Timing is Everything (more on a guide for the hyper focused)

[alfreda89]

A Survival Guide for the Hyper Focused

I know more than one writer who has boiled kettles or saucepans dry, burned things in the oven, or cut off a fingernail chopping vegetables. As an expert at trying to injure myself, I am offering up a few suggestions in basic kitchen--and writer--survival. (Readers, I'm talking to you, too!)

When I talked last time about electric kettles, I mentioned the value of an auto shut-off. It's absolutely essential. Well, how about one for your mug warmer? This Brookstone model not only has two different heating temperatures, it has an auto shut-off after two hours. Now, I would still shut it off if I got up for more than a moment or so, because I have cats, and papers. Right now I shut off my mug warmer every time I walk away from my computer. But this would be a lovely backup feature, and I’m looking at this for my next unit (I’ve killed a couple of mug warmers.) It’s not for reheating (not that powerful) and it’s not dishwasher safe, but otherwise, it looks great! I want one soon.

Timers are everything. But before I mention timers, may I ask if you have a system for saving your work?

Ideally, this is a program that automatically backs up continuously. But if you can discipline yourself to ALWAYS save every time you stand up, your work life will become less complicated. When a timer goes off, I save and stand up – always. You can make do with two separate timers, the one on the oven and one at your hand. Two different sounds are a bonus. Remember, too, that your cell phone has an alarm system, and you should become familiar with that tool.

But you might want to put that second timer just out of reach.

The idea is to get you out of that chair. Once you’re out of the chair, there’s a fighting chance you will remember what you were cooking, and go after it – or alternately, can decide that you can always reheat the water, but you have to finish this dialogue now.

Need a new timer? Here’s my next one, or something along these lines: the OXO Good Grips Triple Timer. Easy to read, easy to set, three timers, distinctive sounds for each alarm, and even counts up to let you know how overcooked something is when the alarm failed to grab your attention!  I wish it had a magnet back, but the reviews suggest this is the current gold standard. It’s going to be worth every penny.

And yes, odds are I will still set still another timer–one that goes off somewhere else.

Do you have any timing tricks you’d like to share? I’m always looking for more good strategies!

Next time, I’ll talk about cook top safety, because I don't know about you, but my cook top is always trying to kill me.

Comments

[desperance.livejournal.com]

If you have a smartphone, there are kitchen-timer apps. That had not occurred to me, till m'wife pointed it out after I had multiply cursed the kitchen timer I'd bought, which had a magnet so weak it kept falling off the fridge door.

It was the only app I ever downloaded, on my old phone. Three timers, it makes a cock-a-doodle-do sound, and it's soooo handy. Now I have a new phone, I have other apps than this - but this is still the one I use the most.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

I don't have a smart phone, Chaz, so that hadn't occurred to me. But it's a great idea, and one I will download when I get a smart phone. Thank you!

Yes, my previous candidate for best new timer apparently has a weak magnet, so it fell of my list, so to speak...

[pameladean]

That's the one I use. It will not stop until you tell it to. The roosters crack me up and intrigue the cats, too. My pocket crows three or four times a day at least.

P.

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

I have been called the Queen of Burned Vegetables. Microwaves are my friends.

But I think it's wonderful that you're using technology to prevent mishaps, instead of adding more stress to your life, trying to be different.