Life Hack!: Inside the Kitchen of a Digital Cook

I’m not a Milennial; but I embrace new-age cooking techniques and tools. In fact, I have a secret to share. As much as love to cook, I rarely use a stovetop or conventional kitchen oven. So, how do I prepare my meals? I’ve discovered a few kitchen accessories that I simply cannot live without.

• POWER AIR FRYER ELITE •

The air fryer was a definite game changer! It has settings for French fries, poultry, pork, beef, and seafood to name a few. Air frying my food allows me to achieve the crispness of traditional deep-frying without the grease. The benefit is two-fold: less artery clogging oil used to prep my food and there’s no greasy smell in my kitchen. Who doesn’t remember the smell of fried chicken being so strong throughout the house that you closed the bedroom doors to keep the smell from getting into your clothes?! {Insert eye roll} God help us all if Momma was frying fish! It was time to open windows AND turn on the fans. You know these are nothing but facts. Lol. On a serious note, everything from breakfast potatoes, salmon, bacon, wings, even Mac and cheese can be air fried. My fryer came with accessories and a cookbook. It’s one of the best purchases I’ve within the last year.

• Nu WAVE INFRARED OVEN •This oven has two tiers and cooks food using infrared technology. It’s cost effective because it utilizes less electricity than a traditional kitchen oven. I’ve roasted a whole split breast chicken in my NuWave! I’ve made some amazing foil bakes — primarily seafood and veggies, in this oven. The heat is distributed evenly throughout the cooking dome and my meals are ready in half the cook time required when using a conventional oven. This oven is mobile and allows me to set up on-the-go, or right on the countertop in my kitchen. My brother gifted me the NuWave for my birthday in 2018; and it’s by far one of the BEST bday gifts to date!

• THERMOMIX  TM5 •

I was in the market for an Instapot when a co-worker casually mentioned the Thermomix and advised that I check it out. It took all of 15 minutes for me to decide that I had to have this in my kitchen! My coworker had recently purchased her TM5 and told me she loved it! I was baffled because I had NEVER heard of the dang thing. I was sold when I read that this tiny machine was a 12-in-1 cooking wizard with preloaded recipes that I could follow step by step. {Yippee!!} I got in touch with a rep and she told me about the Jump Start program that was due to launch January 2019. If you don’t know already, the Thermomix carries a hefty price tag in the land of kitchen gadgets. So to help get more machines into the hands of home cooks the Jump Start program was created. In short, I received a FREE TM5 on my door step and if I could sell four to my friends or family I would pay nothing after the “Jump Start” period. Can you guess who was the first to take advantage of this ZERO money down opportunity?! {Raises Hand} If you know me, then you didn’t think about that question for too long. I’m now cooking sauces from scratch, making homemade salad dressings and condiments; I’ve even made my own cinnamon raisin walnut bread! I can prepare a entire meal without stirring, basting or sautéing ingredients by hand. No more slaving over a stove for me!! For what? I own “the smallest kitchen in the world.” 🤷🏽‍♀️

If you follow me on social media then you know what I always say: “The Future of Cooking is Digital”. And it’s true. Having a Thermomix is like having personal Sous Chef in the kitchen. It was well worth the leap of faith to join the digital cooking movement. With over 40,000 guided recipes from around the world, there’s no shortage of meals for me to try.

Now THAT’S exciting!

• MASTERBUILT DIGITAL SMOKER •

I became an instant BBQ Pittmaster when I purchased a digital smoker. It’s easy to assemble, it’s flameless and it’s a clean way to smoke your BBQ favorites using simple digital settings and a timer. After some research, I purchased the MasterBuilt digital smoker with the front window because it was designed to be an easy-to-use smoker and it has a cute little window panel! {Bats eyes} My first run with this smoker was Memorial Day 2019 —and boy, did it perform! I smoked brisket, chicken wings, and two slabs of salmon at the same damn time! {Happy Dance} This is an electric smoker. All it requires is the cook time and temperature. Perhaps the most difficult decision of all is which flavor wood chips are best for your BBQ cuisine — Applewood, Hickory, Maple, Mesquite? If you love BBQ season like I do, a digital smoker is a great addition to your backyard.

Not that you asked for it or anything; but here’s my best advice— Buy what makes your life convenient and less cumbersome. I’m a busy, single mom of two. I appreciate being able to prepare a quality home cooked meal in half the time it took my mom, or even my Grandmothers. All of my gadgets are flameless so we don’t have to worry about burning the house down! 🔥🔥 Each device saves me time and it’s energy efficient. Digital cooking is certainly the way to go!

For more information, or to purchase an air fryer, NuWave oven or a digital smoker check out my Amazon page. The Thermomix TM6 (newest edition) is now available here.

Happy Cooking! 👩🏽‍🍳