Sometimes it is the simplest things in life that can inspire you and motivate you to do and see things differently. Take for example, the Pampered Chef Ceramic Egg Cooker. It is simply a ceramic vessel that allows you to cook up a healthy breakfast in just a few minutes. Put eggs in it, shake them up, and your favorite ingredients and put in the microwave. That’s it right?
Honestly, though I have come to realize there are some powerful lessons in this egg cooker. The lid has a vent hole which lets steam escape as you cook and includes a silicone gasket, which keeps the lid secure. We can easily understand why this is important when microwaving, as we do not want things boiling over and making a mess. In our own lives, we so often have moments or situations which make us want to blow a gasket, and thus we create messes, or contribute to messy situations in our lives. The vent hole reminds me that I need to ensure that I have people, places, and things I do which allow me to vent without losing my temper. One of the things which allows me to let off steam is cooking. I will pull out my manual food processor and chop up lots of onions, and other vegetables. I also meditate, sit in my rocking chair, go for a roll around the block, have a need to keep it real with the Ultimate Consciousness and go sit in my meditation and prayer garden and surrender it to the Universe.
The gasket keeps the lid secure on our cooker. For me, the gasket is my faith. It is what keeps me secure under pressure and when heat is applied in my life. However, if I am not working to keep growing in my faith journey, my gasket can erode and not fit securely on my ceramic egg cooker or in my life.
Sometimes it is not a feature of a product, but the instructions. For example, one of the things the instructions tell you is “Always put the silicone sleeve onto the Ceramic Egg Cooker before cooking. Place your hand on the silicone sleeve when removing it from the microwave.” Now that might sound like common sense, but honestly how many times in our life have we walked into heated situations without entering accompanied by a silicone sleeve of our faith. Without our faith and belief, we can wind up being burned when totally unnecessary.
So check your gasket, make sure your silicone sleeve is on, and let the steam come out through the hole in the lid. 😊
Here are four recipes for the Ceramic Egg Cooker you will find on the Pampered Chef website:
4. Blueberry Lemon Microwave Muffin
Here are five recipes you won’t find online
1. APPLESAUCE CRUMB MUFFIN
Muffin:
1 Tablespoon butter melted
2 ½ Tablespoons of sugar
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup flour
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
Dash of cinnamon
Topping:
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
Melt the butter in the ceramic egg cooker. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Microwave 1 minute.
Add ingredients for the topping (pre-mixed in another container) and add to the muffin inside the egg cooker. Microwave for 20 more seconds.
2. MACARONI & CHEESE
½ cup of pasta noodles
½ cup of milk
1 tsp butter
½ cup of cheese of your choice
Add the pasta and milk to the ceramic egg cooker and cook with the top removed for 2 minutes, stir and cook for 1 minute longer. Check the noodles to see if they are done. If not – cook in 30 second intervals until noodles are cooked, add water or milk to ensure they are not dry.
Once noodles are tender – add butter & cheese and stir until well mixed and cook additional 30 seconds.
Eat directly from the egg cooker or pour into bowl to serve.
** Note after 3 minutes of cooking if noodles are not tender – cook in 30 second intervals until noodles are cooked throughout add milk or water so noodles do not dry out. All brands of pasta & microwaves cook differently. **
**Cheaper noodles seem to take longer to cook and remember every microwave is different – play with the cooking times to find the right time for your noodles & microwave J **
3. QUICK NO EGG BROWNIE
4 tsp flour
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp cocoa
2 tsp water
2 tsp oil
¼ tsp vanilla
Mix all ingredients inside ceramic egg cooker. Cook in microwave for 1 minute.
**NOTE – may appear to be gooey since there is no egg this is normal and perfectly fine to eat. It is a soft chewy brownie – do not overcook or it will be hard.**
4. EASY 3-2-1 CAKE – Weight Watchers
Make a container with the following:
1 box angel food cake mix
1 box cake mix of your choice
Individual Cake Directions:
3 Tablespoons of cake mixture
2 Tablespoons of water
Mix cake mixture and water together in the ceramic egg cooker. Microwave for 1 minute. Top with fresh whipped cream if desired.
**Weight watchers** 3 smart points or 2 points plus
5. VANILLA CAKE BATTER MUG CAKE
5 Tablespoons flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
3 Tablespoons sugar
¼ cup milk
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 Tablespoons melted butter
Mix all ingredients inside ceramic egg cooker until smooth. Microwave for 50-70 seconds
COFFEE CAKE
CAKE INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ Tablespoons butter melted
2 ½ Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons applesauce
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup flour
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
TOPPING INGREDIENTS:
1 Tablespoon butter softened
2 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Mix all cake ingredients in egg cooker and mix until smooth. Cook for 60 seconds. Add mixed topping ingredients and microwave for 15-20 seconds.
You can purchase a ceramic egg cooker (or two) at http://pamperedchef.biz/sharonjacobson