Cooking is a life skill that helps you to control your nutrition. Some people consider it a chore while others call it their hobby. For those who consider it a hobby, cooking is an exercise that promotes mental and physical health. Those who consider it a chore, on the other hand, look for every opportunity to delegate or outsource their cooking. Today, on our Tip for the Day Segment, we will be discussing seven tips that can take the stress off cooking. Here they are:
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Sharpen blunt knives
Indeed, something as simple as sharpening blunt knives can take the stress off cooking. This is because knives are one of the most important tools in the kitchen. A sharp knife will help you get your chopping job done in time. A dull knife on the other hand will put more stress on your hand and arm; its use also demands extra energy which would have been channeled to something else.
Blend and store spices in your spare time
If you have a friend or relative who is a sharp sharp cook, the type my people call osi ngwa ngwa, this might be one of her secrets. Blending and storing spices in your spare time will shorten the time you spend in the kitchen. It will also reduce the stress of pounding if there is power outage. So, if you are the type that has to cook even though you don’t like cooking, this tip will serve you well.
Start cooking in time
Generally, lateness comes with stress. It’s not different in kitchen affairs. In fact, one definition of stress should be having the members of your household breathing down your neck because you’re running behind time and they are hungry. If that household has children under the age of six, then you had better have snacks to pacify them or you might have crying competition on your hands.
Plan meals
The Boys Scout motto never fails; in case you’re wondering what it is, it’s simply “Be Prepared.” The time spent walking around the kitchen looking for inspiration can be better spent dealing with the business of cooking. If you don’t have a time table, you should plan your meals at the beginning of every week or a day before, at the very least. Don’t wait till you come home from work to decide what to cook. It will only add to your stress.
Make a shopping list
One cannot overemphasize the importance of having a detailed shopping list. It reduces the chances of impulse buying; it helps you manage your time and money. It also helps you reduce stress. I can assure you that there’s nothing as stressful as discovering that you forgot to buy a vital ingredient while cooking. Even though this is your fault, suspending your cooking and dashing back to the market or a roadside store to buy it will not put you in a sunny mood. So, don’t wait till you’ve exhausted your ingredient to include it in your shopping list.
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Upgrade your kitchen equipment
I don’t know about you oh! But the easy life is the way forward for me. That easy life is what modern kitchen equipment represents. They reduce stress and increase productivity. This may include getting rid of that smoky stove with a gas cooker. Make a budget for a blender, mixer, yam pounder, and other equipment that will take the stress off cooking.
Organize your ingredients
Cooking in a disorganized kitchen is tiring. Imagine a scenario where the crayfish is buried in one bucket inside the store, the stock cubes and salt are on different shelves and you can’t find the match box. You don’t need a soothsayer to tell you that cooking in that type of kitchen will be an exhausting chore. Simply organize your ingredients in a way that they would be easy to spot. The oils, spices, and grains can be stored in different shelves. The containers can even be labeled. This would make for stress-free cooking.
Featured image source: Country Kitchens
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