I've Joined the Instant Pot Fan Club

My kids and several friends have been touting the Instant Pot pressure cookers to me. I, however, was reticent remember the scary pressure cooker my mom had. It blew lentil soup all over our kitchen, and the green geyser was something that I still haven't forgotten 40 years later. We found lentils for years in the kitchen, and the ceiling required repainting after the steamy explosion.

So you can understand my reticence to revisit the pressure cooker. But after assurances that the new models had plenty of safety features to prevent geysers, I broke down and got one.

Ten-Bean Soup

After thoroughly reading my instructions, I decided to try a bean soup. These always take forever with traditional cooking methods. I got the 10-bean soup from the Denver's Women's Bean Project. This is a great soup and a great non-profit. If you've never heard of them, I encourage you to check out their products and their mission.

Women's Bean Project 10-Bean Soup

I did pre-soak the beans, although that wasn't necessary with the pressure cooker. I like my beans soft, so I took the time to get them ready. I followed the recipe for the soup and the cooking recommendations. The normal 2.5 hour cook time was reduced to 40 minutes. I didn't saute anything, just put it all in the pot. I will say releasing the pressure the first time is a little startling, but the geyser of steam was clean and safe.

Then the end result was delicious, so I decided to try a second dish (maybe the first was a fluke). This time I used the Mealthy App for the iPhone. It has healthy recipes for Instant Pots and other cooking methods. The best part is that it links to your Instacart to purchase everything you need for your recipe. So it makes it almost as convenient as the meal delivery services. I don't have the proprietary Mealthy Instant Pot, but you don't have to use it to take advantage of the app.

Teriyaki Chicken Wings

Next, I tried the Mealthy recipe for teriyaki chicken wings. The person who developed this recipe must have previous Asian cooking experience because the wings were amazing. I think they may be the best teriyaki wings that I've ever tasted. They were fast, easy and actually had sufficient sauce (a common complaint about restaurant or frozen wings). 

Teriyaki Chicken Wings

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Finally, I followed another Mealthy recipe, sauteeing my vegetables, and then I combined the remaining ingredients. The one-pot potential for Instant Pot recipes is a major selling point. This soup is not a low-fat meal since it has cream cheese and half-and-half in it, but at least the rest of it is good for you. I wound up doubling the cooking time to 10 minutes since the rice seemed a bit al dente for my tastes. The end result was fast and wonderful. I was beginning to appreciate the rave reviews for Instant Pot cooking.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

I will continue to explore the new pressure cooking. I like the improved technology and the available apps. I certainly enjoy the shortened cooking time, and so far I've been pleased with the end results. 

So, if you are a more seasoned cook and remember the old pressure cookers with their spinning knobs, the new pressure cookers have little similarity. If you haven't tried one, they seem to be worth the investment if you like to cook, but have little time for cooking and cleanup. And so far, I've had no green geysers!

Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday?

We never celebrated Mardi Gras as a kid. We called it Shrove Tuesday (one of several names for the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday). My mother always made pancakes to honor the day. Pancakes were initially served to use up the milk, flour and eggs before the fasting time of Lent.

Shrove was originally "shrive," which means to be penitent, and seek forgiveness before Lent's start on Ash Wednesday.

Mardis Gras or "Fat Tuesday" is the same day, but has a much more festive tone. It is the last day to party and celebrates before the somber, fasting, penitent 40-days of Lent.

I was first introduced to Mardi Gras when we were stationed in Shreveport, LA. The "carnival season" runs from Epiphany to Fat Tuesday. The dates vary depending on when Easter is celebrated that year. You've probably seen the parades in New Orleans, but there are Mardi Gras parades across the globe. Beads and plastic coins called doubloons are thrown from floats. There are balls and parties throughout the season. The events are sponsored by krewes, which are organizations that sponsor balls, parade floats and events during the carnival season.

While we are often in areas where Mardi Gras is not celebrated, we keep the tradition alive in our family by enjoying King Cake, a tradition of Mardi Gras. The cake is bread dough (in various flavors and fillings) formed into a circle. The cake is frosted and sugared with the colors of Mardi Gras, purple, green and gold.

The Mardi Gras color tradition is more than 100 years old. They were selected by the Rex Krewe in New Orleans. According to Mardi Gras New Orleans, Rex selected the official Mardi Gras colors in 1872. The 1872 Rex Parade theme Symbolism of Colors gave meaning to the colors. Purple Represents Justice. Green Represents Faith. And Gold Represents Power. 

The cake contains a baby that represents Jesus the King. The person who gets the piece with the baby is supposed to bring the King Cake to the next year's party. So the cake colors and tradition have their roots in Christianity.

Whether you enjoy pancakes, King Cake or just raise a glass, enjoy the celebration, which is rich in symbolism, history and good old fashioned fun.

Cookie Exchanges

This year marked the 7th annual cookie exchange at my house. One of my children thought I came up with the idea for such an event, but the idea of a cookie swap or exchange began long before I was born.

According to “The Food Timeline” the tradition began in WWWI as a fundraiser. The concept took off during the 1960s as a social event during the holidays.

The best known exchange is the Wellesley Cookie Exchange, which began in 1971 in Wellesley, Massachusetts. It became famous for the cookbook it spawned, “The Wellesley Cookie Exchange Cookbook” written by Susan Mahnke Peery in 1981.

The 2018 Cookie Exchange had our largest attendance to date.

Hosting an Exchange

Why have an exchange?

There are many reasons to host an exchange. The primary one is that you can make one batch of cookies and leave with an assortment of holiday treats. It is an easy party to organize. I found that the exchange rarely takes more than a half hour. I added a social hour prior to the exchange with a simple meal of soup and sandwiches and some adult beverages. It allows latecomers to make the exchange portion of the evening and makes the exchange more of a holiday social event. For me, it makes me get my house clean and decorated, so my home is ready for the holidays.

How many cookies are needed?

My exchange is fairly relaxed. I don’t specify the number of cookies to bring. Everyone is just asked to bring whatever one recipe makes. Some exchanges require a certain number of dozen. I’ve never not had enough cookies and candy with their system, but if you’re nervous, specify a specific amount.

Should you share recipes?

The first few years I asked people to bring their recipes. Some forgot, some brought only one copy, so I had to scan and make copies. Many recipes were left behind for me to recycle. I finally gave up this traditional cookie swap practice. The idea of a cookie exchange is to make one recipe at which you excel and then get everyone else’s best cookies. The idea of recreating their recipe is something a person motivated to atttend an exchange, probably will never make. Now, if someone want to bring their recipe, they are welcome to do so, but I no longer ask attendees to do so.

How do you handle the exchange?

I purchase paper trays for each attendee to assemble his/her assortment. I buy holiday ones at Hobby Lobby or you could get plain ones in a seasonal color. I provide food service gloves for each participant to use. The cookies are placed on my dining room table with all the chairs removed so we can walk easily around the table. I place a few stickers on the bottom of a couple of the trays and use this to give out door prizes. It adds a bit to the fun, and is a way to thank guests for their work.

We then walk around the table taking 2-3 cookies from each plate. We continue around the table in this manner until all the cookies and candies are gone. Everyone is instructed to take what they need for their size family. I always make a couple of extra batches of cookies or candy so that we can assemble a couple of cookie plates for shut-in members of our church. I have never had a problem with someone taking too many and others not having enough. It seems to work out fine this way and people take as they need.

After we have our filled trays, I provide Press N Seal to cover the trays for transport home. Usually people hang around and socialize for awhile after the official exchange is over, and those with pressing schedules are free to leave with their cookies.

The cookie exchange is such a time saver for busy families who don’t have time to make 16 differ types of cookies and candies at the holidays. If you haven’t tried one, I encourage you to attend or sponsor one. It is a wonderful time to celebrate and save time during the holidays.

Tomato Tips

Tomatoes, the red jewel of cooking, makes so many dishes taste great. Cooking and growing tomatoes can be as challenging as arguing whether the juicy red treat is a fruit or a vegetable.
Here are some tips to streamline your future tomato time.

Growing Tomatoes

After many disappointing seasons of low producing tomato plants, I finally learned the secret to tomato filled vines -- pollination. All those blooms that never produced tomatoes just never were pollinated. With the reduction in bees and other insects within my suburban yard, the chance for the stray insect to find my tomato blooms at just the right moment is slim. So I took over bee-duties. I purchased a tool for the purpose, but a cotton swab or electric toothbrush would also work.

The results?  Nearly every bloom now becomes a tomato. In fact, I have to be selective so that I don't overload fragile vines. So if you want more tomatoes, be the bee.

Peeling Tomatoes

Peeling the taut-skinned gems can be an exercise in frustration. There is an easy way to separate the skin from the fruit (or vegetable). All it takes is a little boiling water.

Place raw tomatoes in boiling water. Once the skin cracks, remove the tomatoes and run under cold water until the tomato cools enough to handle. Now the skin will slide off easily by hand, leaving the bulk of the tomato intact.

Seasoning Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a highly acidic fruit (or vegetable depending on your side of the argument) which can cause problems for those with sensitive digestive problems. Fresh tomatoes seem to be more problematic than canned ones.

So how do you deal with the acidity? The answer is -- sugar. A tablespoon or two (to taste) will cut the acidity of spaghetti sauces, soups and dips. It will provide a smoother, more digestible flavor.

Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine and the tomatoes go down.

Packing for Summer Trips

Summer vacation

It's summer and that means summer vacation (at least we all hope we get one). Trying to get ready for the trip can be exhausting. Having a good packing list for each person can eliminate forgotten items and allow children to get their own bags ready.

Let the kids pack

Once our children were old enough to read and follow a checklist (usually around 8) we allowed them to pack their own bags. It saves some stress for the parents and instills responsibility in the child. It teaches them important planning and organizational skills. Doing everything for your children may be easier at times, but allowing them to succeed (and fail) provides lifelong learning that you need to facilitate.

Don't sweat the small stuff

I get panicked because we forgot something. My much more level-headed husband has a much saner approach. He says, "There is always Wal-Mart," which is true. If you forget something, you can always find a store close that will carry what you forgot. It might not be just the same as what you had, but learning to be flexible is another good lesson for children. Also, learning to live without or living with the consequences of your actions (forgetting something) is also a needed coping skill in adulthood.

So next time you are tempted to pack for the family - let them do it themselves. It provides great learning opportunities and takes some of the stress off of you.

Sample Packing Lists 

Child’s List	Number Needed	Check
Blanket and pillow
Pajamas
Underwear
Socks
Shoes
Play Outfit
Dress Outfit, socks, shoes
Swimsuit
Beach Towel
Coat
Sweater
Hat
Toys
Books
Toothbrush
Medicine
Comb

Teen’s List	Number Needed	Check
Bedding—Blankets and pillows
Pajamas
Underwear
Socks
Shoes
Casual Outfits
Dress(es), socks, shoes
Swimsuit
Beach Towel
Coat
Sweater
Jeans/Shorts
Hairbrush
Books/Music
Toothbrush
Sunglasses
Facial cleanser/medicine
Personal items-razor, deodorant
Jewelry
Feminine products
Other

Kids’s Joint List	Number Needed	Check
Vitamins
Medicine
Medicine cups/Syringe
Shampoos
Shampoo/Body Wash
Hairbrush/Hair bows, etc.
Bandaids
Nightlight
Benadryl cream or spray
Books
Cups/drinks
Videotapes
Cassette Tapes
Glowsticks
Dramamine
Wipes
Aloe Vera (after sunburn care)

Family List	Number Needed	Check
Beach: Boogie Boards & Sun Shade
Swim Noodles, Blanket, Chairs, Kites
Golf Clubs
Fishing Poles
Swim Bag/Water & Sand Toys
Coolers    Large     Small
Tripod/Selfie Stick
Games/Cards
Bible / Reading materials
Bug Spray
Paper Towels/Kleenex/Dish Soap
Plastic Bags/Ziplocs
Airline Tickets
Passports
Money/Credit cards
Stamps (for postcards)
Medicine/Tylenol/Rolaids/Anti-Diarrhea/
Sunscreen
Batteries/Charger
Air Pump
Cell phones
Other electronics
Crafts/Projects

Adult Female List	Number Needed	Check
Pillow
Pajamas/Robe
Slippers
Bras
Panties
Hose/Socks
Blouses/Tops
Sweaters/Sweatshirts
Jeans
Dresses
Swimsuit/Beach Towel
Coat/Sweater/Umbrella
Jewelry/Hair Accessories
Cosmetics
Toothbrush/Toothpaste
Vitamins/Medicine
Personal Hygiene
Deodorant/Skin Care
Hairbrush
Curling Iron/Hairdryer
Razor
Shampoo/Conditioner
Sunglasses
Laptop, Extension cord

Adult Male List	Number Needed	Check
Pillow
Underwear
Dress Shirt
Suit/Dress Clothes
Tie
Dress Shoes/Socks
Belt
Jeans
Casual Shirt
Sneakers
Shorts
Sneakers
Swim Trunks/Beach Towel
Razor
Hairbrush
Hair dryer
Vitamins/Medicine
Toothbrush/Toothpaste
Deodorant
Shampoo
Sunglasses
Other