Are You An MCO Masterchef? Here Are 5 Hacks That Will Make M’sians’ Lives In The Kitchen So Much Easier!

When the MCO was announced back in March 2020, many of us went into a panic frenzy wondering what we’re gonna do with all that time spent at home. Some of us turned to old hobbies such as painting or knitting while the rest of us started spending more time in the kitchen!

Even though a huge chunk of us were actually first-timers in the world of masak-masak, it’s safe to say that a year later, we’ve fully mastered the art of cooking and have home-cooked meals more often nowadays. 👏🏻

If this sounds like you and you want to learn a few kitchen hacks that’ll make your life WAY easier, read on!

 

1. Buy peeled or readily minced garlic and store them in the fridge 

We all know that garlic is a well-loved ingredient here in Malaysia and most recipes require at least a few cloves of garlic. We also know how annoying and time-consuming peeling, chopping and mincing garlic can be.

So the next time you’re heading to the supermarket or pasar tani, keep your eyes peeled (see what we did there?) for minced/peeled garlic! This will save you a lot of time and effort, trust us. Just put them in jars and store them in the fridge, it’ll last you a good few weeks!

 

2. Store your fruits & vegetables separately if you want them to last longer

Even though throwing all your fruits and vegetables into the fridge drawer together can be a quick & easy way to store your fresh produce, it can actually cause them to rot way faster than they should. The reason being, fruits such as apples or bananas release high levels of ethylene gas which causes fresh produce to ripen prematurely.

In order to maximise their shelf life, store your fruits and vegetables separately! Vegetables should also be stored in containers or bags with holes in them to ensure proper airflow and maintain freshness whereas fruits can be stored on countertops or in the fridge, depending on what type of fruits you have!

 

3. The right thermometer will save you time, money and effort 

We all know the sadness of pulling something out of the oven only to realise that it’s burnt or undercooked because the oven temperature was inaccurate. While some have built-in convectional ovens, most of us use electric ovens and because of their size, the temperature might not always be accurate!

So it’s best to get an oven thermometer that’ll help you with your experiments. There are also specific thermometers made for meat and oil.

Lifehack: If you don’t have an oil thermometer, just dip a bamboo chopstick into your oil and if a stream of bubbles forms around your chopstick, you’re good to go!

 

4. Dry-frying is a healthier and easier alternative to frying with oil 

We know you’ve heard of the air fryer but you may not know what the process behind it is called. Dry-frying is the method of cooking something without oil and this actually reduces the amount of fat by 70% to 80%! Air fryers have been around for a couple of years now but they really gained popularity in 2020.

When we were all stuck at home, we had to find a healthier and easier alternative to make our favourite food. You can also use the air fryer to bake & grill food! Some of the best air-fryer creations we’ve seen so far include a cheesecake, sambal tempeh, and ikan bilis! Ultimate lifehack! 😉

 

5. Grocery subscriptions help you save money, time AND stay safe

There’s nothing more annoying than coming back home after grocery shopping and realising that you forgot a certain ingredient, now your whole recipe is incomplete! One way to ensure that you always have kitchen essentials stocked up is through subscription services.

All you have to do is allocate some time to customise your subscription plan and then just wait for the day your groceries will be delivered to your doorstep. Some essential items you can include in your next grocery subscription plan are such as fruits, fresh vegetables and milk for your overnight oats or even your MCO baking needs.

If this sounds enticing to you, you might want to check out Goodday’s milk subscription programme via Runcit-on-call! This is their FIRST EVER milk subscription plan, OMG! 😍

Now you’ll always have milk on hand for whatever the need may be!

After all, milk is something everyone has to have in their kitchen as it’s extremely versatile. It’s always good to have a few cartons of milk ready in your pantry. 🥛

With Goodday’s milk subscription plan, you can choose to subscribe to a 3, 6 or 12-month plan and receive 1 carton of milk every month for 3, 6 or 12 months so you’ll never be out of milk! Every carton consists of 12 packs of 1L Goodday Milk.

Currently, this subscription plan is available to those living in selected regions only such as Klang Valley, Penang, Ipoh, Johor, Melaka and Seremban! The options available for subscription right now include:

• Goodday UHT Full Cream Milk 1L
• Goodday UHT Low Fat Milk 1L
• Goodday UHT Chocolate Milk 1L

via GIPHY

If you’re wondering how many packs you’ll get with the subscription service, here it is:

• 3-month subscription plan — Total of 39 packs, buy 36 packs FREE 3 packs
• 6-month subscription plan — Total of 78 packs, buy 72 packs FREE 6 packs
• 12-month subscription plan — Total of 156 packs, buy 144 packs FREE 12 packs

There’s also no service fee or delivery fee when you sign up for the subscription service! It’s hassle-free, cost-effective and most importantly, safe. ❤️

Not only do you get milk delivered to your doorstep without having to worry about lugging around heavy grocery bags or if they’ll be out of stock in stores, but you’ll also save a ton of money with this subscription plan! Seriously, we did the math! For example, if you opt for the 3-month plan, you’ll be paying just RM5.80 for each pack of milk! Alternatively, if you opt for the 12-month plan, you’ll be paying ONLY RM5.10 PER PACK! WOW! 

What’s even more amazing is that you will get 1 pack of Goodday UHT Full Cream Milk 1L FOR FREE each month with every 3, 6 or 12-month subscription!

What an irresistible deal! 😮

This subscription service is perfect if you’re a home baker or if you’re living away from home, you can choose to subscribe for your family so they don’t have to leave the house to get their supply of milk! If a carton of milk is too much for you, you can always share them with your friends or neighbours and split the cost!

So what are you guys waiting for? This is the perfect time to try out Goodday’s milk subscription programme. For more information, visit this website to find out more about the programme!