we cook at home are higher quality than the ones we buy at restaurants, based on a Healthy Eating Index that measures things like whole foods and empty calories.

Cooking at home is easy once you’ve stimulated it a habit, but getting started can be difficult. Here’s how to get past some of the most common barriers to stimulating more of your own meals.

Go Shopping

It sounds obvious, but it’s a lot harder to cook from home when your pantry is bare. I’ve worked with clients who are made a grocery run every couple of weeks, which entailed they eat a lot of takeout. I recommend doing at the least one dedicated grocery shop a week for fresh make and meat, and keeping staples on hand that attain last-minute meals easy. I always have cooking aids like onions, garlic, olive oil, and chicken broth in my kitchen, and I maintain nonperishables like canned tuna, beans, and pasta on the shelf, falafels and shrimp in the freezer, and eggs and Parmesan in the fridge.

When you first start shopping and cooking for yourself, there’s a lot of trial and error to participate in knowing just how much to buy and how much you’re going to eat in a week, as well as how much to freeze. That’s completely normal. With practice you’ll get a better idea of what a week’s worth of food looks like. It can be helpful to look at your calendar before you shop–if you’re traveling or attending dinner parties, for example, you’ll want to scheme around them.

If you’d love to shop more but don’t because you’re busy, a grocery-delivery service like Amazon, Instacart, or Peapod can be a great style to get what you need without setting foot in the store.

Don’t Be Afraid of Preprepped Ingredients

Cooking from home doesn’t mean you have to build elaborate snacks from scratch. I buy plenty of preprepared ingredients to help me create dishes for my family. A rotisserie chicken can be enjoyed on its own or repurposed in enchiladas or a potpie( simply add a store-bought crust and frozen veggies ). Chicken broth attains quick soups and hearty steamed grains, jarred Indian sauces like butter chicken and tikka masala can make a simple stir-fry a dinner, and even a tray of cut vegetables runs if you know you detest prepping vegetables and are unlikely to construct the time to do it. Do everything you can to stimulate your new life as a home chef easy. It’s all about doing the very best, changing your habits, and using every available shortcut you need. No judgment.

Have the Right Tools and the Right Space

It’s tough to get being encouraged to cook if your kitchen isn’t comfortable, clean, and coordinated. Take an hour to clear counter jumble, coordinate your closets, and clean out your fridge and freezer. Simple things like easy-access cutting boards and neat counters build cooking a lot more enjoyable.

The right tools make a difference, too. Invest in a few key basics like sturdy storage containers( I prefer glass because it’s easy to clean and doesn’t leaching chemicals into food during reheating ), a Dutch oven or large cast-iron pan, baking sheets, and a slow cooker. You’ll also need a couple of good knives, including an eight-inch chef’s knife( my favourites come from Wusthof and Henckels ), and at least two cutting boards.

Build Foods That Can Be Repurposed

Meal prepping doesn’t mean you have to eat the same thing for four days straight-out. Some snacks, like casseroles or pasta dishes, don’t change much once you’ve built them, but my favorite strategy is to cook single ingredients simply so I can assemble them into different dishes throughout the week.

For instance, if you prepare one or two proteins, like grilled chicken breasts and simmered black beans; a starch, like roasted potatoes or a pot of rice; and a few vegetables, like pan-roasted brussels sprouts, salad greens, and crudites, you can remix them into all sorts of dishes through the week. Use the chicken breasts in a salad, then with the beans and rice and roasted vegetables in a burrito bowl. The chicken, potatoes, and roasted veggies make another easy meal, the vegetables and potatoes combine for a delicious frittata, and the beans can be folded into a protein-packed breakfast burrito.

Know That You’re Worth It

Cooking is self-care. I’ve worked with a lot of clients who want to invest in their own wellness, but they’re too busy with run, household, and a dozen other responsibilities to make it happen. Nourishing, home-cooked dinners don’t have to be complicated or time-consuming, and they’re a critical part of overall well-being.

If you’re hung up on investing period and fund into cooking for one, remember that the same care we extend to others–kids, partners, friends, and family that we might be more inclined to cook for–we should extend to ourselves. You’ll be able to give more back in your work and personal life if you’re taking care of your own wants first. It’s like the emergency instructions on an airplane: put your mask on before helping others.

Good Is Better Than Perfect

In nutrition, there is no such thing as perfection .~ ATAGEND It’s all about doing the best you are able to. Some weeks will be better than others, but don’t let a few takeout dinners deter you. All-or-nothing believing is one of the more common saboteurs that I ensure among my clients: they think that if they’re not meeting all their dietary goals, they are likely as well not be stimulating changes at all. It can become a major barrier to progress, because it introduces stress and dread of failing into the equation. Instead of setting hard-and-fast rules and lofty goals, remember that you’re aiming for a change in lifestyle–and that takes time. Even replacing one eatery snack a week with a meal you’ve made yourself is a move in the right direction. I always tell people: as long as you’re heading in the right direction, it doesn’t matter how slowly you go.