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food, Lifestyle

5 Reasons Why NOW is the Right Time For You To Buy An Instant Pot

I love to cook, and even more so after I had kids. I wanted to be the super mom that made fresh home cooked meals for her kids. Let’s be real though cooking is – messy and time consuming. The easy way out sometimes is to pull something out of the freezer. BUT buying an instant pot was life changing.

I bought the instant pot last summer only because it was on sale. I had no clue how to use it and frankly speaking it sat in the box for 4 months because its intimidating! I would look at it and say to myself, “that thing looks way too confusing, and I don’t have time to figure it out.”I was so wrong. It is the most convenient and efficient cooker I have EVER used.

Time

It has saved me so much time (like tons). Once the meal is in there and you have set the time – you can walk away. The meal then cooks and switches to keeping the food warm or turns off depending on what you have chosen. The instant pot cooks 70% faster than a slow cooker. If you’re Indian and are comparing it to our mom’s Indian pressure cookers: IT IS 100% safer (those things are crazy).

6 Quart Instant Pot (My Recommendation) | Instant Pot Cookbook | Accessories for Steaming

Nutrients

The instant pot cooks with high heat which comes in handy in thoroughly cooking your food. The temperature is between 239 degrees F to 244 degrees F, it kills toxins that slow cookers may miss. In addition, vegetables and other foods will maintain their nutrients by being cooked at higher temps.

Scent Free Cooking
I like to make Indian food, and Indian food aroma can spread throughout the house. My dear husband would walk into the home and be bombarded with the smell of onions and masala. I’ve switched a lot of my Indian meals to instant pot meals. Not only has it saved me time, but my house doesn’t smell like a restaurant anymore!
Neat and Clean

Using the instant pot reduces the amount time you will spend cleaning your kitchen. There is only one pot to clean in the Instant pot. No stove messes at all. The is a WIN WIN in my book. I dread kitchen clean ups.

Healthier Meals

Whatever your work schedule consists of I promise the instant pot is going to make your life easier. It’s so easy for everyone to use. With a little bit of planning, you can have your instant pot meal all ready for you the moment you walk in the door. So you can have “fast food” that is far more healthier. The Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Cookbook was a great buy for me to get started. I’ve been able to keep things ready and my husband will come home and just dump it in the instant pot and start the IP.

I initially had bought a 3qt instant pot but real quickly realized that the 6qt was way more handy dandy plus had more functions.. I did a lot of research and bought this one. It is the most efficient for me: Indian food, baby food, snacks, homemade yogurt, and even ghee!

Pro Tip #1: For larger beans like Rajma (Kidney Beans) or Chole (Garbanzo Beans) you will need to up the cook time to 90 minutes instead of the pre-set 30 minutes.  Smaller beans will cook just fine with the default setting.

Pro Tip #2: For those of you with young children like me, the Instant Pot Duo has a sterilize feature that can be used for baby bottles and breast pumps – such a convenient feature!

Pro Tip #3: Want to make Daal Makhani or Biriyani in your Instant Pot?? Follow us on Pinterest for Indian Instant Pot recipes!

Invest in one- you won’t regret it!

Your Chick,
Neema
Chicks Picks: 
Beauty

Face Serums VS. Moisturizers : What You Need To Know

I come from a family of physicians, so when it comes to products that I use – especially on my face – I have to understand some of the science behind it.  My husband doesn’t show any empathy when I don’t think something is working AND when I don’t know anything about it.  That being said, I am a lifelong Eucerin user when it comes to moisturizer on my face , but lately I have been trying out face serums.  Naturally, I wanted to know what the heck they even are so I looked it up!

*Please note, the hydration body cream is NOT to be used on the face.  Please use an alternate face moisturizer to layer over the face serum.*

Active Hydration Face Serum | Hydrating Body Cream | Micro-dermabrasion Paste| Lash Boost

What’s The Difference?

According to WebMD, moisturizers have ingredients like petroleum and mineral oil to give it more density and in many cases creaminess.  With face serums, they have stripped out all the fluffing ingredients.  In doing that, serums are left with high impact, active ingredients like antioxidants, peptides (proteins such as collagen), and in the case of this active hydrating serum, hyaluronic acid (aka the fountain of youth).

What is Hyaluronic Acid?

Aside from being skin care’s biggest star of the moment, it is something that we naturally make in our bodies (babies have a ton of it which is why they have the best skin).  As we age we make less, which is why we use products infused with this molecule to help improve firmness and elasticity on our face.  The science is clear, check out this study which observed women who used hyaluronic acid for 8 weeks.

I have received several face serums lately, but in looking at the ingredients they are NOT all the same and so understanding what is in these products is important.  I was first introduced to Rodan and Fields a few years ago and have been a loyal Lash Boost user for years.  I also have had a great experience with their Bright Eye Complex product in the past (see my before and after photos here).  When I have had a good experience with a brand, I am more likely to consider other products in the collection.  That being said, I recently had the opportunity to test out and use their new Active Hydration  line of products and wanted to share with you why they are different, and in this case better!

The Science

By nature, human skin is ‘hydrophobic’ which means that our skin actually repels water which is why we don’t swell up when we go swimming.  With the Active Hydration Face Serum, they have paired up the hyaluronic acid with glycerin to help penetrate the skin and allow for the hyaluronic acid molecule to bind to it and sit on top of the skin providing a seal for hydration.  The science, down to the molecular level, is honestly downright amazing!

The Takeaway

I have used both the Active Hydration face serum and body cream religiously for two weeks and have loved my results so far.  I still have some uneven skin coloration so I may be headed for their Reverse collection next.

I hope that this review was helpful in understanding things that separate products from others.  If you have any questions, feel free to leave them below.  Want 10% off…email Neela Metgud at neela.metgud@gmail.com.

Your Chick,

Rina

This post has been sponsored by an independent consultant for Rodan + Fields, but the opinions are all our own.

Fashion

What’s In My Bag – Want To Know? #SaleAlerts

I am always curious about what trends other people are watching and what people have their eye on…am I weird? I know what makes me feel good about myself, but I wonder how that aligns with what someone else may like.  If you have followed us for a while, then you know that we have shop-able looks that we share with you almost daily.  You can also see what we have been buying on Amazon on our influencer page too!

With the long weekend coming up I am grateful for what a chill month August has been. September has a lot going on and in life I feel like you need both busy periods and chill periods to appreciate each for what they are, you know what I mean?

Labor Day Sales Breakdown:

ASOS has 20% off EVERYTHING – Code: DAYOFF

Urban Outfitters is have 30% off Sale Items (until 9/3)

Ann Taylor jewelry is all 40% off!

Target has 30% Furniture (Online ONLY till 9/3)

This week was particularly fun since I was able to catch up with several old friends and do some online shopping.  There are so many looks I have been lusting after that I finally looked up bucket bags and found one that is just right for me.  A look that I also have been rocking a lot are dresses with sneakers.  With sales blowing up my inbox, I thought I would share with you what is in my bag and what all is on sale this weekend.

Now tell me what’s in YOUR bag?

Cheers,

Rina

Travel

Pros and Cons of an Alaska Cruise

Ah Alaska, the last frontier as they say and our nation’s largest state (almost three times bigger than Texas)!  At some point or another curiosity to travel to this truly unique state occurs to almost everyone.  Maybe it’s the diversity in terrain, the majestic mountains, the glaciers, or the unique wildlife that draws people in.  Similarly for my family in June of 2008 we visited Alaska by road and drove through the state covering nearly 4000 miles in ten days.  The experience was incredible, walking through Denali National Park and catching up on cultural sites along the way was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

So, this year when Sonia offered for me to join her and a few friends on an Alaska cruise, I wanted to share the sights and sounds of Alaska with my husband and kids and quickly signed up to join them.  We boarded the Disney Wonder and left from Vancouver last month on a mission to see whales, eagles, glaciers, and mountains.  Alaska is so big, and after looking at several cruise routes, it is NOT uncommon for cruise liners to not wander too far north due to weather and other considerations.  Nonetheless, I was optimistic about what we would experience.

Our View Everyday
The Sun, The Ocean, The Magical Mountains
Our Cruise Crew
Alaska By Sea

The cruise line route, shown below, just barely touches Alaska – somehow I felt as though I had short changed the largest state of our union by touring its Southern most islands.  The passages were beautiful and we did see a few orcas along the oceans surface along with a glacier.  We went into Edicott Arm (which was not our intended stop which was Tracy Arm) but the hours of passage between the majestic mountains really made this cruise the experience what it was.  Unlike Caribbean cruises, there is so much to take in and see in Alaska on the days at sea.

Alaska By Sea
Alaska By Road

Below is the route we drove starting in Edmonton, Canada and making our way all the way to Anchorage (see our stops on the map below indicated in yellow).  The sights and sounds along the way were incredible.  Caribou and black bears roamed the streets freely along the Alaskan Highway.  We even stopped at Liard Hot Springs and took a dip in the natural hot spring!  We then spent an entire day roaming through Denali National Park, which is home to Mt. Mickley – North Americas highest peak at 20,320 feet (15th highest in the world).

Alaska By Road- Edmonton to Anchorage
Images from our road trip in 2008:

There was so much to be seen and experienced by land that after that trip I truly felt as though I had experience Alaska for what it was: the final frontier.

The Takeaway

That being said the convenience of being on a cruise liner and of course having all the amenities of a Disney cruise at our finger tips did not hurt.  However, I did feel as though the cruise route somehow did not do Alaska justice.  On our five day cruise we had only one port stop in Ketchikan which is a quaint Alaskan town built entirely around cruise tourism.  It was nice to get off the boat and we were fortunate to have participated in an awesome port excursion that shared native culture with us.  The tour guide was an incredible spirit who was able to spot bald eagles from miles away; we saw several up-close too which was really cool!

Check out our Alaska Recap Video Here:

Also our Bald Eagle Encounter Was Incredible too!

Depending on what you are looking for and who you are travelling with, Alaska by water and Alaska by land offer two very different types of vacations.  On one hand you have the convenience of prepared meals, an entertainment itinerary and let’s face it an on board “Kids Club.”  By car you have the spontaneity of adventure  on every turn without the guarantee of a three to five start hotel at each stop.  As my kids get older, I crave a more ‘boots on the ground’ type of experience but with friends, there is nothing quite like the relaxing experience of a cruise.

Tip #1:  Having gone to Alaska in both June AND July before, I can confidently say that the weather is amazing during this time of the year.  On both trips I had packed winter coats and on both I did not need them.  Just plan on layering up and you will be just fine! Here are our favorite pieces to layer up with:

Tip #2: For traveling with fragile items and/or medical supplies (my daughter has Type 1 Diabetes) we count on our Andiamo Luggage to get everything there safely, check them out here.

I hope you found this helpful, thanks for checking out my post.

Your Chick,

Rina