OK, It’s Out of the Box

The day after I wrote my first post, I came down with a virus. Yes, That One. I was sick in bed for more than a week and dragging around for the next week. It was also the very beginning of winter quarter, so I was sick AND busy. And the weather was awful.

You get the picture. There was practically no cooking whatsoever of any description in the month of January, and there was certainly no mental space for a new cooking toy.  But now it’s the first weekend of February, and it’s time to get this party started.  Tomorrow’s Super Bowl Sunday, and I thought it would be fun to try something in the Instant Pot for the game.

Setting it Up

I’d found a link to a Youtube video called Instant Pot Unboxing & Assembly.  I watched the first 30 seconds of it and rolled my eyes:  She actually demonstrated how to use a box knife and how to open the box.  I can handle this on my own, I thought. There’s a manual, I can read, and I certainly know how to take things out of boxes without watching a (seven-minute!) video.

Well…I was right.  Sort of.  I got the stuff out of the box, got rid of the plastic wrap and cardboard inserts.  Not rocket science.  So the “unboxing” thing was done.  I gleefully took photos of the different components as I unearthed them.

The manual had steps for how to get the thing up and running.  Wash and dry the inside liner bowl and the inside of the lid, using warm, soapy water. Check.

Then I hit a snag.  “Install the Condensation Collector,” it said.  I was able to figure out what that was–it’s a little plastic cup thingy–kind of oval-shaped, not to be confused with the rice cup that comes with  it (that’s a normally shaped rice cup).  But the manual’s cryptic directions: “slide it into the slot on the cooker housing” and very generic drawing were not self-explanatory enough for me. (I should say that I’m hopelessly challenged when it comes to using diagrams to accomplish things. I’m a verbal person.)

After a few minutes of having no idea whatsoever where to install this thing, I…gave up and watched the Youtube video.  And it helped!  Not only did I understand where to put the condensation collector, but as a bonus, she explained that there’s invisible plastic over the control panel on the front that has to be peeled off.  Done!  I also went back to it to watch how to put the lid on properly.

So…it’s out and it’s assembled.  So far, so good.  Now it’s time to cook something!

Eyeing My Instant Pot

I wanted an Instant Pot™ for Christmas. I put it on my Amazon wish list.  Why?  Partly because I have an insatiable appetite for new kitchen gadgets (Ma’am, I’m going to need you to step AWAY from the Williams-Sonoma website with your HANDS UP) and partly because some friends and co-workers were raving about it on Facebook.

I like to cook and I love my slow cooker, but some days my schedule doesn’t lend itself to such advance planning and preparation. The lure of a device that could deliver a delicious and healthy meal in minutes (sorry, Microwave, you don’t qualify) was pretty irresistible.

Anyway. I got my desired Christmas gift. That was almost three weeks ago, and it’s still in the box. I was recovering from dental surgery, dealing with Christmas, and then on vacation. No time to play with a new toy.

But I’m…preparing. My first move was to announce my acquisition on Facebook and ask for ideas from IP veterans.  They obliged with links and by adding me to their Facebook groups. Since then I’ve been collecting links and recipes, just adding them to my Favorites on my iPad Safari browser.  I’m up to about 15 links, climbing daily. Lots of great advice, and I can tell I’m going to lose track of it all quickly if I don’t find a way to organize myself.  Thus, this blog–an ongoing record of what I do, what I cook, and things I find. I may just be doing this for myself, but who knows–it may help someone else, too.

I also used an Amazon gift card to start accessorizing my IP–an extra stainless bowl, a lid, extra sealing rings, cute little red mini-mitts, a steamer insert. I can see from my reading so far that there may be many more ways to add on. But I think I’m good for starters.

So…it’s still in the box. But it’s accessorized. And my ideas file is growing. And now I have a blog!

It will come out of the box either tomorrow or next weekend. Watch this space!