As I mentioned earlier, I made a loaf of 10-grain bread in my Mini Zoji Breadmaker. I can honestly say that it was among the best bread I’ve ever had, and certainly the best I’ve ever had that was made in a bread machine. I had a piece of fresh bread, still warm from the machine, and 2 pieces of toasted bread with butter and honey for dinner. Between the three of us, we’ve almost gone through a whole loaf alread! I’ll have to throw in another loaf in the morning, perhaps a whole wheat loaf with some pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds or maybe a loaf of raisin cinnamon bread.

Anyways, here are a few pics of the machine and the delicious, healthy, preservative- and chemical-free bread:

Zojirushi Mini bb-hac10 Breadmaker

Isn't this little loaf cute?

Light and spongey, not dense

Toasted; nice and crunchy but soft in the middle

Also, I have set up my new Zojirushi 3-cup Rice Steamer to make Steel Cut Irish Oats so they’re ready when I get up in the morning:

Soaking the oats

I just wish I had some Almond Butter to add to the oats in the morning. At least I have some mixed nuts and dried fruit and almond milk, though. Mmm, I just love Steel Cut Irish Oats! And they’re so healthy, too.

Good night!
D-

Continuing the theme of small kitchen appliance purchases, I have two new, exciting items on the way in preparation for moving into a basement suite with a small kitchenette. I have been reading up on reviews and lists for the best appliances for tiny kitchens, and have been compiling a list of items that I need/want in order to have the ideal kitchen in my new space. Two of these items are a decent, compact rice steamer and a small breadmaker.

I currently own a nice (cheap) Oster 10-cup rice/veggie steamer, which works well but is HUGE. I make rice quite often (stir-fries are my go-to meal when I want something filling, yet healthy), and I have never been able to successfully make rice on the stove-top. My current rice steamer is great for the family (3 of us, plus some leftovers) but when we move, I’ll be making most of my own meals for just myself in my own kitchen (how I’ve missed having my own space to cook in!). So, I ordered a Zojirushi 3 -cup fuzzy logic rice steamer. Zojirushi is a Japanese company, and apparently is very popular in Japan (although some of their products are made in China or Korea). Their products can be fairly expensive, but all their reviews are very good and state that they have quality, high-end products that last a lot longer than the cheaper stuff. I just got the basic 3-cup model, due to the small size, and gave up the fancy extra options (such as the cake feature–which is available on the bread machine, anyways). The model I ordered is the NS-LAC05:

My new 3-cup Zojirushi Rice Steamer

Nothing beats the taste of properly-cooked rice in a rice steamer. And the convenience of being able to pre-set the machine to turn on automatically to cook your rice (or porridge!) for you is fantastic.

I wasn’t going to get a breadmaker–as I have memories of my parents’ huge Black & Decker breadmaker that only made huge, vertical bricks of dense, dry bread, and was relegated to the garage soon after it was purchased–but I figured I would probably end up without a real oven, and I like the ability to have fresh, home-made bread without all the sugar and preservatives (and the extra cost). Plus, it would make my little apartment smell great. I ended up sticking with Zojirushi, and I bought their 1-lb.-loaf-sized programmable miniature breadmaker, the BB-HAC10, which appears to be one of the smallest bread machines available. I bought it mainly because of the small size, and the small loaves of bread it makes (1 lb., obviously), which is perfect for a single person like myself. But it also has some neat modes, such as a cake mode and a fresh jam mode. Mmm, I love fresh home-made jam (I’m still enjoying my Plum Brandy Jam!). Here is a picture of the little machine:

Apparently, a lot of people who live on boats or go cruising purchase this unit because of the small footprint and relatively low energy consumption (not to mention that using an oven would heat up the cabin considerably, especially in the Caribbean).

I ordered both units through Golda’s Kitchen in Ontario. You can also purchase the units on Amazon.ca, the site will give you the option to purchase it “directly” via Amazon (cheaper, but currently not in stock) or via Golda’s Kitchen; if you’re going to buy it through Golda’s, like I did, I would recommend going directly to their website as it is cheaper when you cut out the middle-man (Amazon). The rice steamer is currently available for $165 and the mini breadmaker for $210 (all prices are in Canadian). They are expensive, but high-quality and much more likely to last for a long time than the $10-90 machines in the discount stores. [Note: I have no connection to Golda's Kitchen and have not received compensation from them, Zojirushi, or anyone else for this post].

I will post reviews once I have received the machines and tried them out.

One more item from Zojirushi on my wishlist (perhaps for Christmas?) is their Hybrid Water Heater/Boiler. It’s probably a bit extravagant, especially for the over-$100 pricetag, but it’s a thermos-like unit that boils water to one of four selectable temperatures and keeps it warm all day (i.e. for black tea/coffee, green/white tea, soups/ramen, etc.). They apparently are durable, like Zojirushi’s other products are said to be, and the new vaccuum-sealed ones are energy-efficient. I don’t currently have a kettle, and most of the kettles I’ve seen are kind of ugly, so this would be an excellent replacement. I do have my new Staub La Theiere but I think it’s meant more to be a teapot than a kettle (unfortunately, mine didn’t come with the info. manual, so I’m going to have to call the store and see if they have it). Anyways, it’s a nice little kitchen toy to have–it would probably be very handy for elderly people or for an office kitchen, or people like me who drink a lot of coffee/tea and enjoy my Annie Chun Tom Thai Yum instant soups (my guilty pleasure).

We have an open house tomorrow (fingers crossed), so I have some tidying up to do. Then it’s off to the grocery store to stock up on some staples (I want to make something yummy in the Smart Oven tonight, and maybe tomorrow bake some fresh cookies or an apple pie with all the apples I picked from the back yard so the house will smell delicious).

G’night!

D-

As I mentioned previously, I am trying to get caught up. There is a lot to write about. So much, in fact, that I don’t really know where to start, so I’ll start with the superficial: SHOPPING! Recently, I’ve been tossing/donating/getting rid of crap that I don’t need/want/use in preparation for moving. However, I have to admit that I have also been doing a little shopping (along with my mother). Basically, I’ve purchased a few items for my new place when we move (which, I hope, will be in the near future). I know it’s a bit backwards, but I always tend to do it this way–when I was 17 and planning to move out, I spent a whole year stocking up my closet with stuff I would need for my first apartment, spending a portion of each paycheque and asking for basic necessities for Christmas and my birthday. I found it a great way to plan and save up my little cache of goodies, and, hello!, shopping!

Anyways, in whichever house we end up purchasing, I will be renting out the basement. Most of the houses we’ve looked at don’t have a kitchenette, but either have an unfinished room that can be turned into a little kitchen or a wetbar. So, I’ve been focusing on small-space kitchen supplies and planning out decor/accessories/recipes for small-space cooking. I will probably not have a full oven and range; most likely I will have to make do with a portable induction cooktop and a countertop oven. Therefore, we ended up purchasing a really chic countertop convection oven with a small footprint: the Breville Smart Oven. More than just a toaster oven, this stylish digital unit has several modes (including baking, broiling, pizza, toast, bagel, etc.) with convection cooking capability and even a frozen food mode to pre-defrost your food (such as frozen pizza). One thing to note is that there are two versions of this oven, the Smart Oven (model 800XL) and the Compact Oven (model 650XL?)–the former is larger and has convection capabilities. The Smart Oven can handle a big 13″ pizza and 12″ x 12″ baking sheets. It comes with a 13″ pizza pan and a 12″ x 12″ baking sheet/roasting pan. You can purchase accessories, such as a pizza stone, pizza crisper, and bamboo cutting board, separately (I am ordering them momentarily) for an affordable price, and since in Canada you can only buy them directly from Breville, they pay for the shipping.

Here are some pics of the Smart Oven (including a shot of the delicious little frozen pizza we had for dinner last night) [Note: you should be able to click on the pictures for a larger view]:

Pizza!

Plate Warmer on Top

LCD Screen

I also went a little nuts at Home Outfitters (they had Buy One, Get One 50% off on metal bakeware) and Winners as I sold my friend my elliptical trainer (who am I kidding?) and went on a mini shopping spree:

Muffin Tins, Springform Cake Pans, Baking Sheet, Tart Pan, etc.

Mustard Yellow Le Creuset(!) Casserole Dish for only $19.99 at Winners

Faux, Red Staub Mini Oval Cocotte (next to real Staub minis in Black) only $6.99 at Winners

Set of 2 Red Faux Mini Cocottes from Winners ($5.99/set)

I bought a few of the pots and pans at Penna, as well as a Le Creuset black silicone trivet ($12) and a pair of red silicone mini-oven mitts:

Mini Silicone Oven Mitts

And (this is where I went nuts), I scooped up a Staub La Theiere Round teapot/kettle in the most beautiful Graphite grey finish. I almost bought a tiny square one in Ontario but it was $155 and very heavy, so not convenient to carry on the plane. Penna had one of the larger round ones on sale from $175 down to $139 and I had to have it (my reward for being under-budget on my Ontario trip):

If it looks weird, it's because it is reflecting the black stovetop.

I’ll have to try and take a better picture of this one later.

Finally, I have to share my little purchases I made in Ontario with my birthday money. I ended up drinking a LOT of coffee in Oakville (I am now a “regular” at the Green Bean Coffee House, I have the punch card to prove it!), so I purchased a Bialetti Moka Express (stovetop espresso maker) and a matching milk frother to make cappucinos. I’ve been treating Mom to morning cappucinos ever since I came back–the frother makes the milk so light and, well, frothy that the foam just sits on top of the coffee and doesn’t sink down.

I picked up the 3-cup Moka Express at To Set A Table in Oakville for around $36. They are available practically everywhere for around the same price, give or take a couple dollars. I don’t have a picture of the frother but I got it for around $34 I think at the BEST Italian Bakery/Grocery Store ever (Monastery Bakery in Oakville–this place is A-MAZING!).

Alright, that’s enough “bragging” for now, but I just had to share my kitchen purchases with you, my dear readers. If you’ve been trying to post a comment, please bare with me as I have apparently over TWO THOUSAND pending comments, most of which I’m sure are spam. Sigh.