I’m late to jump into most trends … Skinny jeans, riding boots, statement jewelry, snapchat (which I have already ditched) … you get the point, right?

Most recently? The instant pot.

Christmas time two years ago, I remember them being all the rage. I had no idea what the thunder they even were. I didn’t get the hype. Like, at all. Then one of my best friends got one, so I started paying more attention to it. Then I saw a screaming deal on Amazon’s Cyber Monday deal. So I bought one for Andy and the kids to give me on Christmas.

As of a few weeks ago, I had used it exactly 3 times since Christmas, to cook 2 different things. It intimidated me. Then I decided that was dumb. And committed to overcoming my fear and cooking at least one new IP meal a week.

I’m two weeks into my challenge. I’ve cooked 5 different meals. I’m still having to remember that even though something only needs to cook for “5 minutes” it still takes at least that long to get up to pressure before it actually starts cooking. That’s somewhat annoying and makes recipes a little misleading, but I think it lives up to the hype.

What I’ve cooked and my thoughts:

1. One pot penne & meatballs – Andy and the kids loved this one! I like it but wouldn’t say I loved it. I did think it had a better flavor the next day when I ate it for lunch.
2. Southwest stuffed peppers – Everyone but Lincoln liked this one! Well, the girls didn’t love the cooked pepper itself, but they liked the stuffing. My favorite part? The filling didn’t have to be cooked ahead of time. [I used a version of this recipe and made it my own SW style]
3. Roasted chicken – THIS WAS REVOLUTIONARY! The chicken was frozen solid. And in 90 minutes? Done. Great flavor, not dry and at all.
4. Egg roll in a bowl  – eh. I made this one just for myself as a healthy lunch thing. It was ok. It certainly won’t become a new staple by any means.
5. Chicken burrito bowls – Yumm. We love basically anything that could be considered taco-esque.

I’m now obsessed with looking through pinterest for recipe ideas and I’m definitely planning on sticking with my personal challenge.