In this day and age everyone is always on the go and lead very busy lives. I know this all too well, between working, going to classes, doing homework, and studying for tests there’s not enough hours in the day. One thing that I like to do is use store bought foods and tweaking them by adding a personal touch to it. One way in which I do this is when I make quesadillas. I like to get store bought rotisserie chicken and some store bought tortillas for a quick and easy meal (look for the recipe in the recipe section of the blog). Using the store bought items and adding some ingredients I have at home gives it a personal touch and I have a meal in the matter of minutes without all of the hassle. Another way that I tweak store bought items is when I make cupcakes. I’m still learning to bake stuff from scratch but for now using the store bought cake mix to make cupcakes will do! Using the box mix allows you to add your own touches to the cupcakes. For example I do this with chocolate cupcakes. Having a plain cupcake with some store bought frosting can get a little boring but this is your chance to let your creative side out. Try using some different toppings, or even tweaking the frosting its self too (look under the recipe section for the recipe that goes along with this tip). The possibilities are endless when it comes to tweaking store bought items; this is your chance to see how creative you can get in the kitchen.
Month: May 2018
Rice Cooker=Life Saver
One of the kitchen appliances that I have found the most beneficial has been my rice cooker. Coming from a Hispanic background, rice is included with almost all of our dishes. From as far back as I can remember my mom has included rice in all of our family meals. The reason why I love using the rice cooker is because of its convenience. I can add all of the ingredients, set it and not come back till the rice is done cooking. I don’t have to stand there mixing the rice or keeping an eye on it to make sure that it doesn’t burn. This gives me the time to focus on the other things I will be including in my meal that night. The rice has the same great taste as if you made it on the stove. Another big plus is that the rice cooks in less time than it would on the stove. So if you’re in a time crunch to get dinner on the table or you want prepare something quickly to eat then the rice cooker will come in handy.
There are many rice cookers out on the market. There are some that make large quantities of rice and there are some that just make a few cups of rice. When searching in the stores or looking on line you will have to make sure to read how many cups can be made with the rice cooker. There are many places where you could purchase the rice cookers. Some of them are Target, Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, JCPenny, and Macy’s. Each store has them for different price so you would have to do some research to see which store has the rice cooker that fall within your price range. For me the rice cooker has been a great investment and I would recommend it for anyone who loves to eat a lot of rice and wants the ease and convenience to make it.
How to Take Care of Non-Stick Pans
Learning how to take care of your non-stick pans is a very important lesson to learn from the start. Trust me! I have learned this lesson first hand. Damaging your non-stick pans because of not knowing how to take care of them is a disaster, or at least I believe it is lol. But learning how to take care of the pans is a very easy task. There are just two simple things that you have to remember when taking care of your non-stick pans. The first thing to remember is, when washing the pan don’t use any harsh wired sponges to clean the pan. The second thing to keep in mind when taking care of the pans is to use the proper non-stick cooking utensils when cooking. These two things are important to keep in mind because using harsh wired sponges to clean the pans and not using non-stick cooking utensils will damage the non-stick coating of the pans. Once the non-stick coating is damaged anything that you will cook in the pan will stick no matter what you may put in the pan to prevent it.
Burlington: The Hidden Gem
When we hear the name Burlington we think of clothes, shoes, coats, and accessories. But who would have thought that it would be a hidden gem when it comes to cookware. This was a major shock to me when I found out that you could also purchase stuff for your kitchen there as well.. I had been to many places searching for some non-stick pans. I had found some in other department stores but they were out of my price range. Then one day on a shopping trip to Burlington I stumbled upon their cookware and cooking utensil section. I felt as if I had hit the jackpot because I had been searching for the pans for a very long time. They had a good selection of things as well as good prices that were in budget for me. As I looked through the shelves of items I found what I had been looking for. I had found some non-stick pans, that were the sizes I wanted, and thankfully within my price range. I have had the pans for a little over 3 months and they have worked very well. They may not have as wide a selection as other department stores but it’s a good place to search for cookware when you’re on a budget.