JoBoogie Crafts

Under Pressure: A Pressure Cooker Review! :)

Hi all!

I wanted to share something different today! I recently posted on Facebook about wanting a pressure cooker... I've actually been thinking about it for a while. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my slow cooker! I use it at least a couple times a month. But, to be honest, things that cook in a slow cooker tend to start feeling the same after a while. While everything DOES taste delicious, I always feel like the meat tends to have the same texture every time.

Enter my quest to find a pressure cooker!

I did some research on You Tube and felt like this one was the right one for us. I opted to get the 6qt one instead of the 5qt because you know how it is with Filipino parties! You can never go to big! LOL

It arrived on Monday, and I did a practice run with it - just heated water in in it like it said to do in the instructions and it wasn't so bad.

I worked 2 nights in a row over the weekend and wanted to cook something on Monday night so here's what I came up with:

- 4 frozen chicken breasts
- 1 jar of spaghetti sauce
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspon each onion powder, garlic powder, italian seasoning

I cooked it on the poultry setting for 35 minutes. It gets a little confusing because the instructions and other reviews make you think it's going to be DONE in 35 minutes and that's not the case. It takes time to get to the pressure level, THEN it cooks for 35 minutes and then it takes time to de-pressurize, although you could do this manually (per the instructions).

So, all in all, it took about an hour. But that's not bad considering the chicken was FROZEN. And that's always my problem - having the forethought to defrost meat to PLAN a meal. I always get caught with the 4 o'clock hour and not knowing what to make.

Oh and as for recipe? It came out a little watery. I think because the frozen meat just sweat in the pot. LOL But I served it over pasta and the kids liked it. Not bad. :)

Here's a link to where I got it from:

If you decide to get one, let me know what you think! :)

** This blog post contains affiliate links. You don't pay more when you use my link, but if you do (and I hope you do!), I receive a small percentage. It helps fuel my crafting and cooking hobby. And it pays for my blog. :) **

recipe share: corned beef and potatoes.

I know the thought of meat from a can makes a lot of people queasy, but this meal is considered comfort food for me. As a kid, this was one of the meals my mom made for our family when she was tired from a long day at work as a seamstress at The North Face. And now as an adult this is one of the meals I make when I don't know what else to cook for me and the hubs and we don't want to eat "kid food" like frozen dino chicken nuggets or Easy Mac.

I posted this pic on Instagram and braced myself for possible negative comments, because, let's face it, this is NOT high class dining! It IS however, super easy and I received a lot of awesome "likes" and comments when this went live on my IG feed. Even from THE Amy Tangerine.

1. Saute a couple cloves of garlic and diced onion in a hot pan with oil. (about half an onion.)
2. When the onion is translucent, sautee one potato, diced, in the same pan until cooked.
3. When cooked through, transfer to a bowl, add a couple tablespoons of oil to the pan and saute your corned beef. Continue to break apart the meat with the back of a wooden spoon while cooking.
4. After a few minutes, the corned beef will be warmed through and you can add the onions and potatoes you just fried up.
5. Serve over rice and enjoy!

This is the corned beef we use. The trick is to get the one with the KEY to open up the can. For some reason, my Costco doesn't sell it anymore - they only sell the one with the pull-tab opening. Those cans have a different consistency of meat. And it doesn't taste the same. (we tried to like it, but we couldn't!).

This meal screams comfort food to me. Growing up, we didn't have a lot of money so my parents, especially my mom, made do with what we had. When it was nearing payday and our family bank account was getting thin, our food consisted of pork and beans from a can, a steak (ONE) to feed a family of 4, cup o'noodles, etc. My kids don't realize how lucky they have it!

This dish always humbles me. It reminds me of simpler times. And it makes me appreciate my life as I know it today.

Thanks for visiting.

recipe share: simple fish tacos

I hate not knowing what to cook for dinner. And I hate when I don't have the forethought to plan our dinners. I'm usually so busy during the day that I forget to take meat out of the freezer the night before. Ugh. Eating out can be so expensive!

One of our favorite places to eat is Rubio's. They have the BEST fish tacos. Unfortunately, the closest one to us is about 35-40 minutes away. Fortunately, though, we save a lot of money because it's so far. It would be so easy (and tempting!) to eat there frequently if there was one close to us!

The hubs and I love fish tacos. And one day I tried making them at home - the super simple way:

Ready?

Frozen fish sticks + corn tortillas + diced tomatoes + shredded lettuce + sour cream.

Nothing really fancy. The kids in my house don't eat it (vegetables, are you kidding me?), but they'll eat the fish sticks with rice. So with this meal, at least I'm not cooking TWO meals, technically. Just making a variation on one general protein.

And that's a win-win for me.

Thanks for stopping by today!

recipe share: avocado + hard boiled egg breakfast

I've decided to resurrect my recipe shares on my blog. I've been trying to get better at meal planning and I've found a ton of new-to-me food blogs that I've bookmarked. I still have my cupboard of cookbooks and binders full of recipes.

It's time to start cooking.

So, last week I had a dilemma. I had an avocado and a hard boiled egg. And I was craving toast. Would that be a good combo? I asked myself. Of course I turned to Pinterest and this breakfast was born:

Nothing fancy. Just mashed up some avocado with a tiny bit of salt and pepper. And sliced up some hard boiled eggs on top of toasted sourdough wheat toast. So yummy!

Proud of myself for not using mayo. I really do love mayo on my egg salads. :)

Hope you enjoyed todays recipe share. Have a wonderful weekend!

 

recipe share: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

I've been a HUGE fan of The Pioneer Woman since a friend told me about her blog in 2007. Her blog is awesome - she's witty, she takes fabulous pictures, and she cooks food that I want to eat!

I have both of her cookbooks and have made a handful of her recipes. I watch her TV show on the Food Network and have it set on my DVR to record.

A couple weeks ago she made something so delicious looking, so fabulous, so ME, that I had to try it out!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
(Recipe from The Food Network, but can also be found on her blog HERE)

Ingredients

Crust:

• 25 whole chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• One 8-ounce package whipped topping, such as Cool Whip, thawed

Directions

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Crush the cookies until they're fine crumbs. Pour the melted butter over the top and stir with a fork to combine. Press into a pie pan and bake until set, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

 For the filling: Beat the peanut butter with the cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add in the thawed whipped topping and beat until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.

 Pour the filling into the crust, evening out the top with a knife or spatula. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

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I made this the weekend before I gave birth to L. At that point I was trying ANYTHING to get him out! I was due in about a week, but feeling so HUGE (which explains why he was 11lbs at birth!) that I ate EVERYTHING that I could to try and get him out - tons of spicy food for 2 days + preggo pizza. No wonder my water broke on Monday morning! *lol*

Anyway, this pie was SOOOOO good. And VERY easy to make. As a warning, though, it's super rich, so one slice will do.

I'm thinking about making this again in the very near future. :)

Enjoy!

recipe share: Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Hi all!

I thought I'd try and get this blog moving again. I'm realizing that I have a ton of pictures of the food I've been cooking on my Instagram, but I haven't linked them up here yet. I might as well start now, right? I've got a lot of catching up to do!

Anyway, here's another cookie recipe I discovered. It's one that I found on a friend's blog. Find the original recipe HERE.

REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 ounce size)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup Peanut Butter
1 bag Reese's mini Peanut Butter Cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.

Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla.
Blend in the flour mixture.
Finally, stir in the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven.
Edges should be golden brown.

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This recipe was AWESOME! I made them for our nephew's birthday party a few months ago and they were a hit! I mean, come on. Who doesn't love a good peanut butter cookie?

Peanut butter cookie + Reese's Peanut Butter Cup = total WINNER!

Enjoy!

recipe share: Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

Happy Friday, everyone!

So, I'm really into movies, but I'm really into Oscar Night! - I know. I'm full of IRONIES! Anyway, I hosted a little get-together with friends - it was so fun to fill out our own ballots (even though we hadn't watched any of the movies!) and play a game of Oscar Bingo!

Anyway, I have a quick and easy recipe to share...

Strawberry Cheesecake Bites (adapted from the internet & somewhere on Pinterest)

1 lb of strawberries
8 oz cream cheese softened
3-4 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Graham cracker crumbs

Wash your strawberries and dry them well. Using a paring knife cut the leaves off the top and hull them - take a bit out of the center of each one to create a little well to put the filling.

In a separate bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. You can use a mixer, but you don't have to.

Put all the filling in a Ziploc freezer bag and snip off the end to create a piping bag. Pipe the filling into the strawberries... you'll have a lot of filling left over, you could probably use them for another pound of strawberries or two...

Dip the tops in the graham cracker crumbs.

Cover with saran wrap, put in the fridge, and when ready to serve, watch your friends ooh and ahh over the awesomeness you created. :)

Enjoy!

recipe share: Dill Pretzels

**If you are looking for the Tiffany Doodles Blog Hop, go HERE! Thanks! :) **

Hey all!

It's been a while since I've shared a recipe, but I thought I would today! This one is super easy and it's great for snacking, munching, or as an appetizer at your next party!

I found the recipe by googling "Dill Pretzels" - I first heard it from a friend's FB post but I also heard about it from one of Arlene's YT videos.

So I just decided to google the it. Here's what I found...

photo taken by me using Instagram. :)

Dill Pretzels

1 14-16 oz bag of Hard Sourdough Pretzels - I used a 1lb bag of Snyders Nibblers
1 Cup of Oil - I used popcorn oil. Gives it buttery flavor
1 1oz packet Ranch Dressing/Dip - I used the DIP.
1 1/2 Tsp Dill Weed
1 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Lemon Pepper

Mix oil, dressing, dill, garlic & lemon-pepper in small bowl.
Pour over pretzels, mix well.
Bake in 325 degree oven for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

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The Verdict? Delish! I brought it to my parents' New Year's Eve party and it was a hit! I also made it for another recent holiday party and brought some to work where my co-workers TORE IT UP. *lol* Seriously, though, if you're going to a party and you're at a loss for what to bring - this is AWESOME since it's quick and easy.

And you know I'll be making a batch of this for Superbowl Sunday! HOLLA! :)

recipe share: Peanut Butter Cup Cookies!

Hi All!

I thought I'd share a recipe I came across in one of my cookbooks. You see, sometimes when I feel like getting creative, but the kids are right at might ankles, and when I feel a chocolate/sweet craving coming on - I BAKE. *lol* SO not good for the waistline, but it sure makes my tummy happy. :)

So here's the recipe:

PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES...(from Taste of Home)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups choped peanut butter cups (about six 1.6 ouce packages) - I used a pack of of the minis

In a large bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beait in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and peanut butter cups.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly broned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.

Pardon the poor light in the picture - I was having photography issues that morning! *lol*

The verdict? DEEEELISH.

The recipe yieled a ton - like about 5 dozen and I used a 1 1/2 tbsp cookie scoop. I made these cookies last week for my co-workers and they totally enjoyed them. They're my best taste-testers since my husband isn't too fond of anything but chocolate chip cookies. The peanut butter cups might be too adventurous for him! *lol*

If you try this recipe out, I'd love to know what you think!

Anyway, linking up to:

Love love LOVE Mel's blog and photography skills! And I love the fact that she's local and I met her once - check it out HERE! She's always got some really cool stories, easy-peasy recipes that I always want to try out, and her kids are too adorable! Check her blog out when you get a chance! :)

Anyway, TGIS - Thank Goodness it's SATURDAY! I don't have much planned to day, but I'm hoping to bang out some DT projects and get some work done! I'm 3/4 done with Christmas shopping! YAY! :)

Have you all have a a fabulous day! :)

recipe share: Cookies & Cream Cupcakes (the easy way!)

Happy Saturday, everyone!

No scrappy Saturday post from me today, but I do have a recipe to share with you... COOKIES & CREAM CUPCAKES! And this is the easy version!

I had meant to post this recipe a few months ago, but it slipped my mind! Oh the joys of being a full-time working mama! :) I got this recipe from a friend... Although, I don't think you can technically call it a recipe if you're just basically adding to mixes. (Apologies to my co-fab foodie girl Mel. I know she never bakes from a box! *lol*) Sometimes a girl's gotta do what she's gotta do. :)

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes (the easy way)

-1 box of vanilla cake mix (I used vanilla. My friend used french vanilla. I don't think it matters. *lol*)
- ingredients to make the cake mix
- 1 package of oreos
- 1 container of vanilla frosting or cream cheese frosting

Mix cake mix and ingredients according to package directions. Crush up some Oreo cookies (I used about 8-10) and add to the mix.

Bake according to directions.

Meanwhile, mix frosting with 6 crushed up oreos. After cooling the cupcakes, frost them, and then top them with a halved Oreo cookie.

Easy peasy!

Enjoy!