Instant Pot Chicken Soup

I have joined the world of Instant Pot (electronic pressure cooker) cooking!  I've been thinking about getting one for over a year but finally pulled the trigger after Thanksgiving when the prices were so low.  I decided it could replace my beloved and well used rice-cooker and also work for crock-pot type recipes in a fraction of the time.

It took me about 2.5 weeks to take it out of the box after it arrived, as I found the prospect of learning a new electronic device intimidating. ;)  However, it really wasn't a big deal once I gave it a try and this easy-peasy chicken soup recipe is proof!  It was the first recipe that I made and turned out great.

I made my own recipe using many of the ingredients from my crock-pot chicken soup recipe, but with Instant Pot soup directions. 

For the original crock pot/slow cooker recipe go here.

Instant Pot Chicken Soup

Ingredients
1 lb chicken breasts (mostly thawed)
3 carrots chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 bay leaf
3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 Tbsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
*cooked noodles or rice

Instructions
1. In the liner pot add the vegetables, then chicken, then herbs.
2. Add 4 cups chicken stock and 2 cups of water.
3. Close the lid tightly and make sure the vent is closed.
4. Press "SOUP"
5. When the timer goes off let the pressure release manually for about 10 minutes, then do a quick release.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
*Serves about 4-6

Feel free to add cooked pasta or rice.

For my favorite Crock Pot Chicken Soup recipe go here.

To get your own Instant Pot check out this one on Target, or this one on Amazon.

Have a Merry Little Christmas!

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior who is Christ the Lord. - Luke 2:11

Merry Christmas from my family to yours.  

2015 (Snowmobile #705)

2014 (Play Family A-Frame #909)

2013 (Play Family House #952)

2012 (Play Family Rooms #909)

Fisher Price Friday - Christmas presents tonight!

Tonight is the night, we're ready to open presents! It's later than usual for us but with the kids in school all week I didn't want to open them yet.  I've got everything wrapped and the Fisher Price Lift and Load Railroad #943 under the tree.  Thanks to a wonderful Santa's helper we have a working train engine just in time, hooray!!

The kids get out of school early today and they'll be thrilled to see it this afternoon.  I love to leave at least one present unwrapped for them to see right away.

Merry Christmas present opening day!! 🎄🎁 

UFF-DA Calling all Norwegians

Any other Scandinavians out there?  I'm a proud Norwegian-American, my grandparents on both sides (except one Englishman) were Norwegian.  Hey, that blond hair comes from somewhere am I right? ;)

Anyway, when I saw this UFF-DA t-shirt on Target I had to have it!  It's part of their Todd Snyder Minnesota Local Pride collection.  There is a women's and a men's version.  They're only $14.99 and right now they ship free.

I'm planning on wearing it next week when I'm visiting my mom.  She's got one too so we can be matchy-matchy while making Krumkake, Lefse or Lutefisk.  So excited!

If you're Norwegian too go get one!  

Details: I'm wearing a size Small, I'd say it's pretty true to size since it's a little big on me and I usually get XS.  It's 100% cotton, short sleeved and $14.99.

To see more of my family's Norwegian pride check out my mom's Norwegian-inspired/themed Tiny Home Beach Cottage.

Gift Ideas for Loved Ones with Dementia

If you have a loved one with dementia picking out gifts at the holidays or birthdays can be especially challenging.  I know first hand as my father has been living with dementia (Alzheimers) for over a decade now.  In case you are looking for a last-minute Christmas gift I thought I'd share some of the presents we've given him in the last couple years.

Photo Books

Personalized gifts have been the most successful.  I started out a few years ago by making a photo book (from Shutterfly) about our immediate family.  I included photos of his three children and my mom.  I selected photos of us together with him through the years from infants to present.  I added a little bit about his grandchildren, but not much as there are so many (8) and they keep changing. :)  

Dad's book about his family.

Dad reading one of mom's year-in-review books.

Mom would bring it on their trips out to visit me and he'd look at it over and over, for hours sometimes.

Tips 
1. Write simply, short sentences with large font.  
2. Quality over quantity, don't put too many photos on one page.
3. Include names, put them on every page if possible.

This book and other Shutterfly year-in-review books that my mom made have been very well used the last few years.  My mom now brings a book or two with her every time she visits Dad and they go through them together.  I can't recommend a book enough!  You can do children, marriage, favorite pets, etc.

Photo Pillow

Last Christmas I made my dad a personalized throw pillow (also from Shutterfly).  We knew that it would be his last Christmas at home, so I thought it would be a good transition object when he moved to the memory-care facility.  I put a photo of mom and dad on the front and on the back smaller photos of him with us kids and mom.

It was a huge hit.  Dad looked at it over and over after opening the present and kept remarking at his photo on the front.  He was amazed that it was them!  A couple months later when he moved the pillow went with him, and the staff use it as a transitional object to get him into bed or his room.  Saying "lets go see your wife".  

It has amazingly remained in his room and hasn't needed to be laundered as it stays on top of the bed during the day but they place it up when he's sleeping.  It is washable however.  The quality was pretty fabulous too!

Posters

Once dad moved to the memory home I had a big enlargement made for his wall, a photo of my mom.  That way he can see her smiling face all the time.  This Christmas I'm gifting another enlargement, this time of his girls (mom, me and my sister).

Tips:
1. Posters of favorite pets, vehicles or vacation spots would be great ideas too.

Other ideas:

Simple Photo puzzles.
Personalized photo mugs.

So there you go, a few ideas to help bring their past into the present.  

Merry Christmas and I hope you are able to make treasured memories with your loved one, remember to take lots of photos!

Fisher Price Friday - Christmas Presents Sneak Peek :)

We're just a few days away from opening Christmas presents since my family can never wait until the 25th.  It's usually between the 21st-23rd that we decide to "do Christmas".  As the kids get older it's getting worse since I'm the only one trying to hold them all off (my husband started this tradition even before we had the kids)!

Anyway, although the majority of the toys and gadgets we buy the kids are new, I have to slip a few vintage toys in there.  At least for one more year!  Here is a little sneak peek of what I've picked out for my youngest (5 year old).

She's going to flip over the My Friend Nicky doll.  She saw me looking at My Friend dolls on eBay a couple months back and when she saw Nicky she told me that's the one she wants for Christmas.  Of course my daughter has NO idea that these are 30 yr old dolls and not super easy to get in a new condition.  She thinks I can get it at Target. ;)  But I looked for awhile and finally found one NIB that is perfect.  She's going to be a great friend for her Special Birthday Mandy #4009 that she got for her birthday this summer.

I also found a brand new roller skating outfit made between 1981-1985 that is new in the package.  Amazing.

And last but not least the Lift & Load Railroad #943.  That present just arrived last night and although I'm very excited that it has a box and almost all of the pieces I was disappointed that the almost 40 year old wind-up train engine no longer winds. :(  Aging is tough on all of us, even toys.  Ha!  So I'm on a last minute hunt to find a (working) replacement for the engine, here's hoping!

2015 Fisher Price Christmas Presents

2014 Fisher Price Christmas Presents

2013 Fisher Price Christmas Presents

Fantastic Pumpkin Pie Recipe

My girls and I made an old fashioned pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving this year.  We had dinner with my in-laws so only had to bring this pie and some ice-cream.  Since I didn't have to make anything else I decided to do both from scratch.  The pie recipe turned out amazing, and not bland like the store bought kinds.  This is partly because of a spice mix-up.  I was using a recipe from simply recipes and when I got 1/2 way through the spice ingredients I realized I was missing a couple.  So...I substituted with pumpkin pie spice and it turned out great.

We served ours with fresh whipping cream (my favorite!) but it would also work with ice cream.

Flavorful Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients
2 eggs plus the yolk of a third egg
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 cups of pumpkin from a sugar pumpkin or from canned/boxed pumpkin (I used an organic box from Target)
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pie crust

Directions
1 Preheat your oven to 425°F. 

2 Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the brown sugar, white sugar, salt, spices—cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice. 

3 Mix in the pumpkin. Stir in the cream. Beat together until everything is well mixed. 

4 Pour the filling into an uncooked pie shell. Bake at a high temperature of 425°F for 15 minutes. Then after 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 350°F. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes more, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (Check on your crust halfway through, if it is looking too brown add some foil or a crust protector).

5 Cool the pumpkin pie on a wire rack for 2 hours. Note that the pumpkin pie will come out of the oven all puffed up (from the leavening of the eggs), and will deflate as it cools. 

Serve with whipped cream.


Note: This recipe made more filling than would fit in my regular pie crust.  I filled a small baking dish with the remaining filling and had a crust less personal sized pumpkin desert to eat first. :)

For my delicious (and easy!) Vanilla Ice Cream recipe that tastes just like Haagen Dazs go here.  Also check out my cute container that I put the ice-cream in, a fun and fancy touch.  My container was designed but how fun would it be to purchase some white ones and decorate them yourselves (or have the kids do it).  Perfect for gifting!  You can get pint sized containers on Amazon..

Winter Styling thanks to Target Part 2

Last week I shared my youngest daughter's newest winter gear, thanks to Target.  Well I didn't want to leave my big girl out so when she had a head-to-toe Target day I had to share it with you.

She's got on her new Cat & Jack Anorak coat (check it out, they've been having amazing sales lately).  It has a removable fur trim.  Now it isn't super heavy, but this is an Arizona winter we're talking about. :)  We'll add more layers when we visit the family in Washington.

Next up is her favorite-to-wear-to-music-class long sleeved t-shirt.  By Cat & Jack naturally and only $7!  Her jeans are the same dark wash jeggings from last week.  They're on heavy rotation right now.

Last but not least she's got some adorable boots, also from Target but those cuties were from last season.  They have some even cuter shoes this year, have you checked them out lately?  So so cute.  We've got some adorable leapard print boots for her coming in the mail, can't. wait. 

So there you go.  My girls + Target clothes = Happy Mommy

Fisher Price Friday - Decking the Little People Tree

Ah Christmas, my favorite time of the year!  The girls and I set up our Christmas trees last week including our favorite Fisher Price Ornament tree.  The kids enjoy looking at every ornament as we unwrap them and carefully place them on the tree.  So far we haven't broken any although I can't say the same for the regular family tree, we're down 2 ornaments already. 

Since some of these FP ornaments are worth quite a bit of money (specific Hallmark ones), we are SO very careful with them.  Yet I want the kids to enjoy them too, it's a sticky-wicket. :)  

My youngest is loving the View Master ornament the best, she loves that she can operate the slides herself. 
 

  

The Dept 56 ornaments are so heavy (made of resin) that my little tree can't hold most of them.  Fortunately they look pretty cute under the tree.  

For past Fisher Price Christmas decorations check out:

2015 Decking the Halls 
2015 Merry Little People Christmas
2014 A Frame Holiday Lights
2013 Merry Christmas Play Family House
2012 Merry Christmas Play Family Rooms

To see more Fisher Price themed ornaments check out these prior posts:

Department 56 2016

Department 56 2015 Pt 1
Department 56 2015 Pt 2
Department 56 2015 Pt 3

Basic Fun Series 1

Basic Fun Series 2

Department 56 2014

Department 56 2014 Part 2

Department 56 2013 

For Hallmark Fisher Price Ornaments: 

2007 - See 'N Say 
2008 - Play Family Farm 
2008 - View-Master 
2009 - School Bus 
2009 - Chatter Telephone 
2010 - Play Family Fun Jet 
2010 - Zookeeper Says 
2010 - Play Family School 
2011 - Music Box Teaching Clock 
2011 - Play Family House 
2011 - Little People Lil' Movers Fire Truck (not a vintage toy) 
2011 - Snoop 'N Sniff - Limited quantity 
2012 - Corn Popper 
2012 - Two Tune TV

Italian Meatball Tortellini Soup Recipe

The weather outside is cold and perfect for some nice warm soup!  This particular recipe had a little something for everyone in my family, even the picky youngest appreciated the tortellini.

It didn't take too much effort to prepare either and this recipe makes a-lot of soup!  I had to share some with my BFF and a neighbor because there was so much.  So perhaps if you have a smaller family go ahead and 1/2 the recipe.

Italian Meatball Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
12 oz Chicken Meatballs (mine were from Target)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 med onion, diced
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 bay leaf
8 cups vegetable or chicken broth (I did 1 box of chicken and 1 vege box)
2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
3 cups fresh spinach
10oz cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. In a skillet, brown the chicken meatballs according to the directions. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the red peppers and bay leaf. Cook until peppers are soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the broth and tomatoes. Add the cheese tortellini and cook until tortellini is tender, 7-8 minutes. Stir in the spinach, fresh basil and chicken meatballs and heat until warm. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf and serve.

Makes enough for 6-8 servings