Favorite kitchen gadget that you use now to help out with the journey?

I totally have kitchen gadget disease and post surgery found that I cook waaaaay more than I use to. This is in part to eating clean, but also because when retraining myself on cooking/eating I took the time to invest in gadgets for the good of the cause. I have 2 in particular that super help- my Vitamix and my Instant Pot pressure cooker. How about you? Do you have one that you have found really helpful?

We use our Iinstant pot about 5 nights a week. It's the easiest way for me to avoid eating fast food, because I can take the left overs to lunch. It's faster to make something in it than to run to the suppermarket to buy something "premade" like a roasted chicken and it's faster than delivery.

LOVE lentil soup, chick crack, beef stroganoff, beef tips, shredded chicken, etc. I'm not sure how we lived without it. I actually told my wife tonight that we needed a 2nd one and that we should do a 10 to 20 day food day prep so that we can have meals ready to go right into the pot. Right now I have a packet of lentil soup in my freezer ready to go (all veggies chopped, all seasonings in the lentils, I just need to add chicken stock and a can of tomatoes, and I could be eating in about 30 minutes.

Scott

Scott,

I have two Instant Pots and use them both all the time. I make yogurt so needed number 2 because it would tick me off having to wait for the yogurt. Once I had number two I now do sides in 1 and entree in another if the cook times are not compatible. Just love them!

When I first got the IP, I was having so much fun cooking I ended up jamming my freezer full of ready to go meals. Found that it was not all that helpful actually, due to so many meals being so quick to just do start to finish. My daughter enjoyed them for college ease though. Lots of folks swear by the 30 day prep thing though- just freeze them in a round container so that it will fit in the IP when you go to use it!

We had also thought about doing just things like chopping up a few onions and carrots etc and having that in the freezer. It would just save a few minutes, but sometimes at night, after I come home from work that is all I need (I just want to be able to dump things in the pot and press the right button and walk away).

I haven't tried yogurt yet. I'm looking at making soy or coconut milk yogurt but just haven't had time.

Scott

I do have prepped garlic, onion, and peppers for the freezer. That does save a lot of time! 

I'm not much of a kitchen gadget girl... don't even own a food processor.   

But right now - 6 months out - I get stressed eating unless I have my scale.  

Instant Pot!!  It's awesome.  I joined the IP Community group on FB, where there are over 400k people.  It's crazy -- I'll probably have to drop it if I get to a point where I start wanting sweets again because people keep posting cheesecakes, but otherwise it's pretty awesome for seeing what people are making as well as getting an idea of what NOT to do.   Tomorrow I think I'm going to try a beef stew and on the weekend an Indian chicken dish.   So far it's been great for yogurt, broth and perfect hard boiled eggs.

I just bought a spiralizer so I can make zoodles.  I don't know yet if it's a good purchase or not.

Pondering a smoker, since my diet is now protein-first and smoked meats are the diggity bomb.  Anyone have one?

I would try smoked meats  before buying one. I couldn't tolerate it in the early years.

I have a smoker and it runs most of the weekend.  We make pork shoulders, brisket, chicken sausages, smoked salmon, all the normal things.  Once I got to about month 5 or 6 we got one as my diet was heavy meat.  It just made sense.  I do agree with the other post though hit up a BBQ joint and make sure you toerate the meats.  It's not hard to smoke and I'm happy to share if you want to drop me a line.

We've got a big green egg and my partner LOVES smoking.  I need him to get some pork shoulder going!!