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With all the reporting we do on couponing and saving money on groceries, it seemed remiss not to talk about one of the most popular money-saving apps: Ibotta. The internet abounds with stories of users saving and earning back hundreds of dollars using the app, so I had to check it out.

First, the basic premise: The app offers savings through coupons — percentages off and cash back on various purchases. To get these incentives, you basically give out some market research: You either fill out a short survey, scan a receipt to send your shopping data, or link loyalty cards. While your personal data is kept confidential, the companies that use Ibotta for research aggregate all this data to learn about shopping priorities and trends. And in the meantime, you get rewarded for being their virtual guinea pig, in actual dollars that are sent seamlessly to your Paypal account (or wherever you choose).

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I love to wander the aisles of Home Depot. The store smells like lumber and potential. Even the most random of sections, where I have zero expertise, can spark some DIY project. (And I’m not even that handy!) I went in recently for a doodad for my bathroom faucet (a new hot/cold stem — not a doodad — I learned when I asked the associate) and spent 10 minutes daydreaming in the nearby pipe section about all the fun stuff I could do if I had unlimited time and funds to just tinker around.

As I’ve wandered through this store, however, I’ve also stumbled upon products that can transform a space and make it look a hundred times more stylish. Here are my top five surprisingly transformative (yet budget-friendly) products you migh not have realized even existed, let alone sat on the shelves at Home Depot.

They’re all incredibly easy to use, budget-friendly, and have the potential to make a huge difference in your kitchen.

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Even when I don’t fully plan out my week of meals, I still always make a point to block off an hour or two over the weekend for a meal prep session. I cook and prep some versatile, well-loved staples that I can easily turn into different lunches and dinners in the week ahead. Topping that list is roasted veggies. It’s the chance to clean out my crisper and put my CSA and farmers market hauls to work — plus, what’s not to love about working lots of vegetables into my diet?

But let’s be honest — even for the most ardent vegetable lover, roasted vegetables can get old after a while (sad but true). Luckily, last year while writing a cookbook, I learned a super-valuable trick to beat vegetable fatigue once and for all.

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You know how to clean a kitchen. So do I. But there are things we learned from our parents, shortcuts we developed ourselves, and just straight-up habits that may make our cleaning, well, less than optimal.

Heck, half the time I research a story for Kitchn, I learn I’ve been doing something wrong my whole adult life! And while some of these habits could just be optimized better — making sure you’re really cleaning the most effective, efficient way — others are actually adding undue risk to your family through cross-contamination.

Think you’re doing it all right? See if you have any of these bad kitchen cleaning habits you should break ASAP.

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Ever since I met this sweet slow cooker breakfast casserole, I’ve been hosting weekend brunch as often as possible. It’s a treat to be sure, loaded with tender cubes of custard-soaked brioche tinged with the warm scent of pumpkin spice and topped with a nutty brown sugar streusel. You’ll want to keep this one in rotation all year long.

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Kitchn’s Delicious Links column highlights recipes we’re excited about from the bloggers we love. Follow along every weekday as we post our favorites.

Hello, 15-minute creamy garlic pasta: GET IN MY BELLY, PLEASE. I kid you not when I say that my stomach is audibly growling right now whilst I behold this sight for starving eyes. The spaghetti, perfectly interlaced, sauced, peppered, and herbed, is legitimately singing a siren song to me. In all honestly, if I am not nose-diving into a bowl of pasta within the next 15 minutes, I might just lose my noodle. (This is why a salted pot of water is boiling at this very moment.)

*Tries not to watch pot boil.*

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A week of better breakfasts promises days that start with ease (not chaos), and food that fuels us, whether we eat at home or on the run. A better breakfast, in our book, is one you can cook once and eat all week without getting bored, and is nourishing, convenient, and, of course, flavorful. May we introduce you to our new favorite strategy? The 1×5 breakfast.

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Although I’m fairly new to meal prepping, it didn’t take me long to get into the groove. I discovered that while I like having some sort of rough framework for what I’m going to eat during the week, I also need some flexibility. Since I’m only cooking for myself and my husband, we have the luxury of cooking somewhat spontaneously on weeknights, which makes our busy weeks more fun and enjoyable.

My Power Hour Meal Prep Plan provides a rough guideline for a week of wholesome, feel-good meals, but leaves room for mid-week inspiration. Oh, and it comes together in just one hour.

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Beefy brisket is the king of Texas barbecue. Yes, Texas has ribs and pulled pork, but tender, peppery brisket is what most people dream of when they think Texas barbecue. Swiped with mustard and packed with a salt and pepper coating before slow smoking produces a brisket that is ingenious in simplicity and mind-blowing in flavor.

The best Texas-style brisket is tender without falling apart and has a thick layer of smoky-peppery bark that surrounds each slice. While we can’t exactly replicate the terroir of a Texas smokehouse, we can slow-roast brisket in the oven and get pretty darn close. Here’s how to make Texas-style brisket in the oven at home.

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Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

Photography by Bev Childress of Fort Worth, Texas

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