Tuesday, December 6, 2016

A Few Of My Favorite Things

I have a new favorite gadget. 

Seriously, I'm in love with this contraption (as my mom would say!)  and I don't know how I have lived this long without it. 

So, of course I had to share it with all of you. 

And I figured, while I'm at it I'd share a few of my other favorite things as well. 

After all, it is the holidays....and perhaps something here will make it to Santa's list if you've been good all year!  

So, here it is. My new favorite toy. 


What is it, you say?

Why, I'm glad you asked!

This, my friends, is known as a Sous Vide. I bought mine a few months ago on Amazon, after I discovered it quite by accident at a friend's house. 

And the photo above shows it cooking, to PERFECTION, two marinated pork tenderloins for our dinner last night. 

When I say to PERFECTION, I kid you not. A gourmet chef in the most expensive restaurant could not have prepared this tenderloin better. 

The Sous Vide is a 'precision cooker' that circulates water around your food, which is sealed in a bag. It keeps the water...and the food, once it reaches the preset temperature....at exactly the proper serving temperature. So, if you want to prepare a tenderloin of beef medium rare, you would set the Sous Vide at 125 - 130 degrees, and when the water is heated to that temp you lower in your food, clip it to the side of the pot, and walk away. It can cook for ten hours and still not exceed that temperature. When you're ready to eat, you simply pan sear or grill the meat quickly on all sides to add 'color' and that's it - voila, perfectly cooked meat!

Seriously, this thing is pure genius. 

You can read a little more about it on the company's website by clicking here. 

I'm sorry I didn't get photos of the finished meal, we were all too anxious to start digging in! Trust me, it was amazing. Pork tenderloin, marinated all day while I was at work....cooked perfectly....served with baby potatoes tossed with butter and scallions, and roasted asparagus. Yummmmmm!


Another of my favorite things is my big red Le Creuset Dutch Oven, also known around my house as my best friend, which I have told you about many times. It was one of the best investments I've ever made in the kitchen, as I use it multiple times each week. This pot never lets me down, it's so versatile, cooks so evenly, cleans up beautifully, and looks good doing it all! I liked it so much that I invested in a second, smaller one a few months later during a sale. 

Again, I purchased mine at Amazon, as a special gift to me....from me. Foodie's dream gift, for sure. 


Something else I absolutely adore is this little red bluetooth speaker I got from Homdox back in April. I received the speaker for free in return for reviewing it on my blog - lucky me! Well, let me tell you something, I use this little speaker every single day! I absolutely love it - the sound is fantastic, amazingly full and rich for such a small item. I simply open my Pandora app on my iPad or iPhone and select the station I want to listen to, and the most lovely rich sound comes out of the speaker.  Dinner music in an instant! I'm so grateful to Homdox for introducing me to this fabulous product, and I'd be more than happy to work with them again in a heartbeat!

Via
Another item I'd be lost without is my iPad. It's nearly like an extension of my arm when I'm at home, seriously. I check emails on it, look up recipes, search the web, read my kindle books, play music, check out blogs, you name it, I do it!

I have mine quite a few years now and when the day comes that I need a new one, without a doubt I will have to make the investment. 

I'm already kind of drooling over the new ones

Speaking of a few of my favorite things.....and drooling....


This is a typical scenario in my house, with the two little furbabies desperately begging for food. 

As if they are starving or something. 

I mean, come on....look at them!  

Pathetic. 


And this morning found them both cuddled up together in the sunshine on Sweetie's chair. 

Seriously spoiled. 

And loved to bits. 

39 comments:

  1. Oh, your pups look so cute! Wouldn't matter if they were stuffed, they'd probably still beg. I've never heard of this product. I guess I depend on my Breville to tell me when things are done! But I'm not a gourmet cook like you are.
    Brenda

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's funny, I have to force my little monkey to eat - but her mom is always ready to stuff her cute face!!

      Delete
  2. Oh i love new kitchen gadgets. Got to check this one out.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Interesting cooking gadget! Had never heard of it. I wonder how safe it is to cook something wrapped in plastic though? You know how we've been hearing these past few years how unsafe plastic is for our food...that we shouldn't have plastic wrap touching our food even when we micro it and that we shouldn't heat food in plastic containers. Hmm! Though I'll go with the Le Creuset dutch oven - my favorite. I have a smaller oval one that a couple of my sisters-in-law bought me for Christmas a few years ago. And I also have a Le Creuset frying pan that I won in a blog giveaway a few years ago, also. Absolutely love both! I've been wanting the large, red dutch oven...I keep hoping to find it at one of the LC outlet stores around here. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Since the heat is never quite that high it should be fine, I would guess. I cooked the pork at 140 degrees, and I was able to handle everything without mitts on - it was the perfect temperature for the most tender pork ever!

      Delete
  4. Hey, I love the chair the dogs are in. I have a red dutch oven too and I do use it lots. I never heard of that other thingy. I'll look it up for details. You are such a good cook. Blessings to you, xoxo, Susie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Obviously my pups also love that chair...as well as all the other chairs, the sofas, the beds....they are so spoiled, Susie!

      Delete
  5. I am not a cook of any great skill, but that pot sure is pretty!! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am not a cook of any great skill, but that pot sure is pretty!! ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No doubt you would come up with some super cool craft to do with it, Kim!

      Delete
  7. Now thats a cool gadget! I love my ipad too! Ive yet to get that ipen to go with it. I blog from it too.
    Lisa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have made edits from my iPad, but I can't write a whole blog post from it...I miss the keyboard too much for typing.

      Delete
  8. I really like your big red dutch oven! It's easy to tell those sweet doggies do not go hungry. They are both so cute.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They sure don't go hungry - the little one is starting to look like a stuffed sausage!!

      Delete
  9. I'll have to look into one of those cooking contraptions that you used for the tenderloin for my daughter who loves to cook! Your meal sounds delish! And of course, the pups are adorable!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If your daughter is a foodie like me she'd love one of those, no doubt!!

      Delete
  10. your little doggies are sweethearts! What are their names? I looked and looked at your new gadget, and COULDN'T FIGURE THAT ONE OUT at all! LOL That's a new one to me for sure! But I trust your opinion about cooking matters--I've read many a post by you that turns out AMAZING LOOKING MEALS. It sure sounds yummy.Your red dutch oven is really pretty, I don't have one but I know I'd use one if I did. Do you ever crock pot cook as well? How about baking?--I am not so into baking, but I do LIKE COOKING! I like the chopping/sauteing/dicing/mixing/frying tasks--baking cakes/cookies/breads....not so much. Is the snow gone yet? Seen a big blizzard out Colorado way making it's way over I guess.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My sweet pups are Lily (she's the mommy, the old girl sitting up) and the little one is Daisy....but we call her Monkey because she's a little punky Monkey!! I do use my crock pot quite a bit....but baking is not my favorite. I always feel like baking is such an exact science, while cooking is more creative, you can experiment with flavors and textures. As for snow....our big snowfall is gone, hopefully melted into my well since we really needed the water! We got a couple of inches of snow last night, and now it's raining.

      Delete
  11. Have not heard of your new gadget and hubs tries to keep up with everything Amazon has to offer in the way of kitchen toys. He missed this one! Your fur-babies are just too cute...had to pin the little "begging" picture. If they are like my dogs, they can be sound asleep and wake up in a flash to the sound of a package crinkling. "That's for me, I just know it's for me!!". xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe that would be a good Christmas prezzie for hubs this year, Donna!! I think one of my old girl, Lily's favorite sounds is the sound of someone unwrapping deli meat or cheese...she comes running as fast as her little old arthritic legs will let her!

      Delete
  12. Ok Deb that gadget is cool. I bet you love that. Your fur babies are soo cute. Love them snuggling in the chair together. Looks like a great place for a nap. Have a great day.
    Hugs,
    Kris

    ReplyDelete
  13. I've never heard of such a gadget! Thanks for the enlightenment Mountain Sister!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think as such an amazing chef Santa needs to make sure you have one under your tree this year!!

      Delete
  14. Your new cooker is Awesome! Never have I seen such a thing. Better feed those babies before their ribs start showing...LOL!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Those babies are a far cry from ribs showing, believe me! They are unbelievably spoiled....but isn't that why we get our sweet pups, to spoil them?

      Delete
  15. Your pups are so cute!

    What a strange cooking gadget. Never heard of it.

    Happy Christmas holidays ~ FlowerLady

    ReplyDelete
  16. You've shared a couple of gadgets that I'm unaware of and can't wait to check them out! I love, love your red dutch oven! Anything that has to do with cooking makes me smile. :)

    xo
    Pat

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That Dutch oven was a treat to myself when I moved into my new house, Pat - I had always wanted one and I drooled over it for soooooo long! Finally I used gift cards and credit card points towards it, which is what I usually do when I'm eyeballing some pricey gadget!

      Delete
  17. I love your new toy! I have never heard of it before and now I desperately want and need it! :) Those pups of your's get me every time...they are adorable!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's exactly what happened to me! I was at a dinner party this summer where the host had used this to prepare the pork tenderloin and then just finished it on the grill....and it was the very best pork tenderloin I had ever tried in my life! So, foodie to foodie we got chatting about the amazing meal, and he shared his secret with me. Well, I started drooling over that thing....and when I got enough points and ebates cash back to put towards it I ordered it asap!!

      Delete
  18. It is so wonderful when you find something new that makes being in the kitchen easier! I would wonder about cooking the food in plastic, but otherwise it sounds pretty nifty! And I love your LeCruset pot! I have been looking at those for a while now. Your sweet pups are just darling, love the picture of them begging and then sleeping together so cozily! Just precious. Have a lovely day :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think because the heat is so low when you're cooking, it's fine. I was able to handle everything with my bare hands....so it's not like the microwave that uses high, intense heat. My sweet pups are my babies, for sure - I love those little punks and they are often covered in lipstick kisses!!

      Delete
  19. Loved your post. A girl can never have to many boots or kitchen toys. My dutch oven gets used so much I don't even put it away.The Sous Vide looks quite interesting. Heading over to amazon to learn more about it. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lori - I agree! If only I had more storage for all my kitchen toys!! :)

      Delete
  20. Deb, I've never heard of a Sous Vide before. I'll have to look into this a bit more. That little bluetooth speaker looks like it would be perfect for our cottage. I love hearing what other people love!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wrote about that speaker back in the spring, but had to post it again because I love it so much!

      Delete

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking time out of your busy day to leave a comment...I truly love reading your comments and I try to respond to each and every one of your sweet comments right here on my blog page!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
09 10