Work Smarter, Not Harder

When people shy away from preparing homecooked meals, I often hear one of the reasons is because cooking is too complicated, or there are too many steps. I'm here to not only encourage you to get back into the kitchen, but I'm also going to emphasize that you do so with several tools that will make your cooking experiences 100% less complicated. First up; Kitchen Gadgets and tools.

1. Airfryer: I will be honest, I was late to the "Airfryer Party" but it really is a game-changer. Cuts your cooking time in half, food is crispy and crunchy without all of the oil from being fried, and it heats leftovers perfectly. Most if not all air fryers are pretty bulky so be prepared to make storage space for it when it's not being used or try to find the cutest one you can so it won't look like an eyesore on your kitchen counter. Also, the clean-up is very easy. (Some newer model ovens have this capability built-in)

2. Stand Mixer: Years ago I was gifted a high-quality stand mixer and I immediately understood its value. From mixing ingredients for holiday baked treats to whipping potatoes, this hands-free device allows me confidently multitask while in the kitchen. I still have my trusty hand mixer, but the freedom that the stand mixer provides is priceless. Also, it came with several attachments that have kicked my home-cooking skills up a notch.

3. Vacuum Sealer: To know me is to know that I LOVE and live by freezer bags, and I will freeze ANYTHING. But I learned through trial and error that while freezer bags are great, they still allow for small amounts of air to get into the bags, leaving the food freezer burned. My husband being the gadget lover that he took this opportunity to purchase and introduce me to vacuum sealers, and I have been forever changed. After thawing and reheating something after it has been vacuumed sealed is very similar to cooking it fresh. The sealing process of removing all the air really locks in all of the flavors. With all of the air being sucked out of the package, the vacuum bag shrinks and is pretty flat and compressed, making freezer storage very easy.

4. Chopper: Chopping fresh fruit and vegetables by hand is a therapeutic task for me, however, it is also a very labor-intensive task. Investing in a food chopper allows you to quickly clean your produce, then easily, evenly chop it up using this small tool. Most if not all food choppers are pretty compact, making them really easy to store. (a food processor can also be substituted in place of a chopper if it has the required attachments) When my now 15 and 8-year-old kids were babies, I used to use a food chopper to make their baby food.

5. Deep Freezer: If your anything like me, you shop in bulk as much as you can, but doing so also requires that you have the necessary space to store the bulk purchases. Investing in a deep freezer allows you the additional storage space needed for all of your vacuum-sealed leftovers, a gigantic bag of chicken nuggets, and all 30 frozen pizzas. (If you are single with no kids, please do not think investing in a deep freezer is not beneficial for you, as it is a great space to store your meal prep items)

Local estate sales, thrift stores, and community yard sales are all wonderful places that you can get great deals on some of these gadgets.

XOXO

ShaVonne

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