And then it died

When I embarked on this journey of making dog food from chicken and rice, I thought that making the rice would be just fine the way I had always done it - meaning on the stove top.  We don't eat a lot of rice around this house, so when it was made, it was on the stove.

Making two cups of rice daily gets to be a chore when it is done on the stove top, which is the reason rice cookers exist I am sure.  I know our neighbors in Louisiana were the motivating force here.  I now understand why my DIL insisted bringing her rice cooker when she was going to make her gumbo when we were at the SSB for Thanksgiving.  Making rice repeatedly on the stove top is a pain!

When I pointed out my tote full of rice (a 25 pound bag) to my son one evening, he said that was the way it is at his house.  DIL is from Louisiana.  'Nuf said there!  They have rice nearly every night.  Change for him.

So after a week or so of slaving over the stove boiling chicken and making rice on the stove - I decided that I would cave in and buy a rice cooker.  When it arrived, I was so thrilled to put in rice and then some water - plug it in - turn it on, and about 20 minutes later - COOKED RICE!

When I ordered my cooker (I really hate shopping in the stores - and when there is free shipping ...), I considered getting two.  One for here, and one for the SSB.  Then I convinced myself that for the week we are there, I could make it on the stove.  There was no need for another appliance there.

Right - the first night, I felt like the step child.  How could I not have the freedom of using another pot, finding a cover and make sure I set the timer.  Guess who didn't set a timer once, and who had burned rice!  I just couldn't get over having to do more than just boil chicken and put the rice into the magic cooker!

When we went into town the next day to buy groceries, I headed for the appliance aisle - gotta love these Super Markets!  I found the cooker.  That night was wonderful.

So back here I have been using my cooker.  One night, I forgot to plug it in, so that was almost a disaster. But that was the first bad thing until the other night, when I didn't hear it click off.  I went in.  There was no more steam coming from the little vent hole, and the rice looked full and moist.  So I unplugged and turned it off.  All was good.

Last night, I set the whole thing up.  I depend on the rice cooker to help me boil the chicken.  Rice is done, then so it the chicken.  Well, I began smelling fried chicken.  I went in, and the rice cooker was still rice and water - cold.  The chicken was "frying."  My rice cooker had died!

So now I am going to be looking for a  new rice cooker - and a new vacuum sealer, which is another story.  I will be ordering these when we get back from the SSB.  The new replacements will be more of a mid-priced item.  The lower priced (notice I didn't say cheap) ones don't seem to be able to handle the work they have to do here!

And so tomorrow we are off  - and I am glad I have a cooker and working vacuum sealer there!