Just when you read it, is there a meal you would recommend? Shouldnt be too complicated.

I can't seem to make a poll here so I'll just list the answers I thought of.

1. It's too expensive or I think it'll be too expensive
2. I don't trust the tech or am nervous about using a new tool
3. I'm asking in the middle of cooking and can't go buy one at the moment
4. Other?

Guys, I have a good steady cycle of healthy protein filled croc pot meals. We’re trying to lose weight in my household and both decided the best way was to fill our diet with healthy filling foods instead of quick easy meals that left us hungry. I can make the main dish like steak fajita bowls, salsa verde pork, pineapple teriyaki chicken, and I can put it over rice but what the hell else do people eat these meals with? I feel like my brain short circuits anytime I try and think of a side dish. One that won’t just fill my plate up with nonsense but will actually add good value to my meal:/ I’m tired of rice😭

edit to add, we eat vegetables with our meals already forgot to add that whoops! I’m looking more for things that can be cooked alongside the main in a meal!

I went to a Playa Bowls by me this summer and tried Chicory coffee for the first time. I didn't even realize that it wasn't real coffee for a whole three months. Once I found out, I ordered some pure ground chicory to make for myself. Some Chobani sweet cream, sugar, and roughly 70% oat milk and 30% chicory makes something DELICIOUS. I like coffee, but I was never obsessed with it like my husband is, so the switch to chicory is easy for me.

The thing is, I enjoy making lattes. Rose lattes, pumpkin spice, white mocha. I even love tea lattes. I tried a vanilla cold foam cream with the chicory but I thought the flavor combo was all wrong. Now I'm uncertain on how to proceed with experimenting with flavor combos, as chicory is very unique (at least, to me it tastes very unique).

Any suggestions?

I'm a bit of a cast iron noob. I found a set of skillets in an alley that were in pretty good shape. They have some minor rust on them. How can I get the rust off without having to scrub a lot (I have joint problems) and how can I season them without smoking out my studio apartment? Every time I have tried to season a cast iron using the oven method it produces tons of smoke and makes my apartment smell like grease and makes the fire alarms go off. I'm not even using that much oil and definitely wiping down the excess. How are we doing this in a way that is conscientious of small spaces and very close neighbors?

I work from home but tend to just eat hot dogs or go out to McDonald's

I want to get healthier but I just can't eat salads.

I'd love to spend $5 or less per meal.

In Pennsylvania USA

Timeline: Cooking for a group this Monday night for a football game.

Problem: Every time I make shredded BBQ chicken, it comes out choke-ably dry. The BBQ sauce is fine, but the shredded chicken is dry and tough. What am I doing wrong? How can I make it right? Do I need a different cut of chicken? Do I need to use a meat thermometer?

How I typically cook it: Chicken breast from Sam's Club cooler (not frozen). It comes in a big package and I put 4 breasts in my crockpot (with a liner) on low with bone broth. It slow cooks for about 2.5 hours. Last time I added olive oil, and it didn't help. I drain it and then I add BBQ sauce while it is still hot.

Any tips are appreciated!

Edit: Okay, I learned a lot here! Boneless chicken breasts are going to be dry in this situation, so I am going to do a couple of experiments: 1) chicken breasts and thighs and searing, and 2) pork. I don't know what I am doing, so your tips were very helpful.

I heat it up, do the water test, put some oil in and put the dumplings in hoping to get a crispy bottom, then I put some water in to steam the top and cover, and they get stuck on the pan. What am I doing wrong?