By: Deidre Doezema-Burkholder
One to my favorite places to to use technology is in the kitchen. I’ve found ways to utilize my laptop, iPad, and my phone in the kitchen as a reference while cooking. Just recently, we delegated a first generation iPad to the kitchen. While the iPad itself is considered out of date, because it doesn’t run the current iOS, some Apps still function on this old piece of technology.
So, what still works?
Well, for starters, the web browser still functions with no problem. That’s all I need to pull up any cooking website or blog I want. I was also able to download older versions of apps like Pinterest, How to Cook Everything, and Allrecipes’ Dinner Spinner to name a few. I was very pleased to be able to access Pinterest because there are so many great recipe links that people share.
The iPad also has the Kindle App, so I’m able to access all of the cookbooks that I’ve already purchased from Amazon.com. I was able to get the one’s I’ve already downloaded as a free download!
Of course, before I even get to the kitchen, I try and have my meal plan already in my calendar complete with links to the recipe I’ll be making. I try and list the main dish with 1 or 2 side dishes that I would like to make with it. Sometimes the recipe link is the main dish, and sometimes it’s a link for the side dish.
While the iPad is a great technology to have in the kitchen, there’s a company that makes cooking even easier by delivering groceries! That’s right, Doorganics is a local company that specializes in delivering fresh, local, and organic food right to your home. I took the option to receive deliveries every 2 weeks. The Thursday before the food is delivered, Doorganics sends an email with a list showing what is planned for the delivery. If I need to, I can login to their website and change the order.
Measuring is made so much easier by technology, and because of that, my digital scale has become a mainstay in the kitchen. I use it for measuring everything from the correct amount of flour for Great Grandma’s recipe to the correct portioned size piece of steak to have for dinner – 3 ounces isn’t as big as you think it is!
Of course, some of the basic apps on your phone can be helpful too. The clock app has a built in timer, and when I am cooking a lot of items for bit events like Thanksgiving, I will use the Alarm setting in the app to keep watch on multiple items.
Last, but certainly not least, is the camera built right into my Phone. Yep, I’m one of those people that shares their food. I usually post it on my Facebook page with a link to the recipe. Occasionally, the picture might be shared on Instagram, but I promise it is few and far between!
Deidre owns and operates Organisum: Technology Services, a business serving the West MI area. In her free time she likes to hike & bike local trails with friends and family when she isn’t pinning, instagram’ing or Netflix’ing.
