This weekend I went on an impromptu trip to the coast with my husband. Initially we were debating on going to Smith Rock to go hike around, but ended up deciding on the coast. It was the kind of trip that I searched, and searched …
I’ve done a few Spartan Races. A couple at the same venue, some out of state, and country. I’ve had a different experience at each place and want to share with you a couple things I’ve learned by trying the different race locations. Some of …
Soup could be on my daily meal plan. There are so many options, how could I not want it on the regular? My go to soup is split pea. Why? Because it’s tasty, filling, and SO easy to make. And it’s really yummy with cornbread. I’ll have to work on my own cornbread recipe, but for now, it’s really easy to have James make us the stuff in a box.
As I’m sitting here typing this up, I realized that I used to always do split pea with ham. The ham of course has a smoked flavor. Next time I make this, I’ll have to try adding a couple drops of liquid smoke. I bet it will give it a little kick.
Onto the recipe shall we?
1. Add all ingredients, except salt and pepper, to the instant pot and stir them well.
2. Put on the lid, make sure the release valve is sealed.
3. Turn on your Instant Pot to manual, or pressure cook, on high for 15 minutes.
4. Once the timer beeps, let the soup sit for 10-15 minutes. Then release the pressure carefully, if it hasn’t already released naturally.
5. Stir soup and remove the bay leaves. Then salt and pepper to taste.
One of my favorite additions to split pea, or any bean soup, is cornbread and honey. Something about sweet and savory that sings to my tastebuds. I really like the Krusteaz Honey Cornbread & Muffin mix. It’s my go to. Instead of an egg I use a “flax egg” and instead of milk I use coconut or oat milk. They always come out super moist. If you know of a gluten free option, I’d love to hear about it!
Not only do I want to avoid looking bloated, but I want to feel good from the inside out too. Check out this list of foods that can cause belly bloat.
I’m gonna be real for a minute. There is scary stuff on the trail. Everyone and their mom is going to tell you about bad guys, and cougars. Those things are out there, BUT there are bad guys on the sidewalks, and drunk drivers, and …
It’s no secret. I love oatmeal, all the ways. One of my favorite ways to have oatmeal is steel cut. I love the texture. It’s usually something I’ll eat when I find it at restaurants because I feel like it takes too long to make at home. In comes the instant pot, it’s a Christmas miracle!!! There’s something about waking up, throwing everything in a pot and then chilling on the couch in my jammies and snuggly fuzzy robe until its done. It’s my favorite way to cook, lol!
This recipe makes about 8 (1 cup) servings. Which was actually 5 servings at my house. I like big breakfasts. I used to feed my kids cereal every morning, and it wasn’t until I started eating cereal most mornings that I realized how quickly I burnt through it and was hungry again. Eating just plain oatmeal is the same. I’ve learned to add in foods that take longer to digest and help keep you feeling full longer. Walnuts are one of my favorite toppings, along with chia seeds. Not only do I like to add those, but I like to add fruit instead of sugar. Fruit gives you the sweet without the sugar crash. I used blueberries and bananas in this dish, but you can use strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or pineapple even.
Step 1: Combine oats, coconut milk and water in the instant pot. Stir it till they are well combined.
Step 2: Depending on which model you are using, put your instant pot on pressure cook or manual for 6 minutes. Make sure you’ve got your lid on and have the pressure release valve closed. (See pic below to see what I mean.)
Step 3: Let it cook and then wait for the pressure to release naturally. You’ll know it’s done when the little metal piece sits below the plastic again.
Step 4: After the pressure has released on its own, stir in your blueberries (or other fruit choice).
Step 5: Serve it up and top with all the fixings! If you want your breakfast a little sweeter, add a little bit of honey. #delicious
Depending on how thick you like your steel cut oats, depends on how much water you add. If you like them a little runnier, add some more water to the recipe. I wouldn’t add more than a cup at a time. Worst case scenario, add a little more milk when you’re done cooking.
Also, if you like them a little softer, you could add a little more water and increase your cook time by a minute. I like mine a little on the chewy side.
If you have any questions on how to use your instant pot for this recipe, feel free to ask! I’m not an expert but if I don’t know it, I want to learn it.
It takes a village to raise a child. That means multiple influences, lots of input, and lots of help to develop that precious being. How we develop even as adults can be the same, lots of influence helps us either change in a good way, …
Not getting an adequate nights sleep affect your life in many ways. Did you know that different foods can impact your sleep routine?
Going vegan was a tough decision. I love all the creamy pastas, creamy ice creams, and everything cheesy! Cutting out meat was no problem, although sometimes I still crave beef jerky. Thankfully I’ve found some tasty substitutes to suffice that. But the pasta sauces?!? I love me a good broccoli alfredo dish. When I finished the JMT that was one of the things I was craving big time. There’s finally a recipe for my pasta that solved my dilemma. Although, now I have a new dilemma, I have an easy to make and eat alfredo recipe. That means, it can be made more often than it probably should.
The recipe that I’m sharing isn’t mine. It’s actually a cheese sauce recipe, I’ll probably share the nacho cheese spin off with you someday too. I found it in a book that I received during a depression and anxiety recovery seminar. If you suffer from depression, I recommend you finding a local program. So much good information, and it really helped me learn how to keep my seasonal depression at bay.
Not only do the foods in this recipe qualify as vegan, but they also have nutritional properties that help with overall health. Some of these ingredients have become staples in my house for that reason, plus they seem to be used often in many vegan recipes. I love that the nutritional yeast helps give the sauce a cheesy flavor, without the cheese. #winning Eating with the intention of health, and feeling good does wonders for me. For instance, this pasta, it’s gluten free because I know that wheat/gluten irritates my system. If I take the cheap and easy route and buy regular pasta, I suffer the consequences. The texture takes a bit of getting used to but now I don’t even care that it’s not the regular stuff. Plus I know how much a serving is, about 1 cup cooked has 210 calories, but 4 grams of protein. Eating healthy seems difficult to begin with but adding in something new one step at a time makes it much more manageable, also easier to stick with.
I hope that you enjoy this sauce as much as I do. This recipe is definitely enough sauce for one box of pasta, but I double it because it’s delicious as a cream sauce on veggies, and it doesn’t feel so guilt filled because there are so many health benefits included.
Pro tip: If you don’t have a super blender, like a Vitamix, soaking the cashews in water before blending can help soften them up for a smoother consistency.
Looking back at those two weeks I can’t help but feel like it only lasted a minute. Sure some of the passes were grueling, and I wanted to give up, but it’s been four months since I got home. It seems like the time since …