Rice investment + a NEW leg burner
I’m pretty sure our rice cooker has paid for itself already.
I picked it up at Costco for our housewarming party, and since then, have used it countless times for various grains- it makes beautiful quinoa. Since I busted the mini food chopper making cookie butter, I think it may be my most frequently-used winter kitchen appliance (Vitamix wins in the spring/summer).
It’s not that I have a habit of messing up rice, but I hate the guessing game of wondering if it’s done or not. With this, you add the grain, water or broth, close and cook.
Last night’s brown rice accommodated some teriyaki shrimp and veggies:
Bell pepper, onion, broccoli, baby corn, fresh pineapple, snap peas, mushrooms in a little olive oil
with shrimp
and this sauce.
I halved the brown sugar, used Tamari instead of soy sauce and brown rice flour since we didn’t have cornstarch, and it turned out amazing- just like the stuff in the bottle minus the creepy ingredients.
2 bowls of brown rice, shrimp and veg, covered in a blanket of red chili flakes. Good stuff 🙂
This morning I woke up freakishly early, but I’m excited to have a couple of extra hours this morning to get things done around here and hit the gym.
Hope you have a great day! <3
xoxo
Gina
Something to do: How about a little leg burner? Add this one into a weights routine or after some cardio for a little extra burn. As always, check with a doc before making any fitness changes and modify to suit your personal needs.
Lovely leg burner
–Clock lunges (alternating sides for 2 minutes)
–Jumping lunges (1 minute)
–Plie squat with calf raise (1 minute)
-Hold plie squat position (30 seconds)
–Sumo burpees (1 minute)
–Donkey kicks (10 on each leg, and then hold the leg in the highest position, flex your foot and pulse towards the ceiling 20 times on each side)
Repeat if you’re feeling a little feisty 😉
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That stir fry looks wonderful – love the color variety.
My dad bought my mom a new rice cooker for Christmas and she’s in love with it. Now I want one too!!
Your stir fry has such beautiful colors! Also, glad to see the baby corn in there. I know lots of people who hate it, so I’m happy to see I’m not the only weirdo who enjoys it 🙂
that was one of my favorite parts! it’s funny because i don’t really like regular corn, but baby corn is different 😉
That rice looks soooo yummy.
I need to try some leg workouts.. I thought all my walking and running would forever keep my legs toned, but lately they don’t seem to be doing the trick. Could be the extra helpings of cookies I’ve been having over the holidays though….. 😉
Love my rice cooker, made brown rice with peas, carrots and a little parm and asiago added in the end. So good. Along with Brussels great dinner! I find white rice to be boring now that I’ve been doing the brown for so long. Looking into buying my friend a rice cooker since she wants to lose weight for health reasons, hoping to show her brown rice is better then white if you add some healthy flavor to it. I need to try the quino does it taste simpler to rice?
Ugh spell check meant similar
Mmm love shrimpies! They make any dish seem more fancy. And you are the second awesome blogger I know of (after Emily) to endorse the rice cooker. I may have to think about this!
mmm that looks so good! I have been craving stir fry/ noodles recently, so decided tonight I would try to make some Pad Thai noodles! I really want to get a rice cooker, but need to convince the hubby 🙂 He gets overwhelmed with all my cooking gadgets in our tiny NYC apart haha.. until then I guess the stove top it is!
Mmm that sounds so good! I don’t have a rice cooker but now that you’re so happy with yours, it’s been added to my never-ending wish list of kitchen appliances!
Looks DELICIOUS! and I know what you mean about the creepy stuff in the bottle. I threw out a bottle of “stir fry sauce” last night for the same reason. If I’m feeding it to my child, the ingredients need to be few, easily recognizable, and preferably fresh!
My boyfriend has had his rice cooker since his freshman year at college and it has traveled everywhere with us since. This thing is a life saver! Enjoy 🙂 (And just in case it doesn’t mention it in the instructions do not wash the metal bowl inside – if you have that version – with abrasive brushes or sponges, it will ruin the bowl)
love this leg burner! as I left the gym this morning, I was thinking about how I needed to find time to put one together. well, you have my back, haha, and I’m set!
Yum your dinner looks so tasty. I bought a zojirushi rice cooker over the summer and I use it several times a week. I totally agree it’s a great investment. You can pretty much put anything with brown rice and it will taste good.
I do love my vitamix too, I think they’re equally great machines <3
I love my rice cooker. This is especially true since I am married to a Chinese guy who is obvie in love with rice. It also does GREAT bulghur!!
I love rice cookers. The dinky 2-cup rice cooker I bought from Target during my undergrad years makes my mom and her fancy rice cooker cringe. It works though, so no replacements anytime soon for me 😛
I love anything ‘stir-fry’ like! It’s so easy to customize! Veggies, grain, sauce, voila! 😉
Oh man. I’ve been wanting a rice cooker. maybe that’s what i can get with my gift card!!! And I’m always feeling feisty!!
That teriyaki sauce sounds yum, and I love this leg workout – plie squats are one of my faves to do ever since we used them to warm up in dance class. Dance class always made exercises so fun, so whenever I do these I think of how fun I used to find it and it elevates my workout to a whole ‘nother level 😉
looks great- love shrimp!
I didn’t realize you can make things other than rice in the rice cooker! I think I need to invest in one as I love quinoa and brown rice but hate cooking it on the stove top. Your meal looks fabulous! I love all those vegetables in there!
I’m obsessed with my rice cooker. Best investment!
We have a rice cooker that we got as a wdding gift (I have burnt rice to the bottom of the pan a few times) and I have yet to use it. I need to get it out soon!
Hi Gina! This has nothing to do with your post, but I had this dream last night and it made me think of you…I dreamed I was pregnant (which I am no where near to being) and I was sitting around trying to figure out my own due date. I then suddenly realized that I was due in a week and started FREAKING OUT because I had done nothing…I had never gone to a doctor appointment and hadn’t bought any clothes, furniture, etc. Nothing!
Haha I figured you’d get a kick out of that one 😉
Hi Gina,
I have been reading your blog for awhile now and I was reading it last night right before i went to bed and i had a dream you had your baby and it was a boy not a girl and the pilot was late and got there just in time! The dream was so real and i remembered it so vividly I had to share! Good Luck I am sure “she” will be here soon!!
I can’t believe you’re still rocking out amazing dinners and workouts in your late term pregnancy days. Congrats to you, mama!
It looks lovely!
I’ve been tempted to buy a rice cooker many times but never have. I dont use my crockpot enough so figure I didn’t want another appliance graveyard purchase. Lol
I’ve got a rice cooker and I NEVER use it – I must! That meal looks oh-so good 🙂 Enjoy your early morning! <3 xyx
We used to use our rice cooker almost daily as well. But now, the Juicer and the vitamix are way more abused! I love love love my juicer, and I do not go a day without using it. Best investment ever! Have an awesome day and an awesome work out girl! <3
I consider my rice cooker to be literally essential to my life as a home cook! I count on it for beans and grains of all types, as well as veggie steaming. Invaluable.
Happy 2012, sweetness 🙂
Mmmmm, I’ve actually been craving shrimp lately and haven’t had it in years!!! I think I might get some 🙂
Thanks Lovie!
xxoo
I think rice cookers may be the best invention out there. How else can you make perfect rice ever. single. time?!
I just got that exact same rice cooker and I love it!
I always had issues with the guessing part of making rice too… I’d put in the proper proportions, but it never seemed to cook right… :/
Is there an alternate name for donkey kicks? It always sounds so unlady like and makes me want to giggle like a 7 year old laughing at fart jokes.
kickbacks 🙂
yum! I want one. Looks like a fabulous meal too.
That meal looks amazing!! I need to check out rice cookers 🙂
I’ve burnt my rice the past 2 times I’ve made it – I always leave the kitchen and forget to turn down the stove to a simmer! I think I need to get a rice cooker. 😛
I received a rice cooker as one of my bridal shower gifts back in the summer and I LOVE it. I make my steel cut oats in there and love how they turn out.
i definitely need to try some oats in there
How do you do quinoa in a rice cooker?
same way! add the quinoa, water/broth, close and cook
Seriously, I adore you! You are so pretty and have the perect husband and the perfect balance between work and enjoying yourself ! I try a hardest not to be jealous of you 😉 ! I wish you all the luck in the world with your little one! Can’t wait until she’s finally there ! Can’t wait to see pictures of her either! If she’s going to be anything like her mum, she’ll be amazing!
🙂
you’re a sweetheart- thank you tessa 🙂
and yes, i’m a lucky girl to have the pilot
Yum! That recipe sounds awesome!
Also, can’t wait to try out the new workout!
Wow, why had it never occured to me to cook non-rice grains in the rice cooker. I feel like this is a serious face-palm moment for me. Thanks for opening my eyes to the possibilities. The veggies look amazing. I’m a little hungry now.
i always thought it was just for rice, too! nope- you can put almost anything in there 🙂
I have an Aroma rice cooker but hardly use it b/c I can’t figure out how long the rice will take to cook in there! There doesn’t seem to be a guide in the book it came with. How long does the quinoa take? Or brown rice? Ahhh!
it ends up taking about the same amount of time- 40 minutes or so