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indian woman

Finally Comfortable in My Blogging Journey

When social media first took footing it was very easy to judge, especially coming from a conservative Indian culture. I remember being a part of the beginning stages of platforms like MySpace and Friendster.

Now, in my late 30s, I respect those who had put themselves out there from the very beginning. It takes time to learn who you are and what you stand for. It also takes time to learn to let go of the judgment.

Love By Design
Shop This Look #OnSale Here Now

In the beginning of our blog I was nervous to put myself out there. I was nervous about the judgement, to be more specific.  What were followers
going to say, you’re not fashionable? You’re not pretty? You don’t have the perfect life?!

Whatever my fears were, they have been conquered.

I’ve learned that being a part of any social media platform, you are often forced to read the good, the bad, and the ugly about yourself. I’ve learned you can’t satisfy everyone. Some people will love you, and some will hate you.  When you fall somewhere in a space where YOU are comfortable, it no longer matters what anyone thinks about your journey.

Whatever journey it is you choose, I hope that you find peace in knowing it’s about YOU and no one else.

Social media has given an opportunity for non-multimillion dollar backed celebrity endorsed products to be promoted on a genuine platform.

If you are reading this, you likely follow @chicksandsalsablog, and for that we are thankful for your support and love in this journey that we call, our blog 

Your Chick,
Sonia

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 CookbookAccessories 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
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Wow At Every Event and Rock 1 Outfit 3 Ways

With florals literally EVERYWHERE this season, I stepped out of my comfort zone and scooped up this fun outfit! Come on ladies, Hillary Clinton can’t be the only one to rock a pant suit!  What I love most about this outfit was that I was able to wear it more than one way. I’ve rocked it three ways so you can see how to maximize on one outfit!

If I must say so myself, this set from Akira is AH-mazing.  For those of you who don’t know, Akira is a Chicago based boutique that has several locations all over the city and suburbs!  This store truly has something for everyone – you just have to dig it out 🙂

Getting More Out of the Outfit

The set I am wearing is a size small jacket paired with a medium pant.  You can wear the set with both the blazer and pants, or the pants with bodysuit, or just the blazer with jeans….it’s truly up to your imagination!  Additionally, you can dress it up with stilettos or down with sneakers. Wearing something you feel good in makes it easy to find creative ways to wear something multiple ways! When I picked this up, I realized the entire outfit cost me around $140, but was worth every penny given that I could be worn 3 ways.

Hope you love this floral piece as much as I did!  To shop this look or others, check us out on @liketoknow.it and see what other outfits might fit your fancy!

Your chick

Sonia

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