When it comes to cooking I really am the laziest human. Its not that I can’t cook, its just that I really couldn’t be bothered to even try. After a long day the thought of dirtying dishes and having to work for my meal puts me off. I’d much rather grab whatever is in the fridge or cupboard and get on with it. Unfortunately this really isn’t a lifestyle anyone can maintain. For starters it is extremely unhealthy and it is also really expensive if you’re constantly purchasing ready to heat meals or heading to restaurants.
I’ve recently been inspired to start being a bit more proactive in the kitchen. I’ve found 3 tech tools (sort of) to help me start cooking at home. I thought I’d share them with you:
Blogs
It should have been obvious really but the best tech tool at your disposal is blogs! There are hundreds of thousands of blogs dedicated to cooking. They supply a host of recipes for anything your little tummy could imagine. I have two favourites that I frequent. The first is The Blessed Barrenness. Sharon is one of those friends I met from blogging and her banting journey is a source of inspiration to me. Sharon lost a ton of weight when she decided to start banting and, if you search her blog, you can find some helpful suggestions and recipes if you’re looking for low carb no sugar options. After reading her blog I was also convinced to purchase the Lose It Magazine Cookbook which I’ve found invaluable to help give me some recipe inspiration. Another blog I’ve started getting recipe inspiration from is Gnatj.com – Gina has the best recipes and all her food looks so delish. She’s also great and giving suggestions when you’ve over stocked on an item and on what to use with what is left in your fridge.
Recipe Ingredients delivery service
I tried UCOOK out a few weeks ago and they were divine. You place an order online for three meals. A box arrives with all the fresh ingredients as well as a recipe card on how to make it. The exact portion of ingredients are delivered in your box. So all you need to do is cook. I liked how each recipe’s ingredients were paper bagged separately so you knew exactly what you needed was all there. The food they supply is all locally sourced and is ethically harvested and/or prepared. It is also all organic. I loved the recipe cards because it allows me to start my own collection of them and, eventually, I’ll have a little recipe book I can use. There’s also low carb options which is great!
The social media trick
I suppose this should have been in the blogs section but I thought it deserved its own spot. Brands need to create content for their social channels. Conveniently food brands tend to create recipes! And delicious ones as well. I’ve found some great recipes by searching through various social media channels of various brands. My current favourites include Almond Breeze Milk’s channels (thanks again Sharon) which has various recipes you can make with Almond Breeze. I’ve recently developed a taste for Almond Milk and want to try cut out dairy so this is great. Woolworths’ Instagram account is also a great source of inspiration. They don’t have recipes but they do have the most incredible food photography with some of their offerings and I find it rather inspiring. Another goodie to follow is Royal Baking Powder. They’ve just started the #RoyalRookies challenge where they turn baking flops into successes. I’m actually started to try my hand at baking because of this new challenge and the results, while hardly edible, have encouraged me to keep going. It is actually so much fun to bake.
The cheat meal: UberEATS
Right, sometimes I still cannot even bear the thought of cooking in the evenings despite the above. So I cheat and use UberEATS. Opening the app and ordering better options than traditional takeaways is a huge plus for me. I know a lot of people bitch and moan about it because of the mark ups on food but I’ve had nothing but bad experiences with OrderIn – the other alternative. I also don’t find their restaurant selection as impressive (or delicious). I’ve had one less than pleasant experience with UberEATS but on calling their help line was assisted almost immediately by an Irish gent (it helped that his accent was drool worthy). They rectified the issue and my food arrived. They’re my go to when I need a decent meal and don’t feel like getting up off the couch.
Do you have any apps or websites you use to get cooking inspiration? Share them with me in the comments below and help me (and my poor housemate who is tied of wearing the apron in our house).
