Anyway, today I was able to extend both arms well beyond anything that I've been able to do for the last 6 or more months, and I am thrilled with the recent weight loss too!
Yes, this is the 'norm' now. The whole super(mom) thing. I can have and do it all because I am smart and competent ....
I mentioned that I had heard a news item about stress & belly fat. It was actually discussing the fact that many women today seem to be adrenalin junkies - take on way too much maybe only for the rush of getting it done.
Adrenalin, while good for short term 'flight' response to danger, does have a negative effect :
Cortisol is a stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. It is very useful in the short term when you need to respond to a life-threatening situation. But long-term high levels of cortisol have these negative effects on your body:
sluggish immune system
high blood pressure
insulin resistance which can lead to diabetes
fatigue
headaches
increase in belly fat
As I mentioned, releasing the pain in my shoulders has had a big positivie effect for me, but now thinking a bit about it I have also had a couple other, related changes:
I have been feeling physically better and managed to tackle three big clean up/declutter projects in the last couple weeks. Doing the activity felt good, getting rid of the clutter takes a weight from my mind.
We live in a place with wonderful short summers but miserable winters. I always say I will stop and enjoy the summer, and life typically gets in the way. This summer, I haven't let it. My house has stayed messy an extra day so that I can have a nice relaxing game of crib on the front verandah on hot evenings. Basically I am trying to seize the moment more. Also a stress buster.
So maybe that is why I have managed the recent drop in belly fat?!
Anyway, Emily, make the time, take the time and don't demand perfection of yourself. It sounds like you have a lot of really great lifestyle choices already made - a lot better than those of us expected to occupy n office chair for 8.5hrs a day and then try to accomplish some of those other tasks. Enjoy your lifestyle, don't let it become a burden. If it does, change it until you are enjoying it again.
How does life get so complicated, and does it have to be this way?
I so want to eat healthy, and my diet it typically better than most. I have been basically vegetarian for more than 10 years now, because I can't stand the thought of eating animals. I do eat fish and sefood occasionally, but I could easily drop that. I started a small garden this year and am now collecting some wonderful fresh vegetables and hopefully my fruits will come in well next year. I mill my own flour. I buy organic whenever I can, including milk and meat for my husband and kids.
I'll never get my husband to go vegetarian, or stop him from eating out, but I do what I can.
My issues right now are this. Time. Time to mill the flour and bake the bread. Time to take the veggies and other whole foods and make something tasty and nutritious. Time to homeschool my kids. Time to pay the bills, take care of my cats, dog, horses and chickens (which I have for pets and eggs). It all sounds simple, but there are scary stats everywhere. Women who stay at home are 50% more likely to get cancer, due to exposure of all the cleaning materials. WOW. Switch to more natural products. Hormones and antibiotics, insecticides, etc in the meat, dairy and vegetables. Switch to organic. Overprocessed foods, switch to whole foods. Pastuerized/homogenized milk is more likely to make you sick than raw milk. Try to find a source for raw milk and think about buying a milking cow (seriously). Start reading this thread and apparently dairy isn't good for you. Question the meaning of life. More trips to the grocery store, more time cooking and baking, more time cleaning (let's face it, Clorox wipes are super fast and efficient). Read reports on this, books on that. Oh, and how clutter adds stress. My whole house is cluttered and it drives me insane. Am I rambling? I'm sure I am. I turn away from the mess, decisions, chores, work, and kids and hide in my computer where I can ignore it all for a while. Not healthy at all.
So...anyone else go through this? Wondering how so much of this country, at least, is bent on finding more time to fit in more stuff, so we buy things to save us time: convenience foods, convenience cleaning products, convenience drinks, drive thru this and that, online ordering. What am I saving time for?
I think I'm going to grab a box of trash bags and go from one end of this house to the other. Get rid of the crap. Find the things that we really have to have, and try to find a healthier, more fulfilling way to live. Which, I pray, will include what goes on in my mind, as well as into my body.
Sorry for the novel. Just needed a place to unload.
Yes, this is the 'norm' now. The whole super(mom) thing. I can have and do it all because I am smart and competent ....
I mentioned that I had heard a news item about stress & belly fat. It was actually discussing the fact that many women today seem to be adrenalin junkies - take on way too much maybe only for the rush of getting it done.
Adrenalin, while good for short term 'flight' response to danger, does have a negative effect :
As I mentioned, releasing the pain in my shoulders has had a big positivie effect for me, but now thinking a bit about it I have also had a couple other, related changes:
I have been feeling physically better and managed to tackle three big clean up/declutter projects in the last couple weeks. Doing the activity felt good, getting rid of the clutter takes a weight from my mind.
We live in a place with wonderful short summers but miserable winters. I always say I will stop and enjoy the summer, and life typically gets in the way. This summer, I haven't let it. My house has stayed messy an extra day so that I can have a nice relaxing game of crib on the front verandah on hot evenings. Basically I am trying to seize the moment more. Also a stress buster.
So maybe that is why I have managed the recent drop in belly fat?!
Anyway, Emily, make the time, take the time and don't demand perfection of yourself. It sounds like you have a lot of really great lifestyle choices already made - a lot better than those of us expected to occupy n office chair for 8.5hrs a day and then try to accomplish some of those other tasks. Enjoy your lifestyle, don't let it become a burden. If it does, change it until you are enjoying it again.
Thanks for the kind words and helpful advice. I do realize much of what I need to do. I am a "yes, I'll do it!" junkie, but have recently started changing that. The Dgrin thing and supervising the church nursery will now be my only two external "projects". I am learning to say no and put my family (and myself) first in other areas. I am so glad that you are doing much better. It lifts my spirits to hear.
RogersDA, my 5 cats are all elderly and ill. They will go in their own time, but for now, they are part of my family and I am obligated to take the best care I can of them. Asking me to get rid of my horses is like asking me to get rid of my camera. I actually sold my 4x5 view camera to buy one of them. But there other ways I can simplify.
The China Study is eye opening!
I'm a new face at SmugMug, and I've been checking out this thread. I recently read The China Study. It was so refreshing seeing a book on diet and its relation to health with actual content. As soon as we got to the "How to Eat" section, my better half and I made the switch to an "as-vegan-as-we-can-get" diet.
I'm already collecting recipes for raw food dishes, stocking up on veggies, and even geeked out last night at the idea of making my own tofu. Pretty shocking for a guy who never thought he could be excited about giving up bacon.
I'll post any interesting health results as I go along. :eat
I'm a new face at SmugMug, and I've been checking out this thread. I recently read The China Study. It was so refreshing seeing a book on diet and its relation to health with actual content. As soon as we got to the "How to Eat" section, my better half and I made the switch to an "as-vegan-as-we-can-get" diet.
I'm already collecting recipes for raw food dishes, stocking up on veggies, and even geeked out last night at the idea of making my own tofu. Pretty shocking for a guy who never thought he could be excited about giving up bacon.
I'll post any interesting health results as I go along. :eat
Hooray Balmer go, go, go! :ivar Looking forward to your progress here.
(What would be the benefit of making your own tofu??)
(What would be the benefit of making your own tofu??)
For me, I guess a few factors. First, I love figuring out how things are made. And it's a cheese-like process that looks kinda neat, so I'm sold from there alone. Second, I think it might end up slightly cheaper. Finally, I keep reading stuff like "make it in the morning, cook it for dinner" implying that fresh stuff is better. Maybe that satisfaction of making it yourself makes it "taste" better, idunno. In any case, it sounds fun and probably messy.
Okay, I've ordered the two recommended reading materials here (China Study and ETL). I'm really interested in their content. I especially want to have my mother-in-law give them a read too. She has serious cholesterol issues and family history of heart problems. She won't go on statins because they mess with her emotionally, and the whole red yeast rice thing isn't working for her. She is also very overweight and has trouble sticking to diets. Maybe this will be a turn in life for us both.
How does life get so complicated, and does it have to be this way?
Hi Emily,
Thanks for writing what you did. I can relate, though I have far fewer things on my plate.
I do feel like in an ideal world, I'd have lots more time to prepare food from scratch, make my own mild household cleansers, have a more well-kept garden, etc... but I've definitely learned I need to pick my battles. I do grind my own wheat and make my own bread, but I always use canned tomatoes and prepared salsa. I stock up on frozen veggies so if I can't get to the store every week, we'll still have something healthy to eat even if it won't be salad or organic or fresh. I make homemade baby food for my baby, but I use clorox wipes. I do have a garden that gives us fresh food, but it has weeds.
My husband does eat healthy most of the time with me, but he butters my homemade whole-grain bread and once a week he runs off to the donut shop for a sweet fix.
I guess what I'm saying is that you have to compromise on some things. Not because they aren't important or wouldn't be nice to do, but because other things are MORE important and better to do. You were very decisive in saying you are going to continue to care for your elderly cats, for example. Decide what you're passionate about in terms of your family's health. What's MOST important to you in that regard? Do that, and if you have time, do the 2nd most important thing as well. Move on down the list and if you get overwhelmed, dial it back. Buy flour at the store if you find that milling your own is at the bottom of your list. Even more strapped for time? Buy bread at the store and stop worrying about making your own. Realize your cats (kids, dgrin, garden, whatever) are more important for your well-being right now than homemade bread is.
There's some rambling of my own. I hope something in there helps!
Thanks for writing what you did. I can relate, though I have far fewer things on my plate.
I do feel like in an ideal world, I'd have lots more time to prepare food from scratch, make my own mild household cleansers, have a more well-kept garden, etc... but I've definitely learned I need to pick my battles. I do grind my own wheat and make my own bread, but I always use canned tomatoes and prepared salsa. I stock up on frozen veggies so if I can't get to the store every week, we'll still have something healthy to eat even if it won't be salad or organic or fresh. I make homemade baby food for my baby, but I use clorox wipes. I do have a garden that gives us fresh food, but it has weeds.
My husband does eat healthy most of the time with me, but he butters my homemade whole-grain bread and once a week he runs off to the donut shop for a sweet fix.
I guess what I'm saying is that you have to compromise on some things. Not because they aren't important or wouldn't be nice to do, but because other things are MORE important and better to do. You were very decisive in saying you are going to continue to care for your elderly cats, for example. Decide what your passionate about in terms of your family's health. What's MOST important to you in that regard? Do that, and if you have time, do the 2nd most important thing as well. Move on down the list and if you get overwhelmed, dial it back. Buy flour at the store if you find that miling your own is at the bottom of your list. Even more strapped for time? Buy bread at the store and stop worrying about making your own. Realize your cats (kids, dgrin, garden, whatever) are more important for your well-being right now than homemade bread is.
There's some rambling of my own. I hope something in there helps!
-Anne
Very sage advice that probably all of us could use at times.
Thanks for writing what you did. I can relate, though I have far fewer things on my plate.
I do feel like in an ideal world, I'd have lots more time to prepare food from scratch, make my own mild household cleansers, have a more well-kept garden, etc... but I've definitely learned I need to pick my battles. I do grind my own wheat and make my own bread, but I always use canned tomatoes and prepared salsa. I stock up on frozen veggies so if I can't get to the store every week, we'll still have something healthy to eat even if it won't be salad or organic or fresh. I make homemade baby food for my baby, but I use clorox wipes. I do have a garden that gives us fresh food, but it has weeds.
My husband does eat healthy most of the time with me, but he butters my homemade whole-grain bread and once a week he runs off to the donut shop for a sweet fix.
I guess what I'm saying is that you have to compromise on some things. Not because they aren't important or wouldn't be nice to do, but because other things are MORE important and better to do. You were very decisive in saying you are going to continue to care for your elderly cats, for example. Decide what you're passionate about in terms of your family's health. What's MOST important to you in that regard? Do that, and if you have time, do the 2nd most important thing as well. Move on down the list and if you get overwhelmed, dial it back. Buy flour at the store if you find that milling your own is at the bottom of your list. Even more strapped for time? Buy bread at the store and stop worrying about making your own. Realize your cats (kids, dgrin, garden, whatever) are more important for your well-being right now than homemade bread is.
There's some rambling of my own. I hope something in there helps!
-Anne
Anne, thank you for the kind words. I suppose it is all about choosing your priorities and letting the rest go by the way side. Onward and upward (hopefully!).
What is wrong with people (ME)? I KNOW that the meat & milk is bad for me, when I eat it I feel all sluggish and my stomach hurts. Still, sometimes I have the "craving" and eat it. I always pay afterwards with stomach aches and feeling tired. Why not stop? I really don't understand.
What is wrong with people (ME)? I KNOW that the meat & milk is bad for me, when I eat it I feel all sluggish and my stomach hurts. Still, sometimes I have the "craving" and eat it. I always pay afterwards with stomach aches and feeling tired. Why not stop? I really don't understand.
You're just not ready to make the jump yet. But you are interested (cuz you are reading this huge thread), which means you are close!
You'll know when it's time. And you know where to come for advice when you are ready.
PS - an easy way to get started is just to delay grocery shopping for a little bit. That way you get really low on just about everything you have (all the junk). Then when you finally go shopping just load up on the good stuff and viola' you are on your way! Give it a few weeks without cheating and your tastes will change dramatically.
You're just not ready to make the jump yet. But you are interested (cuz you are reading this huge thread), which means you are close!
You'll know when it's time. And you know where to come for advice when you are ready.
PS - an easy way to get started is just to delay grocery shopping for a little bit. That way you get really low on just about everything you have (all the junk). Then when you finally go shopping just load up on the good stuff and viola' you are on your way! Give it a few weeks without cheating and your tastes will change dramatically.
Good advice.
I have also experienced that once you go without meat for awhile, your tastes and cravings change. I now actually crave vegetables, salads, green smoothies, fruits. I'm no longer even interested in meat. I suspect that for your tastes to change, you probably have to stop eating meat at all for awhile. Good luck.
I have also experienced that once you go without meat for awhile, your tastes and cravings change. I now actually crave vegetables, salads, green smoothies, fruits. I'm no longer even interested in meat. I suspect that for your tastes to change, you probably have to stop eating meat at all for awhile. Good luck.
This is true. I have not completely sworn off meat, though every time I try it out of my own stubbornness, I feel horrible, it tastes horrible, and I wonder what ever made me "crave" it in the first place. This is coming from someone who has gone my whole life picking onions off of pizzas and burgers every day, and now I find myself eating onions like most people would eat an apple
If you are a Costco member and get the Costco Connection magzine, there is an article in there about the book or you can find it online here on page 37.
Any opinions on rice cookers? I am looking to cook brown rice and steel cut oats for starters. :eat
We have one - a very simple one at that. Add the rice, water, turn on - automatically turns off when done. We don't care for the ones that have unnecessary features such as keep warm settings, or ones that you can cook an entire turkey in.
When visiting the in-laws (and all the extended family in San Francisco who are all Chinese) I found that almost everyone used the simple on/auto-off rice cookers.
The one feature I like in our is the lid has a small hole to vent steam. Those cookers that don't have one tend to cause the lid to "jump" a bit due to the increasing pressure inside. No big deal either way though.
Friends of mine that run an Asian restaurant (Cafe Asia here in Wichita) told me to just get one of the B&D ones from Wally world for around $18....it is one they actually use in the restaurant....they also have one from an asian marketthat cost well over $100 and they have told me that the cheaper one seems to work just as well......it has the built in timer to go directly in warm mode after cooking the rice................
Any opinions on rice cookers? I am looking to cook brown rice and steel cut oats for starters. :eat
Warning – this will be more info about rice cookers than you ever care to know :hide
I learned everything from this book. :eat I bought the book after getting a new rice cooker. :ivar
There are two basic types of rice cookers – on/off and fuzzy logic-on/off: They are basically a heating plate + bowl and come in two types -- either cook & shut off or cook & reduce heat. With some work, you can get decent brown rice from either one. You also tend to get the golden, crispy rice in the bottom of the bowl with the on/off models and the keep warm ones usually are better sealed to keep moisture in for hours (usually non-stick)
Fuzzy logic: The rice cooker can calculate the amount of rice by weight and automatically adjusts the cooking time, etc and can be usually found with timers and other special modes (porridge, sushi, etc); they normally have a non-stick bowl. In most Asian homes that I know (New York, New Jersey, up and down CA coast), most have replaced the basic on/off rice cooker with the fuzzy logic ones because they make fantastic rice. You can basically get any type of rice to turn out well – long grain, medium, short grain, brown, mix, and all the sub-categories in between. The really expensive ones have an induction heating element with micro sensors.
According to the book, the steps for good rice usually including the following – washing/rinsing the rice, soaking (especially important with brown), boiling the rice and following by a steaming process. The on/off models skip the soaking and steaming. Is the rice still edible? Yes, but the texture and taste is different. The soaking allows the moisture to reach the center of the kernel and the steaming allows further cooking with swelling damage to the grain. Do most people care? Nope.
Most Asian and Indian restaurants will generally buy a big on/off with a warmer since they only cook one type of rice and they serve it immediately; they don’t need it to taste wonderful -- decent is good enough!
If you just go to the market, and just pick up a bag of rice without looking at the type, or one of those minute rice type of people, a basic on/off model is good enough for you. A pot is good enough! If you cook various types of rice or select a variety to match the type food that you’re cooking, then maybe a fuzzy one is right for you, e.g
Indian – Basmati
Most Chinese – Long grain
Taiwan and certain Chinese province – medium grain
Thai – Jasmine
Korean – short grain or sticky
Japanese – medium for daily, short for sushi
Italian – Arborio, etc.
Etc.
I spent years using a hand me down on/off rice cooker (~15 years old when I got it) and it’s worked for me because I grew up eating long grain white rice. I have since switched over to various types of brown rice (of various types) and now own a fuzzy logic model (LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.).
Why did I switch over? My brown rice was “crunchy” when cooked in the on/off machine. I didn’t know about the soaking or steaming part. The other benefit is that most fuzzy logic can keep rice warm for days and can also reheat cold rice very well with very little texture/taste difference. Warning: unless you use the “quick cook” settings, fuzzy logic cookers take a lot longer for the finish product. It was long, hungry night the first time that I used the fuzzy with the long grain brown rice.
As for steel cut oats, the book recommends a six cup fuzzy logic machine (some recipes can work in either). Directions: 1 1/4 steel-cut oaks, 3 cups of water, soak overnight and use the porridge cycle in the morning; it will hold well for two hours.
Any manufacturers that are better than the others? I am looking at models from Zojirushi and Panasonic at the moment.
What size to get? I am looking at 5-6 cup vs 10 cup models. I don't know if I would use all the large model's capacity, but if it works just as well for small quantities, why not get the larger model? would I get better small quantity results from the smaller model?
I guess they all have non-stick pots and aluminum lids on the inside?
I also did see the The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook and I will be looking out for it.
Add Sanyo to the list. I was able to see several models in person at SuperHmart and I really like the Sanyo.
The pot is thicker and heavier than most. It is also non-stick, but with coated with Titanium, the inner lid also looks to be stainless steel. Add in some fuzzy logic and other decent features it may be at the top of the list. It is only a 5 cup model, but that will probably be enough for me.
Beans:
-- quick soak and boil or soak over night.
-- different beans require different amount of water
-- beans, liquid + regular mode of a rice cooker
Lentils:
-- 1 cup french green lentils
-- 2 cups stock
-- use regular cycle, cook it for 40 minutes
-- season, eat :eat
I picked up the book today. I guess Steel Cut Oats would be on white rice/porridge mode? That is how I have it set and the timer is set to finish cooking at 7:30 AM, hopefully it will work correctly.
Pretty good, the water ratio was a little off, so there was a little extra water, but it tasted great.
Next time I will reduce the water and it should work better. I woke up thinking someone was cooking breakfast, it was ready to go and a pleasant way to wake up.
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Thanks, David!
ann
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Yes, this is the 'norm' now. The whole super(mom) thing. I can have and do it all because I am smart and competent ....
I mentioned that I had heard a news item about stress & belly fat. It was actually discussing the fact that many women today seem to be adrenalin junkies - take on way too much maybe only for the rush of getting it done.
Adrenalin, while good for short term 'flight' response to danger, does have a negative effect :
As I mentioned, releasing the pain in my shoulders has had a big positivie effect for me, but now thinking a bit about it I have also had a couple other, related changes:
I have been feeling physically better and managed to tackle three big clean up/declutter projects in the last couple weeks. Doing the activity felt good, getting rid of the clutter takes a weight from my mind.
We live in a place with wonderful short summers but miserable winters. I always say I will stop and enjoy the summer, and life typically gets in the way. This summer, I haven't let it. My house has stayed messy an extra day so that I can have a nice relaxing game of crib on the front verandah on hot evenings. Basically I am trying to seize the moment more. Also a stress buster.
So maybe that is why I have managed the recent drop in belly fat?!
Anyway, Emily, make the time, take the time and don't demand perfection of yourself. It sounds like you have a lot of really great lifestyle choices already made - a lot better than those of us expected to occupy n office chair for 8.5hrs a day and then try to accomplish some of those other tasks. Enjoy your lifestyle, don't let it become a burden. If it does, change it until you are enjoying it again.
Take care
ann
PS: Have you heard of the 100 Things Movement?
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Ann,
Thanks for the kind words and helpful advice. I do realize much of what I need to do. I am a "yes, I'll do it!" junkie, but have recently started changing that. The Dgrin thing and supervising the church nursery will now be my only two external "projects". I am learning to say no and put my family (and myself) first in other areas. I am so glad that you are doing much better. It lifts my spirits to hear.
RogersDA, my 5 cats are all elderly and ill. They will go in their own time, but for now, they are part of my family and I am obligated to take the best care I can of them. Asking me to get rid of my horses is like asking me to get rid of my camera. I actually sold my 4x5 view camera to buy one of them. But there other ways I can simplify.
Emily
I'm a new face at SmugMug, and I've been checking out this thread. I recently read The China Study. It was so refreshing seeing a book on diet and its relation to health with actual content. As soon as we got to the "How to Eat" section, my better half and I made the switch to an "as-vegan-as-we-can-get" diet.
I'm already collecting recipes for raw food dishes, stocking up on veggies, and even geeked out last night at the idea of making my own tofu. Pretty shocking for a guy who never thought he could be excited about giving up bacon.
I'll post any interesting health results as I go along. :eat
Hooray Balmer go, go, go! :ivar Looking forward to your progress here.
(What would be the benefit of making your own tofu??)
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For me, I guess a few factors. First, I love figuring out how things are made. And it's a cheese-like process that looks kinda neat, so I'm sold from there alone. Second, I think it might end up slightly cheaper. Finally, I keep reading stuff like "make it in the morning, cook it for dinner" implying that fresh stuff is better. Maybe that satisfaction of making it yourself makes it "taste" better, idunno. In any case, it sounds fun and probably messy.
Hi Emily,
Thanks for writing what you did. I can relate, though I have far fewer things on my plate.
I do feel like in an ideal world, I'd have lots more time to prepare food from scratch, make my own mild household cleansers, have a more well-kept garden, etc... but I've definitely learned I need to pick my battles. I do grind my own wheat and make my own bread, but I always use canned tomatoes and prepared salsa. I stock up on frozen veggies so if I can't get to the store every week, we'll still have something healthy to eat even if it won't be salad or organic or fresh. I make homemade baby food for my baby, but I use clorox wipes. I do have a garden that gives us fresh food, but it has weeds.
My husband does eat healthy most of the time with me, but he butters my homemade whole-grain bread and once a week he runs off to the donut shop for a sweet fix.
I guess what I'm saying is that you have to compromise on some things. Not because they aren't important or wouldn't be nice to do, but because other things are MORE important and better to do. You were very decisive in saying you are going to continue to care for your elderly cats, for example. Decide what you're passionate about in terms of your family's health. What's MOST important to you in that regard? Do that, and if you have time, do the 2nd most important thing as well. Move on down the list and if you get overwhelmed, dial it back. Buy flour at the store if you find that milling your own is at the bottom of your list. Even more strapped for time? Buy bread at the store and stop worrying about making your own. Realize your cats (kids, dgrin, garden, whatever) are more important for your well-being right now than homemade bread is.
There's some rambling of my own. I hope something in there helps!
-Anne
Very sage advice that probably all of us could use at times.
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Anne, thank you for the kind words. I suppose it is all about choosing your priorities and letting the rest go by the way side. Onward and upward (hopefully!).
You'll know when it's time. And you know where to come for advice when you are ready.
PS - an easy way to get started is just to delay grocery shopping for a little bit. That way you get really low on just about everything you have (all the junk). Then when you finally go shopping just load up on the good stuff and viola' you are on your way! Give it a few weeks without cheating and your tastes will change dramatically.
Good advice.
I have also experienced that once you go without meat for awhile, your tastes and cravings change. I now actually crave vegetables, salads, green smoothies, fruits. I'm no longer even interested in meat. I suspect that for your tastes to change, you probably have to stop eating meat at all for awhile. Good luck.
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This is true. I have not completely sworn off meat, though every time I try it out of my own stubbornness, I feel horrible, it tastes horrible, and I wonder what ever made me "crave" it in the first place. This is coming from someone who has gone my whole life picking onions off of pizzas and burgers every day, and now I find myself eating onions like most people would eat an apple
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If you are a Costco member and get the Costco Connection magzine, there is an article in there about the book or you can find it online here on page 37.
Domino's Scientists Test Limits Of What Humans Will Eat
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When visiting the in-laws (and all the extended family in San Francisco who are all Chinese) I found that almost everyone used the simple on/auto-off rice cookers.
The one feature I like in our is the lid has a small hole to vent steam. Those cookers that don't have one tend to cause the lid to "jump" a bit due to the increasing pressure inside. No big deal either way though.
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I learned everything from this book. :eat I bought the book after getting a new rice cooker. :ivar
There are two basic types of rice cookers – on/off and fuzzy logic-on/off: They are basically a heating plate + bowl and come in two types -- either cook & shut off or cook & reduce heat. With some work, you can get decent brown rice from either one. You also tend to get the golden, crispy rice in the bottom of the bowl with the on/off models and the keep warm ones usually are better sealed to keep moisture in for hours (usually non-stick)
Fuzzy logic: The rice cooker can calculate the amount of rice by weight and automatically adjusts the cooking time, etc and can be usually found with timers and other special modes (porridge, sushi, etc); they normally have a non-stick bowl. In most Asian homes that I know (New York, New Jersey, up and down CA coast), most have replaced the basic on/off rice cooker with the fuzzy logic ones because they make fantastic rice. You can basically get any type of rice to turn out well – long grain, medium, short grain, brown, mix, and all the sub-categories in between. The really expensive ones have an induction heating element with micro sensors.
According to the book, the steps for good rice usually including the following – washing/rinsing the rice, soaking (especially important with brown), boiling the rice and following by a steaming process. The on/off models skip the soaking and steaming. Is the rice still edible? Yes, but the texture and taste is different. The soaking allows the moisture to reach the center of the kernel and the steaming allows further cooking with swelling damage to the grain. Do most people care? Nope.
Most Asian and Indian restaurants will generally buy a big on/off with a warmer since they only cook one type of rice and they serve it immediately; they don’t need it to taste wonderful -- decent is good enough!
If you just go to the market, and just pick up a bag of rice without looking at the type, or one of those minute rice type of people, a basic on/off model is good enough for you. A pot is good enough!
Indian – Basmati
Most Chinese – Long grain
Taiwan and certain Chinese province – medium grain
Thai – Jasmine
Korean – short grain or sticky
Japanese – medium for daily, short for sushi
Italian – Arborio, etc.
Etc.
I spent years using a hand me down on/off rice cooker (~15 years old when I got it) and it’s worked for me because I grew up eating long grain white rice. I have since switched over to various types of brown rice (of various types) and now own a fuzzy logic model (LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.).
Why did I switch over? My brown rice was “crunchy” when cooked in the on/off machine. I didn’t know about the soaking or steaming part. The other benefit is that most fuzzy logic can keep rice warm for days and can also reheat cold rice very well with very little texture/taste difference. Warning: unless you use the “quick cook” settings, fuzzy logic cookers take a lot longer for the finish product. It was long, hungry night the first time that I used the fuzzy with the long grain brown rice.
As for steel cut oats, the book recommends a six cup fuzzy logic machine (some recipes can work in either). Directions: 1 1/4 steel-cut oaks, 3 cups of water, soak overnight and use the porridge cycle in the morning; it will hold well for two hours.
Any manufacturers that are better than the others? I am looking at models from Zojirushi and Panasonic at the moment.
What size to get? I am looking at 5-6 cup vs 10 cup models. I don't know if I would use all the large model's capacity, but if it works just as well for small quantities, why not get the larger model? would I get better small quantity results from the smaller model?
I guess they all have non-stick pots and aluminum lids on the inside?
I also did see the The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook and I will be looking out for it.
The pot is thicker and heavier than most. It is also non-stick, but with coated with Titanium, the inner lid also looks to be stainless steel. Add in some fuzzy logic and other decent features it may be at the top of the list. It is only a 5 cup model, but that will probably be enough for me.
Can beans or lentils be cooked in a rice cooker? The model I have has a slow cooker option and porridge option.
According to the rice cooker book. you can do both.
Beans:
-- quick soak and boil or soak over night.
-- different beans require different amount of water
-- beans, liquid + regular mode of a rice cooker
Lentils:
-- 1 cup french green lentils
-- 2 cups stock
-- use regular cycle, cook it for 40 minutes
-- season, eat :eat
I picked up the book today. I guess Steel Cut Oats would be on white rice/porridge mode? That is how I have it set and the timer is set to finish cooking at 7:30 AM, hopefully it will work correctly.
How did it turn out?
Pretty good, the water ratio was a little off, so there was a little extra water, but it tasted great.
Next time I will reduce the water and it should work better. I woke up thinking someone was cooking breakfast, it was ready to go and a pleasant way to wake up.