A New Gadget and Some Ham Soup

I love kitchen gadgets as much as the Little Mermaid loves thingamabobs.  And I have happily added another one to my collection.  In all its chrome beauty, the Instant Pot (https://instantpot.com) now has a permanent home on my kitchen counter.

I have made a number of really good dinners in it and have only had one fail. I'll be posting more recipes in the future but this the one I am making tonight.  It complicated but it was actually very easy.  I sure hope it works. 

Instant Pot Potato Ham Soup

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 1 small Sweet Onion
• 2/3 cup Celery, diced (about 2 stalks)
• 1 cup Carrots, diced (about 2-3 medium)
• 3 Cloves of Garlic, pressed or minced
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1/4 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Thyme Leaves, dried
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup Flour
• 3 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 1/2 lbs Potatoes, diced
• 2 cups Ham, diced (great way to use leftover)
• 1 1/2 cups Half and Half (or heavy cream, or whole milk)

Optional

1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated

1/2 cup Sour Cream

Instructions

• Turn on the Instant Pot Sauté function (Normal/Med heat). When the display reads "Hot" add the olive oil and butter.
• Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until the vegetables start to soften, and the onions are starting to turn translucent.
• Add the garlic. Sauté for a minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
• Add the bay leaf, Coriander powder, nutmeg, thyme, and salt. Stir.
• Sprinkle in the flour and stir, mixing well.
• Pour in half of the broth while stirring, making sure there are no lumps, then continue stirring in the rest of the broth. 
• Let the contents of the pot come to a simmer, then add the potatoes and the ham. Stir.
• Place the lid on the pot and lock it in place. Turn the Steam Release Knob to the Sealing position 
• Cancel the Sauté function.
• Select Manual (or Pressure Cook), and use the + or - buttons (or dial) to choose 5 minutes.
• When the cooking cycle has finished, let the pot go into the Natural Release (Warm) mode. You don't have to do anything, it will do this automatically.
• After 20 minutes of Natural Pressure Release, you can manually release the remaining pressure by turning the Steam Release Knob to the Venting position (or pushing the button on the Ultra).
• When the pressure is all out of the pot, and the pin in the lid has dropped, you can open the lid.
• Stir in the cheese, if using.
• Add the half and half (and sour cream, if using), and stir.
• Taste and adjust salt if necessary.

Easy Bake Meets the Wacky Cake

This was originally posted on March 29, 2012 on a different blog site.  It still holds true to this day.

When our boys turned 10, we got them a truck – a real truck.  It was a Toyota Hilux and it didn’t run.  Brian towed the truck into our back yard, drained all the fluids out of it and told the boys that as long as they did not smash the windows, they could take the truck completely apart.  That truck was in our yard for several years and the boys stripped it down.

I realized the other day why we are ‘out of the box’ when we give things to our kids…it is my mother’s fault.  “Out of the box” thinking is another think my mother modelled for me.  When I was little, I wanted an Easy Bake Oven.  If I remember correctly, my mother thought that if I was old enough to ask for an Easy Bake Oven, then I was old enough to learn how to use the real thing!  She taught me how to make a Wacky Cake and I make them to this day.  I have a very clear memory of watch the vinegar hit a bit of baking soda.  I have a very clear memory of carefully mixing the batter with a fork, check each of the pan’t corners for flour.  I have very clear memory of the smell of that dark chocolate cake, as it baked.  The only that has changed is that I now double the recipe, stir in some chocolate chips, and bake the cake in a 9×13 for approximately 40 minutes.

Wacky Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup cold water

Preparation:

In a 8×8 cake pan, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt. Make three wells in the flour mixture. In one put vanilla; in another the vinegar, and in the third the oil. Pour the cold water over the mixture and stir until moistened. Bake at 350°F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it springs back when touched lightly.

My boys love their truck, and my whole family loves Wacky Cake….and they are all really thankful for their grandma, who taught their mom how to bake.

PS I musst sheepishly admit the I bought my 3 yr old granddaughter an Easy Bake Oven. I bought it second, in super shape, so it was good ideal....and how could I ever resist a 'good deal'?

Easy Basqueeze

Easy Basqueeze (very handy when you are feeding land sharks also known as your sons)

2 cups white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
chopped fresh sage

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter/sage, milk and cheese and mix until just combined. Drop by spoonful onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 425F for 15 minutes.

Basqueeze "Originale"

I'm not sure how old I was but but around my 8th birthday, my mother gave me my first cookbook.  It was a Betty Crocker cook book for kids.  This recipe is from that book and is one that I still use today.

Basqueeze

2 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. margarine
1 c. milk

Stir flour, baking powder and salt together. Cut in margarine, using a pastry blender. Stir in milk and mix gently. Drop by large spoonfuls on greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Variation: Add in grated cheese. Sprinkle some on top of biscuits before baking.