This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and WonderBag, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #Wonderbag http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.
I bet you’re wondering what I was wondering – what is a Wonderbag? I had the chance to try out this product that’s new to the U.S. and it was a whole new way of looking at energy consumption. Cooking in the Wonderbag is a time-saver and it makes slow-cooked meals super portable.
I made up a fall favorite – my family’s chopped vegetable beef stew in the Wonderbag. It turned out awesome! It was great not to have to stir it frequently the whole time it was cooking!
The Wonderbag is a heavily-insulated bag that allows you to simmer your dish on the stove for a few minutes, then transfer it to the bag to finish cooking for up to 12-hours. It was designed to aid women in third-world countries who cook over fires – they can prepare a meal that won’t burn with less firewood and less water. Literally, in some areas of the world, women spend 4-6 hours of their day preparing meals over an open flame – that blows my mind from the comfort of my suburban home. Food cooked over an open flame is generally about 20% waste – the uneven heat source will scorch it. And lots of water is necessary as evaporation occurs. When you consider that food has to be foraged, water fetched, wood gathered and burned – the cost of a meal is pretty high. Simple insulation provides energy efficiency and empowers women in poverty.
And if you think that is cool – for every Wonderbag purchased, on is donated to a woman in need in Africa. So you can play a part in empowering these women.
While it was designed to make their lives easier because they don’t have access to running water, gas, electricity, or grocery stores… the same concepts apply here as well. With the Wonderbag you buy, you can make a great slow-cooked meal with less water and minimal energy consumption in your own home. It helps an African woman spend less time by an open fire – but it’s an eco-friendly option here that lets you spend less time tied to your kitchen, too.
Once your dish is in the Wonderbag – even if it’s not done cooking! – you can:
- Take it to a family dinner or potluck, and let it cook on the way. (Thanksgiving is coming – do you have a long car trip?)
- Take it tailgating.
- Send it to deer camp with the guys.
- Leave it in your trailer, tent, or car, while you enjoy your camping trip.
- Go run errands without leaving a slow cooker plugged in or something simmering on the stove.
- Stop guarding the heat source from small hands – the Wonderbag doesn’t get hot, so if your kids are like mine and love to “help” in the kitchen, you don’t have to say “no!” every 2 minutes.
- Save energy, save water, and save your time for other activities. You don’t even have to stir it while it finishes cooking.
Now, all that is great… but what can you make in it? Pretty much anything your slow-cooker can handle! It accommodates your own pots up to 9 quarts. You just start it on the stove, and use the guide included with the wonderbag to determine the cook time for veggies, beans, root vegetables, and meats to determine how long to simmer it (5-15 minutes – and note, this is after it comes fully to a boil). Then just move it to the wonderbag to finish cooking for up to the next 12 hours. It won’t overcook and it won’t dry out since none of the water evaporates from your recipe.
I’d like to share my recipe for chopped vegetable beef stew cooked in the Wonderbag. This is a recipe from my childhood – and our favorite when my sister and I were growing up.
What’s cool is, then next time I drive to visit her, I can start the stew on the stove, pop it in the Wonderbag and let it finish cooking on the 2-hour drive over, and serve it hot when I arrive!
- 1 - 1.5 lbs. diced beef (fat removed)
- 4 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 4 cups vegetables, peeled and chopped - our favorite blend is:
- 2-3 carrots
- ½ head cabbage
- 1 small onion
- 6 cups water
- 2 tubs of Knorr concentrated beef stock
- 2 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- Chop your vegetables. As with any stew, a little more or less is fine, and using what your family loves and has on-hand is always a win. By chopping the vegetables in the food processor, you can "get away" with adding things like cabbage that your kids might not normally embrace. You can also shred, dice or grind them if preferred, but the small pieces ensure that each spoonful will have all the flavors melded together so small pieces are ideal.
- Bring your water, beef stock, salt and pepper to a boil, and add beef and veggies.
- Simmer for 15 minutes on stove top, stirring often. The texture will be thick.
- Remove from stove to the Wonderbag. Tighten bag and allow to cook for 2 hours or more. The Wonderbag will retain heat for up to 12 hours.
The Wonderbag is available on Amazon, and don’t forget that for every bag purchased, one will also be donated to women in need in Africa. You can also get involved by donating a Wonderbag!
Keep up with what’s new at Wonderbag on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Here in South Africa the Wonderbag in well-known and I use mine often for making soups, stews, pasta and so on. It saves time and electricity and leaves me time for creative pastimes
It’s difficult to find knowledgeable people in this particular
topic, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about!
Thanks
Oh my goodness. This look amazing! I can’t wait to try a Wonderbag. Thanks for share your recipe, too Adrienne!
Yummy looking stew! This sounds really cool! I love that the bag it’s self doesn’t get hot. {My kids like to “help” too}
I have never heard of a Wonderbag before, but it looks like a great product helping a great cause. And your meal look so yummy…I love stews!!
Thanks so much for your great post and your support of Wonderbag!
I love the idea of a hot dish actually still being hot after traveling! We keep the road pretty hot, being an hour to hour and a half from both our families- this would be awesome for meal get-togethers! :)
I have never heard of a Wonderbag before, but this sounds like a cool product!
What an amazing product! I love the idea of being able to leave the house without worrying about leaving an appliance on.
And I love that if my dish isn’t quite ready, I can take it with me and let if finish cooking on the way…..
I have never heard of the Wonderbag, but this is such a great idea! I am always taking covered dishes to church and other functions. I think these would make great Christmas gifts, and it warms my heart to know that the company is donating one for each sale.
What a great product! I have never heard of this one but I think it would be fabulous for all those potlucks we attend in the military.
I’ve never heard of a Wonderbag, etiher but, it make sense considering all the quilted casserole carriers I’ve seen.
Ty for your post!
K-
Wow, this sounds like a wonderful product- I love the idea of using less electricity and the ease of a slow cooker. And helping women in third world countries is awesome. Thanks for the info!
Wow, what a great product…it definitely would save energy!
I had never heard of this before. Such a great idea! My in-laws live an hour away and we always have to bring food to family gatherings. I love that it would allow food to cook on the way there! I also love that for each one bought one is donated to someone in need!
The Wonderbag is perfect for transporting hot food :)
I spent time working in Kenya and what you say about women’s lives is accurate. I also lived in Honduras for years and women there cook all day – with propane. It is a hot climate to be in the kitchen and the propane is so expensive! To want to get a bunch and take them to my women in Roatan.
Thanks so much for your support! Stop by our website to learn more about the work we do through the Wonderbag Foundation
Wow! Thanks Cambria! I took a look at the site and you guys are doing awesome things. I love that this tried and true method is being brought back in order to help those in need. Keep up the good work!
Wow! That’s such a cool idea! I’m amazed that it will cook up to twelve hours in that bag! That must be some crazy insulation!
(And the idea of taking it for a pot-luck or to a picnic is one I’m really loving, especially in this chilly months!)
Hi Tara,
The Wonderbag is PERFECT for potlucks, picnicking, camping and more! Because it’s non-electric, it can go with you anywhere! It will keep hot food hot and cold food cold!
amazon.com/wonderbag
Wow, that’s really neat! I’d never heard of a Wonderbag before. I love how it actually empowers African women!