Introducing: MY INSTANT POT…Mabel is her name

Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, 6 Quart 1000W

Last week, after months of watching video, reading recipes and lots of thought…I took the plunge and purchased an InstantPot!

And then, I spent the rest of the week watching MORE videos (check-out my YouTube Watchlist) and trying to decide if I made the right decision. And even more time trying to figure out what recipes I would start with.

Now we begin.
My first recipe was Hamburger Stroganoff and I decided on it because:
#1 I had the ingredients
#2 It seemed pretty easy-like I probably couldn’t f-it up.
#3 and most importantly…identified with the story Julie shared in her post.

I left my full-time job 3 years ago to be a part-time freelancer and I miss full-time work. And over the last year things completely changed.
My husband's job moved all their engineers 3 states away and he (along with all the other engineers in his office—decided not to take the move offered to them, therefore he was out of work for 6 months looking for a new job), resulting in taking my youngest daughter out of full-time daycare and turning me into a SAHM, resulting in me not able to take quite as many freelance jobs and both of which mess with my sanity.

I keep asking God for direction as to what to do next. For my purpose.
I feel that being a part-time freelancer and a full-time SAHM for my youngest daughter has not be the best situation for either of us and I'm not very good at either of them, because I feel like my life is missing something.

I just have no idea what that something is, although if I could make a living crafting all day…I'd do it. And I am praying that this summer, I will get the chance to do it.
Maybe rebooting my blog time-my me time is that I need.

Let's talk recipe-nitty gritty

#1 up there: turned out not to be as true as I thought. Luckily I have wonderful neighbors and one of them let me go raid her garden for an onion.

Which was a adventure all of it’s own. I couldn't find a bulb onion.…resulting in me pulling a couple carrots and then finding these scallions on steroids. After shoving what I pulled back into the ground, she came over and helped me. Letting me know that those scallions I thought were on steroids were really…Walking onions.

Learn how to make one of the newspaper boxes by watching
Asian Beauty Secret's video 8 Asian Life Hacks.
This cutting board is: Epicurean Non-Slip Series Cutting Board, 14.5-Inch by 11.25-Inch, Natural/Brown

And I feel that that is the only place the recipe wasn't as good as I'd hopped-the onion flavor was missing.


But they did provide me with a lot to add to my homemade composter.


Although I wasn't completely happy with the seasoning, I think it turned out great!

It was honestly, the perfect first recipe. You use a lot of different functions requiring you to figure things out.

I probably tried to start the high pressure cook function timing about 4 times—don't judge me! :) It wasn't as easy as I thought and it required me to get familiar with all the buttons and the display.

I'm really grateful that I chose this recipe for my first InstantPot meal