Let's BlogTalk- InstantPots!

Do you remember the InstantPot craze of a few years ago? Talk of Instant Pots was seemingly everywhere! 

Back during that craze, I got an InstantPot for my birthday and I raved about it for a month or so...and then I was over it. Meanwhile, my best friend still used hers consistently and constantly, but it just didn’t seem that worthwhile to me.

I guess my main complaint was that it wasn't much quicker than just using pots and pans on the stove. I know that's a main complaint for a lot of people still to this day, and I get that. 

All of that being said, I now am OBSESSED with my InstantPot again as of the past year or two...even more than before! It is my favorite kitchen device (even more than the CrockPot which I'm a fan of!) and is easily my most used. 

What changed it for me?

• My mom got me 2 AMAZING InstantPot cookbooks that are hands down my favorite cookbooks! I've shared them before and I'm sharing them in the pic below again. He has a 3rd one that is out that my mom is getting me for my birthday in a few weeks.😉They are super clear and easy to follow with step-by-step pictures too. (Ignore my mosquito bites all over my leg. I rarely get bit but Virginia is absolutely demolishing me with them!)

You can also follow him at: https://www.facebook.com/PressureLuckCooking.

• I love the convenience of it in that I LOVE that (while it's admittedly not necessarily faster) you do it all at once. I'm not standing at the stove doing something, then waiting for some minutes, then doing something else at the stove, then waiting again...and repeat. I haven't seen this benefit of the InstantPot listed anywhere but this is definitely my favorite aspect! I love cooking, but I don't love the stop and go of it. It's so nice to do the majority of it, if not all of it, at one standing and then let it do its thing! That being said, working from home allows me a little more time on the front end of cooking with this.
• I love how it's all in one pot. Shane cleans up after dinner, but I do clean up most of it as I'm cooking if I'm done with whatever is being used...aka I put it all in the dishwasher. It's so much easier to just throw one pot in the dishwasher (and maybe a cutting board, a knife, liquid measuring cup, tablespoon, etc.) instead of dealing with a bunch of bulky pots.

Basically, I've become a major convert! 

As we are currently in our temporary apartment living...sigh...I did prepare before moving by throwing my InstantPot and a few other kitchen necessities in my suitcase so that I could somewhat cook. 

I also went to Marshalls and Target a few times since moving here to pick up other cheap versions of kitchen utensils and other houseware goods, just the basic necessities, some for temporary use and many that we can continue to use once we do finally get our furniture and belongings! 

Side note that's worth saying: YAY for every store being so close and convenient! I am just loving my life strolling around Marshalls, Home Goods, and Target again!

Other side note worth saying: We still don't have our furniture so besides the few necessities we rebought and the very few items we packed, I spend all day sitting on the hardwood floor, sitting in a patio chair or sitting in a camping chair...and the airmattress has killed my hip so I spend all night sleeping on the floor! The other night I literally slept with a beach towel, my robe, and Shane's sleeping bag on the floor. Hahaha, this is our life right now...

So back on track... I packed our InstantPot because I knew that would be the easiest to cook with when living in a hotel and apartment by packing minimal items. 

I've been working through some repeats and some new ones from the cookbooks above, but I'm all ears ready to hear more InstantPot recipes! Whatcha got??? 

Also, are you an InstantPot lover or hater? It seems like people have very strong opinions on this either way. You can see in the pic below that ours is very well loved! Shane needs to get on cleaning that, hah!

Help us out with some yummy IP dinners as we are in this transitional living phase! I'll be sharing my InstantPot recipes in the weekly recipes shared on this blog as this goes along. Can't wait to see yours!

Also, please note that InstantPot cooking isn’t always perfectly easy, at least it wasn’t this past Saturday when I urgently texted Stephanie, haha! Also, bless Stephanie's soul once again for dealing with my panicked self.

Happy InstantPot cooking to you!