Instant Is The New Presto

Grandma's canner and pressure cooker lived on top of the deep freeze.

If you haven’t heard of Instant Pot, you’ve obviously been under a rock. Everyone in the teachers’ lounge compares leftovers from the dinners they made “in less than 30 minutes!”

I got Instant Pot for Christmas. I didn’t ask for it. I’ve never been afraid of my hand-me-down pressure cooker exploding, I already have a crockpot, and my skillet does a fine job of most meals. I don’t usually spend more than 30-45 minutes on dinner, and I cook six nights per week.

That’s how new technology is, I guess. Some people are early adopters while others of us scoff. I imagined the period of time when the Presto Cooker was a new fad. My Grandma said the first “hot lunch” she had at school came after someone donated a pressure cooker, and they started serving red beans. I wrote a chapter of Grandma’s story inspired by the fervor of Instant Pot lovers everywhere.

Celebrating

I received a copy of my debut fiction publication, Ladylike, a short story based on one of the tales my Grandma told about her childhood. Check it out in the winter 2017 edition of Concho River Review published out of Angelo State University. 

Crocheted Door Snake

Winter finally arrived in West Texas. Someone asked me recently if "hard freeze" is a regional term. I don't have any idea. What I do know is that cold air comes into my house under the French doors that connect the living room to the sunroom. My husband puts towels on the floor to block the airflow. I'm not a fan, but it gets the job done.

When Grandma taught us to crochet, we picked up the stitches better than reading or following patterns. Most of the time we would use up a ball of yarn, take a look at what we'd made, and then decide (and declare) what it was. Once, my brother made a snake-sized tube, and it became the thing that we put along the door that kept the draft out. I wonder if he could make me one now.

My brother getting started on his door snake.

Grandma's Dressing Recipe Part 2

Not wanting my cousins to resort to the Internet, I invited them over to make Grandma's dressing with me. For the first time, I measured ingredients. They took notes, and we ended the night with the recipe (+ sage) in writing. Delicious with pork chops. Family recipes beat allrecipes when you can get 'em.

I'd like to note that the eggs were boiled and chopped.

Grandma's Dressing Recipe Part 1

Many of our family recipes are difficult to replicate if you weren't in the kitchen when the cooking happened. My cousin asked for Grandma's dressing recipe. It goes something like this:

Start with cornbread, however much you have in the freezer. Add as much onion and celery as you'd like. Most people add sage, but Granddad never liked it. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour in broth from the turkey until it's about right. Put the pan in a moderate oven until it's done.