10 Meals in 10 Minutes

Are you in a time crunch between all of your priorities?  Check out these ten great meals that you can make in under ten minutes.  You can learn more about quick easy meals at The Kitchn. 
1. Quick and Easy Fried Rice: Fried rice can come together even faster than 10 minutes if you happen to have a good selection of leftovers floating around. It's the end-all recipe to using up leftover rice and is tasty enough to eat for any meal of the day — yes even breakfast.

2. Apple-Arugula Salad Wraps: Although wraps seem more like a lunch food, for a quick dinner they can contain actual food groups and even do away with dishes if needs be. Perfect, no clean up!

3. Thai Crab Salad with Chili, Ginger, and Coconut: Since this meal merely needs to be chopped and tossed, it's quick to throw together and has big bold flavors that will satisfy without a laundry list of ingredients.

4. Miso Soup: Miso soup is perfect for those worried about over cooking tofu as it simply warms in this rich broth and suddenly, dinner is served! Check out this version with a poached egg — extra tasty!

5.The BEST Pancakes Ever: Pancakes might traditionally be breakfast food, but they're perfect for any meal in fact... we want some right now!

6. Egyptian Tomato Soup: This recipe just barely passes the 10 minute mark, but it can be made entirely from your pantry so there's minimal chopping or prep — making it a winner in our book!

7. Friday Night Slow-Cooked Brisket and Onions: So technically speaking this meal takes 5-8 hours to make, but there's really only 10 minutes of prep work involved. Make it before you head out the door to work and when you return dinner is already done for you!

8. Spicy Grilled Shrimp: These shrimp get a quick brine before hitting the grill, but since they cook up so quick, we're willing to overlook the extra brining time (only 30 minutes). Just make sure to drop them in the brine the second you come home from work or possibly lessen the salt and brine them while you're away (so they don't get too salty) to make things extra easy.

9. Thai-Style Omelet (Kai Jeow): This recipe comes together in less than 10 minutes which might even leave you time to walk the dog or check your email before dinner!

10. Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Corn, Goat Cheese, and Oven-Roasted Tomatoes: This meal is labeled as a 10 minute dish and mixes up with many things that you probably already have on hand.

What are your favorite no-time, extra-quick weeknight meals?

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How To Clean an Oven With Baking Soda & Vinegar

Keep your cleaning simple with just a few basic resources and no nasty chemicals! Check out "How To Clean an Oven With Baking Soda & Vinegar" to make your oven nearly sparkle!

How To Clean The Oven

What You Need

Oven
Baking soda
Water
Rubber gloves
Damp dish cloth
Plastic or silicone spatula
Spray bottle
White vinegar

Instructions

1. Remove the oven racks: Remove your oven racks, pizza stone, oven thermometer, and anything else you have inside the oven. Set aside.
2. Make a baking soda paste: In a small bowl, mix a 1/2 cup of baking soda with a few tablespoons of water. Adjust the ratio of both as needed until you have a spreadable paste. For me this took about 3 tablespoons of water to get the desired spreadable consistency.
3. Coat your oven: Spread the paste all over the interior surfaces of your oven, steering clear of the heating elements. I used gloves for this portion as my oven was pretty grimy. It helped me really get in there and coat the dirtiest nooks and crannies without having to worry about all that grime under my nails. The baking soda will turn a brownish color as you rub it in; it also might be chunkier in some places than others. That is fine. Just try to coat the whole oven to the best of your abilities, paying attention to any particularly greasy areas.
4. Let it sit overnight: Allow the baking soda mixture to rest for at least 12 hours, or overnight.
5. Wipe out the oven: After 12 hours or overnight, take a damp dish cloth and wipe out as much of the dried baking soda paste as you can. Use a plastic or silicone spatula to help scrape off the paste as needed. I found that the damp cloth was enough for me, but a spatula might come in handy in those hard-to- reach places.
6. Spray a little vinegar: Put a little vinegar in a spray bottle and spritz everywhere you still see baking soda residue in your oven. The vinegar will react with the baking soda and gently foam.
7. Do a final wipe down: Take your damp cloth and wipe out the remaining foamy vinegar-baking-soda mixture. Repeat until all the baking soda residue is gone. Add more water or vinegar to your cloth as needed while wiping to really get the oven clean and shiny.
8. Replace your oven racks: Replace the oven racks and anything else you keep in your oven, and you're done!

(Image credits: Gina Biancaniello) 



Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-an-oven-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-201191

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Recipe: Baked Chai Spiced French Toast

It's always easier to wake up in the mornings with some awesomely delicious breakfast! This recipes fits that bill, so check out "Recipe: Baked Chai Spiced French Toast" and make the most of the mornings!

Baked Chai Spiced French Toast

Serves 4

For the Chai Spice Mixture:
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

For the French Toast:
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cup 2% or whole milk
1/3 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar (use less if serving with maple syrup)
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Chai Spice Mixture
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
9 to 10 cups day-old challah bread, chopped into cubes

For the Topping:
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Chai Spice Mixture
Pinch salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and chopped into small pieces

In a small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice and cloves for the Chai Spice Mixture. Set aside.

For the french toast, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of the Chai Spice Mixture in a medium bowl.

Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with the butter and layer the cubed challah inside the pan, gently pressing it down. Briefly re-whisk the liquid ingredients and pour them evenly over the bread, taking care to cover all of the exposed bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes or as long as overnight to allow the mixture to absorb into the bread.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients until crumbly.

Uncover the loaf pan and gently press the bread down evenly until the liquid begins seeping up. Spread the topping evenly over the bread. Bake for 45 minutes until the top is golden and crunchy.

Allow to cool for several minutes and then slice and serve.

(Image credits: Jennifer Farley)

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-baked-chai-french-toast-recipes-from-the-kitchn-198717

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Overcome the Winter Depression

Are you ready for summer?  Everyone across the United States is feeling the effects of this winter.  Here are some great tips on how to overcome that winter depression!  You can learn more at apartment therapy.

1. Smile. Smiling at our friends when we feel like frowning, really does make a difference for you and them. 
2. Look outside at the sky. Even when it's miserable outside, spend time meditating by the window. Look at the bigness of the sky and think outside of the space and present issues of your house. (Both points 1 and 2 are coming from this blog post, a religious blog, but I don't think you necessarily need to be religious to agree that smiling and looking at the sky are great places to start.) 
3. Remember, you can still go outside. Even though it is cold. Even though it might be snowing. Take a short walk with a friend or loved one.
4. If nothing is helping, go and see someone. Talk to a friend. See a doctor. It might be as simple as taking Vitamin D. But if you are feeling hopeless, anxious, depressed, have little energy, don't want to see people, are oversleeping, and are gaining weight you may have Seasonal Affective Disorder. It can be easily treated with light therapy and a management plan.

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5 Tips To Get More Time To Yourself

Do you ever feel like you don't have enough time in the day? Don't blame the 24 hour limit, instead try some new things to free up and de-stress your day! Check out "5 Tips To Get More Time To Yourself" below and find something to do with your new free time!

1. Take time for yourself to start each day.

I can't emphasize enough the importance of doing this to help reduce stress and burnout. You can't give away something you don’t have, so make sure you make time for you. Are you able to get up an hour earlier to devote time to you, undisturbed? Or find an hour each day, just for you? Even if it’s only half that, find whatever time you can somewhere in your day.

The hour I give myself each morning is my hour of power. It’s how I prepare and take on the day. Without it, my day is never the same. The days that I slip and decide not to take that time for myself are the days I feel less energized and motivated, and I’m usually less productive, too. I find that I don’t eat as well as I normally do, so everything is affected.

Whether you use it for exercise, a brisk walk, stretching, meditation or running affirmations through your mind is entirely up to you. Try one or several of these, or find something else that connects with you. Experiment with options until you discover a daily feel-good ritual that gives you the most benefit and enjoyment.

2. Establish a regular routine. 

This doesn't just things like going to bed and getting up at the same time, but also a work and lifestyle routine. When we have no structure or organization, we become distracted and procrastinate, and nothing really gets done. This is when anxiety and stress make themselves known. By attempting to maintain a balanced routine without becoming rigid, you'll find that you’re more at ease, have more time and experience an overall sense of peace and well-being.

3. Think about delegating. 

What are you able to let go of and hand over to someone else to do? No matter how hard we try, we really are unable to do everything ourselves without it affecting other areas of our life. It could be as simple as having your family do some of the household chores or buying your groceries online and having them delivered fresh to your door — especially if you don’t like traveling to and from the store, waiting in lines, finding a parking space and carrying heavy bags.

Delegation is a skill we need to learn not only at home — it’s a critical business skill that, when cultivated, allows for a healthy work-life balance. Even if you’re not comfortable delegating, try it and watch your personal life, business life and well-being all flourish.

4. Make a list or become aware of where you spend most of your time. 

Are you able to find an area where you could spend less time? If you’re in a position to do so, buy back your time and share your wealth: Pay someone else to do the things that take you away from your priorities.

5. Spend less time with consuming media. 

Are you on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, or downloading the latest app at every possible chance? Are you constantly on Google searching the web? Are you able to turn your phone off for an hour a day, or turn it off at a certain time on particular days? Could you check your emails less? Could the television be turned off?

Whatever the solution is, find it and create a system that works for you. Without balance, your life will eventually spiral out of control.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

Original Article Here: http://bit.ly/11mlLvf

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A Simple Way to Clean Your Blender

If you're a big fan of smoothies, juices, or soups then you probably use your blender a lot. This probably leads to the occasionally gross and stained blender. Check out this easy way to get it sparkling again in "A Simple Way to Clean Your Blender"!

I diligently wash my blender after every smoothie, juice, and soup, yet recently I noticed it was still looking scummy. I mentioned this to my friend Angela, who recommended a super simple way to get my blender looking clean and clear. (Yes, these are the sorts of riveting conversations that occur between Vitamix cult members. The tip is totally applicable to all blenders, though!)

Angela pointed out that the stains on my blender container were probably the result of hard water build-up. The solution? A lemon!

I filled the blender halfway with warm water, a drop of dishwashing liquid, and a coarsely chopped lemon and ran the machine for about a minute. Voilà — my blender was sparkling again. One could also use white vinegar to cut through the scum, but I think a lemon smells better.

Do you have any tips for cleaning a Vitamix or other blenders?

(Image credits: Dzinnik Darius/Shutterstock)

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/clean-your-blender-tips-from-the-kitchn-199583

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Breakfast Recipe: Savory Muffins with Prosciutto & Chives

Wake up with a delicious breakfast and get your day started right! Check out this "Breakfast Recipe: Savory Muffins with Prosciutto & Chives"!

Savory Muffins with Prosciutto & Chives

Makes 12 muffins. Adapted from Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks.

1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 large eggs
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces prosciutto, roughly chopped
1/4 cup chives, finely chopped (from about 1/2 a 2/3 ounce package)

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a muffin pan with paper baking cups and spray them lightly with baking spray.

Whisk the cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, and water together in a large bowl. Add the flour, almond meal, baking powder, smoked paprika, and salt, and whisk until no lumps remain. Fold in the prosciutto and chives, whisking one more time if necessary to break up clumps of prosciutto.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

Store leftovers in the fridge; they're best warmed slightly before serving.

(Image credits: Faith Durand)

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/breakfast-recipe-savory-muffins-with-prosciutto-chives-recipes-from-the-kitchn-199319

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