best invention...ever!

First an update on the loss: at my last weigh in I had lost the weight I had gained PLUS an additional 1.4 lbs. So grand total I am down 18 lbs. I almost did a jig. It is amazing what happens when you give up caramel machiatos, even if they are skinny. ;o)

As for the title of this post: A little over a year ago my aunt gave me what I can only describe now as the best invention EVER! It is the silicone steamer from curves. I must admit when I first got it I under-estimated the amazing-ness this contraption held but as of this past week, I AM A BELIEVER!

First, it stores quite nicely. It compresses to about the size of a Frisbee. In my already small kitchen, with limited storage, something that doesn't take up a lot of space is fantastic. When you go to use it, it pops out to be a bowl. Just a little oil rubbed on the bottom or in my case a spritz of pam and it is ready to go! From there the possibilities are limitless. Up until last week I had just been using it to steam my veggies but since I typically prefer my veggies raw I wasn't using it all that often. Then I looked again at the information sheet that came with it (tells you the amount of time to microwave different foods) and realized that I could do so much more than veggies.

This worked out perfectly for me because I had some orange roughy to cook. All I had to do was pop the fish in my steamer and cook it for 3 minutes, then presto... perfectly steamed fish. I had added some garlic & herb seasonings from Ms. Dash and that made it perfect.

I am guessing you are wondering what is so amazing right? Well if you are anything like me planning dinner is a bit of a chore. After spending the day at work then coming home and wanting to play with the pounds or whatever else trying to think about dinner and coordinate everything isn't appealing. Plus with the fact that the metabolizers need to be taken 30 minutes before eating I find myself struggling with the cooking time and coordination. With this awesome steamer, I can cook my fish in 3 minutes, chicken in about 5, and if I want some steamed veggies they typically take about 2 minutes. I LOVE that in 5 minutes I can have my whole meal ready to go and it is steamed which is much healthier than other ways of cooking it.

I did a google search to see if I could find something similar. Unfortunately I found a lot of steamer/strainer baskets that are to be used over a pot on the stove. I am sure those are swell but this is so much more convenient because it is one thing to cook it and can be done in the microwave. Yes I'm not in college anymore but I still love my microwave! Plus when it has been a bazillion degrees outside using my stove or oven doesn't really make me happy because then it kicks the heat up in my house. So if you do go looking for this thing, I found something similar on by creative homes. I really do recommend you get yourself one of these things. The uses are limitless, but to me it is the perfect pal for your dieting/healthy eating needs. You can take it to work (bring your raw protein and/or veggies and steam in the microwave), it is perfect for dorm rooms (where you don't have access to a stove), and the simple clean up is always a bonus.

Well that is my rant for today. I'm off to enjoy my Saturday. Happy eating friends!!!