So, you claim to be on a path of fitness eh? Or better yet, you want to BE on that path but don't fully commit because of your "I don't cook' claim or its too time consuming even though you realize it is THE quintessential missing link to why you can't get 'there' or aren't where you thought you would be sooner? Well honey, let me clear something up for you right now. Unless, YOU can say with certainty, you KNOW what goes into all the meals you have NOT prepared, then no doubt YOU are stopping you from getting there! I'd go further and say you are just being downright lazy!
Now I know a thing or two about laziness believe me, my sisters can vouch for this...lol! But a desire to get my body in top shape meant I had to control as much of the food I put in my mouth as possible. And the only way to do that was to 'cook'. Yea, I know, some people hear 'cooking' and equate it to drawing nails on a chalkboard. But truth be told, it doesn't have to be. All it takes is a little preparation, smart work, and some creativity to keep things simple, super short yet succulent and sweet.
To aid that process, I have come up with a few key tools that, 'every lazy person wanting to get in shape and stay that way', MUST have in their kitchen cupboards. They make things easier to manage, easier to prepare and best of all keeps you in the kitchen no longer than it takes to shower and get dressed for work (this should NOT be a long process for most lazy people, so if you are the exception...ahmm what I can say but...hush?).
I will assume that a refrigerator, and to a lesser extent a stove, are already basic necessities. If you don't have either then use someone else's fridge or stove or pretend this doesn't apply to you.
I'm kidding! :)
Essential Tool #1 - The Microwave
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| Microwave Oven |
Talk about one of the best inventions ever! And duh, a lazy person had to have come up with this one! Sure its perfect for reheating left overs, but this baby can do so much more. Use it to cook vegetables, steam rice, make porridge, bake potatoes AND even cake in just minutes with minimal clean up and even less mess. I can't imagine what I'd do without one of these in my kitchen!
Essential Tool #2 - Double Broiler/Steamer Pot
This is the utility pots of all pots and even if all you know how to do is boil water, this will serve you well. Boiling water, hence steam, is all you need to cook whatever you like all without even touching the water. Steamed veggies, yams, even chicken are just a few items that can be made easily using this pot. And by removing the two top pans, it serves as a sauce pan or a soup pot. Now this is my kind of all in one pot! Wouldn't you agree?
Essential Tool #3 - The Magic Bullet (or any other multi-piece blender/chopping system)
Now don't let the packaging intimidate you. The essential pieces to this get up are, the base, 2 blades (one cross and one flat) and any of the mixing cups. Process is even easier, simply dump whatever ingredients you need whipping up, and in seconds, 10-60 to be exact, you're done. Do you know how easy this is when you need to make a 8-10 egg full house omelette?? Shoot, if for no other reason, this makes the fluffiest omelette and scramble eggs you can think of! And again, you've got no fuss, no mess, quick clean up, unlike a traditional blender. So of course this is another staple in my kitchen.
Essential Tool #4 - The Food Processor (including the mini)
I know ya'll reaction, "what is THAT"? Well this my friends, is a shredder, mixer, grinder, chopper plus more, all in one. You want shredded carrot? Forget the grater! You want chopped onions/veggies? Forget the chef's knife and cutting board! You want to mix a cake? Forget the [hand] mixer! How about grinding coffee? Throw out that grinder! THIS is the tool to plug in. Not only does it save you time, but it also saves your fingers/skin from ending up on the plate and your wrists from overuse. Now...how cool and lazy is that?!
Essential Tool #5 - Baking Trays/Storage Dishes
Baking what??? Yes, you best believe they aren't just for cakes and cookies. Baking meat and roasting vegetables are just a few other ways these tools are put to use. The flatter ones work best with items that aren't likely to drain excess fluids if at all. So think foods like sweet potato chips/fries, carrots/zucchini/green beans. The deeper ones are perfect for your chicken, meats, pies and more. And the glass ones, which sometimes come with covers, serve double duty as storage dishes. Now, I don't know about you, but being able to just move the dish from the oven (after its cooled of course) into the fridge is perfectly conducive to my lazy way of thinking. Less darn dishes to wash!
Essential Tool #6 - Ziploc Storage Bags
Seriously SG?! How does a ziploc bag fit into this here set of tools? Well...storage of course! These things can store just about anything. I'm talking from cosmetics to car parts...literally! And in the kitchen especially, they help preparation be that much easier. Store chopped vegetables and fruits in them and place in the freezer for easy reach and use when needed for a quick meal. Portion out your snacks (nuts, cubed veggies and fruit) in these and carry them in your hand bag, gym bag or even your car for when the munchies hit. Want to marinade some meat without the stress of cleaning up an additional bowl? This makes it easy: just shake meat and marinade up in a ziploc bag and pop in the fridge until ready. Of course ziploc has all different kinds of bags to suit whatever your storage need is, big or small. In my opinion they are just too functional NOT to be part of your pantry.
So there you have it folks. Busy or lazy, it doesn't matter, one need not spend all their time in the kitchen to make healthy food to support their health and fitness goals. One only needs to spend wisely on the tools that will give the impression that they do; thereby saving you time and money all while gaining results. And even if you don't cook because you can't, with these tools, believe me, no one needs to know...unless you blog about it of course. :)
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