Just dropping in to share a couple of new additions to my food prep situation. Brian and I made a couple purchases over the past few weeks that we’ve been talking about for a long time. Every year for Christmas, Brian and I keep our gift giving to each other fairly small and buy something bigger we both want, usually for the house. This year we had three items we were considering: a chest freezer (which I really wanted), new pots and pans (which Brian really wanted) and a microwave (which we’re doing fine without, but will probably get one at some point). Then we ended up with more available funds than expected, so we decided to get two things, though we waited until March to do so. Christmas in March? Sure, why not.
Brian did a lot of research on new pots and pans. We were given a set of non-stick cookware as a wedding gift almost 7 years ago, but the pots and pans are now looking very beat up and we wanted to move away from non-stick cookware. We were in the market for something quality, but definitely didn’t have the budget for All-Clad or something similar. Brian discovered Tramontina cookware, which was highly reviewed and rated and very affordable. We went with the Tramontina Gourmet 8-Piece 18/10 Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Clad Cookware Set. It doesn’t have all of the pieces I’d like – I definitely want a skillet that’s at least 12” wide and possibly a 1 quart saucepan; our non-stick one gets a lot of use in our microwave-free life – but so far the new pots and pans have been a good addition to my kitchen. There is definitely a learning curve to cooking on stainless steel, but I think I’m getting there. Feel free to leave your tips in the comments!
We also got a chest freezer. I’ve wanted one for years, but we were never able to find quite the right deal. This model is very basic and is living in our basement, but I’m super excited to fill it up. I have plans to use the freezer to “put up” seasonal vegetables, store extra baked goods and make casseroles, soups and other meals that will just need to be removed, thawed and cooked. I’ve never been able to do any freezer cooking with the freezer attached to our refrigerator, but now I feel like a whole world has opened up. Share your chest freezer tips or favorite freezer cooking recipes in the comments below.
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