Pressure Cooked Spaghetti Squash

For Christmas this year, I bought myself an InstantPot Duo Pressure Cooker from Amazon during a big sale they were having. I think it was priced at $78 or so and I had a credit and a bunch of gift cards so I applied all and paid $16 and change.

Yeah. That was a deal.

Of course, Hubby was NOT thrilled with another bulky gadget coming in the kitchen and even though it was very inexpensive, he felt I could have done something different, besides buy another "gadget" ... ho hum .... blah, blah, blah.

So the box sat under the tree, unwrapped until AFTER New Years.  Then the tree was relocated outside and the box was moved to the other side of the room.  That Saturday evening, Hubby brought the box over to the kitchen, opened it up, grabbed the instruction manual and started reading.

We made pork chops and cauliflower that evening in the InstantPot. It was good and pretty neat, although, we will both admit, a little scary ;-)  Hubby freaked when he released the pressure as he wasn't expecting THAT much pressure to be released. It actually made us both laugh out loud!

Since that night the PC has been hanging out in the main kitchen on the counter, all shiny and waiting for another adventure.  Sunday was the day!

You know that we have this Whole30 thing going on, right? Well, not WE but ME, I, MYSELF, am following Whole30 for the month ... and as a side note, it's freaking hard as hell to stay on course and not be distracted by all that yummy, non-compliant stuff out there ... so I had to get focused and make more arrangements to make sure I was able to eat with the family in a somewhat similar fashion ... and Aldi had the spaghetti squash for $2.19 so I said YES and pulled Nom Nom Paleo's recipe for guidance.

Here's what you need:

2 pounder spaghetti squash

1 cup of water

Cut the spaghetti squash in half through the center, NOT long ways. Be careful as this is the WORSE thing to cut. I used a non skid mat I have and a small paring knife.  I didn't push the knife all the way to the hilt and as you go around, you will hear the squash cracking open ... 

Once open, scoop out as much of the seeds and gunk that you can.  Add a cup of water to pressure cooker and set your trivet or steamer in the insert.  Place squash on the trivet, cut side up. 

Lock lid in place, make sure vent is closed and set pressure cooker on 9 minutes.  Remember, just because you say NINE MINUTES does not mean that this will be ready to eat in 9 minutes ;-) My pet peeve ;-)

After the pressure cooker comes to pressure (Hubby timed, it took 7 minutes) THEN the 9 minute countdown starts.

After timer goes off, release the pressure (quick release), using caution when you flip the vent open.

Using tongs and a large spoon, ladle, pour out any excess liquid from the squash and place on plate to cool for a few minutes. Once cool enough to handle, grab a fork and start scraping.

Beautiful!  And look, no need to turn the oven on and bake for 40 minutes! Always a bonus in steamy Paradise!  I ended up serving mine with the red sauce and meatballs for dinner while the rest of the gang had regular ole' spaghetti ... 

Looking forward to sharing with some of these GREAT Parties ... go check them out!

*This post contains affiliate links ... click here to read my disclosure :-)

Whole30 Day 6 – I Just Want a Nap

I Just Want A Nap Day 1

Guess What Day It Is? Humpday!  

I've been stalking Trader Joe's, waiting for that riced cauliflower rice with no luck. I stopped at Publix this evening to buy my Powerball ticket and picked up a HUGE cilantro plant and a normal size parsley plant ... fresh herbs make everything better. I also picked up a handful of roma tomatoes to make more salsa.

I'm tired tonight ... it's been a long day at the office and well, I'm just tired!

Meal 1:  eggs, scrambled, chicken sausage and NO green beans left so I had a half sliced red pepper

Meal 2:   lovely salad (baby greens) with 2 hard boiled eggs and a little bit of turkey which I'm fairly certain was not 100% compliant. I used more Tessemae's lemon garlic dressing ... 

Meal 3:  bowl of chili which I spent forEVER picking out the damn beans and topped with guacamole and chopped cilantro. Ugh. Not satisfying at all.

I did the following meal prep today:  not a single thing. I think tomorrow I will slice some sweet potatoes and grill them up for fast carbs which equals energy.

Notes: I'm thinking I need to put the Christmas stuff away. Prep more protein. Grocery shop! Update the blog! Take a nap! Do some laundry ... do you get the picture? I'm all over the place!

Tip: Just go with the flow of things ... I need to totally remind Hubby (who has decided he is the chef of the house for now) of my eating plan ... ugh! I also need to get a better grip on my dinner plans. I have a plan but just not in the mood to make good, solid choices.

Looking forward to sharing with some of these GREAT Parties ... go check them out!

*This post contains affiliate links ... click here to read my disclosure :-)

Whole30 Day 5 - Kill All Things Continues!

Kill All Things Day 2

Happy Tuesday! So, in the past, I’ve always asked myself if I was hormonal or if everyone around me is just stupid? I mean, seriously, look at me. Do you really want to ask me a dumb question and hear my response? Yup. It’s bad folks. Just try to keep it to yourself and tomorrow will be a better day. Even better, give those around you a heads up that you are a Crabby Patty today and move on.

Meal 1:  eggs, scrambled, chicken sausage and green beans (surprise!)

Meal 2:   leftover burgers with bacon and the rest of the green beans

Meal 3:  green apple, can of lacroix, handful of lettuce with Tessemae's lemon garlic dressing. NOT a good dinner, at all!

I did the following meal prep today:  not a single thing

Notes: prepare prepare prepare. Dinner was just a weird thing as I was doing a side hustle and time got away from me. I was feeling the Kill All Things mode. 

Tip: Be sure to tell your loved ones your new eating habits ... they may just try to feed you sugary stuff to make you happier. 

Looking forward to sharing with some of these GREAT Parties ... go check them out!

*This post contains affiliate links ... click here to read my disclosure :-)

Whole30 Day 4 - Kill All Things

Happy Monday!  I’m off to work and also have a dentist appointment this morning. Probably not a good day for Kill All Things! But I will beat this!

I do find it a little ironic that the first day of Kill All Things will fall on the Monday after a long weekend ... which means I will have a shi*load of stuff to do at the office ... and try not to wonder what Hubby is doing (he was let go from his company on December 30th) ... I just need to remember one of my New Year goals was to "be kinder" ... ha! This could be the test, in more ways than one! ;-)

Meal 1:  eggs, chicken apple sausage, green beans AND a cup of coffee with not so great coconut milk

Meal 2:   leftovers from last night, burger on a bed of lettuce with a few slices of bacon and tomato, drizzled a little of the Tessemae's lemon garlic dressing over this ... that was good!

Meal 3:  Hubby made chili today and is making chili cheese dogs for all (daughter coming for dinner too). Needless to say, I will not be eating the beans in the chili OR the bun and cheese ... just chili and dog for this girl. I think I'll also pull a little bit of the asian salad mix for the salad portion of my dogs

I did the following meal prep today:  Nothing. Nothing at all ... 

Notes: I didn't kill any one but did have a few moments of pure frustration and sense of being overwhelmed at work today. Fun.

Tip: Think Happy Thoughts

Looking forward to sharing with some of these GREAT Parties ... go check them out!

*This post contains affiliate links ... click here to read my disclosure :-)

Whole30 Day 3 - The Hangover

It’s Sunday!  Today should be a better day and you may sort of be fumbling around the kitchen … wanting to eat something and then realize that it’s not Whole30 compliant. Do yourself a favor and get moving on that food prep. Seriously. Lack of compliant Whole30 food is going to be the #1 problem!  Just keep telling yourself that you must prepare! Slice your cucumbers. Grate (or cut) your carrots and celery. Wash your lettuce and spin it dry. Get some broccoli roasted. Saute some green beans. Trust me, if you have the veggies prepped, half the battle is over!

I like to make my salad dressings and mayo on Sunday so I have everything ready for the week.  I also boil eggs on Sunday for quick protein during the week. Nothings worse that when you realize that you’ve eaten all your leftover protein at 6am.  I like to cook some of the protein for the week meals ahead of time and stash them in the guest (or garage) fridge where they will be ready to be reheated when I’m starving after a long day at the office!

Meal 1:  the usual - eggs, chicken apple sausage, green beans. Coffee with coconut milk. Not that great, at all :-(

Meal 2:   a small salad and apple. This was really not a good meal ... must have been feeling odd or something as nothing sounded good.

Meal 3:  Hubby made burgers on the grill and I made roasted potato wedges. Busted out the Tessemae's ketchup ... a little thick and vinegary for this Heinze girl but I suppose I will grow to like it, right?  Wrapped my burger up in a bunch of iceberg lettuce leaves and had a few slices of bacon mixed in with it.

I did the following meal prep today:  I made mayo (it's easy, you gotta try it!) and boiled a dozen eggs AND made up my lunch for Monday (dinner leftovers)

Notes: I did a lot in the earlier part of then just lost all focus, ambition and desire to be productive.

Tip: Prep, prep, prep!

Looking forward to sharing with some of these GREAT Parties ... go check them out!

*This post contains affiliate links ... click here to read my disclosure :-)

Whole30 Day 2 - The Hangover

It’s Saturday and hopefully the Hangover referenced above is NOT a carry over from Thursday night, still. If so, drink some MORE black coffee and lots of water and pretend it’s yummy!

I don't have a hangover and was rather excited to get the day started and moving with the de-Christmas-ing of the house. New Year. New Me. New House ;-)

So. Did you go grocery shopping yet? I know, if you really did have a hangover yesterday, that was probably the LAST thing on your mind, but you need to prepare and the sooner you do, the better you will feel!  Yes, I did give myself the lecture this morning while brushing my teeth, bright and early at 7am!

As our freezers are full of lots of protein, I've put myself on a Pantry Challenge for the month as well with Produce being the only thing that I will focus on buying. I know, Whole30 AND a Pantry Challenge at the same time?? It's ok ;-)

Meal 1:  eggs, over easy, chicken sausage and green beans, all sauteed in ghee

Meal 2:  leftover turkey and a small salad.  Leftovers will become your best friend!  

Meal 3:  Boneless center cut chops cooked in the Instantpot ... Hubby couldn't wait any longer and busted the box open. We tossed in some frozen cauliflower at the end and 'may' have overcooked it ... not bad though for our first time using!

I did the following meal prep today:  NOTHING. At all.

Notes: Stopped at Target to get some laundry soap and such (today was the last day for the $15 off and with coupons and stuff, I got about 4 months worth of Tide, Downey, Swifter pads and a few other things for a little over $60). Checked out the produce section and didn't see anything EXCEPT the Asian Chopped Salad that I usually get at Costco for $2.99 (on sale from $3.99) so grabbed a bag ... sadly, the bag is about 1/4 of the size at Costco but I was so happy to see it!

Tip: Menu Plan for the week and use a white board or bulletin board so you see it!  I start thinking on Saturday what we have and what I can make and then Sunday, I finalize it all ... 

Looking forward to sharing with some of these GREAT Parties ... go check them out!

*This post contains affiliate links ... click here to read my disclosure :-)

Whole30 Day 1 - So What's The Big Deal?

Happy New Year!  Here’s hoping that you don’t have a hangover this morning, otherwise, you are in for a world of hurting the next few days! I tried to be conservative last night, knowing that I was NOT going to be able to have my usual hangover cure of toasted bagel slathered in butter with a runny egg …

I am thankful that it’s Friday because that gives me the next 2 days to prep like a crazy woman for the week ahead. Seriously, you will need to be doing a SOME food prep ahead of time if you hope to succeed for the next 30 31 days. 

PREP, as in, cook extra protein, wash and chop your veggies, make up a few lunches NOW if you are not home during lunch, make some dressings, boil some eggs. You get the drift, now, right?

Go ahead, make yourself some awesome salad dressings a batch of mayo too while you are at it! You won't be sorry!

Here’s what I’m looking at for food today:

M1 - coffee with a scoop of coconut milk, reheated green beans with 2 runny eggs over the top. The coffee was ehh, the beans and eggs were good but what I would have really liked is some sausage, but I forgot to take some out of the freezer yesterday.

M2 - ended up eating more green beans and a little bit of turkey leftover. Also had a honey crisp apple

M3 - strange evening. We were all tired from the festivities on Thursday so it was pretty much fend for yourself. I ate the rest of the veggie tray using some of the Tessemae's ranch dressing that came in my box a few weeks ago. It was ok. Honestly, this was NOT a well planned day!

I did the following meal prep today:  NOTHING. At all.

Notes: The coffee gave me a touch of heartburn BUT then again, it could be that slight hangover feeling/tired/lack of sleep/I danced hard last night feeling?  I ended up having to run out and find a pharmacy open for my dad as he was released from rehab with a new insulin and the facility had to have that specific type so all over town I ran, finally settled at Target. Also picked up some produce items while there (avocados, jalapenos, roma tomatoes).

Tip: Uhm, prepare. I'm the preacher and apparently I need to preach to the mirror!

Looking forward to sharing with some of these GREAT Parties ... go check them out!

*This post contains affiliate links ... click here to read my disclosure :-)