Yesterday, at Log Cabin Day we mentioned that Mom had started Log Cabin Day many years ago and we were honoring her by continuing her tradition. This year Larry joined us for the first time!! Our cousin Leora signed up and came this year bringing her Granddaughters Kayla and Kenzie. A nice surprise!! As the day went on Leora came up to me and told me that she had been at the first Log Cabin Day. Mom was the President of the Extension Homemaker's Council when it was started. Leora was a member of the Homemaker's Council in Ada County and so Mom had invited her and she came. She was not sure of the exact year but she said her best guess would be 1968 (but definitely between 1965 to 1970). Larry said, "that is the year I graduated High School". I said, "That is 52 years ago!" We knew it was a long time ago and we all knew that we had all helped her numerous times through the years. When Mom did it it was an all day affair with 10 to 15 classes throughout the day with a nice luncheon and entertainment. She always had a committee of helpers but it was a huge job. Jan Irving joined Mom's committee in the 1990s, Jan was the greeter and Kara became her little sidekick. Jan is still one of my greatest helpers!! She was there to greet everyone yesterday but unfortunately Kara and her girls were sick this year. We have simplified Log Cabin Day!! But we sure did have a great day together with 29 of the best people people around. We all learned a lot from each other, cooked and ate some great food and laughed and enjoyed one another.
Cooking Under Pressure – Instant Pot Class
Karla Kimball – U of I, Advanced Master Food
Safety Advisor
Instant
Pot Potato Soup
1 T. butter
1/2 c. chopped onion
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
4 c. water
4 t. chicken bouillon
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
4 c. diced potatoes, unpeeled (6 medium)
1 ½ c. milk
3 T. flour or cornstarch or clear jel
2 c. grated cheese
1/4 c. cooked bacon, diced
Place butter in the Instant Pot on Saute
to melt. Stir in the onions and saute
for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic
and saute for 1 more minute stirring constantly, so the garlic doesn't burn.
Turn off the instant pot and stir in the
water, bouillon, soup, salt, pepper and potatoes. Stir well.
Set the lid on Sealing and push manual/pressure cook for 8 minutes on
High. While it cooks make a slurry of
milk & flour and set aside. Do a Quick
Release.
Return to Saute setting and stir in the
slurry mixture, cheese and bacon. Stir
until cheese is melted and soup has thickened.
Serve.
*Diced ham is a nice addition, with or
without the bacon.
Instant
Pot Spaghetti
1 lb. hamburger
1/2 c. onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
1 c. red and/or green peppers, diced
1 t. Italian Seasoning
1 lb. Spaghetti or Penne Pasta - (break
in 3 pieces and criss cross)
24 oz. Spaghetti Sauce
24 oz. crushed tomatoes
1/3 c. spaghetti seasoning
5 c. water (or just fill the
spaghetti sauce and tomato cans with water)
1/4 c. butter (optional)
Set Instant Pot to Saute and add the
hamburger. Once the hamburger is mostly browned add the onion, garlic, peppers
and Italian Seasoning.
Add the Pasta and pour over the sauce,
tomatoes, seasoning & water. Make
sure the water completely covers the pasta.
Place the lid on Sealing and Set to
Manual/Pressure Cook for 8 minutes at high pressure. Quick Release. Stir in butter and serve.
Instant
Pot Chicken and Rice Taco Bowls
1 ½ c. chicken broth, divided
1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken
breasts
1 packet or ¼ c. taco seasoning
15 oz. black beans rinsed and drained
15 oz. corn, do not drain
2 c. salsa
1 ¼ c. white rice
Cheese
Sour cream
Lettuce
Green onions
Taco sauce – whatever you like!
Tortillas for serving – optional
Spray Instant Pot with cooking
spray. Add ½ c. chicken broth. Add the chicken. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the chicken. Add black beans and corn and salsa. Add rice.
Add remaining 1 cup of chicken broth.
Make sure the rice is completely covered with liquid – if it isn’t add a
little more water or chicken broth.
Set to sealing. Cook on Manual/Pressure Cook for 8
minutes. Natural Release for 12 minutes
and then release remaining pressure. Remove
lid and gently fluff the rice with a fork – you are not stirring just
fluffing.
Replace the lid and let rest for 5
minutes. Then slide the rice to the side
and find the chicken and shred it and stir it back into the rice mixture. Serve with the toppings of your choice in a
bowl or on a tortilla.
Instant
Pot Garlic Butter Green Beans
1 lb. green beans, frozen or fresh
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 T. butter
½ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
½ c. water or vegetable or chicken broth
Place the washed and trimmed green beans
in the Instant Pot. Add the garlic
butter, salt, pepper and water/broth.
Set lid to sealing and cook on manual/pressure
cook for 0 to 1 minute for frozen OR 3 to 5 minutes for fresh. DON’T WANT TO USE THE KEEP WARM SETTING AS
THEY WILL CONTINUE TO COOK AND GET MUSHY.
When cooking is complete do a Quick Release. **
You can double this recipe but DO NOT DOUBLE the liquid.
Instant
Pot Caramel Apple Dump Cake
21 oz. apple pie filling
¼ c. caramel topping
2 c. dry cake mix (2/3 of box) – yellow,
white, vanilla or spice
4 to 6 T. butter
1 c. water
Dump apple pie filling into a sprayed 7
inch pan or glass bowl, whatever will fit inside your instant pot.
Drizzle caramel topping over the apple
pie mix and swirl gently across the top of the apple pie filling.
Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the top
of the pie filling and pat down making it level on the top.
Cut the butter into thin slices and
arrange them on top of the cake mix covering completely.
Place a rack or trivet in the bottom of
the Instant Pot and pour in 1 cup water.
Place the pan of apple dump cake on the
trivet.
Put the lid on sealing. Set to Manual/Pressure Cook for 25
minutes. When cooking is complete do a
Quick Release. Once all the pressure is
released remove the lid. Serve while
warm with ice cream or whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce if
desired.
Instant
Pot Churro Bites - slightly revised
from Six Sisters' Stuff recipe
1 ½ c.
(1/2 box) white, vanilla, yellow or spice cake mix, prepared according
to package directions
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 c. water
2 T. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
Spray 2 silicone egg bite molds.
Prepare cake mix as directed on box,
stir in cinnamon and nutmeg.
Fill molds 3/4 full with batter. Tap the
molds on the counter to remove air bubbles.
Cover with foil, sealing the edges.
Add 1 cup water to the instant pot. Place molds one on top of the other onto rack
or trivet and place inside the Instant Pot.
Lock the lid & set to SEALING.
Press Manual or Pressure Cook and set for 12 minutes.
When time is up, Natural Release for 10
minutes, then release the remaining pressure.
Carefully remove the molds from the
Instant Pot. Cool for 2 minutes and dump
out of molds onto cooling rack.
Mix together the brown sugar and
cinnamon in a small shallow bowl.
Immediately roll the Churro Bites in
this mixture while still warm, so the sugar sticks to them.
My yogurt
recipe link: https://karlasrecipeblog.blogspot.com/2020/01/instant-pot-yogurt.html
My Instant Pot Cookbook link: https://karlasrecipeblog.blogspot.com/2020/01/karlas-2019-instant-pot-cookbook.htmls
I add new recipes to my blog all the time….it is my recipe file…not a step by
step elaborate blog.
sixsistersstuff.com is my favorite
resource. Kristen does an Instant Pot
YouTube video every Monday. Their web
page has tons of instant pot recipes plus every other recipe imaginable. They are on Facebook and Pinterest too!! https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/how-to-convert-recipes-into-instant-pot-recipes/
A great collection of Instant Pot
recipes from Six Sisters’ Stuff: http://bit.ly/2Dxxajb
A great Instant Pot Cooking Time Table
can be found at www.instantpot.com/instantpot-cooking-time
A ready-made recipe booklet by Instant
Pot. https://instantpot.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Pressure-Cooker-Recipe-Booklet_20181130_REFERENCE.pdf
The best advice I can give you is to
read and re-read the instruction book that came with your Instant Pot and keep
it handy. I keep mine near my instant
pot because I often need to refer to it. And lastly…..Use and enjoy your
Instant Pot/Electric Pressure Cooker….You will wonder how you ever survived
without it!! 
Janet, Leora Mabe, Larry
