New Search

If you are not happy with the results below please do another search

81 search results for: Instant Pot

1

How to Use an Instant Pot—It’s Safe and Simple!

Maybe you have an Instant Pot and are afraid or just plain clueless what to do with it. Even if you’ve never heard of a pressure cooker let alone how or why you need to—today’s the day. It’s time to put away all preconceived notions, rumors, and failures and start over on the right foot.

3

Instant Pot Quick Start Guide: Best Tips, Recipes, and Accessories

Instant Pot comes with an owner manual and recipe book. Both should be considered required reading but honestly, I found them to be unbearably boring while only marginally useful. Here is my Quick Start Guide with the websites, tips, recipes, and accessories that put me on the fast track to falling in love with my Instant Pot.

4

How to Fix Instant Pot Slow Cooker Settings

All that said, if you have an Instant Pot, yes, you can use the slow cooker setting to make some dishes successfully. But mostly for me, it has been a crapshoot. Let’s just say that I’ve experienced far more misses than hits. Every attempt to use Instant Pot’s slow cook option has ended in some level of disappointment.

5

Favorite Super Short, Easy, Inexpensive Instant Pot Recipes!

I have loved my Instant Pot since the day it arrived back in 2016. I’ll admit to being slightly intimidated in the first few days but that was short-lived. Thanks to a few tips, tricks, and these ridiculously simple recipes, in no time I was making dinners in 30 minutes or less—start to finish.

6

The Best Accessories, Tips, Secrets of Instant Pot Rockstars!

Everyone, it seems, is talking about Instant Pot—the revolutionary electric pressure cooker that for all the hype, promises to turn anyone from an occasional home cook into an overnight culinary rockstar. Whether you’re on board with your own IP, still considering, or are just now learning about such a thing as an Instant Pot, discovering […]

7

How to Make Perfect New York Cheesecake in Your Instant Pot

You could have knocked me over with a feather as I was searching for ways to use my Instant Pot and locked eyeballs with—Instant Pot Cheesecake. What?! I can bake in this thing? (Yes, I can.) There aren’t enough words to describe just how great this Instant Pot Cheesecake recipe is. Instead, I’m going to show you. Prepare to be amazed.

8

Instant Pot Vanilla Extract—One Week from Start-to-Gift

 For nearly a decade I’ve been making vanilla extract for Christmas gifts. And every year I find myself scrambling because it’s a process that requires a minimum of three months—six months or even six years is even better! Vanilla extract gets better and better with age.

But all that has changed since discovering how to make vanilla extract using my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. Instead of months, Instant Pot vanilla extract takes about one week from start-to-gift!

Pretty sure you’re going to love this! See you there … xo m ❣️

9

Favorite Egg Recipes for Instant Pot

I’ve been using Instant Pot for a couple of years now. Somedays I wonder how I ever got along without it. It has earned a prominent place on my kitchen counter—a privilege enjoyed by few other items because I prefer for my counters to be clear open spaces.

12

4 Easy Ways to Make Perfectly Baked Potatoes

Think you have nothing to fix for dinner? As long as you have a few potatoes in the pantry, you have at least one option—bake potatoes and call it dinner. Whether topped with a pat of butter or loaded up with broccoli and cheese—or a big scoop of hearty chili—baked potatoes really are an easy, […]

13

Corned Beef and Cabbage: A Classic Irish Dish Made Simple

I can count on the simple ingredients in this meal to be on sale just when I need them, in early March. When you see corned beef, potatoes, cabbage, and carrots on sale, stock up.

Corned beef in its original sealed plastic freezes well for up to 6 months. This is a meal you will want to repeat often.

14

Skip the Dinner, Bring on the Appetizer Party!

While traditional dinner parties have their charm, I’ve learned that starting with hors d’oeuvres can be a risky move. Guests often arrive hungry and fill up on appetizers, leaving little room for the main event. But fear not … I have a stellar solution: an appetizer party! I’ve learned the hard way just how risky […]

15

Yummy Sweets to Make for Valentine’s Day

Friends. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.  Thankfully, we have several days and one beautiful weekends between now and then—plenty of time to make fabulous homemade treats and sweets (and stick them in the freezer!)

16

Christmas Gift Guide: Grandparents, Seniors

Here are our best gift ideas that are sure to delight grandparents everywhere, whether this is their first year on the job or they’re old pros by now. These ideas may well help you solve the dilemma of grandparents who are hard to buy for.

18

EC Daily Newsletter Archive

Back issues of EC Daily Emails are arranged in chronological order by date, along with the title of that day’s featured post.   Feb 25, 2024      Mystery solved! – The foolproof solution … Feb 24, 2024      Got Leftover Pizza? – best way to Store and Reheat it, Hoands down Feb 23, 2024      Smile and save, […]

24

Cheap Meals That Are Easy, Fast … Good!

As food prices continue to soar, I am more convinced now than ever that given the right recipes, we can cook wonderful cheap meals—from scratch at home—and have them on the table in the time it would take to decide on a restaurant or take-out, drive there, place the order, wait for it, pay for it, and drive back home to face marginally acceptable fare.

26

Mary’s Favorite Things

  If you woke up this morning with a sense of panic realizing there are just days until Christmas, let me offer some sweet relief—a compilation of my favorite things that I have purchased from my own money, with all details updated and now gathered into one convenient place. You’re about to discover that my […]

27

Deals Worth Sharing: Black Friday Cyber Monday 2021

Deals Worth Sharing: Black Friday | Cyber Monday 2021   NOTE: Prices and availability are changing quickly—faster than I can keep up with in some cases—so please click through to see the exact details and availability. Whew!                                      […]

29

The Emergency Food Items You Need to Stock Up On Now

Life is uncertain. Regardless, every home needs a stockpile of food. It’s part of any sensible emergency preparedness plan. You need to stock up now. Today. Good news! It’s not too late. You can do this.

Please take a few moments sometime today to assess your stock of food and pantry items. We’ll do this together.

30

7 Common Clutter Problems and How to Solve Them

Clutter. It’s a problem for lots of us and not because we’re slovenly or have hoarding issues. The problem is just too much stuff!

I have a theory that most of us would be more than willing to let go of the stuff that’s cluttering our homes if we knew these things would serve a worthwhile cause or help someone else.

Check out the perfect solutions for your seven biggest clutter problems. Tell me what you think. And please share your own solutions with us. See you there! Love, xo m

31

Ask Me Anything: Dry Slow Cooking, Clean Grout, Home Safe, Cloudy Glassware, Not-Drying Dryer, and Lots More!

I don’t mention it as often as I should, but the truth is that I’d be lost without you, my loyal, encouraging, and responsive audience. Thank you for being there every day and for filling my inbox to overflowing with your comments, questions, and outpourings of love and gratitude. Please don’t stop. Ever. Speaking of questions, let’s take a few from my proverbial mailbag …

32

How to Make Pure Vanilla Extract

Great news! Time is one of the most important ingredients in homemade extracts. Fortunately, with Christmas nearly five months away, you’ve plenty of that! AND the price of vanilla beans has dropped considerably! I’ll show you where to get them …

33

Deals Worth Sharing: Prime Day June 21-22, 2021

    UPDATE 6-24-21: While Prime Day has now passed, some (not all!) of the great deals from Prime Day 2021 are still active. What you see below are current up-to-the-minute prices. Most have now returned to their full Amazon prices (many were more than 50% discounted … wow). We’ll pick this up again for […]

34

How to Keep Your Home Cool This Summer—On a Budget!

Are you dreading the heat of summer? Relax while you consider these ingenious solutions to keep your house comfortable without putting a freeze on your bank account.

On this solemn day of remembrance and gratitude for all American Heros who have given so much, I want to express my gratitude specifically to all of my readers who have served in our military, and to family members for whom the sacrifice has been immense. That you’ve given so much to protect and preserve our liberty and freedom goes beyond words. But I will say this anyway: Thank you. God bless you and God bless America, land that I love! 🇺🇸 xo m

36

8 Surprising Non-Food Ways to Use a Slow Cooker

They’re bulky and take up precious cabinet space, but we’ll never get rid of our slow cookers. They can be such a lifesaver on those days when time is scarce and we just want to make a big batch of something deliciously comforting to get us through.   A slow cooker, aka Crock-Pot®, is one […]

38

Best Inexpensive Small Kitchen Appliances

Recently, I heard from EC reader Douglas who wrote, “Would you please repeat your column that describes the best inexpensive small kitchen appliances? I want to replace my mixer and small food chopper. Thanks. Your column is great. I look forward to it every day. Doug”

After a few moments of non-productive searching, my confused self realized that while I’ve included some small kitchen appliances in the past, the column Douglas was looking for didn’t exist. Now it does. Thanks, Douglas for that kick I needed and your nice comments, too.

Today … my picks for Best Inexpensive small kitchen appliances—11 of them!

39

A Fun Project for While You’re Homebound

I’m going to bet that Christmas is about the last thing on your mind. Am I right? And now you’re thinking about it. So am I. And I mean homemade Christmas gifts. Yes! What a great way to make the most of being homebound. Crazy idea? Not at all when you consider my absolutely favorite […]

40

Stop Wasting Money on Kitchen Tools That Do Only One Thing

Celebrity chef Alton Brown contends that a kitchen tool that does only one job is mostly useless. He calls anything like a pickle fork, garlic press, strawberry stem remover, or hot dog steamer a “unitasker.” His advice? Don’t waste your time and money on any kitchen tool if it is only good for one thing. It […]

41

Smart Gifts for College-Bound Grads

Although my grandsons are still quite young, I’m keeping this excellent reader tip handy for when they graduate from high school. What a great idea! When our grandchildren started graduating from high school and heading off to college, we wanted to give them money each month during their first year. So in their high school graduation card we enclosed […]

43

Hot Deals • March 2024

Get ready for March 2024’s best deals! From household essentials to luxurious finds, we’ve handpicked the best discounts to elevate your shopping experience. Remember, details were accurate at publishing, but prices may change. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases, helping us bring you these fantastic deals. Let’s keep saving! Most Recent Top Deals […]

44

Money-Saving Tips, Tricks, and Hacks to Put Your Freezer To Work

Whether yours is a stand-alone unit or part of your refrigerator, your freezer costs a lot in wasted energy or saves you a bundle in food costs. Use these simple tips to make sure your freezer is working hard for you to stretch your food dollars. General Freezer Guidelines Ambient temperature Get a refrigerator/freezer thermometer […]

45

Hot Deals – February 2024

All details were accurate at the time of publishing. Remember things can and do change quickly when it comes to hot deals! As an Amazon Associate, we earn a commission from qualifying purchases. If you don’t see the correct discounted price, so sorry! 2-29-24         2-28-24         2-27-24   […]

46

Christmas Gift Guide: Gifts for Her

Discover a thoughtful holiday gift guide for the special women in your life! This collection features some of my favorite items and exciting new additions from my personal wishlist this year.

47

19 Hacks to Keep Cool When It’s Super Hot Outdoors

Whatever hot weather adventures you have planned—the beach, pool, campground, or even your own backyard—these cool summer tips, tricks, hacks, and DIYs will bring a smile to your face and perhaps even a sigh of relief. There’s still plenty of time to get out there and do summer like a champ!

48

17 Ways to Simplify Your Life: How to Desire Less

Would you be willing to accept a reduction in pay if you could work fewer hours to spend more time with your family? It is a lovely thought, but how realistic? Working less usually means earning less—hardly an option for most people. But that doesn’t mean we cannot take small steps to simplify our complicated lives. A little bit here and there, and before you know it, your efforts will add up to something significant.

50

How to Cook Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (No-Fail Secrets!)

They’re convenient and, we’re told, more healthy. But there are few things quite as boring or more difficult to prepare well than boneless skinless chicken breasts. Here are two foolproof methods to prepare boneless skinless chicken breasts (BSCB) so they come out and tender and juicy every time—provided that you follow these instructions exactly!

51

How to Stretch Ground Beef to Cut the High Cost

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ official data says the average price of a pound of lean ground beef climbed to a whopping $5.57 per pound. W seen all kinds of economic turmoil, sending us into inflationary times, when the price of everything is soaring. What’s the solution? Learning how to creatively stretch ground beef to cut […]

53

21 Kitchen Hacks You’ll Wish You’d Known Sooner

Whether you are naturally gifted in the kitchen or had the pleasure of growing up with some talented cooks who were happy to give you a few pointers along the way—lots of people shy away from the kitchen because they find cooking complicated, and even a bit confusing. 

Fortunately, there are tons of great little tricks that can help anyone improve their cooking game, and maybe get some interest in further developing their skills.

Today, I have for you some of the most useful cooking hacks that can benefit everyone, regardless of skill level.

See you there …

Love, m xo 🍞 🥓 🍕🍰 🍨 and more!

54

40-Day Challenge Day 18

  Pull out your holiday decorations and use only what you have. Instead of trying to decorate your entire house, focus on three things: a tree, your mantelpiece, and a wreath. Decorate them similarly.       For more decorating ideas, enjoy the following excerpt from my book, Debt-Proof Your Christmas (the Kindle version has a different title, […]

55

Best Space Heaters (That Won’t Burn Down the House!)

The most efficient and easiest way to reduce your home heating cost is to heat only the rooms that are occupied while keeping your furnace set very low to say 60 F. Then use a space heater to make the occupied room comfortable; You can rely on this method during the day as well as at night. You could easily see your heating bill escape the surging cost of heating fuel, by simply keeping the main source of heat set very low, supplementing with electric space heaters. It’s such a simple way to make a huge difference in your home heating costs …

56

How to Remove Scratches on Stainless Steel Appliances, Sinks, Counters

As sleek and sturdy as it is, stainless steel is not immune to picking up unsightly scratches in the course of everyday household activities. They show up on sinks, appliances, cabinet hardware, and stainless counters, too. There’s a good chance you can remove scratches on stainless steel surfaces, provided you use the right tools and closely follow these tips.

57

How to Bake Gluten-Free High-Rising Beautiful Soft Sandwich Bread

If you bake gluten-free for yourself or others, you have likely attempted to bake soft, airy, sandwich-worthy bread. And your hopes evaporated quickly when all you got was a flat, hard, soggy mess. So what’s a gluten-free sandwich-lover to do? Learn the secrets of making beautiful, soft, high-rising white sandwich bread! You can do this …

60

How to Make Freezer Jam – Easy Step-By-Step Instructions

Step-by-step easy freezer jam instructions and recipes If peak season for peaches, strawberries, and raspberries calls for lots of homemade jam in order to enjoy summer’s bounty far into the cold days of winter, those happy thoughts can turn sour when you consider the time, work, and know-how required to do that by canning. If that’s […]

63

Simple Secrets for the Perfect Home Manicure

I wish I had all of the money I’ve spent over the years on salon manicures. It would be quite a tidy sum. And perhaps I wouldn’t have had such horrible nails and even worse cuticles. Thankfully, after untold trials and errors, I’ve come up with the perfect home manicure routine that has turned my nail […]

64

Make it Better Yourself: Homemade Coffee Creamer

Cream. It’s coffee’s perfect mate. And when that creamer comes flavored in a handy bottle from the dairy case, even more perfect, right? Oh, but so pricey! Here’s a solution: Make it yourself cheaper, better and faster!

The way to do this is to start with a Base Recipe that is basically bland in taste but creamy. Then you add flavor it up exactly the way you love your creamer.

In today’s post I offer two Base Recipes—#1 starts out sweet, #2 is not sweet and then we go from there with specific “recipes” for 28 different flavors. The one you love has to be in there somewhere!

Unless you are a black-coffee only die-hard ☕️, you’re going to love this. See you there … Love, xo m

65

How to Clean a Microwave Oven

Face it, a microwave with frequent use, whether at home or at work, isn’t going to get a thorough cleaning every single time it’s used. It’s going to get dirty, so it’s good to know how to clean a microwave effortlessly, from time to time. With steam!

66

A Good Hot Cup of Coffee: Best Inexpensive Coffee Maker

So you like coffee. A lot. Me too. I like it so much I’m a home roaster. And importer. I import green coffee beans direct from the La Minita plantation in the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica. Why? Well, because (get ready) it’s the best inexpensive way to enjoy the best organic, free-trade, gourmet coffee […]

68

Chicken Still the Backbone of the Frugal Kitchen (with RECIPES)

With the price of beef skyrocketing, now more than ever, chicken continues to claim its place at the backbone of the frugal kitchen. And why not? By comparison and even though the cost of all food is going up across the board, chicken is still much less expensive than beef or pork. It’s healthy, delicious, and useful right down to and including the bones.

69

8 Pleasantly Surprising Reasons to Decorate with Houseplants

Experts call it “interior landscaping” and it’s becoming increasingly popular not only in homes but in offices and other commercial settings. I would have assumed that’s because houseplants can be quite inexpensive. But now we’re learning, they’re more than a cheap way to add a pop of green to a living space. Houseplants offer surprising physical and mental benefits as well.

72

Cucumbers in Plastic Wrap, and More Great Reader Tips!

It’s universally understood that a red flag means to stop or some variation of caution. A green flag, on the other hand, means “Wow what a great idea!” That’s how I mark emails from my awesome Everyday Cheapskate readers, who send me their best tips. Check out this fresh batch of “green-flagged” tips: Keep cucumber […]

73

13 Surprising Ways to Use Your Coffee Maker

You might think your coffee maker is a one-trick pony—does anything smell more wonderful than a fresh-brewed pot of coffee? But let’s think about this for a moment. That appliance heats water to about 200 F. and comes equipped with a hot plate to keep it at about 165 F. …

76

27 Ways to Use Baby Wipes That Don’t Require a Baby

Recently, in my never-ending quest to organize my home, I came across the half-full case of baby wipes I’d purchased more than five years ago when our younger grandson was born. My first thought was that since Sam is all potty trained now, I should find someone with a baby or donate them to the church […]

77

Worst and Best Ways to Grill Chicken

In a previous post, I asked readers to share their worst barbecue and grilling experiences that could have been spared if they’d had a decent instant-read thermometer. I loved reading your comments, some of which are so funny you had me laughing out loud. But more than that, I learned that most of our grilling disasters […]

78

How to Beat Clutter and Improve Your Life

Getting organized is like dieting. Everyone knows how to do it—you clear out the clutter, cleverly organize what remains, and then maintain the results, right? Uh, not so fast.

For many of us knowing is not enough. It takes more than that …

79

7 Festive Holiday Dessert Drinks

It doesn’t have to be a full-blown dinner party to count as holiday entertaining. Why not ask your invited guests to bring their favorite sweets while you provide the beverages?

Then knock their socks off with a buffet of these festive holiday dessert drinks. You’ll avoid spending a bundle and reduce your stress in the process!

See you there! Love, xo m

81

Take My Mobile Phone, Please!

Recently, I inherited a new-to-me iPhone 6. It’s lovely, I’m grateful but I didn’t really need a new phone. My venerable iPhone 5c suited me just fine. And now I need to figure out what to do with it. My unlocked, 32 GB, bright green iPhone 5c is in excellent condition with no damage, scratches, […]