We love squash of any kind around here. I have been making this acorn squash for over 20 years, but the Instant Pot makes it even quicker and easier than ever before.
I like to wash the outside of my squash before I cut into it. Then slice it in half (pole to pole). Scrape out the seeds and discard. Put the trivet in the Instant Pot and add 1 to 1 ½ cups water to the bottom of the pot. (I used my 8 quart Instant Pot for this because there was plenty of room to place the two halves side by side.) Put the squash halves on the trivet facing cut side up. Then put whatever you like in the squash. We like a little bit of butter and some brown sugar. You can also add a dash of cinnamon or some maple syrup. Then put the lid on the Instant Pot. Seal the vent then cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes. Allow for a 5 to 10 minute NPR (natural pressure release). Or you can just forget about it completely like I did and come back whenever you think of it. ;) If there is any remaining pressure, do a quick release of the vent, then open the lid and remove the squash to serve.
Making baked potatoes and then Twice Baked Potatoes in the Instant Pot. A new favorite!
I am loving making baked potatoes in the Instant Pot. They come out fluffy and wonderful, like they had baked for over an hour in the oven. I use the regular russet potatoes that come in a typical 5 or 10 pound bag from the grocery store. So what I would call 'normal' size. If you use larger potatoes you will want to adjust the time accordingly. I would err on the side of a bit too much time, if you are unsure. You don't want the disappointment of a hot but still hard potato. :)
Scrub the potatoes and place on the trivet in the Instant Pot. You can stack them if you like. (we do because we want leftovers to make the twice baked potatoes!) Pour a cup to a cup and a half of water in the bottom of the pot. (I use 1 cup in the 6 quart and 1 ½ cups in the 8 quart.) Seal the lid and vent and cook on manual high pressure for 23-25 minutes. (remember to increase this time if you are using larger potatoes... perhaps up to 33-35 minutes.) Allow for about a 10 minutes natural pressure release then quickly release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid and top your potatoes with your favorite toppings.
My friend, Dana, gave me this wonderful idea for using leftover baked potatoes. The next day you can cut the potatoes in half lengthwise then scoop out the insides of any remaining baked potatoes, leaving just a bit of potato around the inside of the skin. Put the potato innards :) in a bowl and add milk (warmed), butter (softened or melted), sour cream, shredded cheese, crumbled cooked bacon, and sliced green onions to the potatoes. Use a mixer to blend the ingredients together, adding more milk as needed for consistency. Add salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you like. Then scoop the mixture into each of the potato skins on a cooking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes, then top with a little bit of shredded cheese and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. This can be your main dish or a side dish. Yum!!!!
In January our wine club studied sparkling wines. This was a fun month! We tried Cava, Prosecco, Spumante, Champagne, and a few other sparklers. I think we liked them all, although we each found a favorite. Again, one of the most interesting parts of the sampling is discovering how well certain wines go with certain foods. We continue to enjoy wine club and would encourage any of you to start up your own club with friends. You will learn a lot and have fun in the process. :) (I'll post links to the resources we use at the bottom of this post.)
Jennifer, Dana, Andrea, Janet, Megan, Brianna,
Laura, Barb, Melinda, Judy
Andre Sparkling Moscato #9 on wine tasting sheet
Gancia Moscato d'asti from Italy - #6 on Wine Tasting Sheet
Asti Tosti from Italy - #5 on Wine Tasting Sheet
Cava Gran Campo Viejo from Spain - #2 on Wine Tasting Sheet
Champagne Veuve Monsigny Brut from France - #7 on Wine Tasting Sheet
Astoria Prosecco from Italy - #10 on Wine Tasting Sheet
White Knight Prosecco from Italy - #4 on Wine Tasting Sheet
Risata Moscato d'Asti from Italy - #1 on Wine Tasting Sheet
Stone Hill Winery Blanc de Blancs - #3 on Wine Tasting Sheet
I completely forgot to take any photos of the food before we ate it all up! It was all so good! :) So here are photos of (nearly) empty dishes (and one completely empty dish!)
Strawberry Tiramisu
Spicy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
Cherry Glazed Brie
So sad... no Creamy Onion Tart left!! (It was super yummy!)
Bowl of potato chips.
Yes, they actually were good with sparkling wine!!
dark chocolate and strawberries
Laura's sparkling wine sheet
This is the book we are using. It is out of print but we have been able to pick up used copies for about $5 each. It provides all the info we need including which wines to study each month, what types to purchase, recipes to go with... and etc. Great resource!!
The Wine Club: A Month by Month Guide to Learning About Wine with Friends https://amzn.to/2MEfurk
This little wine tasting kit has been a good investment. It provides the bags we use to cover the wine bottles so that we are 'blind tasting'. It also has nice laminated sheets that give an overview of what we are looking for in each wine and the pages we use to record our tasting notes.
This book is by our favorite 'wine lady' of all time. :) It is a great resource to have on hand and is chock full of charts and graphs and information.
Just a few miscellaneous photos from the days after Christmas. First up, a VERY special event!! We were SO HAPPY to be able to FaceTime with Rojina's family! Not only did we get to visit with her family in Nepal, we also got to add in her sister in Canada! What a treat! I so look forward to the day when we can all be together in the same place. :)
Facetiming with Rojina's family
There we all are! :)
What a wonderful experience!
Embarrassed to say that this photo shows some of James and Rojina's gifts from LAST year! I never did get them mailed out... but at least I knew where they still were!! :) (hanging my head in shame) :D
Mama, Daddy, Brianna, and Jackson
Our last day all together. This was taken after lunch before James and Rojina (and Julie) left for the airport. Bittersweet....
Ham and Pickle Roll Ups
8 oz. cream cheese or whipped cream cheese
16 pickle spears
16 slices ham
Lay a slice of ham on a cutting board. Spread about 1 Tbsp. cream cheese over the slice of ham. Lay a pickle directly in the center of the ham slice and roll it up. Slice into equal bite sized pieces. Refrigerate if not serving immediately.
This yummy dip is actually called "Apple of my thigh" dip but I think of it as Deb's Apple Dip. She first brought this to one of the bonfires Jackson used to host back in high school. I vividly remember standing at the table heaping this on the apple slices and hoping no kids would come inside to eat!! :D hahaha!! Boy, is it good! Deb is the origin of a lot of my favorite recipes and this is just one more to add to that long list.
Deb's Apple Dip
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup white sugar
¾ cup caramel ice cream topping
3 (1.4 oz.) bars chocolate covered English Toffee (Heath bars)
- or you can use the Heath bits that are sold in a bag near chocolate chips
5-7 green apples, cored and sliced
Mix together the cream cheese, sugar and ¼ cup of the caramel sauce in a medium bowl. Spread onto a serving tray or a plate. (I use a pie plate) Drizzle the remaining caramel sauce over the top and sprinkle with the Heath pieces. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (but can for longer). Serve with the apple slices.
Cream Cheese Peppers
1 ½ pound mini bell peppers, sliced in half lengthwise
12 oz. cream cheese or Allouette spreadable cheese (garlic and herb is good)
Bacon Bits
Spread the cheese in the halved and cored mini peppers then top with bacon bits. You are done! Quick and tasty appetizer and oh so pretty.
After being sick for most of the holidays last year, and completely missing New Years Eve, we were all pretty excited to be back in business this year. We enjoyed the evening with family and dear friends and look forward to all that 2019 has to offer.
Brianna came early to help me get everything prepared -
her stuffed peppers are a work of art! :)
Jackson, Brianna, Taylor, and Tyler
Let the games begin!
Alayna and Susanna
Rojina and James
Rojina and James cutting their wedding cake topper from two years ago
(James was deployed a year ago)
Marvin, Laura, Anne, Scott, Jennifer
Anne, Scott, Jennifer
Rojina, Daddy, Mama, James
Matt and Matthew
Anne, Scott, Julie
Happy New Year!!!
So funny! Melina made these t-shirts... if you know the M family you know all about their (intense) White Rabbit competition each first day of the month... and you also know that the New Years Eve/Day one is especially serious!!! :D ha!
