I won’t mince words.
The 2016 Presidential election wore me out. The results definitely had an affect on how often I had the energy, or inspiration, to write a blog post. After the inauguration in January, 2017, I took some time to sort things out and then got back to work. In between the ginkgo leaves and piggy banks, I worked on this…

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January 6th and I am just getting around to my first post for 2018. I think I have expended most of my energy trying to keep warm. Jeff and I have taken this slow time of year to finish the drywall in the studio and get it painted. I will leave that story for it’s own post later in the month. Today I am going to talk about kitchen gadgets, not pottery. Although there will be a photo of one of my favorite bowls at the end.
Everyone on Facebook has been talking about the Instant Pot (IP). Even the NY Times food writer Melissa Clark wrote about it. In case you have somehow missed it, it’s an electronic pressure cooker that can also be used as a slow cooker. There is a saute feature that allows you to saute your veggies or brown meats before using the pressure cooker or slow cooker functions.

Last fall I REALLY wanted one.
When Amazon had a one day special on them, I ALMOST bought one.

Jeff and I always discuss purchases, especially if they are close to or over, $100. He asked me if I “needed it” or just “wanted it.” He mentioned that I already own a stove top pressure cooker and a slow cooker. It was definitely a “want.” I really didn’t want to find a place to store it either. Instead I decided that I should try to utilize my stove top cooker more often. For the past 30 years I have really only used it for veggies. Mostly green beans, winter squash, rutabaga & carrots.

Last night I decided to try an IP recipe for a creamy wild rice chicken soup, that was shared on Facebook, in my stove top pressure cooker.

I used the same cooking time and pressure reducing method that the recipe stated and the only thing I would change next time, is to cut my carrots bigger, because we like them a little firmer.

Once the vegetables, rice, chicken and chicken stock, have been cooked under pressure, the pot goes back on the stove and the milk/cream is added.

Served with a crusty bread on very cold night, it was a delicious and quick meal! I am now going to search for other recipes to try. I know that some people are afraid of pressure cookers, but they are have a relief valve now, eliminating the potential for it to blow up like your grandmother’s pressure cooker. I have had this one for more than 20 years, and have occasionally replaced the seals and more recently the “rocker” valve on the top. Parts are available online and are relatively inexpensive.

I welcome comments from anyone with an IP or an old style pressure cooker. I would love to hear about your experiences or favorite recipes.

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Good-bye old friend. You helped us get started on an exciting new adventure and we will always have fond memories of our many road trips.

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We spent the entire day on the estate. Lunch at the Bistro at Antler Village and Winery was delicious. There were lots of little shops, as well as stables to visit. The wine tasting included with admission was sort of a joke. They gave you samples in tiny plastic cups… like the pill cups in hospitals. The line for the “tasting” was very long and we didn’t bother. We had a nice glass of their viognier with our lunch, no need to wait a half an hour for a few sips!

The weekend flew by way too fast. We timed our work schedule so that the kiln would be cooling while I was away. Monday afternoon we unloaded it before taking Danielle back to the airport. We packed Etsy orders until quite late on Monday night. The postal carrier picked up our first batch of boxes in the morning. By 3:00 pm we had the rest packed and delivered to the post office. It was a huge relief to get all orders shipped in time for the Priority Mail deadline. Everything is now in the hands of USPS and out of our control. Knock on Wood for smooth deliveries!

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Here it is the 10th of December and this is my first post of the month. Life and work have been crazy. Isn’t that always the way? The crazies just can’t come one at a time.

Let me start with life.

My 90 year old Dad put his name in at a Catholic nursing home last year. He had visited a few places and said if he had to go to a home, this was the only one he would want to be in. The week before Thanksgiving he got the call that they had a room for him. It was such a big decision for him to give up his apartment, and in the end he decided he was ready. He had been relying on meals on wheels and frozen dinners because he didn’t want to clean up. My sister was going every Saturday and cooked a big meal with leftovers for the next day. She also brought him grocery shopping, to the library, and the bank. Dad was dependent on the “Care Van” to pick him up every other week to have his blood work done. The van lost it’s funding in October (Make a America Great Again – yeah right!) and he was going to have to ask my uncle to drive him or take a cab back and forth.

The call came at the right time.

My sister Anita and I have spent countless hours on the phone or texting back and forth about making this transition as smooth as possible for both Dad and her. Most of the labor fell on her. There was no way that I could get away during this time of year.

A photo from my visit last February when Dad turned 90. We spent some time going through old immigration documents from grandparents when they moved back and forth from Canada to here.

Last Thursday was his move in day. He seemed to settle in quite well and was exhausted when I spoke to him at the end of the day. He slept well that first night… that is until he got up at 5:30 am and on his way to the bathroom fell and hit his head on the dresser! The nurses came right way and he was off to the hospital in no time. He was fine. No concussion and no stitches needed. He told his nurse that he wanted to make a big impression on his first day at the home. At least he hasn’t lost his sense of humor!

As for work… this is definitely our busiest time of the year. My goal this year was to hit 1000 total sales on Etsy and I met that goal and then some! I should be dreaming of piggy banks every night but I think I have been too tired to even do that!

Here is a sampling of piggy banks from last week’s firing. I am really happy with how the “bull” piggy bank came out! This week we will fire again. I have about 26 more piggy banks and salt pigs to ship by the December 20th deadline. I will get a little break next weekend when my girl Danielle arrives. While the kiln is cooling we are headed to Asheville and a candlelight tour of the Biltmore Estate. I am so looking forward to it!

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 Trying to decide if I might keep it for myself.

I am sure I can find room for one more.

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 We added foaming soap pumps to the offering. I can tell the difference between the pumps but I don’t think most buyers will. I created tags for the foamers, to make it easier for buyers to choose. When the booth is busy, there isn’t as much time to answer question.

My afternoon job was lino-block printing our large handled bags. I didn’t do as many as usual. The upside of this show is that many people bring there own bags, baskets, and even little wheeled carts. I really don’t go through a lot of bags.
Tomorrow we start boxing things up for the 1/2 mile trip down the road on Thursday.

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We are all really happy with the finished piece. Almost hate to donate it! You never know what price it will bring at an auction.

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We had a lot of pots that needed to be sprayed with ash glaze. In reality, all the pots for Piedmont Craftsmen had to be sprayed. Jeff got started on some and I took over mid-afternoon. When I flipped the switch on the compressor it made some very strange noises and didn’t produce any air. Thinking it had run too long, I shut it down and gave it a rest. Twenty minutes later and still nothing.

Jeff had to leave in two hours to do the evening shift at David Stuempfle’s wood kiln.
The next day we would have another load of pots that would need spraying.
Thankfully, there is a Harbor Freight in nearby Asheboro!

I hopped in the car at 3:00 pm and at 4:30 arrived home with a new compressor.

It’s a step up from the very old one and on sale, was under $60. While I was gone, Jeff took the old one apart and put it back together.

It’s been working fine ever since.

At least we have a back up.

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These make me laugh. Don’t they look like they are at the hair salon getting a color?

I ordered a bag of these elastacized platic bowl covers to see if they would work in the studio. We have been trying to keep rims from drying out too quickly. Jeff cut a whole out of the center to allow the bottom to dry. We really wanted them for larger platters and bowls but they don’t stretch to size they were advertised to. They were less than four dollars. If we don’t find them functional in the studio we will use the rest of them in the kitchen.

We have a lot of pots to get fired in the next three weeks. After that I am sure it will be the mad dash for last minute piggy bank orders.

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