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Post by JosephD on May 19, 2018 16:09:51 GMT
 Any recommendations on using the gadgets and gizmos? (words to complete the post - Arielflies)
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Post by MissScarlet on Jun 4, 2018 0:59:51 GMT
Has anyone ever put plain old dry oatmeal in the blender to try to powder it? How did it turn out?
I read that if you can do this, you can mix some into your healthy smoothies.
Supposedly you can powder up a batch to keep on hand.
I'm a bit afraid to try this. I have a Nutri Ninja Pro 900.
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denz
FORT Member
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Post by denz on Jun 17, 2018 2:30:16 GMT
Has anyone ever put plain old dry oatmeal in the blender to try to powder it? How did it turn out? I read that if you can do this, you can mix some into your healthy smoothies. Supposedly you can powder up a batch to keep on hand. I'm a bit afraid to try this. I have a Nutri Ninja Pro 900. Miss Scarlet I haven't pre-blended the oatmeal for a smoothie. I do put a couple of heaping serving spoons of oatmeal in the blender with the other ingredients when I make my smoothies. Doesn't taste bad at all. |
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Post by MissScarlet on Jun 17, 2018 2:36:23 GMT
Has anyone ever put plain old dry oatmeal in the blender to try to powder it? How did it turn out? I read that if you can do this, you can mix some into your healthy smoothies. Supposedly you can powder up a batch to keep on hand. I'm a bit afraid to try this. I have a Nutri Ninja Pro 900. Miss Scarlet I haven't pre-blended the oatmeal for a smoothie. I do put a couple of heaping serving spoons of oatmeal in the blender with the other ingredients when I make my smoothies. Doesn't taste bad at all. Pre cooked oatmeal or dry uncooked? Also, did it come out lumpy or chunky? |
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denz
FORT Member
Posts: 53
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Post by denz on Jun 18, 2018 4:11:39 GMT
Miss Scarlet I haven't pre-blended the oatmeal for a smoothie. I do put a couple of heaping serving spoons of oatmeal in the blender with the other ingredients when I make my smoothies. Doesn't taste bad at all. Pre cooked oatmeal or dry uncooked? Also, did it come out lumpy or chunky? dry, uncooked oatmeal. It just blended into the smoothie. Small pieces, not lumpy at all. Because it's such a small amount, it's not really noticeable.
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Brooks
FORT Addict
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Post by Brooks on Jun 18, 2018 13:54:28 GMT
For several years I have been making myself a greens smoothie for lunch, keeping a NutriBullet at work. I just bought a second one so I can use it weekends too. The 600W I started with wasn't very powerful. I have the 900W and I'm very satisfied with that. There is a fancy 1200W for a lot more money because it comes with an app, I have no use for that one. The main thing I don't like about the Nutribullet is that you place the container upsidedown on the blender. Unless you have an excellent seal it will leak and damage the blender. Because the seal needs to be very tight, it must be bone dry or you wouldn't be able to reopen it. That limits how often it can be used, so more of a one person item.
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Post by MissScarlet on Jun 18, 2018 20:55:55 GMT
For several years I have been making myself a greens smoothie for lunch, keeping a NutriBullet at work. I just bought a second one so I can use it weekends too. The 600W I started with wasn't very powerful. I have the 900W and I'm very satisfied with that. There is a fancy 1200W for a lot more money because it comes with an app, I have no use for that one. The main thing I don't like about the Nutribullet is that you place the container upsidedown on the blender. Unless you have an excellent seal it will leak and damage the blender. Because the seal needs to be very tight, it must be bone dry or you wouldn't be able to reopen it. That limits how often it can be used, so more of a one person item. My NutriNinja is one of those upside down ones too. That's the only thing I don't like about it. I've had it for about 3 1/2 years. I use it every single morning for my Shakeology smoothie. So far it's holding up quite well. I do have the problem of leaking, although it's usually not very much. Anywhere from a few drops to a tablespoon of liquid. That is, unless the black blender part is screwed in at all off kilter or not tight enough. It does need to be wiped out every time now. I would prefer something I could add stuff to later after the blending is going. With mine, that's out of the question. Ninja makes one that has a top load pitcher style container as well as the upside down one. When this one goes down, that's what I'm getting. |
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Post by Gutmutter on Jun 19, 2018 18:02:37 GMT
MissScarlet - did your ninja come with a blade head with the blades flatter than the other head? That is specifically for grinding like coffee beans. Oatmeal should be no problem. Even the regular blade should be fine for a few pulses and then add the rest of the ingredients.
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Post by MissScarlet on Jun 19, 2018 19:31:15 GMT
MissScarlet - did your ninja come with a blade head with the blades flatter than the other head? That is specifically for grinding like coffee beans. Oatmeal should be no problem. Even the regular blade should be fine for a few pulses and then add the rest of the ingredients. It only came with the one blade head. It has 4 blades, 2 sticking up at a bit of an angle & 2 sticking down. Unfortunately adding the other ingredients later is the problem. It's that upside down thing. Once it's used, you can't reopen it 'till it's finished or you have a problem. It won't seal right. I think I'll give it a try though. If it powders the oatmeal I'll store it in a Tupperware container. If it makes a mess of it, well then I'll just use it for oatmeal. I don't think consistency matters if you're using it for hot cereal. Just so it doesn't get all through the blender. |
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Post by Gutmutter on Jun 22, 2018 13:26:09 GMT
I’ll be interested to hear how it works.
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Post by MissScarlet on Jun 22, 2018 20:37:29 GMT
I’ll be interested to hear how it works. I'll let you know. I'll probably give it a try within the next day or two. I'll post the outcome. |
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Post by MissScarlet on Jun 25, 2018 23:03:20 GMT
Well, I gone and done it. Results were a bit mixed, but it does work. I used the smaller mixer cup that came with my blender. I filled it about half way to the fill line.
It blended into a very nice powder, just like I hoped. The trouble was that it took a while. The blades seemed to just spin in the middle & powder the middle. I had to stop it quite a few times & shake it a bit to get the oatmeal from the sides. In the end it started to get the stuff on the sides to start spinning too. But it took quite a while. The motor must have gotten hot. The powder & container were quite warm when done & the lid with blades was a bit hot. In fact, there was a bit of a hot motor smell to the whole thing after.
I'm not sure if more or less oatmeal would solve that problem. I'll try one or the other next time.
Ultimately I got the result I wanted: Nicely powdered oatmeal. I haven't used it yet, but that's my next trial, for tomorrow, putting it in a smoothie.
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Post by Gutmutter on Jun 27, 2018 10:16:51 GMT
Now i want to try this with the grinder blade if I can find it. If I do, I’ll report back.
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Post by MissScarlet on Jun 28, 2018 20:54:19 GMT
I tried my new oatmeal powder in my smoothie the last 2 days. Yesterday I put 1 very heaping tbsp in. It didn't seem to make any difference at all in the consistency or taste. Today I upped that to 2 very heaping tbsps. I put them in my measuring cup first to see how much that was. It's just a bit short of 1/4 cup. It turned out great. Just a bit of oatmeal taste & just a bit thicker consistency. Both just what I would have wanted. I used Vanilla Shakeology as the base & a tsp of Almond extract, plus some Trader Joe's Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate. Plus, an added benefit is that both days it left me fuller longer. I'd call this a rousing success.  I'm just not much of a Breakfast person. I've found that putting spinach, plus either fruit, nut butter, nuts, or now oatmeal in gives me a great nourishing meal. I'm definitely putting my oatmeal powder into my flavor rotation. |
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Post by sweetmermaid1 on Jul 28, 2018 6:11:21 GMT
Walmart has Instapot on rollback @$49....does anyone have one and do I want one?
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Post by Gutmutter on Aug 23, 2018 10:28:46 GMT
Is the instapot the thing like a pressure cooker? I’m very curious about this, too. I don’t eat a lot of meat, but would it cook beans or rice?
Also, does anyone have the link to the spiralizer site with all the recipes?
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Post by Critical on Aug 23, 2018 10:49:20 GMT
Also, does anyone have the link to the spiralizer site with all the recipes? This one? inspiralized.com |
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Post by Kao on Aug 23, 2018 18:03:57 GMT
I have an Instapot and it definitely saves time cooking things. Meals that took 4-5 hours to cook in a crockpot take 10-15 minutes in an Instapot. You can also use it to make yogurt too. And there's tons of recipes online for it. It can cook beans and rice, but we have a separate rice cooker for that.
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Post by Gutmutter on Aug 24, 2018 1:38:39 GMT
Thank you both!
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Brooks
FORT Addict
Posts: 1,089
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Post by Brooks on Sept 8, 2018 19:28:53 GMT
My sister just alerted me that JC Penney is having a deep sale on an **electric!!** spiralizer. The Bella. Marked from $80 down to 29.99, with another 15% off using the coupon code YOUSAVE3. Not sure how much longer it will be available.
My sister really likes it and the reviews are mostly excellent. I haven't used my hand crank one for a long time now. I ordered the Bella because I think an electric will perk me up to spiralize again and make it easier to do veggies like sweet potatoes. I do like that there are so many pre-spiralized vegetables available in the supermarkets now but I'm not seeing them organic so I really should do it myself. It doesn't have suction cups. Sis says her counter is uneven so she couldn't used a suction cup model but this one just sits on top.
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Post by Critical on Sept 13, 2018 9:12:35 GMT
I've seen other posters talking about how their spiralizer won't cut sweet potatoes easily, so I have to ask - which spiralizer do you have?
I use the Inspiralizer (the product from the owner of inspiralized.com) and it cuts through everything like butter. The only time I have to hold onto the base of the crank handle (vs. the actual handle end) is rutabagas and they're much more dense than sweet potatoes. The first one I got was only good with zucchini and the next one - it was a Paderno brand - was okay, but still didn't cut the tougher veggies easily. I love the Inspiralizer. It attaches much more securely to the counter and it has the blades attached, so I don't have those blades stored in the base of the thing. It's smaller overall too, so it takes up less space in my kitchen, where counter and cabinet space are at a premium! After buying three of them, I'm sticking with this one.
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Brooks
FORT Addict
Posts: 1,089
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Post by Brooks on Sept 13, 2018 13:08:12 GMT
I purchased Ali's original recommendation (maybe the Paderno) not her new and improved version. The Bella arrived yesterday. I haven't unpacked it yet.
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Post by Critical on Nov 2, 2018 1:32:47 GMT
I just got THE BEST veggie peeler! I love butternut squash, but my peeler was pretty wimpy in the face of a big butternut squash or too. My hands get so sore AND it take forever. I'm just too cheap to buy it peeled and prepped. I just bought two big butternut squash for $1.79 at Trader Joe's, and because I couldn't bear to use my old peeler, I bought this peeler instead: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DAQ5E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1It took me maybe two minutes to peel a giant butternut squash and it was SO easy. Literally cut like, well, butter.
I also bought a metal scoop/spoon for seeding squash and it works pretty well too. Not as well as the peeler, but still pretty good. It still took a while to chop the squash up, but it was SO much faster to peel and seed them. It ended up being over 3.5 lbs of squash once I'd finished. For comparison, you can buy around 12oz of butternut squash "noodles" at Whole Foods for $6.99. IIRC, it's around $4 for 1 lb of it chopped at Sprouts.
Yes, I'm now a person who gets excited about a new vegetable peeler  |
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Post by Gutmutter on Feb 21, 2019 15:13:12 GMT
I just got a Lucky Iron Fish to improve my iron levels, now that I’m giving blood again. It’s adorable. A little larger than your palm. You put it in soups/stews or boil it in water with a little lemon. Pricey up front ($30) but lasts for five years.
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Post by Critical on Aug 28, 2022 8:08:04 GMT
Since we were talking about tofu presses in the dinner thread.....
I haven't used it yet, but am planning on making more peanut tofu, probably on Monday. I'll report back on how the press works  I do like that it also comes with a second lid so that you can marinate the tofu in the same container after it's been pressed. I think when I bought it I paid around $16.99, so the price went up in the last week. I thought it was a pretty good deal.
Considering my previous bizarre set-up to press tofu, this is going to seem like a breeze!
I haven't not pressed tofu since I started eating it in recent years. I think if you don't press it, it doesn't absorb marinade or other flavors as well and it doesn't hold together as well when you cook it. With the recipe I use, which involves pressing it, cubing it and then baking it, I don't think it would get the crispy edges without pressing some of the liquid out. I've seen other recipes where you almost grate it after pressing to make it sort of a ground meat/taco meat situation.
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Post by Critical on Aug 30, 2022 2:14:35 GMT
Okay, I just used my new tofu press and I LOVE IT! It took me all of 2 and 1/2 minutes to get the tofu in the press and 2 minutes of that was getting the plastic off the top of the tofu container!  All you do is pour the liquid out of the package and then put the tofu on the tray, fold the handles up, put it into the press container and push the lid on. Mine was already screwed down to the thickness I would have wanted, so I didn't have to turn the knob to lower the press plate. I just popped it into the fridge and that was that. I just now pulled the tofu out of the press to cube it and bake it. The press is super easy to clean. I don't have a dishwasher, but it was easy enough to wash by hand. Once I make the marinade, I'm going to use the press container to marinate the tofu too, since it comes with a regular lid. I'm not sure where I'm going to store the press, since I have zero cabinet space left, but I'll figure it out. Maybe I can get rid of some gadgets I never use! |
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Post by Arielflies on Sept 6, 2022 5:23:44 GMT
Critical, did you ever use the air fryer?
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Post by Critical on Feb 24, 2023 3:27:58 GMT
Critical, did you ever use the air fryer? OMG, I totally didn't see your post. I'm so sorry! I haven't used the air fryer as much as I should. I found an air fryer cookbook on Amazon that's available via Kindle Unlimited, so I'm going to teach myself how to use it. I think it's going to be a bit trickier to get good at it because it's smaller than the ones a lot of people have (and that the recipes in many cookbooks assume you have). The times and the volume of food I can cook in it are different from some of the bigger air fryers.
These aren't really a gadget, but I'm totally obsessed with these stoneware bowls from Costco. My mom and I both bought a set. I'm trying to get into more meal prep and these are so great. They're pretty AND useful. I love that, when the vent on the lid is closed, the lid is ON. Like, you cannot pull it off without a good amount of effort. I portioned out a pot of soup into these bowls the other day and I'm not at all worried about spills in the fridge.
The Costco website says they're $21.99, but we paid (IIRC) $16.99. Totally worth it!
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Post by pikachu on Mar 7, 2023 12:23:07 GMT
Those bowls look really nice!
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Any recommendations on using the gadgets and gizmos? (words to complete the post - Arielflies) 
I'm just not much of a Breakfast person. I've found that putting spinach, plus either fruit, nut butter, nuts, or now oatmeal in gives me a great nourishing meal. I'm definitely putting my oatmeal powder into my flavor rotation.
I do like that it also comes with a second lid so that you can marinate the tofu in the same container after it's been pressed. I think when I bought it I paid around $16.99, so the price went up in the last week. I thought it was a pretty good deal. 
All you do is pour the liquid out of the package and then put the tofu on the tray, fold the handles up, put it into the press container and push the lid on. Mine was already screwed down to the thickness I would have wanted, so I didn't have to turn the knob to lower the press plate. I just popped it into the fridge and that was that. 
