Hey Everyone! I’m so excited to share my first MySpace Mondays blog with you! I had this idea for a while but it just seemed like a lot to take on between studying for GMAT (yep- a whole new post on that soon!), holidaying, writing my regular home blogs and so on..But, I finally feel ready for this and considering it’s my very first one, I had to write about something that’s super personal and (now) close to my heart-COOKING! 

Anyone who has known me for a while will know just how dispassionate I was/still can be about cooking. Honestly, I couldn’t stand the idea of standing over a stove figuring what to do. And the rare times I tried cooking, even the most basic dish like pasta would end up being a complete disaster!!

However, my life took a 180 degree-turn when I met my (now) husband and had to move to California. I was finally forced to leave the comfort of my mother’s wonderful cooking to figure it out all on my own. I started slowly but surely. To say I’ve had frustrations in the kitchen would be an understatement. Complete meals had to be thrown away, I’ve wandered aimlessly at grocery stores figuring ingredients and I’ve never felt this helpless! Still, true to my mother’s words- with lots of patience and practice, I got better! I could improvise, adapt and figure recipes and I actually started enjoying cooking!

But and this is a big BUT none of this would have been possible without my go-to appliances in the kitchen. I have relied heavily on these 3 items to help me navigate the crazy world of food. Funnily, all of them have been gifts from friends and family for our housewarming and wedding and I consider myself so lucky to have gotten these items.

       Blendtec Total Blender with Wildside+ Jar & Twister Jar  

This little blender has been a saviour on days I’m feeling lazy to cook or just want a detox- day. It has also saved tonnes of food from being trashed as I can almost throw in any fruit or veggie (frozen or fresh) and turn it to a super healthy soup, juice or smoothie. The added advantage is that it fits perfectly on our counter-top without taking up too much space or looking bulky. Moreover, the smaller Twister Jar is ideal for making chutneys, purees, dough, ginger paste and all sorts of foods that need to be made in lesser quantities. The only slight disadvantage is that it is pretty noisy but the pros truly do outweigh the cons. My cooking time is greatly reduced and I never have to worry about sieving purees and juices from the blender since it does such a fine job of leaving a smooth consistency! Anyone on the edge of buying a powerful blender and especially if you’re someone like me who continuously needs easier ways of cooking then take the leap and invest in this little beauty! I promise you wont look back!

Instant Pot 

We’ve had our Instant Pot  for 6 months now and Oh My God! It is totally amazing! It has revolutionised cooking  and for novices like me- it is so essential! I no longer have to sit idly by the stove in fear of burning down the house or stress about something boiling over and worry about the hassle of cleaning. Nothing. None of that. I love how it can pretty much cook anything that I would on a stove, with sometimes half the effort. It takes very little prep work and makes cleaning much simpler as everything is contained and sealed in the pot. The biggest advantage is that it doesn’t need supervision. I can whip everything up and turn on my timer and settings and go about doing other tasks. For many, the change from traditional cooking to the Instant pot is a little trickier (it is very different!) and it takes time to adjust, luckily for me, I was never fully used to traditional methods of cooking and found it tiresome so this has been quite straightforward. However, I really do believe that if you are patient and give this method of cooking a try-you will be surprised at how fast, easy and convenient it is! Break out of your comfort zone and give this a shot. You will eventually learn to LOVE it!

OXO Good Grips® 3-Piece Mixing Bowl Set

The Oxo bowls aren’t an appliance however I have added them to my list since they’re a total necessity and my go-to bowls for just about anything in the kitchen. I use them to store leftovers, use it as a popcorn bowl (the middle sized bowl perfectly fits an entire bag of microwave popcorn), salad mixing bowls, fruit basket and pretty much anything in between. They are sturdy and of such great quality! They are also super easy to clean as I can just shove them in the dishwasher once I’m done using them. The added advantage is that they come in at such a great price and in 3 different sizes making them multiple purposes within the kitchen. Anyone looking to buy a good set of mixing bowls- I would totally recommend this! And the next time you’re invited to dinner- replace the wine bottle and fill these bowls with cookies/chocolates and all things yummy and gift it to your host! I promise they will appreciate the gesture and totally love you for gifting something so usable!