Saving the Earth was a big concern of mine growing up. I wanted to recycle everything and always turned the lights off. ’50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save the Earth’ was a favourite book of mine. Much to my mother’s dismay, I even brought backing recycling from my university to home (a 6 hour drive away. I also brought a lot of laundry).
Reducing my impact on earth and it’s resources has continued to be important thread in my life. I have carried a reusable water bottle since uni and try to cycle or carpool when I can. Living with a Brit, I even got in the habit of hanging our laundry out to dry in the summer time in Michigan (we have no choice now as very few people in the UK have a dryer).
When I saw the opportunity to review the Wonderbag,I was intrigued. Firstly, because it can heat the pot for up to eight hours without electricity and secondly because it helps to empower women in third world countries. I was pretty much sold on both of those factors but want d to try it out myself.
Wonderbag in action
The Wonderbag was developed by Sarah Collins with inspiration from her childhood in South Africa. Frequent blackouts meant her family would use couch cushions to keep meals warm. Years later, Collins invented the Wonderbag. Its foam stuffing allows food brought on a boil by conventional means to continue to cook for for up to 12 hours. The impact of this means women spend less time foraging for firewood and less time cooking over open flames. The smoke from these flames can be toxic and severely impact their heath.
We don’t have room for a slow cooker (or “Crock Pot” as we call it in the USA) because we have a small flat. My husband loves to cook anything that requires only one pot, so he is missing out on a lot of cooking opportunities. We have a few batch cooking staples, such as veggie chili and a chicken dish from Well Fed 2. I figured since I was trying out the Wonderbag, I might as well try out a new recipe and share it with out with you.
Not sure this is going to fit.
After looking on the internet for inspiration, I decided on a slow cooked pork with Italian seasoning. We don’t really eat ham or pork and thought it would be a nice change from chicken. I bought the smallest pork roast I could find at the shop and got to work.
Seasoning and garlic. This will be yummy!
I made three mistakes when preparing this meal. First, my pork roast was too big for the pot, which meant the lid did not seal all the way. This affected how long the food needed to cook for on the stove top and how involved I needed to be. Second, the only pot that the roast fit in and itself fit in the Wonderbag had a handle on it. This will affect the efficiency the Wonderbag insulation has. I firmly believe that these two errors impacted my cooking experience.
To prepare the pork, I dried it off with a paper towel and then tried to slice the top in several places to create pockets for sliced garlic. My roast was about two kilos and I used three large garlic cloves.
Roast prepped with seasoning
My seasoning was one teaspoon of dried basil, oregano and thyme mixed with half teaspoon salt and half teaspoon pepper. I mixed this combo in a small bowl and then rubbed all over the pork. You can use any seasoning combination you like to create flavour you will enjoy.
Lid ajar means the cooking is less efficient.
Once seasoned, I put the entire roast into a saucepan with lid and cooked for 20 minutes on medium heat. As I saw the lid was slightly ajar, I decided to cook it for another 20 minutes. The Wonderbag recommends having a meat thermometer handy to see if meat is heated through. This was my third mistake because we don’t have one.
Tea towels lining the Wonderbag
After 40 minutes on the stove top, I put the pot in the Wonderbag, which I had lined with a few towels to avoid the inside of the bag from melting. I weighed the lid down with a kilo of salt to hopefully keep the heat in. Then I took the dog out for a walk. Two hours later, I checked the pot and it was still warm so I left it for another hour. After that, I took the meat out and cut it down the middle with a bread knife. The inside was still a bit pink (again, no meat thermometer), so I returned the roast to the pot and cooked for another 20 minutes, holding the lid down for the last ten minutes (the lid still wouldn’t close).
Nearly cooked all the way through.
By this point, the inside looked cooked, so I sliced myself a piece and left the rest in the pot with lid on and heat source off. Once I finished my dinner (it was super yummy!), I carved up the rest. Half went into the fridge and half into the freezer. I decanted the juice from the pot into a small Tupperware to use as gravy. There wasn’t much though. My husband used it all for one serving (I didn’t mind as I am not a fan of gravy). If you like gravy, you might want to make some additional gravy.
It was delicious!
A week later, we defrosted the frozen pieces. They looked pink when frozen but were grey by the time they were room temperature. Overall I am pleased with how my experiment went given I was missing several keys items (a pot without handle and a meat thermometer). I am definitely going to get a proper pot for using the Wonderbag but am not sure if a meat thermometer will get much use. The Wonderbag will be perfect for making chili and stews this winter, and maybe even mulled for long winter walks and when we host a big dinner party (when we get a bigger flat).
If you have any ideas on what we should cook with the Wonderbag next, please let me know in the comments below.
Served with a side of sweet potato.
Thanks to Wonderbag for the complimentary bag to put to the test. All opinions are honest and my own. Please note that this post includes affiliate links which cost the buyer nothing additional but help support the running of this site..
Packed lunches are a beautiful thing, if you get them right. I am a big fan of crack vegetables and will often have them as a side dish for lunch. Right now, I am trying some other dishes to expand my repertoire with an easy way to get a vegetable and carb serving in.
This week, I started working with Shannon S Nutrition after seeing the amazing results my co-Zero Advent Calendar founder, Becca, had. Shannon is teaching me to count macros, which is a new practice for me. During this first week, I am just getting used to logging all my food on My Fitness Pal and being aware of portion sizes. Next week, I will take more notice of my macros.
If you are new to the term, macros means looking at the amount of protein, fat, and carbs you consume. It goes a bit beyond calorie counting to ensure your body is fueled properly. Shannon has given me the ratio I need (30% protein, 29% fats, and 41% carbs on average) to achieve my goals. Now I just need to stick to it!
I developed the recipe below using what I had in the cupboard to get some carbs in, along with vegetables. Everything is to taste really so feel free to adjust the ratios to what you like and what is in your kitchen. I am a big fan of Mexican food, which is why I chose these spices.
Easy rice salad 2 servings of cooked brown rice 1 can black beans 150 g frozen corn, defrosted 2 tbsp coconut oil Sauteed medium onion and one bell pepper 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp garlic granuals Salt and pepper to taste
Prepare rice according to package directions.
While rice is cooking, chop up onion and saute in coconut oil on low to medium heat.
Add one chopped bell pepper to pan once onions have cooked for a few minutes.
Cook peppers and onions to desired tenderness.
Defrost corn in microwave. It should only take 1-2 minutes.
Drain can of beans and rinse.
Add corn, beans, and spices to pan with pepper and onions. Heat through.
Ack! I will replace this photo soon.
Once rice is cooked, place in a large bowl. Add everything from the pan to rice. Stir to mix.
Packed lunches are a beautiful thing, if you get them right. I am a big fan of crack vegetables and will often have them as a side dish for lunch. Right now, I am trying some other dishes to expand my repertoire with an easy way to get a vegetable and carb serving in.
This week, I started working with Shannon S Nutrition after seeing the amazing results my co-Zero Advent Calendar founder, Becca, had. Shannon is teaching me to count macros, which is a new practice for me. During this first week, I am just getting used to logging all my food on My Fitness Pal and being aware of portion sizes. Next week, I will take more notice of my macros.
If you are new to the term, macros means looking at the amount of protein, fat, and carbs you consume. It goes a bit beyond calorie counting to ensure your body is fueled properly. Shannon has given me the ratio I need (30% protein, 29% fats, and 41% carbs on average) to achieve my goals. Now I just need to stick to it!
I developed the recipe below using what I had in the cupboard to get some carbs in, along with vegetables. Everything is to taste really so feel free to adjust the ratios to what you like and what is in your kitchen. I am a big fan of Mexican food, which is why I chose these spices.
Easy rice salad 2 servings of cooked brown rice 1 can black beans 150 g frozen corn, defrosted 2 tbsp coconut oil Sauteed medium onion and one bell pepper 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp garlic granuals Salt and pepper to taste
Prepare rice according to package directions.
While rice is cooking, chop up onion and saute in coconut oil on low to medium heat.
Add one chopped bell pepper to pan once onions have cooked for a few minutes.
Cook peppers and onions to desired tenderness.
Defrost corn in microwave. It should only take 1-2 minutes.
Drain can of beans and rinse.
Add corn, beans, and spices to pan with pepper and onions. Heat through.
Ack! I will replace this photo soon.
Once rice is cooked, place in a large bowl. Add everything from the pan to rice. Stir to mix.
Flapjacks are one of my favourite foods to snack on when I am training. They can be quite filling and sit well in my stomach if I have one on a pit stop during a long ride. Hale Naturals has a versatile product, Powdered Peanut Butter®, that I like to have on hand as a way to make any food into one for recovery. I add it to everything- porridge, protein shakes, ice cream, and now have tried baking with it too.
Here is a fab recipe for an American-inspired treat.
Powdered Peanut Butter® and jelly flapjacks
2 cups oats 1 cup PPB 150g melted butter 100 ml honey or golden syrup 200g dried strawberries (can be chopped into pieces if they seem big) 100g chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 2. Spray 9″x13″ pan with cooking spray or wipe with butter. Line with parchment paper. 3. Mix everything together in a bowl by hand. 4. Spread batter in pan and press flat into corners. 5. Bake for 25-30 min until golden brown. 6. Let cool before cutting. 7. Try not to eat all at once.
My husband doesn’t like peanut butter (weird, I know) so here the variation of what I made him this morning. Follow directions as above.
2 cups oats 2 sachets of Linwood Super Food packs 150g melted butter 100 ml honey or golden syrup 200g raisins
Flapjacks are one of my favourite foods to snack on when I am training. They can be quite filling and sit well in my stomach if I have one on a pit stop during a long ride. Hale Naturals has a versatile product, Powdered Peanut Butter®, that I like to have on hand as a way to make any food into one for recovery. I add it to everything- porridge, protein shakes, ice cream, and now have tried baking with it too.
Here is a fab recipe for an American-inspired treat.
Powdered Peanut Butter® and jelly flapjacks
2 cups oats 1 cup PPB 150g melted butter 100 ml honey or golden syrup 200g dried strawberries (can be chopped into pieces if they seem big) 100g chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 2. Spray 9″x13″ pan with cooking spray or wipe with butter. Line with parchment paper. 3. Mix everything together in a bowl by hand. 4. Spread batter in pan and press flat into corners. 5. Bake for 25-30 min until golden brown. 6. Let cool before cutting. 7. Try not to eat all at once.
My husband doesn’t like peanut butter (weird, I know) so here the variation of what I made him this morning. Follow directions as above.
2 cups oats 2 sachets of Linwood Super Food packs 150g melted butter 100 ml honey or golden syrup 200g raisins
One of the things I miss most about living in the USA is having space for all my stuff. We visited my mom and step-dad at the start of January and I am pretty sure my flat would fit in their basement. Don’t get me wrong, I love our flat and am excited to be putting decorations up that make it ours, but I do wish it had a bit more storage. For example, our galley kitchen has limited counter space, which means I can’t invest in every kitchen gadget I see. I couldn’t even bring my pink Kitchen Aid mixer with me when we moved (I did bring my hand mixer, which blew up the first time I used it so it was probably best that I left my stand mixer with my mom).
Aside from spiralizers, juicers seemed to be the hot Christmas gift this year. I was aware of the Vitamix Total Nutrition Center Blender from my studies at Institute for Integrative Nutrition, but the NUTRiBULLET Pro 900 Series Extractor was new on my radar. There are lots of kitchen appliances aimed at improving your health, but they all involved a financial investment and coveted space in my kitchen. Plus, would I use it? (After uni, I really wanted a bread maker. My step-sister lent me hers to try out. I used it once and watched it sit unloved for a month before returning it).
I was super-psyched when my friend, Elle, told me about her new business venture, Borrow My Blender (BMB). For a low weekly fee, you can rent a Nutribullet, Vitamix, Kitchen Aid or MagiMix anywhere in the UK. London-based folks can arrange in-person delivery and pick up or Elle can ship to you if you live farther away. I had the Nutribullet, complete with several cups, handles and a recipe plan book. Elle also provides a bunch of recipes to customers. There is a required security deposit, but this is promptly refunded once you return the appliance. First off, I didn’t realise the Nutribullet had a lifestyle plan. It was really interesting to read what they recommend in terms of ingredients for smoothies, shakes, and soups. I made the following cholesterol busting recipe off of their website and it was really yummy!
Nutribullet Cholesterol Crusher Blast Smoothie- before
After! Yum.
I also experimented a little with flavours I like and things we had in the cupboard. The book gave inspiration too. I would have never considered adding whole nuts or dates to my smoothies. The Nutribullet is so powerful, it chopped up everything I threw in in less than 1 minute! The handles made it easy to blend and go without too many extra dishes to wash. A few mornings, I brought a smoothie to sip on the train with me instead of having breakfast at the table.
Improvising with what I had in the house.
BMB was really helpful to me as I could rent the Nutribullet without having to buy it first. I learned it wasn’t as big as I thought it would be and I found it easy to clean. I could also see people using BMB if they want to kick start a healthy habit of smoothies for breakfast or if preparing for a big event, such as a wedding, beach holiday or family reunion. BMB also can come to your London event and prepare smoothies for your guests, which is a nice touch after a group run or yoga class.
I am very proud of Elle and encourage you to support her small business. Like the BMB Facebook page to stay in the loop with her latest news. Or contact BMB to rent one of their appliances.
I received a complimentary loan from BMB of the Nutribullet. All opinions are honest and my own.
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