Instant pot Chili

 A while back I got an Instant pot - and I LOVE it!!!! I can make so many things in it !! I still am a HUGE Crockpot fan... If you knew me in my pick up kids, and run to a gazillion hours of sport/ animal/ robot  practices days - you know I make a mean Crockpot lasagna, and well, just about anything.... 

So it is time to ramp up my Instant pot abilities.

It has saved me many times when I did not prepare anything for dinner.  

It has taken frozen meat and made us Fajitas, and soup, and baked potato's, and hardboiled eggs....

But!! I had a new plan in mind...

I wondered if I could make my Chili at lunchtime, and then leave it on the Slow cook mode, and still have a great meal in the evening.  

Spring is coming, and so we have a LOT to do outside, and lunchtime seems to be the time I am free to cook - evening finds me outside until dark.... ( even last night, with the threat of snow coming and awful million mile an hour winds.... I had things to do!)

So I made my Chili at lunchtime ( 1pm) planning to eat about 7:30 pm....

Ready?

First I turned the pot to sauté - and I sautéed Diced bell peppers and diced onions

then I added the raw ground beef, and sautéed it until cooked. we are beef eaters - I used 2 pounds.

I turned off the saute - and started adding:

 I had 3/4 of a jar of spaghetti sauce left from Sunday  night ( I made pizza!! go me)

Next came a can of Drained Kidney beans, and drained Pinto beans

It started looking yummy.... but you know - I had a bag of mini carrots in the Fridge, so I diced those and added.... oh!! and I had a bag of frozen corn... so I added it...

Stirred everything up.   I decided it needed a little more liquid... so added a cup of water. 

Closed the lid and hit pressure cook - set the timer for 15minutes

When the timer went off, I let the Vent come down for 15 minutes before releasing the vent.. and taste tested!!

You know what I forgot? Garlic....so I added a little Garlic Salt....

and turned it to slow cook ( with the lid on)

At 8pm - when we finally broke for dinner... I was HAPPY!!!

Yummy Chili in my Tummy!!!

Of course, we served it with Fritos, Shredded Cheese - and for me Sour cream

Chili is the one thing that I do LOVE leftover - so after we ate, we divided it up, and I have enough for lunch today and tomorrow!! Yay!!  ( ps! for both of us!!)

Here is a link to the Instant Pot that I have : Click here

Do you have a favorite Instant Pot recipe? Share it with me... remember tho - I am that Pain in the Tocus eater - can't have gluten, nuts, pineapple.... 

Oh yes, and I probably jinxed the weather - we woke up to snow.... and gloomy skies... 

A great day to stay inside and quilt!!!

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A Center Medallion and !!! Finished ( or not) Friday!!!

Happy Last day of March!!  It felt very weird to put the first quarter blog calendar away.... it has so much written on it and the next quarter.... is blank!!! Oh boy!!! How exciting!!

Quilts of Valor is hosting a 20 Stars for 20 Years Quilt a long, and it looks like a pretty cool quilt. You had to sign up, I did, and this time I read the emails to find the pattern in my QOV log in page... I tell you what.

I am turning over a WHOLE new leaf!! I am going to learn to follow instructions someday!!

So - I started on the First step - I am half way thru step Number 1

I think this is going to look pretty cool!!! Can't wait to keep going...

I have also gotten in the Spring cleaning mode... cleaned out the Hay shed, vacuumed up the feed barn... The Surprise Scraps are going to Vicki in MN... Its awesome!!!  I hope I stick with it for a few more weeks...

So now!!! It is your turn - Brag away!! Show us what you have finished or Not Finished....

I'm excited to check it out!!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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Be sure to visit as many as possible... Link back to the Finished (or not) Friday so more people will join in....See you soon!!

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Thursdays Thoughts - Q2 Goals

I have a strange way of Organizing, but it seems to work for me. I think I approach Goal Setting that same way. I have a bunch of Generic Goals, and as they days go by, the specifics seem to fill in.

But things are changing, and I am starting to notice it now.... For the past 10 years I have been the Primary person my Parents would go to. ( okay really 16 - but 10 with severe health issues)  8 Years ago I had to make the tough decision to make them move closer to me. 

I hated to have them sell their mountain home, but I just couldn't maintain two places.... The last 3 years have been WAY more intense care of them.  

But since both have passed, I am just now starting to notice the changes. I mean, My Dad and I texted every day - multiple times. I saw him every week, Multiple times, I did all his cooking, etc.

And last night, as I was cooking dinner, I realized I hadn't heard from my Dad, and I hadn't planned a meal large enough to take him some, and it was weird..... It was never a stress, just a thing to do, but not having that thing to do.... is weird

All that to say - I need to make sure I have some focuses so I don't completely fall apart and end up on the couch binging Netflix ( or apple tv) and eating Cheetos  ( puffs only please)

GOALS:

Business:

*Keep Machine Quilting for Clients. 

    This is the large goal, the specifics will get there when the client make the appointment ( haha) 

*Last Quarter I made 4 Memory Quilts,

*This Quarter I have 3 planned for Clients - I think that will be it for Q2

Personal:

*I started yoga... I got it in a few days each week, but for this next quarter - I would like to do it every weekday.  Wish me luck, My dog likes Yoga, I like to do it in the morning, and in the morning is when everything breaks loose haha... so I need it.... calm before the day

*Keep quilting quilts for Quilts of Valor and Hospice. 

*Keep taking Day trips to Hike the State.  Specifically more Ghost Towns

*Ride and Chase Cows... that's the best part of SPRING!!!!

Not so fun:

*Keep sorting my Dads house. The good thing about this is when I moved them 8 years ago we did a HUGE sort - and got rid of a lot of things that weren't important.... the bad thing about this - a lot of the things that are left are memorable things - and things my Mom wanted passed down.....

So are you tired of me yet?   

I will be linking up with Quilting Jet Girls Q2 Goal setting 

And I hope that writing things out will remind me to keep at it... Stick with it, and... Have some fun!

Hugging our Veterans!

 We are Spreading the Love....

I have a large group of Veterans and we are covering them a group at a time... it is just SO fun!! the Buildup, the wondering who is next - the smiles on their faces... its so awesome!!

Isn't this an Awesome group!!!  WWII, Korean and Vietnam!!! ( One was Vietnam and Desert Storm)

Do you remember that little cartoon that went around of two little kids in overalls discussing farming like adults?   I don't know why but this photo reminds me of it.

They were just so cute - talking about their quilts - and laughing ( which you can't see by his expression) My youngest son who is 6'7" helped award the quilts, and all of the gentlemen were awed by his height!!

Have a Happy Day!!

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Quilting Design Wall ?

 I have a memory Quilt up on my design wall... and since its not really mine to share.... I bring you..

My Quilting Design Wall... aka - what's on the Longarm!!!!

it was really cool to come in to the room in the morning when there was just a bit of sunshine lighting this quilt so well....

Doesn't the light just make that look so pretty?

I still had to go back and quilt the checker board  but I just thought it was so pretty...

And ta da - ready to be done, and get back to its owner....

And now to get to work on something for Finished ( or not ) Friday!!!... I have not planned ahead!!

Linking to:

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings

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An Accidental Finish - and !! Finished ( or not) Friday!

 Happy Happy Friday!!!

Hope you had an amazing Stitching week!! Can't wait to see what you all were up to!!

I have an accidental finish today... As I was quilting a quilt I had some backing left over, and I thought - I wonder if there's enough to load a small quilt... and I wonder if I have anything small to load?

I found a little something - loaded it - had some fun playing with stencils and motifs, and when I took it off the frame,.......

I realized it was probably supposed to be a Table Topper type kit - like there was a front , and back and the binding all on one piece... oops!! 

Oh well - It is bound and done, and there you go!!! An accidental finish!!

So the scraps.... They went to Ms Melva  Hopefully She enjoys pink and Cream....

but now!!! I found more - want a *Surprise* bag of fabrics?  I know there is Deep Green, Two Horse Pillow/panels, and who know what could go in the bag before it comes your way....

Interested in it ? Make sure you use the word SURPRISE in your comment so I know you are interested....and a way to contact you if you don't have that set up.....

Now!!! It is your turn - show me what you have been up to this week.. Did you get a Finish????

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Thursday Thought - Quilt Questions

How many of you , when you are starting a new quilt get asked the questions...

How big will it be?

Who is it for?

Why are you making this one?

My family has learned to not ask those questions, especially if they want the atmosphere of the house to stay calm.. But sometimes I wonder if those who don't quilt, don't quite get that ... 

We don't always have the answer to those questions - we just needed to start something!!

One time a Rancher Friend walked into the house and I had a quilt laid out on the floor - he started to walk on it!!! and my youngest son yelled Stop!!!  The funny thing was - the quilt was really out of the way, I mean you had to walk to it to get to it.... When he asked why and learned it was a quilt lay out - he innocently asked - Why are you making another one? You already have a blanket on the couch?

To which my educated children said - Quilt!! Not Blanket... and we like to eat, so we don't ask why!!

The quilt in the photo - I just wanted to make Happy Hawaiian blocks, you know - add color to the winter. As I was making the blocks - started to think - well that would be cool if  Two humans and a dog could snuggle under it on the couch.... But then, as I was laying the blocks out - I really wanted the light/dark effect to be even....which means, sometimes you have to add more blocks.... 

Fast forward a few months, and!! I finally got that King Bed I have  wanted... My dear sweet husband and I have had a queen for a million years, and I kinda kick at night ( TMI I know) so I wanted more space so the poor man wouldn't leave me.

Did you know a King is a LOT wider than a Queen? I mean a LOT!! So none of my quilts really fit that bed.

My 2 kids that helped us move things around got all excited and said!! Mom!! Make a new one.

Um, ya... Definitely!!! I am on it!! ( Ps I love them)

But then I pulled this Churn dash out and learned if I lay the long way of the quilt across the width of the bed.... It fits width wise!! ( Just barely but it does)  Its not quite long enough to pull over your shoulders... but Spring is almost here - so its good.... But what fun!!

Now this couch quilt has been repurposed for a short time on my new bed!!! 

as I plan a new quilt, 

with a size in mind

 with a person in mind...

with a purpose in mind

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Linking to:

Can I get a Whoop Whoop

Peacock Party

Beauties Pageant

Patchwork and Quilts

The Mishawaka

 There is a really cool little restaurant/dance hall/concert venue that is almost a 100 years old... and there is a lot of hiking around it...

So what is a girl to do?

Bribe her family to take a hike, and at the end.... take them to the Mish!!!

The snow hasn't quite melted in the High Country. Some of it has, but it refroze again into ice, so we had a very interesting hike~!

We always have to have a few Black and Whites.... in B&W I thought this looked like a howling wolf rock...you have to use your imagination.... but I have a good one!!!

Contrails  ( I love catching those!)  

Below

Just the Vastness of the mountains

I feel so lucky to be close enough to get out into them!

if you haven't figured out by now - I am a wide Open Spaces kinda girl...

You do see the man in the mountain on this one right?  I think he looked like Jabba the Hut!!

This!

This is the mountain we were going up! it was pretty steep, but man it was gorgeous. Its when we started slipping every other step that we got concerned - going up, not so bad.... but we knew we had to come down!!

And the best part!

The Mishawaka!!

We sat out on the deck that is over the river. They individual tents that are clear, so they turn the heater on, and you can sit out there and watch the world go by.... or a deer....

Not a bad way to spend a day!!!

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March's Spinning Goose ( RSC Block)

• Its March Madness!!!
• It was St. Patricks Day!!!
• It is GREEN for RSC.... 

and so.... My Spinning Goose needed some really cool Plaid Greens to stand out from all of the other Green things!!!

And here it is!!!

March's Spinning Goose Block!!!

Here is the Quick Little Tutorial on how to make the block:   Spinning Goose Tutorial!

And here you go - All three in one spot!!!  

I like where it is going ( in circles !! Like me!!)

Linking to:

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll QUilts

Monday Musings at Songbird designs

Midweek Makers at QuiltFabrication

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt infatuation

Rainbow Scrap challenge at So Scrapps

Oh Scrap at Quilting is more fun that Housework

Sew and Tell At Melva Loves SCraps

Raspberry Fizz #2 and!! Finished (or not) Friday!!

 Raspberry Fizz #2 is now a Finish!!! 

its the opposite of Raspberry #1 - and I don't know if I like it better, or just like the difference between the two.... Anyways - it is done!!! Bound and ready to go with #1 and spread some love!!

I always thought I liked bright colors better, but this one I might like better? - I like how the bright pops...

and I quilted Flowers on it. It was fun to do. One of the things with making so many Quilts of Valor, I didn't use a lot of florally type quilting designs, so this was a fun one for me!

And I found a piece of one of the prints to make the back!! 

 The pattern was from Atkinsons Designs Happy Hour book - pattern is called Triple Treat

All of these fabrics were in one of my piles, and there is quite a bit left over... I keep thinking I will strip the scraps up and make something else, but reality is setting in and I am thinking... I may not get to it this year.... so that being said.... anyone interested in a bag of Pink and Cream florals?

If you are - Say FABRICS PLEASE - in your comment - and I will draw a name and get them out. 

I hope that is a fair way to do it ...

( also - I read Quilting JetGirls post about goal planning for the 2nd qtr - so I am actually thinking of ...planning!!!    Go me!!) 

and now!!!

On to your Finished (or not) Friday!!!

• What is going on in your world?
• Link up your direct post
• Spread the word....

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