Embarrassed I spent money on…..

[gmama]

Rice cookers are great!  I also use mine for making the most ridiculously easy and creamy mac and cheese that my kids insist I make every week.   

http://weelicious.com/2010/03/03/rice-cooker-mac-cheese/

[Maxiestar]

Beanie Babies. I bought quite a few of the adorable things. Including the Teeny Beanies sold at McDonald's! Yeah, last I heard, they're pretty much worthless now!

[pwv]

I have to say I loved my rice cooker.  I have difficulty sometimes cooking rice without scorching or undercooking it, so a rice cooker was ideal for me - set it and forget it, as they say.

Asian person here - I grew up with rice cookers, have owned several and use mine on a regular basis.  Yes, it's single-purpose, but we get a lot of use out of that single purpose.  Just about all other Asians I know not only grew up with but also have rice cookers and use them all the time.  Maybe it's a cultural thing? (BIL, who is not Asian and didn't grow up eating a lot of rice, has a great rice cooker he tried to give me a few years ago that he won but almost never used; if it weren't so small, I would've taken it from him)

I haven't seen it myself, but I understand Roger Ebert wrote a book full of recipes you can make in a rice cooker.

found this on Amazon:

The Pot and How to Use It: The Mystery and Romance of the Rice Cooker by Roger Ebert (Sep 21, 2010)

[rose red]

Rice cookers are great.  You can make a whole meals just with the one appliance.  While the rice is cooking, throw some eggs in with the rice to make hard boiled (well, steamed) eggs.  Place a rack and container so it "hovers" over the rice to steam veggies and main course.  My mom makes great sticky rice (kind of like paella; rice and stuff mixed in for a one dish meal)

[CakeBeret]

I have a rice cooker because I, somehow, always fail at cooking rice on the stovetop. The rice cooker works much better, but mine always burns on the bottom. I now cook rice in the microwave. (Gasp! The horror! Oh no!)

[Optimoose Prime]

A time share.  And the guy lied to us, too.

[Dazi]

When Gish and I first got together we made a special date night dinner, complete with these special potatoes you could bake in the microwave, for only $1 each! What a deal! I think it was Scritzy who pointed out that any potato could be baked in the microwave. I still laugh about that one sometimes. We were so proud of ourselves and our special potatoes.

In your defense the special potatoes tend to be bigger and "fresher" than the regular ones (at least in my grocery store)

I'm not sure how a potato can be "fresher".  They're picked once a year and stored in bunkers.  Unless things have changed drastically in the years since I worked the potato fields in SE Idaho. 

I guess they could be "hot house" potatoes...grown indoors under climate and light controlled conditions?

I could be using the wrong terminology.  The "special" potatoes always seem to be consistant in size and texture when at the same time the "regular" potatoes might be much smaller and/or have soft spots.

Potatoes, in particular the russet potatoes that Idaho is famous for, end up varying a great deal in size.  The "baked potato" setting on many microwaves would be for a specific size.  So, maybe they're the ones that are that meet that *standard*?

I'm betting that the "special potatoes" that hobish is talking about are the ones that are individually wrapped in plastic.

They are the standard russet baking potatoes and, if you look at the basket in the store, they are all pretty much the same size. This is a "must" for these special potatoes because the cooking instructions on the plastic wrap says "Microwave for 7-8 minutes." They are all medium-sized, perfect for an individual serving.

The potatoes are clean, no need to wash. Simply pop the wrapped potato in the microwave. Seven minutes later, there's a wonderfully steamed baked potato.

The ones at my grocery store are 68 cents each. I have two of them on my counter.

Yes. Any potato can be "baked" in a microwave.

The pre-wrapped "special potatoes" are so convenient for a one person quick meal (I usually steam some veggies at the same time) and they seem to last longer (storage-wise) because they are sealed.

I love my "special potatoes!"


hobish -- If I'm right about your special potatoes being the individually wrapped kind, please don't be embarrassed about buying them! Otherwise I'll need to go into a corner somewhere and hide because I buy them often!

Don't be embarrassed about buying them.  I totally agree with jpcher on this one.  Those potatoes are great when you only need one or two and most of the time they are cheaper than buying the other individual russets that go by weight (because those are freaking ginormous).  They are only wrapped special because they meet a "standard" specific size, no other reason what so ever.

[Snooks]

Beanie Babies. I bought quite a few of the adorable things. Including the Teeny Beanies sold at McDonald's! Yeah, last I heard, they're pretty much worthless now!

Me too! I sent 20+ to the charity shop.

[daen]

I have a friend who insists that every computer station needs a Beanie Baby.
Because the best screen cleaner ever is Beanie Baby Behind.

Perhaps someone could find a clever way to market this? It would be one way to recoup a some of your "investment," and there are plenty more out there once you sell off your collection...

[Please pass the Calgon]

This stupid thing.

I blame my husband.  He saw it and of course figured this would be the solution to our mismatched tupperware/lids issue.  What he didn't take into account was that the thing barely fit into the cabinet, none of the containers actually held real food shaped items, the lids didn't seal tight so forget trying to use them for lunches, and I finally had enough and threw the whole thing except for two of the tall ones in the garbage and replaced everything with the big Rubbermaid set that locks together.

The two tall ones I saved are REALLY good for corralling extra taco bell hot sauce packets in the fridge.  And that's ALL they are good for.

He is also no longer allowed in WalMart alone anymore.

Oh gosh, I totally forgot that on my list...I bought one too. Worthless, and you are completely right about the sizes/shape being an issue.

[Morty'sCleaningLady]

I'm embarrassed I spent money on a match making service about 8 years ago.  45 and still single - only had 1 introduction that panned out for more than just a first date and it only went to a second date.

Me, too!  I went with Lunch Dates.  I had 8 of my 10 dates, but none of them were what I was looking for.  They all had asked for a redhead, which I am.  The only one I had anything in common with (at least on paper) was the computer programmer.  Sadly, he only could talk about programming, video games, and ping pong -- fine topics for many, but I wasn't that excited.  (The weather was a dead end, the menu was a dead end, seriously - only the three topics).  Lots of 'live with my Mom' guys.

I've also on-line data with no success. 

[siamesecat2965]

I have a rice cooker because I, somehow, always fail at cooking rice on the stovetop. The rice cooker works much better, but mine always burns on the bottom. I now cook rice in the microwave. (Gasp! The horror! Oh no!)

Living alone, I don't each rice all that often. My go to (and this could belong in the other thread about prepared foods) is trader joes frozen brown rice. you microwave it in the bag, to steam it, and half a bag is one serving. the other half can be re-nuked. Its plain, but i sometimes make chicken with a sauce, and just put some over. its also good when i make my burritos to freeze; i add a little rice for texture and so on.

[Thipu1]

Beanie Babies. I bought quite a few of the adorable things. Including the Teeny Beanies sold at McDonald's! Yeah, last I heard, they're pretty much worthless now!

Me too! I sent 20+ to the charity shop.

SIL got caught up in this bubble.  She was sure she would be able to send her three teens to college on the money she'd get when she sold them.  Now, they're convenient toys when the Grandchildren come to visit. 

[Syfygeek]

I bought the entire original series Star Trek on video tape. (One of those deals where they send you 2 tapes every month and charge a ridiculous amount of money. They are still taking up an entire book shelf, most unopened. And I don't have a video player anymore.

Want to buy another set?

[jaxsue]

I have to say I loved my rice cooker.  I have difficulty sometimes cooking rice without scorching or undercooking it, so a rice cooker was ideal for me - set it and forget it, as they say.

Asian person here - I grew up with rice cookers, have owned several and use mine on a regular basis.  Yes, it's single-purpose, but we get a lot of use out of that single purpose.  Just about all other Asians I know not only grew up with but also have rice cookers and use them all the time.  Maybe it's a cultural thing? (BIL, who is not Asian and didn't grow up eating a lot of rice, has a great rice cooker he tried to give me a few years ago that he won but almost never used; if it weren't so small, I would've taken it from him)

Count me as another big fan of rice cookers. I'm not Asian and I didn't grow up with them, but I discovered them about 15 yrs ago. They're great!