Does anyone remember back around Christmas-time, when I got that electric pressure cooker from Paul as a present? I actually bought it and he paid for it, but once it arrived, I didn't think I could deal with it since I had never used one before. Then my dearest friend, Sandy-from-Iowa, offered to buy it from me because hers was old and broken and she needed a new one.

Well, it got shipped off to her immediately, and she has been happily using that thing ever since then.

But as for me, I still don't have a pressure cooker. And I wanted to try one sometime before I depart this life, so seeing as how my birthday is imminent (this weekend, in fact), I want you to see what Paul is giving me for a birthday present:



If you guessed a pressure cooker, you were right! (It's a Presto 6-quart version.)

So, does this qualify me for certain crazy-hood, or what?

The other pressure cooker was electric. This one is not. Just a plain old-fashioned kind - the kind I think I can handle without too much trouble (touch wood!).

So it's on its way even as I write. Free 2-day delivery, amazon promises. I didn't tell Paul he was giving me this until after I'd ordered it and it was on its way here. I thought he'd go nuts when I told him this morning, but he didn't. I told him there was no shipping charge (as I have a prime membership at amazon) so that made him a bit happier.

Anyway, once I get it, it should make for some interesting and delectable blog entries, no? Sandy says she uses hers a lot for cooking up potatoes - a lot of them ahead of time to be used at a later time/date. I'm really getting anxious now to use it. I sure hope it's easy because I don't have a good track record with complicated gadgets here.

My question to you is: Have you ever used a pressure cooker or do you own one and never use it? and, how does your food come out? I have this problem with my back that doesn't allow me to stand for long periods of time in the kitchen, so fixing dinner every night has to be quick. I've gotten it down to fixing a few of my regular meals in 10-15 minutes, but I'm thinking that I can really expand the menus here with this new gadget that's coming soon.

I'm open to suggestions or tips that any of you can give me about cooking with a pressure cooker - like make sure you don't blow up the kitchen - sort of thing.

Also, if anyone has a tried and true recipe or two, I'll welcome those, too.

Hmmm, I wonder if cooking up some type of food for the dogs would be possible with this thing?

I've just recently changed the food I'm feeding the puppies over to Blue Buffalo kibble. Also, a friend says that she gives rice to her dogs (and she works in an animal shelter and that's what they do) so I may be switching to making rice for them to go with the kibble, rather than the canned food I've been feeding them up until now. I know the brand I've been giving them until now is not the best, in fact, nothing that you can buy at a regular food store is really the best for animals, so we are going to try something better. I also give them a spoonful of cottage cheese on their kibble a lot of times.

I'm rambling now, so better cut it off now. I should have the cooker by Thursday (or even tomorrow!) and I'll be back to update things then.

OH, the Sox beat Minnesota last night 6-5. Miraculously.

Cheers,

Bex

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"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."
[Anatole France]


"There are only two seasons - winter and baseball."

[Bill Veeck]

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