Are you looking at how you can use the Instant Pot to help with your feast during these Holidays! One easy dish is our instant pot cranberry sauce.
Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce is one of my favorite sides, one of those things that completes that traditional Thanksgiving meal! It seems like a necessity to me, in order to have that perfect bite with a little turkey, a little gravy, cranberry sauce. yuumm!!
Another great idea with this cranberry sauce is an appetizer!
Place a block of cream cheese on a tray (softened) and pour this cranberry sauce over it. serve with crackers or even graham crackers.
Its sure to be a favorite and you can rest easy because the instant pot has done the work for you!
Also, take a look at our Instant pot Mashed potatoes recipe
Summer went by soooo quickly this year! It’s so crazy that it’s September already! I know a lot of kids are back to school already, I’m avoiding it a little bit longer over here. 😉 But, the schedules are already filling up for fall time!
Most of us are looking for help with dinner time for these back to school days.
And these are the crazy days I’m so thankful to have dinner packed away in the freezer. I mean seriously, with piano lessons and Lego class (my guy is super excited about that one), homeschooling, and chasing around our 1-year-old. Rushing us all off to Awana classes and MomStrong Bible Study… The last thing I can do is spend loads of time prepping and cooking dinner every single night!!!
So, in case dinner time is crazy for you too, I thought I’d share how we use our membership with Once A Month Meals to help!
Here’s how it we use it to Help with dinner time for back to school
I love love love using my Instant Pot with my freezer meals.. guys, you don’t even have to remember to thaw your dinner!!!!! If you use your crock pot as much as I use to, you know that it’s a super bummer when you forget to get out your meat or whatever for your crock pot to be able to cook it all day long for you…. so in comes the joy of the Instant pot! Seriously, from the freezer.. some of my meals are as quick as 20 minutes from freezer to table! I’m not even kidding! This has been a game. changer. over. here. 🙂
Set IP to saute Throw in chopped onion and mushrooms. Saute until onions are translucent and mushrooms are tender.
Meanwhile take flour, garlic powder, basil, oregano, and parsley and mix in a gallon size baggie! ( can you tell I hate dishes? but you can always do this in a shallow dish too.)
place the chicken into the baggie and gently shake until chicken is coated.
Now here is where I would like to tell you to just brown the chicken in the Instant Pot.. however when I try to do this, it never ends well.. the coating sticks to the bottom and then begins to burn... I find it's just easier to get a frying pan out and brown the chicken a couple minutes each side.
While chicken is browning on the stove you can start adding the parmesan cheese, crushed garlic, marinara sauce, chicken broth, and red wine to the IP. Mix it up and add just a pinch of pepper and salt, remember you can always add more later.
transfer the chicken to the IP and cover it with the sauce.
secure the lid and make sure the valve is set to seal. Set to manual for 11 minutes. While this comes to pressure (took about 10 minutes) and cooks, you can prepare some noodles and bread.. or whatever you want to serve with it.
When cooking is done, let it Naturally Pressure Release (NPR) for 5 - 10 minutes. Smother it in mozzarella cheese and more Parmesan before serving. Serve with Pasta and bread!
Today I am excited to share with you another family favorite recipe!
Smothered Beef Burritos now converted to the Instant Pot!
I’ve been really trying to convert some of our old crock pot recipes to be prepared in the Instant Pot. We have a lot of crock pot recipes, I use to grab my crock pot 2-3 times a week. and Now thanks to the Instant Pot I haven’t touched a crock pot in about a year and a half!
So, we have really been missing this Smothered Beef burritos recipe and I’m so excited that it is now ready in under 30 minutes instead of 4-6 hours!!!
I thought I’d share some of my favorite ways I get my planner, household binder ready for the New Year since 2018 is coming up quick!
Also, I’d love to share how I prepare my heart and our family’s goals for the coming year, so read on if you are already thinking on into January! 🙂
I know EVERYTHING is turning to technology and it really is amazing.
We use a calendar app on our phones that links my husband and I together, which is so helpful when we aren’t at home. But I am still very old school when it comes to how much I LOVE binders and to do lists and such.
I’ve had a master house hold binder for a few years and every year it changes a bit. You really want to personalize it the way you need it to work for you. And those needs change as your family grows and changes.
A couple years ago I had a section dedicated to pre-school and what I wanted to accomplish with the boys. That isn’t really necessary now that we are in a charter school and it is all kept either online or included in our curriculum.
There are lot of beautiful planners out there, ready-made and some customization if you are wanting to just order something. But building my own with printables here at home has really worked for me!
You really need to think about what you want to use your binder for.. what are some of the goals you want it to help you reach… and what areas do you need to stay organized in?
Designerblogs.com is seriously the best of both worlds in that you can get a complete and pretty extensive planner BUT you still print at home for the best customization possible, you only print what you want to use, so you aren’t left with a binder that doesn’t work for you! Isn’t that great? and just look at how beautiful these pages are??!!!
Here’s the description for the ultimate life planner:
“Using the My Life Planner is the best way to declutter your mind, develop rock solid habits, and crush your goals! The planner includes everything you need to stay organized throughout the entire year! Mix and match these planner pages with the pages in The Ultimate Blog Planner and you’ll be nothing but unstoppable this year! “
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Look at what all is included in the advanced package of the ultimate Life Planner:
The planner includes 50 meticulously designed pages of organizational goodness! Here’s a look at what you’ll receive: Â
GOALS & PLANNING
2018 Calendar
Monthly Calendar
Yearly Vision & Goals
Daily Planner
Goal Tracker
TO DO LISTS
Master To Do List
Weekly To Do List
Bucket List
Books to Read
Movies & Shows to Watch
CELEBRATIONS
Birthday
Important Dates
Gift Ideas
Wish List
PREPAREDNESS
Death Checklist
PERSONAL/SPIRITUAL
Favorite Quotes
Gratitude Journal
Prayer Journal
HEALTH, NUTRITION & FITNESS
Workout Calendar
Weekly Meal Planner
Weekly Breakfast Menu
Weekly Lunch Menu
Weekly Dinner Menu
Grocery List
Grocery List (Vegan)
Prescription Tracker
Hospital Stays
Doctor Visits
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FINANCE
Bill Payment Tracker
Monthly Budget
Monthly Expenses
Monthly Income
Yearly Finance Tracker
INFORMATION KEEPERS
Password Keeper
Contacts
CLEANING
Deep Cleaning Schedule
Weekly Cleaning Schedule
ADDITIONAL MONDAY START WEEK OPTIONS
Weekly Breakfast Menu
Weekly Lunch Menu
Weekly Dinner Menu
Workout Calendar
Monthly Calendar
Weekly Meal Planner
OTHER PAGES
Cover Page
Blank Planner Page
Notes
Printing Guide
Copyright & Terms
Return Policy
Printing Instructions
 This really has everything and more that I’m looking for in a planner.Â
 I would have never thought about tracking things like my workouts in a designated area.. how motivating will it be to see it all filling up!??!
First thing in my binder is always the monthly calendar pages!
I find that even though I have a calendar updated on my phone all the time.. it is nice to just see a whole month in front of me!
There’s also some weekly reminder pages, to do lists.. etc.
Usually every year I will print a couple of something new like a to do list or weekly schedule or something and give it a test run before I print very many of them.
Cleaning schedules are helpful too and you can have an entire section dedicated to it. Things like those chores that need only to be done once a month or twice a year…
This year I’m adding a blog planner section to my binder ( I tried a seperate binder last year but I think it will work better to have it all in one) I am really trying to make 2018 be a great year for Loveandscribbles and I know I need to be more organized and scheduled. I love how the pages on designblogs.com fit right in with the Life Planner!
Then the full package comes with all of these too:
ADVERTISING
Advertising Tracker
Facebook Advertising
STATS & ANALYTICS
Yearly Stats & Analytics
Blank Yearly Stats & Analytics – new!
Monthly Stat Tracker
GOAL SETTING
Monthly Blogging Goals
Yearly Blogging Goals
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social Media Planner
Weekly Facebook Post Planner – new!
Weekly Instagram Post Planner – new!
Pinterest Post Planner – new!
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EMAIL CAMPAIGNS
Email Campaign Tracker – new!
Automated Email Planner – new!
Email Campaign Planner – new!
FINANCE
Monthly Finance Tracker
Yearly Finance Tracker
OTHER
Affiliate Programs
Giveaway Tracker
Sale Tracker
Sponsors
Change Record – new!
Printing Guide
Printing Instructions
Copyright & Terms
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Binders, printables, and accessories are the simple things that help me feel like I can tackle the New Year! And in complete nerd fashion.. Office supplies are some of my favorite things!Â
It’s funny how a nice pen or pretty binder can motivate me to stay organzed or at least try!Â
planner stickers
If you are still with me in this long blog post, thanks for sticking around! I hope some of these ideas and resources can be helpful for you as you head into 2018!Â
Remember I said there was one more thing that I hoped to share about coming into the New Year.Â
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 I love to journal and I really love looking back at what we were doing on any given day a year, two, or even three years ago.Â
One thing I’ve found to be super fun and motivating is to list our goals of the new year.. Both individually for each of us and as a whole family! Â
I just found last years and really enjoyed looking at how much of the list we had actually accomplished.
Sometimes indivually goals are pretty practical (coming of age) sort of things. Like a boy needs to be potty trained or we need to say goodbye to pacifiers or something similar. I also like to try to think of fun goals too.. like maybe investing in an interest that we’ve noticed etc.Â
Ryan and I might set goals regarding our budget or a goal to go on more dates,Â
For family goals they tend to be mostly practical as well.. items we want to do to our home or adventures/trips we hope to have,Â
Writing it all down on one sheet of paper, can really be fun to look at throughout the year to remind yourself of the big pictures. And if your kids are old enough you could even set these goals during a family meeting! And don’t worry if 2018 has already started when you are reading this.. It’s not to late to have a great year!Â
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Thanks for sticking with me on this long post.. I hope you have an awesome New Year and that 2018 is full of Hope, Joy, Love, and Peace,
I’m always on the look out for healthy easy snacks for my boys. And these Chewy Granola Bars are a favorite!!
They don’t take long to mix together. Have delicious and nutritious ingredients, So you don’t have to feel guilty feeding them to your kids when they are hungry.. which in our case.. is all. the. time. seriously!
If you like this recipe, search for more on our recipe page
Combine all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add more honey if needed.
Line your pan with parchment paper. You can use an 8×8 pan or a sheet tray with an edge if you want thinner ones. Another option is to just roll them in balls.
Place in freezer until solid, about an hour. Once frozen cut into bars. wrap each one with parchment paper to keep from sticking together. Store in the fridge or the freezer.
peel, core, and cut pineapple. lay pieces out on parchment paper on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Place in freezer until frozen completely. (any where from 10-24 hours)
Place frozen pineapple chunks in the food processor and blend with the milk. scrape down the sides and add more milk if it isn't creamy enough. Taste and add honey if the Pineapple isn't sweet enough on it's own! Enjoy!
Serve and enjoy right away!
Recipe Notes
Frozen Pineapple Whip -- my kids call it Pineapple ice cream! 🙂Â
Applesauce could not be easier using the Instant Pot and it is soooo delicious!
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First off we are blessed to live close to a lot of great Apple Orchards. The Apple Hill Growers are an annual family outing for us. And we always bring home our favorites, This year we grabbed Apple pie (to be baked later), Apple Cider, and a box of apples!
I started by peeling all of the apples.
If you don’t mind the skin you should totally skip this step!! This step was definitely the most work, but since my little guy will be eating it I decided it was necessary!
Then just a quick ruff chop and throw them in the pot!Â
I had a lemon so I squeezed some juice to preserve color and brighten flavors..(this is especially helpful if you have to stop in the midst of making this, to attend to two hyper boys and a fussy babe)
Add 1/4 – 1/2 cup water
and your favorite seasonings.
Applesauce is awesome because you can really add any flavors, seasonings you want to.
Want to pack in as much health benefits as possible? Here’s some easy ideas.
Butter (healthy fats)
Pink Salt ( trace minerals)
Cinnamon
cloves
nutmeg
Local Honey (great for seasonal allergies) ** Not appropriate for little guys under a year though.
place lid on and seal.
Set on Manual for 3 minutes!  The Pot will come to pressure then cook for 3 minutes. Let it natural release completely. Turn off the pot, so it doesn’t stay on keep warm. (depending on how many apples you do at a time, this will take about 15-20 minutes) Walk away and let it cool off.
Then my other favorite kitchen appliance comes in super handy. If you have an immersion blender you can blend the apples up right in the pot!
They aren’t very expensive so grab one on amazon before you make your first batch of applesauce.
You can store your applesauce however you want. Usually I put some in a mason jar for my bigger guys.Â
And my awesome squeeze station pouches for the baby ( I freeze most of these)
And there’s always the old standby ice-cube trays for the freezer, This is perfect for applesauce because I love to add applesauce to baby’s meal if what I have fresh for him needs a little more! 🙂
Either way, it is yummy and just wonderful! I have discovered I enjoy applesauce best when it’s still warm so don’t forget to pour yourself a nice helping while you put the rest away! 🙂
Happy Instant Pot to you all!
Deanna Grace
Print Recipe
Applesauce in the Instant Pot
My favorite fall home made snack or side! Applesauce is just a cozy delicious treat and it's easier than ever in the Instant Pot.
Place apples, water, and seasoning in the Instant pot.
Seal lid and set on Manual (High Pressure) 3 minutes. And that's it!
Once it's done cooking, turn the IP off and let it natural realease until the pin drops and you can open the lid. ( Or whenever you get back to it. )
Blend until as smooth as you like it. The immersion blender is awesome for this. But if you don't have one you can transfer the apples to a blender and blend that way. Be careful if the apples are still hot.
You can add so many things to applesauce. try: Nutmeg or cloves Butter (for healthy fats) Local Honey (great for seasonal allergies) Not appropriate for babies less than a year though. a pinch of Pink Salt ( for minerals)
Recipe Notes
Applesauce in the instant pot ~ Loveandscribbles.com
This post may contain Affiliate links, meaning if you shop
through our blog we will be compensated at no extra cost to you! Thanks!
Let me just pause right here and say, I never really expected to get into this kind of “everything” home-made kind of home making… and this project intimidated me a lot! but now that I’ve made it once, and wrote down some notes for next time, I am so beyond excited!
It is pretty fun to provide home-made goodies for my family, and it’s especially nice when you can find recipes and methods that have already been ironed out!
I wouldn’t have even attempted to make yogurt if it wasn’t for my amazing Instant Pot! Man, I love this thing! Best Christmas present ever! (Thanks Babe!) From applesauce, to a freezer full of dinners, making my lunches a breeze and now even making yogurt… The Instant Pot has been (dare I say it?) life-changing!  If you aren’t familiar with this miracle appliance ? You can read my previous posts about it here.
I was nervous to take on yogurt. So, I’ve been looking into it for a while now and preparing myself for the task.
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One thing I’m pretty serious about along this nutrition journey is that I don’t want my kids to feel like they “miss out” because they can’t have the sugar and junk. So I am determined to find fun, exciting snacks and treats that are still healthy! This Pineapple Whip is super easy to make and absolutely refreshing and delicious
Note: technically these shouldn’t be considered “sugar-free” snacks since they have honey in them.. maybe more like refined sugar free? ?
Pinterest is an amazing tool! So many creative people to follow!
This recipe was quick and easy to make and the whole family LOVED it! Oh and we didn’t have coconut milk so I just used Almond Milk and it was still wonderful!
We have started keeping pineapple in the freezer as often as possible so whenever we want to make this, it’s ready to go!
Print Recipe
Frozen Pineapple Whip
Refreshing, naturally sweet, creamy like pineapple ice cream
peel, core, and cut pineapple. lay pieces out on parchment paper on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Place in freezer until frozen completely. (any where from 10-24 hours)
Place frozen pineapple chunks in the food processor and blend with the milk. scrape down the sides and add more milk if it isn't creamy enough. Taste and add honey if the Pineapple isn't sweet enough on it's own! Enjoy!
Serve and enjoy right away!
Recipe Notes
Frozen Pineapple Whip -- my kids call it Pineapple ice cream! 🙂Â
Next up, I wanted to replace the granola bars that my guys eat everyday! They have 8 grams of sugar in a tiny little bar and I’m not quite sure how the nutrition value really stacks up…..
This recipe was quick and easy to make and the whole family LOVED it! Oh and we didn’t have coconut milk so I just used Almond Milk and it was still wonderful!
