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I had one of those kitchen revelations not too long ago that changed the way I cook. And as a result I will likely never use a standard blender ever again.

Now, I realize that one woman’s kitchen revelation is another woman’s duh moment. So if you’ve been doing this trick for years, hats off to you (and why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?). If you’re like me and had never thought of this, well then, welcome to the club.

Here’s why I’m ditching the blender, and what I’ll be using instead.

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I’m not one to be hyperbolic about food stuff, but mastering cold brew at home is a game-changer. For starters, nothing will make you feel like you’ve got yourself together in the morning like having iced coffee ready to go in your fridge. Making cold brew at home is going to save you so much time (and money) this summer that you might actually find a minute to meditate in the morning — or catch up on email, if that’s more your speed.

Cold brew at home couldn’t be simpler. You just need a few basics and about 30 minutes of hands-on time to make a big batch to last all week. Plus, this method is going to give you the smoothest, sweetest cup of coffee you’ve ever had. Here’s what you need to know (and what to grab) for better cold brew at home.

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For most of us, the invention of Clorox Wipes is right up there with the invention of the wheel or fire. They are simply one of those things that make you wonder how you ever lived in the dark ages before their existence. Especially since, as is the case with these disinfecting wipes, you love them and use them for just about everything.

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Earlier this year we did an in-depth price comparison between Costco and Trader Joe’s. (While the two seem wildly different, they actually have a lot in common!) Since then, we’ve compared Costco’s flower prices to other supermarkets, looked at Costco’s produce prices, and even researched Costco’s prices against those at Sam’s Club.

We have a few more comparisons in the works, too, but we wanted to give a quick spoiler alert, because there’s one major takeaway we’ve learned so far.

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We’re in the last few days of the 21-Day Challenge now…. Successes so far? Stumbling blocks along the way? Lingering ideas/questions coming to the fore? I’ll be announcing winners to the contests throughout the rest of this week, and tomorrow you’ll all be voting on the best Grok Pose of 2018.

But for today, we’re kicking back and focusing just on R&R. A few of the staff volunteered to share their favorite ways to recharge. The Primal Blueprint isn’t a diet after all. It’s a full lifestyle—a path to living awesome, and rest and relaxation are critical parts of that endeavor. Grok excelled in this area in fact. How are your relaxation routines working for you these days? Hope you find some inspiration this morning, everyone. Wishing you well.

“I love doing yoga – taking time to move my body and breathe deeply. It’s amazing how quickly I can relax and refocus after spending even 10 minutes on the mat. I think it’s super important to stretch and get to you know how your body moves. Yoga has helped me a ton as an athlete, and I really think it’s made me a more balanced human overall.” – Annie M.

“I love this little remote spot by one of the lakes in Pheonix, AZ. It’s so peaceful during the early springtime when the snow has partially melted. The air is crisp and clean, the foliage is new and green. A great place to chill and relax.” – Michelle F.

“Seeing Buddhist sculpture/art is an instant reminder for me to breathe, be calm, stay mindful and aware of the moment. The combination of the Buddha with the flowing water puts me in a more tranquil mood.” – Sabrina T.

“I have so many relaxation routines, I didn’t know which one to choose! This pair of intertwined spruce trees are what I call The Turnaround Trees. From my front door to these trees is two miles; if I “turn around” here, I can log a 4-mile meditative country walk to my day. I don’t need any special shoes, wearables, or gadgets to get this done. I’m not trying to crush a PR. It doesn’t have to show up on Instagram… I just go as I am — barefoot, sometimes; sometimes carrying my evening glass of wine. If I time it just right, I can catch the sun setting over the Rocky Mountain foothills. Normally my phone isn’t allowed to come on this walk with me – a non-negotiable element of all of my relaxation rituals! – but I made an exception just this once, so the MDA crowd can see that a meditation practice can be as simply unstructured as this.” – Erin P.

“Relaxation for me happens outdoors. I do my deepest meditation outside, and I feel the most recharged after a morning on the trails or (more to the rest theme) under the trees. I got to spend a few hours in this hammock a couple of weeks ago, and even the image itself helps re-ignite the relaxation response.” – Jen W.

Thanks for stopping by today, everybody, and I hope you’ll share what you do to kick back and de-stress. And if any of the images or ideas got some thoughts going for you, let the bees and I know.

The post Staff Pick Tuesdays: Relaxation Routine appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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Costco’s food court is a magical place. The warehouse store is known for mega deals on bulk groceries — and the same goes for bulk-sized food court items. For just $1.35, card-wielding members can consume a 16-ounce cup’s worth of Costco’s Kirkland Signature chocolate-vanilla swirl nonfat yogurt.

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For most of us, there is a time for really relishing an afternoon in the kitchen. When it’s rainy, we might settle in for an afternoon of pasta-making bliss, or throw open all the windows while jam bubbles away on the stove. Then again, sometimes we want to do other things, like take full advantage of lovely weather with a long hike, or sit in one place reading for hours at a stretch.

Which begets a problem: When everyone wants to be outside gallivanting, no one wants to be stuck in the kitchen alone. But we all gotta eat.

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A while ago, one of our editors raved about her new blender — her first blender upgrade in more than a decade, and a huge step up from the entry-level blender she’d had since college. Her raves led to a lively discussion in the comments (and plenty of emails) about the best blenders out there.

So here we go: According to our readers, these are the three best blenders on the market. Plus, we’re including one that got surprisingly negative reviews.

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Who knew that our post about the bad grocery shopping habits we all need to break would turn into a tell-all in the comments section? (Check it out here.) After reading through the very passionate collective venting session, we noticed a few common gripes that we left off our list the first time around.

And so, here are five more bad grocery shopping habits to kick to the curb, suggested by Kitchn readers.

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Welcome to Kitchn’s Food Budget Diaries series, where we show you how people around the country spend money on what they eat and drink. Each post will follow one person for one week and will chronicle everything that person consumed and how much it costs them.

Name: Liz
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Age: 29
Number of people in family: 1
Occupation: HR
Yearly household income: $70,000
Weekly food budget: $85 ($65 for groceries, $20 for eating out)

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