Homemade

The Instant Pot, if you haven't heard, is the octopus of kitchen appliances, with seven functions in one like an army of arms steaming your vegetables, defrosting and baking your chicken, and perfectly cooking your pasta into one lovely dinner—all in under 15 minutes. It'll probably bake you a cake and frost it, too for all I know. It's truly a wonder.

I know I sound like an infomercial right now, and I expect I'll probably carry on like this for another three weeks (at least). But here's how how I went from kitchen drop-out to head cheerleader for the IP team:

• Last year a close friend of mine starts talking about some crazy kitchen trend. I ignore her. 
• She alerts me—via chat—that a pretty substantial Amazon sale is going on. She convinces me that despite recently dropping down to one income, my family should invest in one. She's very convincing. 
• I decide it will be a "Christmas present" for my "husband," which will justify its hasty purchase, so when it arrives in the mail I tuck it away in our basement. It's summer.  
• Our other close friend buys one at the same time, and from that day on, I hear nothing but nonstop IP recipe reviews from both of them. I feel completely left out, annoyed that the holidays are so far away, and based on the chatter, not entirely convinced of the investment. What was I thinking? 
• At last, Christmas Eve: when deliberating on how we'll cook the turkey, I resist a gigantic urge to give my husband his "gift" a little early, but am talked out of it (by him). I will regret this later.  
• Christmas comes and goes. I completely forget to wrap and give my "gift" to "Erin". It remains in the basement until sometime later. I'm thinking about Curry (as I often do) when, in a flash, I remember the Instant Pot. I yell to my husband that he has a late Christmas present to open! I don't even pretend like wrapping it is an option. 
• After a rather weak reception by said recipient, I spend the next 72 hours memorizing the manual, studying the IP forums, and cooking the next five consecutive meals in the IP. 

I'm happy to report that mashed potatoes, green beans, and steel coat oats have a thumbs up. For dinner tonight, I steamed kohlrabi, caramelized onions and mushrooms, and cooked a batch of wild rice to perfection. Hooray for gifts that are actually for yourself!