Several years ago, I decided that I’d start the lengthy process of becoming an Italian citizen. Several years later, I sat in an aggressively hard chair at the Consulate General in Philadelphia, waiting patiently while a woman whose English was better than my Italian (and my English) thumbed through the stack of birth, death, and marriage certificates that outlined my connection to her home country.
I used to associate slow cooker meals with soups and stews and comfort food, best enjoyed during the fall and winter months. But this summer my slow cooker has become one of my most-used appliances, thanks to its ability to churn out incredibly delicious meals without heating up the kitchen.
It’s especially satisfying when the slow cooker helps me turn a somewhat-involved recipe into one that requires almost zero work — which is exactly the case for this slow cooker shrimp boil.
Thirty minutes seems to be the magic number when it comes to a dinner we can pull together and still feel good about. It leaves room for prep, cooking, and some cleanup if you approach the whole effort with some smart multitasking.
These recipes fall under the umbrella of things that can be made in 30 minutes (and indeed some of them you can make in even less time). Even more, they are made exclusively on the stovetop — a boon for those nights when you’d rather stick to the stove. This batch of recipes relies on methods that specifically lend themselves to this kind of cooking, so you’ll find a handful of wok recipes, fast and fancy pantry pastas, and quick-simmered soups.
IKEA stocks a shocking number of items that are $5 or less. And it’s not just junk, either. There’s some legit good stuff that can be found at IKEA for a Lincoln or less. While many of these things aren’t available online (the brand can’t keep them that cheap if they’re subsidizing your shipping!), it’s worth it to make a trip to the brick-and-mortar store for these goodies. Just be careful because this inexpensive stuff can add up!
Here are the 15 best things currently at IKEA for $5 or less.
There are some folks who seem to have immaculately clean kitchens at all times. Whether you’re over for a party or you swing by unannounced for a quick cup of coffee, their kitchens are always spotless — with gleaming countertops, floors you could eat off of, and everything in its place.
How do these people manage to keep things so neat and tidy? They know to do these five things.
Every summer, I promise that I’m going to tell you about this shortcut barbecue sauce I use when I don’t have it in me to bring home 11 bottles and jars plus 2 vegetables for what I consider the ultimate, Queen Ina’s. I love that one, regardless. I make it every year or two and I freeze it in 1-cup packages. Sometimes, like last summer, I completely forget to freeze it and find it in the fridge 8 months later and it’s completely and totally fine to eat? It’s pretty magical like that. But it’s not simple. And most of the time, when it’s just weeknight chicken or tofu skewers on the grill or even as a base for what I call Fake Baked Beans (more on this at the end), three ingredients is all you need, plus up to two more to your tastes. Don’t look askance at me; I bet you already have them all.
What I never did is tell you what those ingredients are, really rather rude of me, so let’s fix that. The foundation is a mostly equal proportion of ketchup, molasses, and apple cider vinegar. Stir these in a bowl and look at that: you’re done. We don’t even need to simmer this. This is the best rushed dinner thing, ever. From there, you add shakes of hot sauce (Tabasco, Sriracha, Cholula, Chimay, whatever you love), and a spoonful of fish sauce or Worcestershire (note: this is no longer vegetarian once you add these) for a salty/fermented vibe. Salt will probably be unnecessary, but you can add it to taste, and pepper too. The sauce is a little thinner than the bottled stuff but this, to me, just means that it gets into your food better, praise be. If you, like me, are sad that summer feels like it just began but September is already way too close for comfort, things like this — quick, easy, deeply summery things that don’t take time away from all the other deeply summery things you’d like to be doing (swimming, naps after swimming, repeat) — are exactly what we need right now.
After a recent trip to my local supermarket, I feel like I owe the frozen vegetable section an apology. Aside from the odd bag of frozen peas I grab now and again — one cup of which is usually intended for an Alfredo-y peas-and-ham pasta dish and the rest are left to develop tiny horrid frost beards until pressed into service as a first-aid device — I have ignored you.
Critics are raving about Eighth Grade — check out that 98 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes! — and with good reason. This heartfelt comedy presents an unflinching look at the trials and tribulations of middle school with an honesty most teen films shy away from. Focusing on the socially awkward Kayla (Elsie Fisher), the movie speaks to anyone who remembers that often-cringeworthy time of life.
IKEA cabinets usually tend to go one of two ways: They can either end up looking cheap and too, well, IKEA-y, or they go the opposite way and look too fancy, like nothing an average person could actually pull off. Of course, there is a middle ground — and this post was created to prove just that.
Sure, some of these kitchens were put together by professional designers, but others were designed by average people with flat-out good taste. Here are 10 IKEA kitchens that you could totally pull off in your own space.
Thinking about doing Whole30? Your first one can be a little daunting. For a month you don’t eat any dairy, grains, legumes, alcohol, added sugar, and processed foods. Then you slowly reintroduce them all one by one to see what — if anything — bothers you.
Read more: Here’s What You Can and Can’t Eat on Whole30
If it seems like there are a lot of rules, you’re right. There are! But rest assured that you can overhaul your eating habits without overhauling your grocery shopping routine too. Here are 10 of the best Whole30-compliant grocery products you can find at Trader Joe’s!