Don’t tell our bosses, but we’re not getting much work done today at Kitchn. Between sharing stories of our Thanksgiving feasts (what we cooked, what we ate, and what we ate again the next day) and all this Cyber Monday hoopla, our editors have a lot of not-work-related stuff to talk about. Luckily, we can turn the latter topic into a post and then it looks like we’re hard at work! Plus, said post might even be helpful to you.
With that, here’s a list of the things our editors are buying today.
My name is Susan and I’m a former paper towel abuser. I recycle and compost and use LED lightbulbs. I buy non-toxic cleaning products, sustainable clothing, aluminum-free deodorant, clean mascara, and organic tampons. The only thing bursting my eco-bubble was my Bounty habit. Yeah, I said it — BOUNTY. No thin, gray, non-absorbent recycled paper towels for me. I liked my PT’s plush and bleached. The Quicker-Picker Upper or death.
I was a walking hypocrisy, filling landfills all over New York with my evil, unenlightened ways. But now, I’m proud to say, I’m reformed — and I have my friend Lauren and a pack of microfiber cloths to thank.
In most brick-and-mortar stores, Urban Outfitters is all about the clothes, with a smattering of goods for apartment living. But online, the retailer has got a pretty amazing, curated selection of cheeky, unique, and straight-up stylish goods. For Cyber Monday, Urban Outfitters is offering $15 off purchases of $75 or more and $50 off purchases of $150 or more, plus free worldwide shipping for all orders totaling more than $50.
Here are our picks of giftable goods for the cooks, food-lovers, and party-throwers in your life.
Winter weeknights are just like all other weeknights throughout the rest of the year — busy, busy, busy. Which means the season brings a desire for quick meals that get to the table without fuss. The cold weather also brings a desire for some level of comfort to the table, however. These 20 recipes are just that: They’re quick, easy, and extra comforting, whether it’s a big pot of soup, a hearty steak dinner, or a cheesy pasta.
The Parmesan cheese I grew up sprinkling on my spaghetti came straight from a green tube labeled “Kraft.” This was before anyone worried whether those jars of Prego sauce were authentic, before we wondered if we should be eating fresh pasta instead of dried, and long before the green tube of “Parmesan” was discovered to contain wood pulp.
Wood pulp or no, I maintain a nostalgic love for the pebbled cheese of my youth and would happily toss it on my noodles. But it’s definitely not real Parmigiano-Reggiano. In fact, very few cheeses packaged and sold as Parmigiano-Reggiano are.
When you start your day off with something sweet, like this breakfast bake, it’s pretty much a guarantee that it’s going to be a good one. This bake does the impossible: It improves on flaky, buttery croissants by soaking them in a rich, custardy liquid and baking them with a slew of juicy blackberries. The result is pure decadence for breakfast — something we all need every once in a while.
Restaurant menus can reveal a lot about a country’s cuisine, but there’s a more authentic place to find the true building blocks of local food: in home kitchens. We turned to three passionate Mexico City eaters and peeked inside their cupboards to find out which ingredients they have on hand at all times. Here’s what they had to say.
Everyone has their tried-and-true method for making perfect fried eggs. Some people might cook them in pork fat, while others might add a lid to steam the tops to set them to perfection. There are people who like loading on the butter, and there are people who like olive oil for crispy edges. There are also people who swear by only using Grandma’s cast iron skillet for the most awesome, eggy goodness.
But Ree Drummond, aka the Pioneer Woman, has a method we’ve yet to hear about anyone doing. It might sound strange at first, but her technique is intriguing and something I need to try out immediately. Have you tried this?
An Amazon Echo can do a lot of things. It can play music, brew coffee, order pizza, and even help you find better deals on Amazon shopping holidays. It can definitely make a person feel a little like Big Brother is watching them, however. Amazon Echo is always listening, and that makes some people a little uncomfortable about privacy issues. Nobody wants to think their speakers are spying on them. Now Alexa has a new app that is a little less “Big Brother” and more “nosy mother-in-law,” because it tracks and records a user’s alcohol consumption and tells them when they’re drinking too much.
If there was ever a morning to start the day with a smoothie, this is it. From super-fresh green smoothies to tropical twists, here are 17 smoothies to help you start your day of eating leftovers with something light, wholesome, and still good to eat — or rather, drink!