Animals - especially dogs, Food, News

Hurricane and Instant Pot Update

35 Comments

The bad news is that Hurricane Florence has strengthened into a category 4 hurricane and might even reach category 5 before it hits landfall.  And the damage won’t be done as Florence loses steam. Weakened, Florence is still dangerous. The forecast predicts that Florence will stall over land in North Carolina and could bring up to two feet of rain to an already saturated state. This, in turn, will bring floods, toppled trees, and massive power outages.

But for our little family, the good news is that kids, dogs, and kit have left Dodge, as it were, well ahead of Hurricane Florence. They will be with us sometime late tomorrow night, and how good it will be to see them.

Now for the Instant Pot. It worked exactly the way it should. Within an hour, we had a very tasty vegetable soup for our dinner, and most of that time involved cutting up the vegetables. We couldn’t believe that the five minute cooking time of the recipe was correct—that was after everything had come up to temperature—and so we cooked the soup for fourteen minutes. While the vegetables were good, they were too soft, and we were thinking that perhaps five minutes wasn’t so far off after all.

Before:

Fourteen minutes later:

This particular soup recipe called for a sprinkle of nutritional yeast in the bowls once the soup was done.  We substituted soy sauce, and the soup was tasty. But I am now intrigued about nutritional yeast, which I have never used. (I know, I know. I am behind on this one.) I plan on picking some up soon to use on vegetable soups and perhaps other dishes.

So all in all, a good day, but my thoughts are with those who must evacuate and don’t have family up north to stay with.

And I certainly hope that the aid to the Carolinas is better than what Puerto Rico got last year after Hurricane Maria. Three thousand dead. Some people without power and adequate housing for nearly a year.

A national disgrace.

35 thoughts on “Hurricane and Instant Pot Update”

    1. I think their home will be all right, but they were worried about flooding and how it would affect the pet sitter. In fact, they had planned to come to Maine to visit us but hadn’t planned on the hurricane.

  5. It must be such a worry leaving home and possessions behind, but it’s the people that are important and it’s great to know they are safe.
    As for the “Instant Pot” – that looks like magic!

    1. Yes, so good that they are heading north. Their home is on pretty high ground, so they are fairly confident all will be well. That Instant pot is a marvel, that’s what it is.

  6. We have been watching the news on Hurricane Florence,.. always good to know your family are safe during these dramatic climatic conditions.

  8. How nice to have family and good you could figure out pet accommodations! Blending fur families can be tricky! I never heard of an instant pot. Is it a bit like a pressure cooker? You always are learning new things and then I learn too!

    1. It sure can be tricky. Glad our house can accommodate the various fur friends. The Instant Pot can be used as a pressure cooker and a slow cooker—there are different settings. It really is a wonder.

  10. Good to see the instant pot in action. I’ve never heard of nutritional yeast either. Glad your family are tracking well ahead of the storm and that their house is on higher ground. My thoughts are with the others too.

  11. The handling of Puerto Rico was an absolutely disgraceful disgrace! I have been intrigued by the Instant Pot but have resisted getting yet one more trendy appliance that needs to be stored. Will it replace a traditional slow cooker in your kitchen?

  12. I couldn’t hit ‘like’ on this one because of the potential damage that is heading to the Carolinas. Yes, I also hope response is better, but I’m not sure we humans are always equipped to handle Mother Nature’s fury. On the Instant Pot, my daughter has one and swears by it. When we downsized about sixteen years ago, I got rid of all those ‘special’ cookers and have no desire to bulk up again. So, I’m sticking with my crock pot. Plus, I’m never in that big of a hurry anymore. Glad you’re loving it, because you are for sure in the majority and enjoy the family visit. 🙂

    1. As with so many things, dealing with a natural disaster takes resources and organization, which for various reasons can be in short supply. And then people suffer. We really do like the Instant Pot, which will be a great help as I am now working full time on my books. The kids and pets will arrive tonight. Yay!

  13. I do not have an instant pot, never heard of it in fact, but that soup looks delicious. Hmmm, maybe I should check it out. Praying for those in the path of the hurricane, as you said.

  16. Yummy pot of soup, Laurie! We use nutritional yeast quite frequently. I don’t think we ever make a batch of popcorn without sprinkling on nutritional yeast. It has a bit of a cheesy flavor and I can see where a recipe may suggest its use in soup. Definitely give it a try. When our daughter gave up eating cheese, she would often use a little to mimic the slight flavor of cheese on her food….not too much, just a sprinkling. I use to make a ‘mock’ mac and cheese for her when she was going through her vegan stage…really, good actually! And, it is quite good for you! High in protein, B12, high in iron, and high in fiber. let me know what you think! Enjoy your visit with family!!

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