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Jamie Oliver HomeCooker by Philips. Louise's Review.

  • Creamy Pasta Sauce

    So today I decided to test the Jamie Olive Homecooker to cook a creamy pasta sauce.
    Usually cooking a pasta sauce that involves fresh cream requires constant stirring to prevent the cream from sticking to the bottom of the pan as well as prevent it from separating.
    The stirring arm played a good part in this recipe.
    First it browned the chicken well without sticking and burning. While it was doing this I had time to sit with my kids and look at their homework. i had set the time to 20 minutes and the machine beeped when the time was up. Secondly when I added the freah cream cheese to my pasta sauce the stirring arm helped to combine the sauce together into creamy goodness.
    I tried out the steamer basket to steam pasta ravioli, this was a hit and miss as it required a lot of time to steam the ravioli then I had anticipated. I learnt that in order to cook pasta ii really neededtoboil it rathe than steam.
    i learnt that food such as pasta reauires a lot of time so it is best to boil pasta using the pasta insert ove hot boilling wate in the homecooker.
    The steamer basket worked perfectly fine to steam vegetables ove a hot simmering curry though..
    I loved the results and would definately reccomend the homecooker to anyone.
    I have uploaded a video of my cooking experience on youtube which you can view by copying andpasting the url below onto your browser.
    Cheers
    http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_m9Y4BCNIfA

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Chicken Cacciatore with Garlic Mash

    This recipe is one of my favourites. Its so easy to do & follow even the teenagers could do it! Did contemplate that……only for a minute……..but it was cleaning day today & the kitchen is sparkling so I didn’t want mess every where (party on weekend so wanted to try & keep things in order). To spice things up a little I added a few chilli flakes – just enough to give it a little kick. Tasted delicious with the mash – did make it a little chunky & drier than normal so the sauce could be mixed in! All that I can say is YUM YUM YUM! Now while teenagers slave @ part time job, I’m sitting back with a cider waiting for my creamy rice to cook.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Beef Goulash oooh la la!!!!

    I knew I had a busy day today with teenager no2 so I thought I’d better cook dinner in advance! Tonight was going to be Beef Goulash! Everything seem to flow like clockwork. I think I might be getting the hang of the Home Cooker & what it can do! The chopping tower sliced the onions in seconds, I added the spices & oil & I was off with 20mins to prepare the meat & other ingredients. After adding the final ingredients I had plenty of time for something else before I had to reset the timer for the next stage. Arghhh- I had left 5 loads of washing to do. The Home Cooker gave me some time to hang, reload & hang again (hmmm is that what my “another set of hands” has done – more time for housework).
    Recipe was very easy to follow. The best thing was coming home knowing dinner was done. The vote from the contented family was 5 stars for the recipe (no leftovers). The process of cooking was very simple! Its time to clean the pan & cook the beetroots for salads this week 🙂

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • No more creamed rice in a can

    Creamed rice is one of my favourite childhood memories. My Mum made it as it was a relatively easy desert to make but required one of the 6 kids to stand and stir so the milk /rice didn’t stick or burn on the base. It was a job that I quite often got lumped with being the youngest. The older siblings just made it sound so exciting. We always had stewed rhubarb & apple with our rice.
    Jamie’s recipe is delicious! Very creamy & full of flavour! I did add a little extra sugar as I wanted sweet rice. Topped it with a little drizzle of maple syrup. I had never used vanilla beans so was excited to taste & see how much they flavoured the rice. Never will I buy creamed rice again. I will be using the HC for this.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Mastered!

    Well we have mastered the rosemary potatoes! they are so easy & delicious to make that the boys have suggested we make them every night! LOL……have to say that a good hard waxy potato is the best to use to hold its shape & doesn’t get shaved by the stirring arm. Just love to add the ingredients & walk away, come back later to delicious crunchy roasted potatoes. All smiles in this household.

    Have been using the HC to make our Japanese curry. Its so easy now as I’m not constantly running back to stir the sauce & ingredients. No more sticking to the base of the saucepan because I’ve forgotten to stir. Love that I have a “little helper”.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Spaghetti

    The process was very easy to make this sauce. In the past, I would normally be watching & stirring every now & again just so my sauce wouldn’t stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Not today – just walked away & let the Home Cooker do its thing.
    Our sauce just didn’t turn out as rich & full of flavour as I would’ve liked. Not sure why – I did however use Pork mince for the first time ever. Normally only ever use beef mince but someone told me to try the pork. Thats OK – I’ll just use my favourite recipe in future. Teenager 1 has enough sauce for Wednesday school lunch!

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Is it dinner time yet???

    I have just put my crispy potatoes on and the house is smelling so amazing that I am salivating. I am planning on adding in some carrots, sweet potato & parsnip with 30 mins to go so hopefully they turn out ok! I love the fact that having the vegies in the home cooker has freed up the space in the oven for my chicken and fish and I don’t have to worry about having different temperatures. Can’t wait for dinner, will fill you in on how it goes 🙂

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Perfect Risotto

    Wow weeee! Have just finished eating the most delicious risotto ever! I was so impressed by the Home Cooker tonight – 5 stars from me. Have never tempted to make a risotto as I thought it was so time consuming standing there stirring the rice. So just thought “Too hard basket”.
    The Home Cooker along with Jamie’s recipe made life so much simpler. The stirring arm of the Home Cooker fascinates my family (&me). Its quite mesmerising watching it.
    Tonight I spent a bit more time, probably because i was quite nervous tackling a risotto. I did use quite a few extra pieces – saucepan, baking dish & fry pan. I didn’t mind as we have a rule in our house – if you cook you don’t clean up! So I just sat back while the family cleaned.
    The thing I love the most is the cutting tower which I used for the onions, celery & cheese. The celery was a little awkward but I quickly worked out the best way to grate it. It makes less mess with no more little pieces flying around the kitchen (this is usually the kids job). Love the design of the cutting tower, fitting nice & snug against the pan.
    Great recipe! Look forward to making this one again.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Broad Bean & Asparagus Risotto & Chorizo Sausage

    Well I must say I am really loving these 2 appliances. I was going to put them in the cupboard when not in use but I am using them most days especially the chopping tower! I think I have used the chopping tower every night since I received it. Very easy to assemble blades that just click into place & click to remove!
    Tonight was the Broad Bean & Asparagus Risotto (didn’t have the peas so just deleted them). Very simple & easy recipe to follow. I was feeling confident as had used the Home Cooker to create a previous Risotto. Last time I nervously watched & hoped it was going to work. Tonight I just followed the recipe and walked away confidently. The Chorizo Sausage was for teenager No 1 who is not quite sure about the “risotto” meal. I thought if I added the chopped sausage it would appeal to him more. But still had no success in winning him over. Teenager No 2 however enjoyed it thoroughly – which is surprising as he is normally the fussy one. Husband loved the whole minty, zesty lemon flavour.
    Have found the clean up to be easy as have had plenty of “spare” time during the cooking phase to clean up before dinner, just leaving the pan to clean.
    Have found a recipe for some steamed ginger cakes so am thinking I might try that tomorrow night when teenagers are at work :).

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Being brave - Chilli Garlic Chicken & Chorizo Sausage

    Teenager no 1 has always been a big eater! To combat the lunch time appetite has been making a large salad with chicken strips. I thought I might try & cook the strips in the Home Cooker. After infusing the oil with chilli, garlic, thyme & rosemary for about 15mins, I added a chopped chorizo sausage (I didn’t realise how much oil these would release) & fried them for about 10mins, turned the heat down & added the chicken for about 15mins. Probably need to experiment some more but the chicken taste tested by the teenager has got the thumbs up! Teenager cant wait to have his turn on Wednesday for some more experimenting chicken strips. It was much easier than standing by the BBQ and turning the strips. Chicken has remained moist. Lately teenager had been overcooking his chicken. Now with the help of the Home Cooker he will have moist chicken strips with his salad.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • First use - sticking with something basic. Porridge for breakfast.

    It’s been a hectic week at home and I confess to feeling a little overwhelmed looking at all the different sections of the HomeCooker. Instead of trying to master everything at once, I decided to start with something basic. The unusually cool weather made porridge for breakfast the perfect choice.

    The HomeCooker was much easier to set up than I expected. It quickly reached the right temperature and I then simply added the oats, milk and a pinch of sea salt. I set the timer for 12 minutes and then thanks to the stirring arm in the pot, I was able to put on a load of washing and tidy up the kitchen bench while the porridge was cooking.

    My daughter loves porridge and usually makes hers in the microwave using quick oats. I’m not a fan of the quick oats version, but I just don’t have time to stand at the stove for 10 minutes to stir porridge in the morning so I rarely make it for myself.

    My 13-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter both loved the porridge this morning (served with milk, toasted flaked almonds and a drizzle of honey). They are keen to have it again and are particularly excited that they would be able to make it for themselves in the HomeCooker.

    Our first experience with the HomeCooker was very positive. It was easy to understand the control panel and the recipe was exactly as it would be if I made it on a pot on the stove but with the added advantage of not having to stand at the stove stirring constantly while it cooked. We’re all excited about trying something more adventurous next.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Today there has been constant storms here in good old south east Qld. And tonight has been even worse. It’s thundering and lightning and have just had our second lot of hail for the day. So being home alone as per usual at night, and not wanting to miss the light show outside, decided to whip up a quick dinner for one. Poor hubby works every night in our pizza shop. While I was preparing a bite to eat I thought why not do a rice pudding in my home cooker for him ( its one of his favourites ). So in went the rice, sugar, milk and cream with a touch of vanilla and cinnamon. Kept an eye out till it stared to boil, reduced the heat and set the timer for 20mins. DA DAH the most perfect rice pudding done and dusted. That was so easy and really delicious. He’ll be lucky if there’s any left when he gets home. No, just kidding. It made heaps. So plenty of leftover pud for tomorrow too. I can see that there is plenty of options once you get familiar with the cooking times for individual foods. It will just take a little time to practice, but then I think I will be able to creat amazing things. ☺

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Can i do 3 courses Part 3

    Yay 2 courses down and the 3rd is in and cooking whilst we were eating. normally i wouldn’t even bother doing dessert but knowing that it would be so easy to do and cook by itself and i could just sit and eat my dinner in peace without getting up and checking was just perfect.

    Steamed Banana Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce is ready.
    so i made up a batch which makes 8 and they all just fit into the steamer basket. i did cheat a little and make my butterscotch sauce on the stove top, but this was the only thing i didn’t cook in the Homecooker for dinner tonight. so all in all, i think that isnt a bad effort.

    They come out perfect and so damn moist and light. these were so good that i am going to give out the recipe, so that you can try them too, or omit the banana and add in some orange zest and juice. the possibilities are endless.

    so to sum it all up, i have been able to cook 3 courses and without having a mess over my entire kitchen or a massive pile of saucepans etc to wash up. so not only was it easy and quick but there is so much less washing up to do. now i call that a win win situation.

    now to think about what to cook tomorrow night……..

    Steamed Banana Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce

    Makes 6-8 depending on mould size

    100gm butter
    100gm castor sugar
    2 eggs
    160gm SR Flour
    a few drops or so of milk
    2 over ripe bananas roughly mashed

    1. Cream butter and sugar till fluffy and almost white in colour
    2. gradually add in beaten eggs and mix thoroughly
    3. Incorporate in sieved flour mixing as lightly as possible
    4. add in a few drops of milk to get it to a dropping consistency off your spoon
    5. Spoon into greased moulds and cover with a square of baking paper and then a square of foil, folding over securely.
    6. Steam in Jamie Homecooker for 40 mins
    7. Turn out and serve with a Butterscotch Sauce.

    Butterscotch Sauce

    250gm Brown Sugar
    125gm Butter
    250gm Cream

    1. Melt butter and sugar together in pan
    2. Simmer for 3mins
    3. Add in cream and simmer for a further 5 mins
    4. Ready to serve

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Jamie's Homecooker crispy rosemary potatoes

    We had a BBQ this evening so I decided to try the roasted potatoes from Jamie’s Homecooker book. So easy to do – you just throw them in along with some oil, garlic and rosemary and let the stirring arm do its magic. They were really evenly browned and nice and crispy at the end of the 70 mins cooking time, and I hadn’t had to touch them since they went in. They went down a treat with the kids and hubbie alike.
    The only slight negative was that the stirring arm had shaved away at the potatoes as they were cooking leaving crispy crumbs at the bottom of the pan and much smaller potato pieces than when they went in. It reduced the yield quite a bit and the bits at the bottom had started for form a crust on the bottom. It was still easy to wash up though. Maybe I used the wrong kind of potatoes. Overall happy with this little side dish!

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Can i cook 3 courses Part 2

    So with the first course done and so quickly and easily, it was time for main course.
    i decided to make Pan fried Almond coated Fish and Prawns with an Asian Style Slaw. So out comes the cutting tower. i had great success with this yesterday and didn’t anticipate for today to be any different. Carrot and onion done in less than a minute and then time for the cabbage. Strike out!! even though it was on coarse shred, the cabbage was a fizzer. it just curled up and wouldn’t go through to shred. so i cut it up by hand, which didn’t take long but i was a little disappointed. So i add in the rest of my ingredients and leave aside to dress just before serving. i turn on the homecooker onto heat this time, add a bit of oil and pan fry my fish and prawns. must say 1 of my favourites things about this so far is that you have such perfect control over the heat function and being able to time things is fantastic. i just pop them in, set the timer for 4mins, when it beeps i come back, turn the fish and prawns over, reset the timer and continue on. whilst these are cooking i dress the slaw and serve up onto the plates just as the timer goes off and i remove my beautifully cooked and perfectly hot fish and prawns. Voila dinner is served!!! just so quick and easy.
    before sitting down for our mains, i quickly wash up the main bowl, add some water and add in my dessert to cook whilst we are having our mains.

    its just all too easy!

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Day 2. Can i do 3 courses Part 1

    So today i thought i would challenge myself to cooking 3 courses for dinner and all made in the Jamie Homecooker.
    i also wanted to use a couple of different ways of cooking just to see if it was possible without being too much of a hassle etc.

    So i decided to do some steamed prawn dim sum to start with. must say i was impressed with how quick the temp rose and i could start to steam. so quick. all up it was 10 mins from the time i put the water in the cooker till i was removing my first course. one word AWESOME!!!!
    the only downfall would be if i wanted to cook for a big family. i was able to fit in 10 really good sized dim sum, i suppose i could have used the lower veg steamer too if needed, but really enjoyed being able to watch them cook under the glass lid.
    So i must conclude that i was extremely happy with the steaming component and it was so quick, quick, quick.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • A helping hand with my BBQ!

    Tonight we had a BBQ and I decided to try the onions in the Jamie Homecooker. I heated it up to 175 degress and poured olive oil in with sliced onions, set the timer for 30 minutes and let that magic helping hand do the stirring for me. The onions were sensational and I was able to prepare the rest of the meal knowing my onions were in good hands, hubby was most upset that he has now officially been made redundant in the onion department! No more burnt onions at our place!

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Beef Goulash oooh la la!!!!

    I knew I had a busy day today with teenager no2 so I thought I’d better cook dinner in advance! Tonight was going to be Beef Goulash! Everything seem to flow like clockwork. I think I might be getting the hang of the Home Cooker & what it can do! The chopping tower sliced the onions in seconds, I added the spices & oil & I was off with 20mins to prepare the meat & other ingredients. After adding the final ingredients I had plenty of time for something else before I had to reset the timer for the next stage. Arghhh- I had left 5 loads of washing to do. The Home Cooker gave me some time to hang, reload & hang again (hmmm is that what my “another set of hands” has done – more time for housework).
    Recipe was very easy to follow. The best thing was coming home knowing dinner was done. The vote from the contented family was 5 stars for the recipe (no leftovers). The process of cooking was very simple! Its time to clean the pan & cook the beetroots for salads this week 🙂

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • I used the cutting tower this morning to chop the vegetables for a batch of home made tomato table sauce. It made light work of finely chopping 300g garlic, 2kg onions, 2kgs apples & 2 kgs pumpkin.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Versatile and Well Made

    Last night I decided to make Chicken Caciatore for my little family. I am once again so impressed with the stirring mechanism–it’s the show stopper! The chopping Tower also makes a wonderful difference to my cooking experience, and its safer than using knives. I used the finest blade to cut mushrooms and onions and it worked beautifully.
    I also was able to insert the blade and remove it with much less difficulty than previously, so my guess is, it just takes a little getting used to.
    I also wanted to mention how versatile this machine is. I’ve seen that a lot of mums are only using Jamie Oliver’s home-cooker cookbook, and I see this as a bonus that comes with the home-cooker! It’s a great selection of recipes and it certainly gets you used to working the temperature settings and so forth. I don’t think people should limit themselves to the cookbook though–you can cook anything in it! Whatever you would normally have on the stove top you can cook in here–so don’t think you cant be cooking more child friendly meals!
    Another fabulous thing about the home-cooker is that it is super easy to clean, even when you leave food remnants in the pot overnight. Nothing seems to stick to the base, so far! It also looks like great quality and is made in Europe. It comes with a two year warranty as well.
    If you want to make a quick and kid friendly meal (my baby couldnt get enough of this!), I’m sharing my quick recipe below. It serves 3 adults, or two adults and a few kids!

    LOU’S QUICK CHICKEN CACIATORE WITH COUS COUS

    100g button mushrooms
    3 rashers bacon
    1 brown onion
    1 tsp dried rosemary
    1 flat tbsp Gourmet Garden’s basil
    salt to taste
    200g tomato soup (condensed)
    200g diced tomatoes, canned
    300g shredded chicken, precooked
    1 cup cous cous
    1 1/2 cups boiling water
    2 chicken stock cubes
    2 tbsp light olive oil
    fresh parsley to garnish

    Ensure the stirring fitting is inserted into your homecooker. Heat a little oil or butter in the pot on the 250C setting. While heating, insert the finest slicing blade into the chopping tower. Place the button mushrooms, whole, through the feeding tube and directly into the home cooker pot. Follow with the peeling onion. Hand dice the bacon and add to the onion and mushroom. Add the rosemary, basil and salt. Cook for 15 minutes until the onion has softened and begins to brown. Add the tomato soup and diced tomatoes, precooked shredded chicken and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place the boiling water and crumbled stock in a large heatproof bowl. Add the cous cous and oil and set aside for 5-10 minutes, or until all the liquid has absorbed. Serve the chicken caciatore on top of the cous cous, and sprinkle with a garnish of fresh parsley if desired.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Yummy chicken curry for some friends. Pukka!

    We had a few friends over last night for dinner so I decided to try our favourite Saturday night nosh… a good old curry. Tough crowd included some English lads who know a good ruby when they eat one! I chose to do the recipe in the book that comes with the cooker. As it’s a Korma I needed to keep quiet on the name, dial up the chilli and hope the flavours would do the talking!
    The Homecooker made it so easy. Yet again I loved the fact that I could go off and get other things done whilst it was cooking away. The stirring arm kept it all cooking evenly and I set the timer so I wouldn’t forget it. Invaluable when you are whizzing around trying to do a last minute house tidy and quick change before your guests arrive!
    The result was super yummy and I got great feedback all round. The chicken was so juicy and tender and the sauce had just the right balance of spice and creaminess. No one would guess it was a Korma, and it was polished off in double quick time.
    Well chuffed. The first of hundreds of curries to come out of the Homecooker in my kitchen I’m sure!

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Granola super easy to make

    So I gave Jamie’s granola recipe a go yesterday. You basically just chuck chopped nuts, seeds, and fruit in with some honey and cinnamon. It was so easy to do and you wouldn’t believe the gorgeous smell of roasting nuts that filled the house. The stirring arm came into its own again, and it was fantastic to be able to leave it to do its stuff. I’ve never made granola before so can’t compare methods, but it was certainly very straightforward with the Homecooker.
    As for the result… much too sweet for me (so would reduce the honey next time) but love the toasty nutty flavour!

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Delicious Risotto, if I say so myself…

    Tonight we had our first cooking experience with the Jamie Oliver Home Cooker. I had selected the recipe – Steamed Asian Sea Bass (that I was planning to substitute with prawns), however a number of circumstances led us to plate up a hybrid version of Jamie’s Risotto Primavera. These included my husband away travelling for work, me having spent three hours with three boys under nine in a home improvement Supa Centre, and a must-do shopping list of birthday presents and necessary stuff that meant the food shop was relegated last. Consequently, once the window of ‘boys in stores’ had well and truly closed, I came home without having bought any ingredients.
    I say ‘us’ because my boys have been very involved in the cooking tonight. Missing vital ingredients for Steamed Asian Sea Bass (as in nearly all of them), I scrounged through the cupboards and found the Risotto Primavera a workable option. I had to take some latitude to personalise the recipe however I am very pleased with what we plated up. My youngest (4yo) did tell me that dinner tasted ‘like the toilet’ (which leads me to wonder how often he tastes the toilet and I would not put that beyond him…), but all in all, they cooked, ate dinner and enjoyed the experience.
    With the recipe I omitted the celery, substituted broccolini for asparagus and added chorizo because my kids love it. I also used parsley instead of mint and did not add the cheese. The finished product was delicious and each of my boys had a turn of adding ingredients, setting the timer and intently watching the cooker do its thing.
    The vege chopping was also an absolute favourite so we also had to add carrot to the recipe because one onion did not divide three ways and as UN Ambassador for ‘everyone getting the same deal’ I simply found other stuff to blitz. You would never know there was a carrot in there. Perhaps there is an option here for concealing veges for kids?
    The leftovers mean I also have a delicious lunch at work for several days next week which means an extra $30+ in my pocket. If I keep this up I will surely need to reward myself with new shoes.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • A tennis ball, two cars, a Beyblade and a blueberry

    I took the call at 1pm Wednesday at work. Was my mother-in-law (who minds my youngest every Wednesday) “Jamie is here! Jamie is here!” and for a split second I considered that maybe Jamie was ACTUALLY in my house. My Inner Goddess leapt to her feet, shook her hair, pouted her lips, and then I remembered…. I do not have an inner goddess. My inner wears her dressing gown over her clothes in winter and her uggies to bed (OK, that’s my outer persona as well).Yet Jamie is from the Motherland and I imagine such antics are commonplace in that climate – so who knows, perhaps my IG could be in luck after all…
    I arrived home from work to the world’s largest box, as in large enough to house a grown celebrity chef. However, after punching a few quick air-holes and then ripping the thing apart, I discovered something much more sublime. My very own Jamie Oliver Home Cooker.
    To give the right amount of focus to the appliance-of-all-appliances, I decided it needs permanent residence on my benchtop. This single, fleeting decision subsequently led to the flurry of activity that involved the following:
    – the cleaning and putting away of the 5 year old birthday present coffee machine that gets a workout about once every 12 months,
    – the moving of the toaster and then the cleaning up of enough crumbs that, if assembled correctly, could create an entire loaf of bread,
    – the moving of the fridge to access power to accommodate the new appliance bench top layout,
    – the sending of the husband on a 45 minute search for an extension cord and power board to accommodate the new appliance bench top layout, and
    – the discovery of a tennis ball, 2 matchbox cars, a Beyblade, a shriveled blueberry (or perhaps a 2 year old grape, or olive, or aubergine) behind the fridge
    So, now I am ready to crank this little beauty and start cooking different dinners for the family. Will need to be the weekend as crazy with work and have a gorgeous friend’s wedding to attend on Friday.
    In short, stay tuned…
    Lovely jubbly an’ all that.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • My Jamie Oliver Home cooker arrived on Friday. I took it into to work to show it off. Today (Saturday) I assembled the cooker without looking at the directions. It was really easy. I couldn’t decide what to cook from the recipe book so I decided to do my own recipe. I bought a kilo of skinless chicken thighs and a tin of apricots and decided to wing it with what was in the fridge. I cooked a really nice mild apricot chicken curry. I used the cutting tower to mince the garlic & slice the onions. I also used the tower to cut the celery, carrots & cabbage. I also put in chicken stock & peas & thickened the sauce with a bit of corn flour. I served this with rice. Everyone loved it. My daughter liked it as it was not too spicy.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Old Fashioned Spiced Rice Pudding - Amazing even with ground spices

    I LOVE rice pudding but I’ve only ever tried to make it once and found it too time consuming and disappointing when I’d finished. We are having guests for dinner tomorrow night but thought I’d better experiment tonight – just in case. Being a last minute decision, I haven’t shopped so I have to substitute from my cupboard.
    My first issue is that I’ve never heard of Pudding Rice – google says short grain or risotto rice but the only non standard rice I have is Sushi rice – it cookes up nice and sticky. I have Vanilla bean paste and ground Nutmeg and Cinnamon rather than the fresher versions but decide to go right ahead.
    Preparation is truly 5 minutes or less this time but the cooking required longer by the time you included the time to boil the milk and then cook – nearly an hour but this could be the different rice. I did add an extra tablespoon of sugar near the end too.
    The taste DEVINE
    Clean up very simple again – this is one of my favourite parts of this machine. So many kitchen devices need had washing. I love just rinsing and putting in the dishwasher and knowing it will come out clean because nothing has stuck to it!!
    Can’t wait to try the version with the fresh spices tomorrow.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • first impressions are WOW!

    Well i have received my Jamie Homecooker and have finally been able to use it today. Yay! So i have decided to cook a few recipes of my own that i normally cook, first, just to see how much of a difference it will make to my normal cooking routine and repetoire.
    So my first impressions are WOW what a time saver. i decided to cook us Spaghetti and Meatballs in a Nepolitana Sauce for dinner tonight. so i peel the veg and within a minute the veg slicer has it all done and the cooking has started. when i make a tomato sauce i usually cook it for about 1 1/2 hours so the Homecooker is perfect for this and the added bonus is i don’t have to go back repeatedly and stir so that it doesn’t catch on the bottom. all in all my meal took about 2 hours to cook in total but with only about 5 mins prep time which was brilliant. i set the timer in between adding ingredients and it took seconds to add in the ingredients when it beeped nice and loudly enough that i could hear it over playing with the kids.
    i could have used it to cook my spaghetti too, if i had of thought ahead and cooked it first but oh well there is always next time.
    tonights meal was a winner and with about 1/4 of the effort that i would normally put in but with the same outcome.
    must say i cant wait to cook another meal tomorrow…. stay tuned!! now to decide what to cook next……..am thinking of using the steaming function and to maybe shallow fry as well…………oh the decisions…….

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • "Garlic" Granola

    “Garlic Granola” I hear you say! Well today Dear Husband set about to test the Home Cooker to make the Granola. I pulled some ingredients from the cupboard – variety of nuts, fruit etc . Measured the ingredients, set the pan & he was off cooking the granola. Having a little taste test – Husband stated, “Hmmm somethings spicy.” Looking closely found some rather suspicious pieces of “flaked almonds”. Oh LOL I had given him a small packet of sliced dried garlic!!! Lucky it wasn’t much & have managed to pick most of it out. Husband states that Jamie is a fan of garlic so I’m sure our experimented will be well liked by him!
    Overall Husband the Home Cooker has been given a 5 stars. Next time we will take care to examine what we put in.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • No more Tears Thanks to Chopping Tower!

    Last night I set up the new chopping tower. It was easy to put together, and the manual diagrams are very straightforward and quite good. I was very keen to have this set up, because I was to make Jamie Oliver’s onion soup, and it requires plenty of onion chopping and I don’t fancy crying over the dinner! I did have a small problem, but having said that, it was the first time I had used it, and you have to expect some teething problems. Everything new will take a little time to get used to, regardless of what it is.
    I had trouble getting the cutting blade into the chopping tower. It took a little figuring out trying to get the blade to lock in—and the removal afterwards was quite difficult. I ended up with a few small cuts (not from the blade, from just trying to pull it out.) The chopping feature is fantastic though! What would have taken me 15 minutes took a maximum of 5 minutes, and there was no snagging of food on the blades, it all ran very smoothly. (Having the blades marked might have been useful, as it’s a bit hard to tell some of them apart from each other) Then I skittled off while it was all cooking and did my hair and makeup for a night out, while the home cooker did all the stirring and timing for me. I love that you don’t even have to pop back to check on it—you’re guaranteed it’s all cooking perfectly without any burning or sticking! Here I have to say how wonderful the stirring mechanism is. It runs very close to the bottom of the generously sized pot, and is like having another set of hands. Fabulous.

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use

  • Well this morning was the perfect opportunity to try Jamie’s breakfast recipe. Now as this was my absolute first attempt at cooking anything in the cooker so far, this post may seem a little long. Firstly it took a few minutes to work out the sequence of the controls, however after a couple of minutes I had it down pat, (It was relatively easy actually). I found that although the idea is to put in the ingredient and turn on the timer and walk away, I had to watch it cook. Mainly because it is so in ground in my Pyschy to watch over food that’s cooking, and secondly because I was fascinated and wanted to watch. So the end result was great (see my pic) and tasted wonderful. Just a couple of things that I found tricky. The eggs and tomatoes cooked much quicker than suggested in Jamie’s cookbook (only 2mins for hard and 1 minute for soft) and also the eggs did stick a little. The other thing that was a bit of a pain was trying to scoop out a whole breakfast with a large spoon in a deep pan and keep it looking pretty. I did manage to do it and I think it actually looked a lot like the picture in the cookbook. So all in all a great success. Well that’s all from me for now. Happy cooking everyone Cheers

    Would you recommend to other mums?
    Versatile & suitable for lots of recipes
    Saves time & makes my life easier
    Simple to understand & easy to use
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Article ‘They Taste Amazing, I’ll Definitely Be Stocking Up Again’

‘They Taste Amazing, I’ll Definitely Be Stocking Up Again’

Having three young kids, juggling their commitments and her own as a school teacher means Kristie Young’s days revolve around snacking on-the-go. And she admits she’s not always reaching for the best options! So she was thrilled to try out new Nice & Natural Deluxe Protein Bars and says she’ll be restocking next time she’s shopping.

Kristie is right in the middle of one her busiest seasons of life – juggling three kids (two at school), a job, partner and household. But this year, she’s made a commitment to herself.

“I’m always running around. Always a million things on my to do list, but wouldn’t have it any other way.” Kristie told Mouths of Mums.

“But I’m turning 40 this year and I thought I really need to start prioritising myself, because for the last seven years, I’ve been pregnant, breastfeeding, busy with the kids, I have not looked after myself at all.

“So this year, I’m really starting to get back into my own fitness journey, health journey, and eating a lot better and starting to eat more regularly and eat more protein filled meals and snacks that will fill me up. So I’m not just reaching for sugary snacks, especially around that afternoon, where I’m getting tired from being awake with the baby all night and just finding myself reaching for junk in the cupboard.”

A self-confessed snacker, Kristie says her snacking habit is worse during school holidays when she’s constantly making in-between meals for the kids. So she decided to give Nice & Natural Deluxe Protein Bars a try, as part of the Mouths of Mums review team.

“They were actually filling. I like that they had eight grams of protein, because that’s something that I’m really trying to increase this year, having more protein. And they taste amazing, which is obviously great and I like that they have chocolate, because normally in the afternoon, I’m reaching for something sugary, something chocolatey, and this way I know I’m getting that protein hit as well. So they’re a bit more filling.

“They help me last until dinner time without reaching for all these other little snacks in between.”

“I also like that they’re easy to take out and about. So when I’m doing kinder drop off, dancing. I always pack snacks and food for the kids and forget myself. It’s been good put myself first and have something in the bag and on the go for me too.”

Nice & Natural Deluxe Protein Bars not only satisfy those constant cravings throughout the day, they’re temptingly tasty. With layers of nuts and soy crisps and enveloped in milk or dark chocolate, it’s every sweet-tooth’s dream.

“I’ve tried quite a few different protein bars, and some of them I don’t like the aftertaste or the textures too hard. Whereas I found this had a nice amount of crunch, the flavour was really nice, and the perfect amount of chocolate too.”

With three delectable flavours to choose from, Nice & Natural Deluxe Protein Bars make mum me-time an indulgent treat, with no artificial flavours or colours:

Salted Caramel, Cashew & Choc: Crunchy cashews, peanuts and soy crisps, topped with a delicious caramel layer and coated in rich milk choc.

Cookies & Cream Dark Choc: Crunchy peanuts and soy crisps, topped with a delicious cream layer and coated in rich dark choc.

Almond & Double Choc: Crunchy almonds, peanuts and soy crisps, topped with a delicious white choc layer and coated in rich milk choc.

How amazing do these flavours sound?! Kristie tried a couple of the flavours, and for her the Salted Caramel, Cashew & Choc was an absolute standout!

“I’ve got the Almond & Double Choc, which I love and Salted Caramel, Cashew & Choc. And at first I thought this one might be too sweet with the salted caramel, but it’s actually not. It’s perfect, the perfect balance. Probably my favourite!’

nice and natural deluxe protein bars salted caramel, cashew and choc

“They’re so good for having the desk draw at work, those little snacks. I’m not just reaching for sugary rubbish. I know they’ve got protein, especially in the afternoon, when I am running low on energy from being kept awake all night. It’s good to have these in the drawer and just have one each day, which I’m enjoying, something to look forward to at work.

“I’m putting them on the shopping list, so when I run out of these, I’m off to get some more for myself. My partner tried them, and he’s approved them. He wants some too. I said he can’t have my stash, so I know I’ll definitely be stocking up again at the supermarket. I’m recommending them and really enjoying them.”

Purchase Nice & Natural Deluxe Protein Bars from Woolworths and Coles.

This Real Story was provided as part of a paid sponsorship opportunity. Kristie was chosen to share her story because she was sent out and tried Nice & Natural Deluxe Protein Bars and genuinely loved them!

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