The kitchen is a nightmare and a dream combined. You need to eat – the healthier the better – but cooking and cleanup can be exhausting! Talk about a Catch-22. Here are some tools that have helped me navigate the kitchen better.
Crock Pot
I usually start to wear down mid-afternoon/early evening. The worst part is that I can’t prepare the dinner I planned to make. So my husband takes the boys out to eat, orders a to-go dinner for me, and we spend more money.
My crock pot lets me put together the meal in the morning when my energy is higher, so we have a great dinner even when I’m falling asleep on the couch right before dinner. You’re probably thinking that you’ll never be able to eat all of that food. That means you have leftovers that you can refrigerate or freeze for later. Easy cooking for today, easy meals for later.
Iced Tea Maker
Iced tea is my drink of choice (I am Southern, after all). An iced tea maker is a cheap and easy way to make my own. Fill pot to water line and pour into the machine. Add ice and sugar / Splenda / other sweeteners / nothing at all into the pitcher. Put tea bags in the basket and turn it on. It turns off automatically when it’s done. Steep as long as you want, then there’s your tea. I calculated that brewing our own iced tea is at lease 13 times cheaper than buying the cans.
Rice Cooker
I never cooked rice before I got my rice cooker because it required babysitting. I had to make sure I cooked it the perfect amount of time and stirred it the right number of times.
Not now. I fill the measuring cup (it’s included) with rice one or twice, depending on how much rice I want. Then I use the measuring to add double the liquid (broth is my favorite, but water works fine). If I need to steam anything, I put in the steamer tray and throw in the food. Then I push a button. When it’s done, it beeps. I use the paddle to fluff it a little, and that’s it. Now I usually make rice every week – or let my kids do it.
Accessories
Crock Pot Liners
The downside to crock pot cooking is the baked-on gunk that is so hard to clean. These liners make clean-up easy. Putting the liner in and then adding the ingredients means nothing gets cooked onto the sides of the crock pot. On the rare occasions we have leftovers, I can just pick up the liner and tuck the leftovers into a storage container. I hate cleaning so I make sure we have plenty of these around.
Five-in-one opener
This small tool is a powerhouse, especially if you’re like me and have hand weakness. Have you noticed that water bottle caps are getting smaller and smaller? I cannot open them myself…unless I have my opener. Then it’s easy. Even bottles with bigger caps can be a struggle…unless I have my opener. I also use it to pop soda tops and open ring tops on soup, etc.
The handle has pictures of how to use it, so you don’t have to remember it or find an instruction manual anytime you want to use it I have 3 – one in my drawer at home, one in my walker bag, and one in my purse so I can use it at home or away.
Jar Opener
Since my left hand is weak, I can’t open most jars without assistance. I felt so helpless, since I couldn’t enjoy my favorite salsa or heat up pasta sauce if I was the only one at home. I got an Oxo because it’s easier for me to grip the bigger handle. I don’t have to ask for help opening jars anymore.
Whew! I’ve hardly even gotten started. Keep checking back here for more picks.