Ha, I remember stubbornly peeling fresh tomatoes for hours before realizing canned ones work just fine.

Have you thought about why sites do this? It's a pain, but they're likely stopping bad advice. Sometimes rules help more than they hurt.

Totally agree with that myth being busted, @barbara_bennett. I read a food science article that said the same thing, how searing just makes those browned bits for flavor. They did a test with chicken thighs and found no difference in moisture between seared and not. That crust taste is great, but now I don't stress about skipping it on busy nights.

You said the self-checkout was quick, and my friend had a funny story about it. She rushed in and forgot to scan her library card first, so the machine locked up exactly like @tessa_walker29 described. Then an old price sticker on a book made the scanner beep until she peeled it off. After that, she followed the tips and checked out her books in no time. From what I've seen, these systems are great once you know the little tricks. Her experience proves that a smooth process depends on paying attention to simple steps.

Actually gradients still look cheap when they’re too bold or overdone.