Sleep is a hot topic in health right now – and the general consensus is that we’re not getting enough. The latest findings from the National Sleep Foundation (yes, it exists) report that adults need approximately seven to nine hours of sleep per night, but according to the National Institutes of Health, a third of us are getting six hours or fewer.
Meatballs in the slow cooker are a gorgeous thing. They’re gently simmered, so the meatballs stay tender while the sauce becomes luscious and rich. Whether they’re being served over spaghetti for a weeknight dinner or piled onto a meatball sub at a Saturday potluck, these slow-cooker meatballs are going to be a hit — guaranteed.
This version of a shepherd’s pie plays with the regional flavors of India, and in actuality, probably shouldn’t be called a real shepherd’s pie because it has no lamb. Perhaps an Indian chicken-wrangler pie would be a better name. Notwithstanding nomenclature and food history’s neurotic exactness, this dish embodies the flavors of the subcontinent.
Did you see these new towels from IKEA? In keeping with the Swedish superstore’s tradition of announcing new product lines in February, IKEA’s latest goods for the kitchen and dining room arrived this month — just in time to ease the dreaded midwinter doldrums. Here’s what we’ve got our eye on.
We love the Oscars as much as anyone else, and with less than two weeks to go until we find out this year’s winners, we’re getting in the mood by reviewing some of our favorite flicks. Of course, we wanted to put our own unique spin on the nominees — starting with The Martian.
Starring Matt Damon as Mark Watney, a NASA crew member left for dead during an aborted mission to Mars, the film is up for six awards, including Best Picture. The central struggle of the movie, which based on the novel by Andy Weir, a computer programmer who originally self-published the book online, is how Watney will keep himself alive. The answer (spoiler alert!) is potatoes, which Watney grows himself using some, er, creative methods. He mostly eats the potatoes microwaved, with whatever condiments he has available — but we’ve got a few better ideas for how to cook your taters.
This deep-dish quiche is a hearty, flavor-packed meal in a pan. There are a few culinary tricks built into the recipe, like making a very stable cream cheese dough that — in an unusual twist — has eggs in it, and plenty of chilling and pre-baking. The result is a showy, lightly eggy, deeply satisfying meal that’s worth every moment of effort.
Open up your rice cooker, and in addition to your new appliance you’ll find a plastic paddle. Your first instinct may be to think you already have plenty of wooden spoons, spatulas, and cooking utensils, so the last thing you need is a flimsy plastic one taking up space. You may even be quick to toss it, deeming it useless. But not so fast — this paddle actually has an important purpose.
