Instant Pot Perfectly "Boiled" Eggs

I can bake. I can roast. I can do all kinds of things in the kitchen. Unfortunately, though, I could not boil eggs. Really. I tried every method available: my mother's method, my grandmother's method, and every method that I could find through Google and on Pinterest. I tried ice baths, baking soda, vinegar, and all different ranges of time for boiling or steaming. Nothing worked for me. I always had to fight the sticking shells during peeling that left my eggs full of tiny craters and completely useless for deviling. I would always end up throwing in the towel and crumbling them for egg or chicken salad. Until now.

My wonderful husband gave me an Instant Pot and lots of accessories for Christmas this year, and I've made it my goal to go through all the settings, pressure cooking my way to kitchen bliss. Honestly, I have not used the stove to cook anything since I received my Instant Pot. I've made stews, soups, beans, quiches, rice dishes, roasts, and cheesecakes. Everything has turned out perfectly.

Finally, after several weeks of cooking in this miraculous kitchen tool, I decided to use it to "boil" eggs. I scoured the Internet and ran across the "5-5-5 Method" and decided to give it a go. I was simply planning to make chicken salad, so the end result of this trial run didn't matter to me since the eggs were going to be crumbled up anyway. However, the result was so beautiful that I had to take a picture and share it with the world. I will never boil eggs on the stove again.

The 5-5-5 Method for "Boiling" Eggs in the Instant Pot

Pour one cup of water into the inner pot and place the trivet or steam rack into the pot.  Arrange one dozen eggs (I only had 11 eggs, so that's what I used) on the rack.  Close the lid and set the pot to cook on high pressure for five minutes.  Once the eggs are done cooking, allow for five minutes of natural pressure release.  Finally, following a quick release of the remaining steam, remove the eggs and place them in an ice bath for five minutes.  After their ice bath, the eggs are ready for easy peeling!

Hopefully, your eggs are as beautiful as these pictured above. Now I want to devil them instead of crumbling them for chicken salad!

Pork and Sausage Jambalya (for the Instant Pot)

Before I get started with the recipe, I just want to clarify some misconceptions about Cajun food and Cajun cooking. It is a very different style of cooking from the more Creole, Spanish-influenced, New Orleans-style of cooking. Cajun cooking is influenced more by the French Acadians that settled in the area where I was raised and still live. Our food is brown, not red. Cajun cooking relies more on a roux or browning to start, which generally makes our dishes brown. New Orleans Creole-style cooking often calls for adding tomatoes or tomato paste to their dishes, making them red. To a Cajun, gumbo and jambalaya are brown. If a Cajun is making something red, it's a sauce piquante. Or spaghetti sauce. Or red velvet cake. My husband, who hails from the New Orleans area, often reminds me that my version of gumbo or jambalaya is not what he was accustomed to having when he was growing up. Well, he married a Cajun girl and lives in Cajun country, so he has to eat it the way I cook it, and if you're interested in this recipe, then you should be aware that you're making a Cajun jambalaya, not a Creole one--it will be brown, not red.

PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes
SAUTE TIME: 30 minutes
INSTANT POT MODE: Rice/15 minutes/High Pressure

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 - 2 pounds boneless country style pork ribs
1 pound smoked mild pork sausage
1 cup of chopped frozen seasoning vegetables OR
1/3 cup each of chopped yellow onion, green pepper, and celery
3 cups medium or long grain white rice
3 3/4 cups water
1 cup of water (for cooking down the meat)
1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet browning agent
Cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere's, Slap Yo' Momma, etc.)
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Paprika

PREP:
Cooking happens pretty quickly with an Instant Pot, so I suggest cutting and prepping before starting the cooking process to prevent burning the meat. Rinse and drain the rice and set aside. Cube the pork ribs and slice the sausage links. Fill a cup of water and keep it close by to add to the meat as it is sautéing. Chop the vegetables if you choose to use fresh over frozen. I usually use a frozen, pre-chopped seasoning mix to save time.

SAUTE:
Pour the oil into the stainless steel inner pot and set the IP to saute at medium temperature. Drop in the cubed pork fingers and toss with a wooden spoon to coat. Brown the pork thoroughly then add sausage slices. Mix the meat well then sprinkle with Cajun seasoning, garlic and onion powder, and paprika. Season to your preference, but I find that I need to add a little more when cooking in the IP than I would with traditional methods. The seasoning will cause the meat to brown and form what my grandmother called "gremise" on the bottom of the pot. When the meat starts to stick to the pot, pour in a little water, just enough to fill the bottom, and scrape the meat and scorched, brown "gremise" from the bottom of the pot. Continue to stir and watch the meat because, as the water evaporates, the meat will again begin to stick. Just add more water and keep cooking down the meat until tender or until the 30-minute sautéing cycle is complete.

PRESSURE COOK:
Add the chopped vegetables to the meat and stir to mix. Pour the Kitchen Bouquet browning agent into the 3 3/4 cups of water, stir, then pour into the pot with the meat and vegetables. Add the rice and more seasoning if you think you need to. Stir the entire mixture to evenly disperse the rice, then place and lock the cover on the pot. Set the mode to "RICE" for 15 minutes at the high pressure setting. Once the cycle is done, allow ten minutes of natural pressure release of the steam before pushing the quick release button. Once the pressure is fully released, remove the cover and stir the jambalaya. If there is excess liquid remaining, allow the jambalaya to sit, open for about five minutes. The excess will evaporate or be absorbed by the rice.

I hope this recipe works for you! If you try it, please let me know how it turns out!

Enter the Instant Pot

In the constant plight to juggle things more efficiently and effectively, I uncovered this not-so-secret tool of busy, working parents: the Instant Pot. For those of you who don't know, the Instant Pot is a multi-function pressure/slow cooker and electric skillet all rolled into one magic kitchen machine. I first ran across it when searching Pinterest for random recipes. I had used a slow cooker for many years but never ventured into the world of pressure cooking. Pressure. Steam. Hot. Fast. That all seemed a little frightening to me, so I didn't really research the tool any further. However, the more I saw people raving about it on Pinterest and Facebook, the more curious and more willing I became to try it out. I scoured Amazon for the model I wanted and the accessories I felt I could use for my cooking purposes, and luckily, in true loving-husband-fashion, the pot and accessories were gifted to me for Christmas. I was very excited to try it out. Being that I am off of work (well, free from being required to GO TO WORK) for the next week and a half, I have made it my goal to try out each function before school starts again. Can't wait to test the results!

I will share my recipes as soon as I can get them typed up and tested!

Stitch Fix Box #3 - February 2016

I know my last Stitch Fix box wasn't necessarily great--I returned three of the five items. This third box, however, was awesome! As I did with the first fix, I kept all five items sent to me. I was very specific with my feedback with the return of the other items on the second fix, and I made sure to fill up my request box with very specific descriptions of the things I had been hoping for. I also went into my shared Pinterest folder and made some updates. All of that communication paid off. Every item sent this time was exactly or very close to the exact item I requested. So here's what I got...

Brand: Market & Spruce
Style: Cordelia Striped Boat Neck Sweater
Cost: $58.00

I love this sweater. I usually wear a straight-lined fit top, and this sweater is more fitted at the bottom than I would prefer, but it's long enough to cover everything that needs covering. I asked for a black-and-white-striped sweater, and this is what I received. This sweater would look great with jeans or slacks, depending on how casual or professional I feel like being on that particular day. It's a very versatile piece, and I can't wait to throw it on over some leggings, accessorized with my tan scarf. I think it's going to look quite stylish!

Brand: Laila Jayde
Style: Valerie Heathered Raglan Top
Cost:$64.00

This pullover is just about perfect. The fit is great. The color is great. I even like the back of the top (which is solid black--different from the front and sleeves--not something I'd have picked out for myself). It's soft and comfy. I like it even better than the striped sweater that I mentioned above. If this top wouldn't cost so much, I'd probably sleep in it because I feel like I'm wearing a pajama top when I have it on. It's flecked with black, so it's not a solid wash of beige. I'm fair complected, and beige isn't usually flattering, but the color of this top looks good on me. I'll probably be wearing this piece a lot.

Brand: Skies are Blue
Style: Abba Plaid Top
Cost: $64.00

When I first pulled this shirt from the box, I wasn't too fond of the lace inserts on the sleeves. I did ask for a plaid shirt, so I tried it on anyway. Both my husband and sixteen-year-old daughter agreed (and they very rarely agree on anything) that the shirt looked great on me. So for that reason and to receive the discount for keeping all five pieces, I decided to hang on to it. I can layer it over a white tee with some jeans. I like the rose-colored accents. That, along with the lace, adds some femininity to a usually masculine article of clothing.

Brand: Just Black
Style: Cami Crop Jean
Cost: $78.00

The pair of jeans that were sent to me in the last fix were nothing at all close to what I wanted. My daughter went as far as to call them "mom jeans". These, however, are right on target. They are a much lighter, skinnier-legged, and shorter than the last pair. They're a little lower-waisted than I would prefer, but it's not so bad that I wouldn't wear them. I love the way they fit in the thigh and seat. I'm short, so the fact that they're meant to be "crop" jeans helps me. They're the perfect length for me to wear them as normal, ankle-length jeans. I like the wash, too. I already have several pairs of darker jeans, so I requested a lighter wash, and that's what I was sent. Love these. Maybe I'll put them on with that plaid shirt and my Chucks for a jeans day at work. I'll be comfortable and cute at the same time--two very rare qualities of fashion for women my age. These are NOT "mom jeans". Hehe.

Brand: Yosi Samra
Style: Samara Metallic Flats
Cost: $72.00

In my request for this shipment, I asked for a pair of leopard print ballet flats. I've had them on my wish list for a long time. These aren't those. However, I do love these. In her note, my stylist Hannah, said that she searched the warehouse for the print I wanted but couldn't find any. So she sent these instead because they are also currently "hot" right now. I think I like them even more than I would a leopard print pair. They are a little flashy but still neutral, so I can wear them with just about anything to which I would want to add some pizzazz. I had a taupe-colored pair of Tieks saved on my shared Pinterest board, and these are very close the the same style I saved there (and these cost much less). I did an Amazon search for these shoes, and I found pairs that ranged from $71.00 to $84.00, so what we've paid for them is more than fair since I never had to set foot in a store to get them. This is, hands down, my favorite item in this shipment.

So, all in all, to keep all five items was priced at $336.00. The 25% discount for keeping all of it subtracted $84.00 from the total, so it ultimately cost $232.00. That averages to about $46.00 per item. That's not too bad. Lot's of people complain about how much Stitch Fix marks up the pieces in their shipments, but I really do enjoy getting these boxes each month and getting nice clothes without having to shop for them. I think the extra cost truly is worth the hassle-free experience. I still recommend the process and give Stitch Fix two thumbs up!

To try Stitch Fix for yourself, click here.

Stitch Fix Box #2 - January 2016

Okay, I do have to admit that, because my first box was amazing, and I kept all five items, I was expecting the second fix would to be just as or even more amazing. I was disappointed, but it wasn't because I didn't like the items that were sent. Had the fits been different for a couple of the items, I would have kept all five again. Style matching is on point. Each piece was definitely something I would wear if they all fit properly. So, here goes...

Brand: Bancroft
Style: Leighton Metal Bauble Necklace
Cost: $34.00
This necklace wasn't bad. I may have worn it with open-front tops or necklaces. I didn't keep it, though. I sent it back. However, had I been keeping all four of the other items, I would have kept this, too, in order to keep the discount for keeping everything. It would have been worth it. Since I was already sending back a couple of other things, I sent this back as well. Just two months ago I dropped more money on jewelry at one Premier Jewelry party than I do in a whole year, so I figured I didn't really need any more necklaces. I did send a note back to my stylist with it, though: "I very rarely buy or wear actual jewelry. I am more apt to keep accessories like scarves, shoes, and bags or purses." So, I'm anxious to see what types of goodies come in Box #3.

Brand: Kut from the Kloth
Style: Kate Boyfriend Jean
Cost: $88.00
These went back. No question. I put them on, and they were too big in the waist, too baggy in the thigh and seat, and way too long. My sixteen-year-old daughter looked at me in them and said, "No way. Those are 'mom jeans', and you're too young to wear 'mom jeans'." Okay, I immediately decided that they go back. The quality of the jean is great. The style is nice. It just wasn't the right fit for me. For a taller, fuller-bottomed gal, they'd be perfect, but I have absolutely no hips. My legs are scrawny. These just did not flatter me at all. I left some very specific feedback with their return, and I'm still hoping for a great pair of jeans.

Brand: Margaret M
Style: Emer Jacquard Print High Waisted Cropped Pant
Cost: $98.00
Kept these. I received a purple pair just like these in my first box and sent the message to my stylist that I loved them and would keep every pair she could find and send me. Apparently she found another pair--even nicer style than the first pair. I love these. They fit perfectly, and they are extremely comfortable. If she sends another pair in the next shipment, I'll probably keep those, too. I just wish she could find a pair of jeans for me that fit in the legs the way these pants do. The price is higher than I would normally spend on pants, but these really are worth the extra cost.

Brand: Renee C
Style: Floren Split Neck Top
Cost: $48.00
This is one item that, had I seen it in the store, I would not have picked it up to try on. I'm not big on printed tops, but having tried this on and getting thumbs up from both my daughter and my husband, I decided to keep it. It's navy, and that color looks pretty good with my fair complexion. It's not extremely long, but it's long enough to cover my tummy that I hate. It's also loose enough to not cling to my midsection. It'll be great with a pair of white pants that I already have.

Brand: Market & Spruce
Style: Sawyer Space Dye Dolman Sleeve Knit Top
Cost: $58.00
I really liked this top. I liked the print and the sleeves. However, it was just slightly too tight. My daughter and husband both said that it looked great on me, but I just wasn't comfortable in it. I was more self-conscious of my tummy than I wanted to be. Plus, all it would take was one accidental run through the drier, and that would be sixty bucks down the drain because it would be too small for me to wear it. So, I packaged it up with the jeans and necklace and sent it back. I did send my stylist a note that I really liked everything about it but the size, so maybe she'll find a larger size and send it. I'd keep it then.

So, all in all, I kept two items--the navy top and the Margaret M pants that I absolutely adore. This fix cost my husband $121.00, so he got off easy this time, I suppose. I am still loving this process and am anxiously awaiting my next box in February. Since Christmas, my sister, my mom, two of my sister's friends, and two of my mom's friends have subscribed to Stitch Fix, and they all love their first boxes. I have seen some videos and blogs that are bashing Stitch Fix for their prices and mark-ups of items that would cost half the price of what they're tagging and sending to us in these boxes, and I just want to add that, yes, these items are more than what I would pay in a department store, but...

1. I am not the one out there in the stores fighting other shoppers.
2. I am trying on clothing items that I would have not ever tried on in a store--and I'm loving them.
3. Because I'm trying on styles that I wouldn't normally like, my eyes are being opened to new fashion options.
4. I now have a personal stylist that listens to and tries to fulfill my requests. And...
5. Having someone else worry about all of those stressful things for me is worth the extra cost. To me, it's really difficult to put a price on the comfort and ease of being able to try on clothes at home.

Even though I only kept two items in this fix, I still highly recommend this process to any woman who can afford it and is too busy to worry about fashionably dressing herself.

Subscribe to Stitch Fix here.

My First Stitch Fix Box - December 2015

I received my very first Stitch Fix box, and I am so pleased with what was inside! After my husband surprised me with the news of his Christmas gift to me, I was very happy to complete the online style profile and anxiously awaited the shipment. While waiting for my package to arrive, I scoured the Internet to read reviews and view images of what other women were posting about Stitch Fix and their own personal experiences with the process. I read posts by one blogger who wasn't too pleased but for some reason continued her subscriptions just to see what she would get--and she even kept at least one item per shipment. All of the other reviews were positive, and I hungrily read everything I could and looked at all the pictures that were posted. Mostly everyone agreed that, on the first try, you don't normally like everything that is picked for you by your stylist, but that, over time and through your comments and requests, your stylist learns your preferences, and your shipments get better and better each time.

My experience may not be typical, but I have to say that I LOVE EVERY ITEM THAT WAS PICKED AND SENT TO ME IN MY FIRST SHIPMENT! I made sure to carefully complete my style profile, I sent a message to my stylist telling her what fits I preferred and what parts of my body I like to hide, and I attached a link to my Pinterest fashion board where I pinned many, many things that I liked. What she sent me was SPOT ON! I hope, for the sake of my husband's bank account, that not every shipment is this awesome! Here's what I got:

Brand: Margaret M
Style: Emer Printed Straight Leg Pant
Cost: $98.00
My favorite color is purple, but in all honesty, if I'd have seen these pants on a rack, I would have passed right over them. However, since they were included in this package, I had to try them on. This was the best item in the box! Back in my younger days before children, I was a stick--no hips, no waist, just straight. Now that I'm older and overweight, I have an apple shape--I hate it. My waist and stomach are larger than my hips and thighs. It seems to me that this is the most difficult shape to dress. These pants, however, fit perfectly. They look awesome on me! I would never spend this much money on a pair of pants for myself, but if pricey pants normally fit like this, I guess I know now why I have never been happy with the way my clothes fit me. Because it's on my husband's dollar, though, and he said keep whatever I want, this pair of pants is staying! And getting worn often.

Brand: Renee C
Style: Huebert Space Dye Open Cardigan
Cost: $58.00
I have to admit that I am a cardigan collector. I have a bunch, and I feel like a woman can never have too many. Had this not been a neutral color, I may have sent it back, but it's grey, and that's the color of the season right now, so I'm adding it to my core wardrobe collection. All of my other cardigans are longer, covering my bottom, but this one stops at my hips in the back. The front is lower, so if I wear a longer shirt beneath it, the undershirt will show from the back. The cost is a little high for my taste, but if all five items in the shipment are kept, there's a 25% discount applied to everything, so it's worth that price I believe.

Brand: 41Hawthorn
Style: Lana Lace Detail Blouse
Cost: $58.00
This is another item I would've passed on in a store. I'm not a big fan of lace, and I'm definitely not a fan of any type of see-through material. This top, however, fits me great--the length is just long enough to cover the muffin tops that I vow to get rid of one day; the color is awesome--it's called "green", but I think it's more of a deep jade that doesn't make me look pasty and washed out; and it has just enough of the lace accent to have interesting detail without being gaudy. I believe this was my husband's favorite item in the box. Plus, it's very versatile: pair it with slacks and a jacket for work or formal wearing; pair it with jeans and flats for a more casual look. It's a keeper!

Brand: Kut from the Kloth
Style: Stefany Printed Slim Straight Leg Pant
Price: $78.00
Of the five items in the bunch, this pair of slacks was the one in question. The waist is a size too big, and the length is about three inches too long for my 5'4" height. I made sure to immediately go to my style profile and make the necessary size adjustments. They fit great through the hips and thighs, though, and the quality is remarkable. Again, I guess when you're willing to pay more, you get more. I was going to send these pants back, but my husband did a closer examination of the invoice, and he realized that keeping them would be more cost efficient than returning them because, with the 25% discount for purchasing all five pieces, we would save $82.50. So, instead of going back, these pants are getting hemmed, and I'm buying a thin, black leather belt. Besides, these look awesome paired with the 41Hawthorn Blouse mentioned above.

Brand: Octavia
Style: Raymond Plaid & Polka Dot Scarf
Cost: $38.00
Lastly, this beautiful scarf was the one accessory sent in my first package. I do have lots of scarves, but they're all pretty cheap, purchased from wholesalers or discount stores. This is the first high-quality scarf I have ever owned. I love it! It's thick, huge, and warm. It's also reversible: burnt orange and navy plaid on one side, navy with the dark orange polka dots on the other. I'm have it wrapped around me like a shawl as I type this, but I plan on wearing it later with some jeans and a white top when I run to the grocery store later. This may become my new casual go-to scarf for cool-day outings (very rare in Louisiana, I know).

So, all in all, the total of this first fix was $330.00, but with the 25% discount for keeping it all, it cost my husband $227.50 for this first installment of this year's Christmas gift that keeps on giving. He told me that, if this was going to be the average cost for keeping everything each month, I can keep it all each time, but I'm sure he's secretly hoping that I don't. I'm sure my available closet space is hoping the same thing. For this first Stitch Fix shipment, though, I am completely pleased and would recommend this to anyone. I did recommend it to several people already, and my sister went home right after and subscribed (thanks, Jen!). So, a huge thanks goes out to my hubby and my new stylist, Jama from Stitch Fix, for this awesome gift! I can't wait until January 11th, the scheduled arrival date for my next fix!

SUBSCRIBE THROUGH MY REFERRAL HERE.

My Stitch Fix Boxes

For Christmas this year, my wonderful husband gave me the Best. Gift. Ever... a subscription to Stitch Fix on his credit card! This may sound shallow to some, but I cried when he told me what he had done and instructed me to go online to complete my style profile. He was well-aware of the fact that I now dedicate my energy and money on my two daughters instead of myself. When it comes to making purchases for myself, I usually just provide myself with the most affordable bare necessities and dedicate what money I have to spend on clothes on my teenager and toddler. I'm sure most mothers are like me in that sense. So, as a year-long gift that keeps on giving, he purchased for me a subscription to a personal stylist and monthly deliveries of high-quality fashion that I would have never bought for myself. Though I have only experienced one shipment so far, I can say that I am completely pleased with this process of buying clothes! I love not having to go to a store and be disappointed with everything I slide my body into. I love being able to try on clothes in the privacy of my own home and scrutinize each item in my own mirror. Not to mention, having five items shipped forces me to try on everything in front of me--even some things I would have passed up in the store, thinking I would never wear anything like that. And when forced to try on everything in my first box, I found that the thing I would have been least likely to pick up off a rack in a store was the thing I loved most of all the pieces picked for me! Honestly, I love Stitch Fix, and I recommend subscribing to it, especially if you're a busy mom with little time or love for shopping for yourself.

Some Key Points about Stitch Fix:
1. You get to select and adjust your style/size preferences whenever you want through the website and app.
2. You get to select your price range and shipment preferences (how and when you'd like to receive a fix).
3. You can turn off your shipments and skip shipments if you want.
4. You have the opportunity to comment on and review each item whether you love or hate it.
5. You can make requests prior to a shipment through the app or website.
6. You can easily send back the items you don't want in the included prepaid envelope.
7. You get a style card for each piece with two suggestions on how to wear each item.
8. You earn a $25.00 credit every time someone subscribes under your referral link.

My First Box - December 2015
Box #2 - January 2016
Box #3 - February 2016


YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE TO STITCH FIX THROUGH MY REFERRAL HERE.