October Challenge Week 3: Oct 20 - 26

First... Did you work on your laundry area? I was able to get it all done, except for #17 cube. Out of 18 that isn't bad, I just haven't replaced the cardboard box with a plastic one yet. Otherwise, yes, I got my laundry room done.

This weeks challenge, should you choose to try. Do you have a new appliance you have never used? Instant pot (IP), crock pot (CP), stick blender??? Time to break them out and try them. It's not difficult.. AND to make 2 brand new, never been made by you in your kitchen recipes. If you have never made cinnamon rolls from scratch, make them. If you have never made something you get at a restaurant (maybe because it seems too difficult?), make it. Time to try out  your new device, which one is it?

We are going to try to make some butter chicken (Tikka Masala), sticky coconut rice, and chicken coconut curry. And then for canning, I am going to make some pear chutney, I have never made this before.


Here is an easy Instant Pot first run recipe.

Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

6 - 18 chicken Eggs
1 1/2 cups water
IP trivet
IP

Ok, after you wash your instant pot pan, because this is the first time you are pulling it out of the box, make sure it is completely dry on the outside of it. Place into the IP. Next add the water, then the trivet, then put the eggs on the trivet. Plug in.

Put the lid on, should make a nice electronic game noise. Make sure you have the pressure weight on the top, and have it pointing to seal.
Select STEAM, make the time say 3. After you leave it alone, it should beep to let you know the cycle is starting. Let it do it's thing. Meanwhile, get out a big mixing bowl, add water and a bunch of ice, then wait.

It will beep when it is done. Then when it says L00:10, which is 10 minutes after it is done (I have to set the timer on my stove because I can not hear the IP if I am doing chores). Turn the weight to vent or release, usually the pressure is gone, then open the lid away from you so you don't get steam on your skin (OUCH). Carefully remove eggs with tongs to ice water and plunge those hot eggs under the water. Let them take a long swim if you want to chill them completely, but if you want to eat now, give it a gentle crack when you put it in the ice water, then pull it out and peel and eat.

I store my eggs in a plastic bag or bin in fridge for about a week, if they last that long.


It seems to me that the only thing holding us back from doing things is ourselves. You have to embrace the challenge (fear) and let it power you, let it not hold you back but put you to do it. This is not easy, this is not always fun, but usually when you are done, you feel so good because you DID IT! I love cooking for people, I love the challenge, the flavors and the company.

Yes I want to know everyone's opinions on the meal that day. Why? Because if they didn't like it, I never want to make it again. Hubby has stated he does not like pear butter, until I served it to him with cream cheese, he said it cut the sweetness. He had no idea that you could do that. I made a soup once, Cream of Onion, and my kids devoured it, in fact I had to make another pot because I didn't double the recipe, afraid everyone would hate it. That was the first soup I made that my 2nd DS ever liked!

I made a chicken stock once that was so bland. I saved it and had to doctor it to get the soup where I wanted it, but I didn't give up. If you need help, just ask.  Usually a nice mix of mire poix and garlic can save quite a few meals, oh and SALT.. Seasoning people!! I wrote about food storage and seasonings a few years ago, Spices. It talks about food storage and appetite fatigue, but to also think about your food storage in another way.

UPDATE: So our first never ever been made in my kitchen recipe was Coconut Chicken Curry. We served this over jasmine rice, with salad on the side. My family rated this 10 out of 5 stars! And some of us added a little sriracha sauce to add some heat. This was such a yummy dinner. And the leftovers will be fantastic.
Now the changes. I doubled this. I did not finish this in the pan. I got to step 3, but I did not add all the chicken, I just added half the coconut milk, and some of the chicken. Then I poured that into my warming crock pot. Next I added more chicken to the pan and rubbed the spices into the chicken, then poured into the crock pot. I did this 2 times, then a third time I added the rest of the coconut milk to make sure I got every last bit of goodness out of the pan. Then poured it all into crock pot, set it on HIGH for about 2 hours, then down to low for 2 hours.
We served this with the hot jasmine rice. Some of the kids added some sriracha to theirs after they tasted it. It was yummy! I added just a little sriracha to mine as well. I am not afraid of heat, but I wanted to be able to taste all of the spices. This was delicious, and we had enough for leftovers. DD4 took some for lunch today. Right there is testament to how yummy it was.
I would describe it as flavorful, warm, and homey. It is pure comfort food.

September Challenge Week 4: Sept 22 - 28

Last week I was able to get a lot of bone broth canned and put up. Whew, 32 # of chicken backs, makes quite a bit of broth!

I also made some "beef bouillon".. ya it doesn't smell or taste like beef bouillon. You take 3 cups minced carrots 3 cups minced celery and 2 onions minced, and half a pound of ground beef. You put it in a pan and slow cook it for about 3 hours. THEN you blend it smooth. Guess what. It just tastes like mire poix. You can not tell there is any beef in it. The people that reviewed that recipe, they must have no taste buds! So I froze some, and dehydrated some. So now I have cooked pureed mire poix in my freezer and in a baggie in my pantry, ready to add to any soup or casserole I desire.

So that is what I did in week 3. I canned broth, and dehydrated mire poix (celery, onion and carrot).

We are now in the last week of September. I am very sad with how fast this year has gone, especially the summer. The family reunion and vacation was not long enough, my growing season for my garden was not long enough. It really is sad.

So this week, I am putting some freezer meals in my freezer. Yesterday we made a yummy butternut squash soup, carrot rolls, green salad and then a berry salad for dessert. It was yummy. So this butternut squash was 6 pounds!!  So I put some cut up in 1-inch cubes in a freezer bag, added 1 quart of homemade chicken broth,a bay leaf, onion, garlic, potato chunks and some rice, and froze it. I will season it after it cooks a bit. But this will be a nice easy meal to put in my crock pot on a Sunday when I am not feeling with it.

I am also assembling some other freezer meals for my crock pot (cp) and instant pot (IP) on Wednesday. These can be thawed then cooked or cooked from frozen and are amazing!

Canning this week, or dehydrating has not yet been decided. So much is coming on! I could do apple pie filling, peaches (almost gone), more pears, pear butter (delicious!), zucchini butter (YUMMY), tomatoes, pumpkin, banana squash or any winter squash.

Crock Pot or Instant Pot Challenge WEEK #4 !!!!!!!!

Thanksgiving was the first day of this week. Can you believe it? Wow, almost done with this challenge. We used the instant pot for potatoes on Thanksgiving. And the ham was in the crock pot.
The Ham: This was a carvemaster ham from costco, and I just sliced it thin, and put the whole thing into the crock pot, with the juices in the package. Set it on low early in the morning so it was ready at 2pm. Because of little kids, I put it in a dish for serving so they could reach.

 The Spuds..  were fabulous! All we did was peel some russett potatoes, cut them into chunks and put them in the instant pot with 2 cups of water. Then we set it to steam for 8 minutes. Yes, some stuck to the bottom, but they were cooked and we mashed them, then my kiddo added half and half, garlic and parmesan.. The flavor was great!

This was my 8-qt instant pot. We only cooked up 15 potatoes. Creamy deliciousness

Drew's World Famous Garlic Mash
3 1/2 pounds of russet or Idaho Gold's potatoes, peeled and chunked evenly
Sauce: 2 TBS kosher salt
2 cups half and half
8 - 10 cloves of minced garlic
6 ounces of fresh grated parmesan cheese

Boil spuds in salted water until soft. While those cook, gently bring salt, half and half, garlic to low simmer. When spuds are done cooking and soft. DRAIN. Mash, then add sauce. Stir well. Then stir in parmesan cheese.
Serve with or with out gravy. Serve with a great side like filet mignon, lobster tail, or meat. Best with friends and family.

November 25.. I made a butternut squash soup in my crock pot. I didn't really follow a recipe. I roasted diced butternut squash, and one russett potato, an onion, and some garlic. AFter I roasted it in the oven for some more flavor, I put all that into the crock pot with chicken bone broth, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Set on low for about 6 hours. Then just before serving, I pulled out the bayleaf and used my stick blender to make it smooth. This soup was yummy and comforting. We had this with Thanksgiving leftovers.. I put the turkey in a glass casserole, poured the gravy over than, then the potatoes on top of that. I also rewarmed the leftover ham.   Nothing left, and everyone was full.

November 29th, I made up more hard eggs. Yes, I think I do this atleast weekly. We eat a lot of eggs, they are a complete protein and good for you. Again, did these in the instant pot. That was the end of Week 4.

I hope everyone was able to use their crock pots and instant pots this month. We use them often, but I think once life slows down a little, we will change our menu.. I am getting bored. It's hard when you are gluten free, soy free, corn free, and sugar free. I try but don't always succeed. 

CROCK Pot Or INSTANT Pot Challenge Week #3

Well, hello.. um, I've been using my instant pot this week and .. um.. forgot to post !!  WOOPS!
November 16th I went grocery shopping, and I was able to get more eggs, hurrah, as we are out. 

BUT when I got home I immediately put 18 into my 6qt instant pot in a collander, added 1 cup cold water, and place the lid and steamed them for 3 minutes, then natural release for 10 minutes. Then plunged them into  ice water to stop the cooking, and ate the one that cracked. WHILE the instant pot was working I was able to separate out 6 pounds of ground turkey for future meals.

November 18  Well today we are doing a baked potato bar. BUT I need my oven for the bacon. So I will be using my instant pot to "bake" some russet potatoes. This is so easy, and they taste good.. and the skin stays soft so it is edible.

 Put your open flying saucer into the bottom of inner liner. Add 1 cup of cold water. Place spuds onto the flying saucer. Close lid and steam for 12 to 15 minutes. Let natural release for 10 minutes, sometimes more. Then open and serve.

They were delicious with optional toppings of chili, cheese, chicken, bacon, and ranch. Served with a side salad. DELICIOUS.
Well, in order to have fridge space for Thanksgiving, I think we will be eating leftovers for a few days. But I will be making potatoes in the instant pot for Thanksgiving, rolls, and a ham. We do it potluck style here so the kids each make something to add, and we are having family coming from out of town, and they will be adding to it too.

November  21, Deviled eggs.. One of my favorite things for Thanksgiving sides! Of course I cooked all 39 eggs in my 8-qt Instant Pot Lux. I really do love my instant pots! This is the last day of week 3. What did I do? I steamed up 39 eggs for the deviled eggs.

Mary's Deviled Eggs
24 hard boiled eggs, completely cold
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp ground black pepper
sweet or dill relish or pickle juice, cold
12 TBS (3/4 cup) mayo, cold
paprika

Cut eggs in half lenghtwise, and place yolks into bowl, and whites on plates. Mash up yolks, then add other ingredients. Pickle amounts and type depend on your taste. Whip until smooth or blended. Put into whites of eggs; sprinkle or garnish with paprika. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes 48 halves

Crock pot OR Instant Pot Challenge Week #1

Today is the first of the month, and this week's challenge runs from November 1 - 7. Let the sharing begin, and the eating, and getting those dusty recipes out you wanted to try but haven't. You don't have to do it everyday, but try to get one done at least once a week. I will post my pictures and recipes for this week here, after I make them. I kind of have a menu plan, but it doesn't mean I stick to it.

November 1st: Spaghetti Sauce

2 TBS of olive oil, bacon grease or butter
2 bay leaves
1medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz. can tomato paste
2 - 16 oz. cans tomato sauce
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 to 2 palmfuls of sugar

Caramelize onions in fat over med-low heat. Then stir in garlic to cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. . Add everything to crock pot, stir and cook on high 3 hours or low 6 hours. Or simmer on low for 1.5 hours in stock pot on stove.

I will brown up some hamburger or other ground meat and add a palmful of italian seasoning to it while it browns in a little water. When meat is cooked through I add a few ladles of finished sauce to desired consistency for spaghetti and sauce, or lasagna in a bun or pizza.

***I usually double the recipe and use a #10 can of tomato sauce instead of the other tomato products. Regular recipe uses 66 oz of tomato product, a #10 can is 105 to 110 oz. of tomato sauce. Still comes out good.

November 3rd: APPLESAUCE

The one on the right has cinnamon on it, the other one is plain, for now. I did applesauce back in 2012 too. Hubby bought a bushel of apples last week, and they were not crisp or juicy. So I decided to make applesauce with them. I peeled, quartered, cored, and then put the apples through the vidalia chop wizard, the BIG dice. And filled two 5-qt crock pots. Added a few splashes of lemon juice, then added cinnamon. I love the flavor of cinnamon in my applesauce. These will cook on low all night, and I will Water Bath Can (WBC) them in the morning, most likely in pints.
If you click on the title for this date, it will take you to my post about applesauce.

November 4th: EGGS, Carne Asada and "Mud" ! !

I LOVE how hard boiled eggs come out in the instant pot. They peel easily, and so simple. I prefer using large eggs, and I just put 1 cup of cold water into the inner pot, put in a flying saucer.

This is a flying saucer, aka steamer.

So put this shiny flying saucer into the inner liner of the instant pot.Add at least 1 cup of water.

Now it is ready for your eggs. I put in 18 large eggs today. These are not farm fresh eggs, although we all prefer those. Put the lid on, seal, and set to STEAM for 3 minutes. Then let natural pressure release for 10 minutes. I then take off the lid and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking.

My little guy likes to help in the kitchen, he was making sure all the eggs were under the ice.

They were, and once they were cold, we dried them, placed them in a plastic bag and put into the fridge.. I did snitch a hot egg, so yummy with a touch of salt.
If you do FRESH farm eggs from heavy breeds, then steam for 4 minutes. If they are bantam eggs, then steam for 2 or 3 minutes. I am not really sure, as I didn't have any bantam eggs when I had the instant pot. Duck eggs are a minimum of 4 minutes, possible 5 it really depends on how large they are. 

Next I had put some Carne Asada into my other instant pot. I am not sure which recipe I used, I found it in a google search, but it used juice from one orange, one lime and one lemon, and some chili powders, onion, garlic... It was not well received. We so wanted it to be yummy, but instead it just tasted like beef that was acid cooked, and the texture was just off. We still ate it as beef is $$$, but not a recipe we will be keeping.This is what was left.

After the eggs were done, I quickly used that instant pot again to make a "mud" cake. Again, not impressed, so not sharing the recipe. It was tough, too sweet yet bland, and blah. Nobody really liked it, and we all love a true mud cake.

Here it is, the "mud" in the instant pot before I put the lid on.  Next I put the lid on and cooked it for the 25 minutes on manual.

When it was fresh out it was softer, but looked rubbery. We let it sit a few minutes as it was so very hot.

We served the "mud" with some ice cream, as it needed it, but what I think it really needed was just some half and half. Again, NOT IMPRESSED. We will stick with the crock pot mud, that we love.
All in all this Sunday dinner was... not to be repeated. EVER.

November 6th: Loaded Southwestern Roasted Cauliflower Bisque

Honestly, when this was done I did not like the smell. But I took that first bite, and WOW, YUMMY.
If you click on the name, it is a link to the recipe. I am so glad I found this, it was good.
My changes. I used my Saratoga Jack Thermal Cooker, and made this at lunch time. Then at dinner time, heated up a little more, and pureed, then stirred in sour cream as I did not have half and half or heavy cream.

My girls and my little man did not love this. But they ate it. Everyone older than 18 had more than one bowl. It was yummy. And I am having the leftovers for lunches..

November 7th: More hard boiled eggs in the instant pot.
Tomorrow is the beginning of a new week!!

CrockPot and/or Instant Pot CHALLENGE

I did this a couple years ago. This time we are doing it in November. I have both crockpots and instant pots. The challenge is to use your CP or IP for an entire meal, atleast once a week! This could be fun! Share what you make. Challenge starts November 1 and goes through the entire month!
I do not include bread in this, that can be baked in your oven. Get your favorite recipes ready, please share them after you make them in your CP or IP.