Sorry to say, but this site has been so depressing for a few days. I thought I'd ask an average, everyday question....to make us all feel a little more normal today.
I made Eggplant Lasagna, and my BIL and SIL are coming for dinner. They leave for Cali tomorrow to see their beautiful grand daughter.
Sorry, sometimes we just need some REGULAR conversation.......or at least THIS caregiver does.
I don't know where the dices tomatoes are...I diced mine up myself...no can! LOL!!
Shell,
We have so many cans for emergencies that I could not find the one can left in our inventory the other day. So we have been organizing. Bought a can organizer, holds 36 cans. Now I can see them all, and they are right there in the cupboard. But where is that one can of diced tomatoes? Don't cha know!
I only make chili from the packet. Chili has a lot of different spices and can be costly; plus getting it just right can be difficult! So, I just find it cheaper to buy McCormick packet.
However, I make it two ways!
1) On the stove if I am using hamburger. Cook my hamburger with chopped onions and add 2 8oz cans of tomato sauce and 1 can of kidney beans and add the chili mixes.
2) Slow cooker when I want to use stew meat. I put in my slow cooker 2 cans 8oz tomato sauce and 2 cans of kidney beans and the chili mixes and mix it up and then add your stew meat. Cook on high for about 5 to 6 hours! If you want to add onions then you will have to chop up your onions and sauté them off first then add it to your chili with the stew meat. You will want your onions to look almost clear! This is were the onion isn't raw, but not really cooked either. They will have a somewhat softness to them, but still a snap. Hope I didn't confuse you!
Sorry for getting back to you so late!
I usually do chili stovetop, but have started stovetop then transferred to crock pot for simmer stage, doesn't need as much tending and sure makes the house smell good!
I love it too. I hadn’t made it in awhile.
You know how I love making soup.
Chopping is relaxing and therapeutic for me.
I keep saying that I want to make chili.
I make lots of different soups but I have never made homemade chili.
Trying to decide if I would rather to cook it in the instant pot, slow cooker or a regular pot on the stove.
Do you make it? I know Glad does.
NHWM,
I love baked onion soup! Have made it in years!
My daughters used to do lemonade stands when they were young.
Too bad those weren’t around then. They used ordinary pitchers.
My girls sold a ton of lemonade in our summer heat!
Oh, I also have the giant coffee urn! Years ago, I used to get together with my friends for card games.
Everyone took turns hosting the games. I made my coffee in there to serve with dessert.
I should get rid of certain things that I don’t use anymore. It’s not necessary to keep everything!
Our kids don’t want to clutter up their places.
I donate to the veterans. They pick everything up from my porch, easy peasy!
I agree with your assessment of the microwave. I would not get rid of mine either.
Yes, precooking in it is fine. Defrosting in it is a plus! Heating up in it is so convenient.
Do you think everyone is buying all of these devices or are they targeted at a certain group? I think young families like the idea of fast dinners on the table with the instant pot.
I bought my daughters a slow cooker years ago which they used a lot when they were in college. It was convenient for them.
They still use their croc pots and they know how to cook basic dishes.
Oh gosh, they are social media queens, (I am not!) so they love looking up recipes on tic tok!
I will look up ideas on Pinterest. They do too.
By the way, I recently tried the slow cooker on my instant pot for a pork shoulder roast. It came out fabulous!
Of course I had to freeze two thirds of the roast.
Otherwise, it would have been way too much for us.
As it is, we ate three meals from the third we kept in the fridge. It was a five pound roast.
There’s a lot of research to be done when buying these things.
I do look at America’s Test Kitchen. They give reviews of products.
I use my dishwasher for full loads. It’s funny though. I didn’t grow up with a dishwasher.
After I moved, I didn’t have a dishwasher so we can’t miss something that we never had.
The first apartment my husband and I rented had a dishwasher. So that’s when I started using one.
If it’s only a few dishes though, I wash them by hand too.
Counter top oven? Are you talking about a toaster oven? I heat up pizza in mine. Does that count as cooking? Hahaha 🤣
Look at the popularity of the air fryers too. Before that people used ‘deep fryers.’
I am not that great at frying food. I guess because I don’t do it often. So I don’t have much experience with frying.
It’s not a healthy way to cook. It’s more of a treat food, I suppose.
All of those devices take up a lot of room. I have left the instant pot on my counter but they are big!
In reality though, single people, a couple or a small family doesn’t need a big oven to make a dinner. I don’t think that I ever use more than two stove top burners on my cooktop. It’s just my husband and I now.
One thing I am concerned about is a change in flavor. I find there isn’t a lack in flavor with the instant pot.
I can’t say that for a microwave. For instance, I don’t find a microwave does a good job at baking potatoes at all. There is a huge change in flavor.
Is there a difference in flavor in the roaster oven? I have never used one of those.
I know that some people use those during the holidays when they have to cook a larger amount of food.
I use my oven the most. I have a toaster oven that I only use once in awhile to heat up certain things.
I did get an instant pot at Christmas time and have cooked with it, overall I am an ‘old fashioned’ and ‘cook from scratch’ kind of gal.
Still, everyone has days that we don’t feel like making a big fuss about dinner and keep it simple.
I really love when my husband grills! Then I only have the sides to do.
I am amazed at all of the cooking devices. Geeeeeez, years ago people cooked over an open fire in the hearth in a cast iron pot! That was their slow cooker.
That sounds delicious! Yummy 😋. What a great flavor combination. I love anything with a Mediterranean flair.
And I had to google some of those emojis... not sure where you were going with the shells, and.... OMG I never know there was a chocolate bar one.
I make orzo pasta all the time. I love making it Greek or Italian style...yummy!
I'll have to try it your way...it sounds very good!😋
Send, in July I will be going to Mackinaw if it is possible with this whole Covid thing!