When it comes to cooking at home, for a lot of us, time is of the essence, and we want to make something tasty to eat as quickly as possible. As much as we’d love to spend hours in the kitchen creating a delicious meal for the family, the reality is that this is actually highly unlikely.

When you are working all day long, or running around after your kids, it’s not easy to find time to do everything you need to get done each day. For most people, that means that when it comes to food, quicker is easier, and a lot of the time, that leads to many people having a diet that isn’t going to be the healthiest in the world.

Cooking takes time

Sometimes you can whip up a nice plate of food in no time at all. Other times, if you are cooking something such as beef, chicken or fish, you’ll need some time for the food to properly cook. If you are in a rush to feed yourself or your hungry kids who’ve just got back from school, waiting several hours for your meal to cook is not an option.

It’s due to this that readymade meals are so popular in some parts of the world, as is fast food, which you can get delivered to your doorstep with just a phone call or by ordering online via a website or app.

Ways of Cooking at home

Over the years, the way that we prepare our food at home has changed, often for the better. With the ever increasing world of technology, new inventions come along that can help us cook something healthy and tasty, but without waiting for hours in the kitchen. Some foods such as a Sunday lunch are going to need time to prepare, but with your Instant Pot, it becomes so much easier, such as this recipe for beef and broccoli – https://www.corriecooks.com/instant-pot-beef-and-broccoli/

Things such as pressure cookers or even microwave ovens have changed the amount of time that we need to prepare something to eat. There are a number of different pots and pans that can be used for various types of food, but when cooking this way, you’ll need a lot of space and a lot of kitchenware.

Introducing the Instant Pot

This is where the Instant Pot has caught on, and has made cooking fun again. The Instant Pot is an all in one cooking pot – a combination of a pressure, rice and steam cooker. Whether you want to cook rice, roasted chicken or even soup, the Instant Pot is the only thing you will need.

The great thing about it is that it gives you back the space in your kitchen. Gone are the days when you’ll be juggling four pans on the cooker. Now, you can cook everything from one single pot. This is great news when it comes to the washing up after your dinner.

Benefits of an Instant Pot

There are a number of benefits that an Instant Pot has over regular pots and pans. The first as mentioned above is that it’s a combination of several different cookers, so you can put your steam and pressure cookers back into storage.

The other main benefit is the time it takes to cook. With an Instant Pot, you can cook your food in almost half the time it would take with a regular cooker. Though the food won’t be prepared in an instant, it will save you a great deal of time so that you can take care of any other chores that you might have to do.

It’s also extremely easy to use. Once you’ve spent a little time reading through the instruction manual and have used it a couple of times on different types of food, it will be very easy for you to use again in the future. 

In this day and age where everyone is concerned about the planet, one additional benefit of the Instant Pot is that it uses much less energy than a regular oven or cooker. Less energy equals a lower electricity bill, plus you’re doing your bit for the state of the planet.

The way that the Instant Pot cooks will also mean that you are eating much healthier food (though of course this will depend on what you are cooking in the first place). With the Instant Pot, the steaming used for the cooking process of the foods means that the nutrients are retained in the food.

Trying out new recipes

With an Instant Pot, you won’t have any excuses for not trying out some different recipes. If you didn’t have one, then it’s fair to say that there will be some specific dishes that would be impossible for you to prepare. However, if you do have one, then the world is your oyster (I’m sure you can find some nice Instant Pot oyster recipes online).

There are lots of websites that are dedicated to sharing recipes for Instant Pots, and you can try out a whole world of different foods including soups, meats, curries, stews and much more.

In fact, don’t just stop at meals. You can also use your Instant Pot to create a wide selection of desserts and sweets. If you want to make fresh ice cream or yoghurt, simply pop the ingredients inside and away you go. From muffins to cheesecake, the Instant Pot can do it all.

Weekends and evenings when you have friends or family around can be a great opportunity to show off your new cooking skills and let your guests sample some delicious creations that you’ve managed to rustle up in no time at all.

Some final thoughts

If there was one piece of kitchenware that is going to transform what you cook at home, and the way you cook it, then the Instant Pot is that device. Your kitchen will never be the same again.

It gives you the chance to try out new foods all the time, and keep your family entertained with your new creations, as well as feeding them wholesome and healthy foods. It’s time to throw those frozen pizzas and microwave meals out to the trash, and embrace the wonderful world of the Instant Pot.

The post With an Instant Pot, Your Kitchen Will Never Be the Same Again appeared first on BBN Community.

Most expert bakers say that “baking is an exact science.” Undermixing or overmixing the batter and dough are just some of the reasons why a baked goodie goes bad. Whether you are a novice or a professional, you need a couple of tools to ensure that your product is always of high quality. Tools like KitchenAid Mixers and the like make sure that all your ingredients are mixed smoothly and accurately.

Stand mixers are an underrated part of the kitchen because not all kitchen-users bake. However, many find that it is an indispensable device in baking. It also saves your arm muscles from wear and tear, and your pastries, bread, cookies, and other oven-baked products are cooked evenly. KitchenAid Mixers and others stand mixers are essential for bakers who only want the best for their family or their business. 

Faster results

When you are baking, you do not just work on one or two ingredients. Most of the time, you need to mix a couple of your elements while working on a different set. Say, you are baking a cake. After preheating and while preparing the cake itself, you may have to process other things at the same time. You may already need to get working on your Italian meringue boiled icing or luscious cream cheese frosting. 

Since time is a key element, you must adhere and follow what your recipe says. A good stand mixer helps you achieve the picture-perfect results within the suggested amount of time. Sometimes, it even allows you to mix some of your ingredients quickly. You can leave it on the counter for a couple of minutes so that you can focus your attention on the rest of the baked goodie. 

Hands-free

Mixing, blending, and mashing thick mixtures or dough are probably the most difficult thing for your arms when baking. Why use a wire beater or a spatula when you can go hands-free and mess-free? Stand mixers are notorious when it comes to hassle-free baking. Some recipes call for one-bowl mixing. You can just put all your ingredients in, check if you have the correct hook or beater, and turn the mixer on. You can forget about it for the next couple of minutes while you do other stuff like clean the counters or work on your toppings. 

Versatility

Most people believe that mixers are only good for meringues, icing, and cakes. However, a sturdy stand mixer can do a lot of other things other than mixing sweets. It can beat out the best pizza or bread dough you have ever tasted. If you do not have a food processor, a mixer can easily take its place. Meatballs, mashed potatoes, and guacamole are just some of the food products it can dish out for you.

Durability and reliability

Some mixer brands are known for its decade-long life spans. Others are a century-old already. So when you buy one, you can be sure of its durability. It has stood the test of time, so it will not be broken that easily. If a bowl breaks, there is no reason to fear. Excellent assistance and customer support will always be a top priority for a company that prides itself on making high-quality kitchen tools.

If baking is unfamiliar ground for you, then it may be good to have some tools of the trade in the kitchen to help you out. KitchenAid Mixers or beaters are not just scullery eye-candy. These handy gizmos are guaranteed to bring your delicious creations to life. 

Author Bio: Ellen Hollington is a freelance writer who offers to ghostwrite, copywriting, and blogging services. She works closely with B2C and B2B businesses providing digital marketing content that gains social media attention and increases their search engine visibility.

The post Why Use Stand Mixers? appeared first on BBN Community.

Another issue that circles around protein shake is how expensive and equally bland tasting protein intake can be without adding anything. Plus, being on a strict diet means that you don’t get to be picky with how you bring in macros(typically meat). Every time an actor lands a role that requires him/her to bulk up, all they do is drink a protein shake or take in protein through bland boiled pieces of chicken. There are some people who argue taking protein shake before or after is another big factor when it comes to ingesting your protein.

There is also the matter of health risk that meat contributes. Moreover, these homemade protein shakes are calorie efficient.

Without any further ado, these are my top 5 protein shake recipes to give my 100% in the gym.

Best Protein Base to Blend with

If your Protein Intake is higher than the protein content in the smoothies below, you could always use a protein powder or a shake to meet your body’s requirement. Call it a secret ingredient, if you will. 

There is no specific protein powder that can be hailed as the BEST. Tastes will differ from person-to-person, and the type of protein powder is also another fact to consider. Vegans will want to go with a green-based alternative, whereas a lot of Gym-goers prefer whey protein. 

Taste and preference differ from one person to another. Like I have always had an uncontrollable sweet tooth. I personally like to use Premier Protein Shake to use as a base for my protein smoothies, since these taste really good. My vegan peers prefer pea and hemp-based protein shakes. This is why I put in a diverse list of organic recipes. So if you wish to, you can add in your cup of protein powder.

Here are a couple of Protein Shake and Powder my peers use and came highly recommended:

Premier Protein Shake

Naked Pea Protein Powder

Bob’s Red Mill Hemp Protein Powder

NOW Sports Nutrition Egg Protein

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Protein Powder

If you want to know more about Protein Shakes and how it adds up to your workout regimen, then be sure to check out our Premier Protein Shake Review.

Prep Time for all: 5 mins

Cook Time for all: 0 mins

Yield: 1 serving

Instruction for all: Put all the ingredients into the juicer and blend away

1. PnB Chocolate Protein Shake

Ingredients:

• ¼ cups smooth peanut butter
• 1 cup of chocolate milk
• 1 Cup low-fat cream
• Liquid Stevia to taste
• Ice Cubes

2. S’more Mint Banana Shake

Ingredients: 

• 1 chopped banana
• 1 Tsp crunchy peanut butter
• 1½ scoop low-calorie High Protein Mint Chip Icecream
• 1½ scoop low-calorie Enlightened S’mores Ice Cream
• Liquid Stevia to taste

3. Raspberry Cheesecake Shake

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups water or almond milk
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 15 frozen raspberries
• 2 Tablespoons low-fat sour cream
• Liquid Stevia to taste

4. Spinach, Kiwi and Chia Seed Shake

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups almond milk
• 1 cup bodega spinach
• 1 ripe kiwi, peeled and chopped
• 2 scoops matcha powder
• 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
• ¾ cup non-fat greek yogurt
• ½ cup cottage cheese

5. Berry Blast

Ingredients: 

• ½ cup strawberry
• ½ cup raspberry
• ½ cup blueberry
• 1 Cup Nonfat Greek Yogurt
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds

Bottom Line

Most of these taste like fancy gourmet smoothies, and some are a healthy version of your favorite childhood milkshake. I tried to provide the tastiest protein shake alternatives I could think of. 

These are all-natural protein shakes. These taste good, you get multiple flavor options, and you get to make all this by yourself, at home in about 5 minutes. The cherry on top of this sundae is that it will save you a ton of money since you are using less amount of protein powder/shake. 

Let us know if you want more of these recipes, or if you have any of your own to add, feel free to share with us in the comments and we will get back to you in a flash.

The post High Protein Smoothie Recipes without Protein Powder appeared first on BBN Community.