Sunday, September 13, 2015

Oh That Cool Breeze Feels Soooo Good!

September 13, 2015

Good morning.  It's 8 a.m. and the cool breeze coming in through the open door is just heavenly.  The sun isn't out yet so it's a bit cloudy, but the cool air feels just wonderful.  Pogo and I got up early this morning and had our breakfast.  Mmmmm.   Steak and eggs for Pogo, and fried potatoes and scrambled eggs for moi.  Yum!

I'll bet you're wondering how that beef stew came out.  Right?  I was afraid you'd ask.  Well, it only took me close to an hour to figure out how to get the pressure cooker turned on.  I know, sounds like such a simple task, huh?   But I kept reading over the instructions until I finally got it right. 

Once I was ready to cook, I first had to brown the meat.  There is a "Brown" button on the cooker, so I pressed this and waited.  Hmmm,  nothing happened.  Finally I took out the induction burner, placed a frying pan on it, put the meat in and browned it.  Then I dumped all the meat back into the cooker. 

I added the onions, carrots, potatoes, liquids and seasoning and sat back and waited.  Nothing.  After thirty minutes, I realized something wasn't right.  I shut the cooker off.  I read the book again, and turned the cooker back on.  I did this two or three times until I got it right.  Then I sat down, happily awaiting my pot to finish cooking the stew. 

Unfortunately, after a while, the cooker started steaming like an old steam engine.   I grabbed the instruction book to find out what to do.  In the end, I had to shut the cooker off and unplug it.  Once all the steam was gone, I started over.  As soon as the cooker built up some pressure, the steam came pouring out again. 

Okay.  Time to shut everything down and get out a burner and a large pot.  I finished the stew the old fashioned way.  In a large pot on a burner.  So much for me and modern technology.  I did have me a bowl of the stew, and considering all the trouble it was to cook, it didn't taste too bad.  Not my best accomplishment, you understand, but sort of tasty and edible.  I put it all in a huge covered bowl, and the dwarfs can have it for their supper later today.

Tomorrow I will call the manufacturer to find out if (a) I did something wrong, or (b) the steam valve is faulty.   Want to take bets on what their answer will be?  Hmmm?   I'm just thankful I wasn't trying to cook a four pound pot roast.   In a few days, I'll try the pork chop recipe (that I bought all the ingredients for).  Only I'll be cooking it in a pan on a burner.

Well, I may be a bit technically challenged when it comes to all these fabulous new machines and devices, but I must be doing something right..  I got a card in the mail on Friday, that had me walking around for two days with a huge Cheshire cat smile on my face.  Even that wicked pressure cooker couldn't wipe this smile off my face.

I've had plenty of thank you's before, but my youngest grandson, Kevin, took the time to sit down and write his out in a note and mail it.   Kevin, you are such a joy to me.  I love you, and I'm blessed to have you for my grandson.


I've always been a "cheap date."  The littlest things make me the happiest.  A smile, a hug, a wagging tail, a hand written note.   But then, you can't put a price on happiness.   I have been so very blessed, and for this I am grateful.

Well, I've talked your ear off, so before I go, I have another pretty plant to share.  This is called an Angel Orchid (Habenaria Grandifloriformis).  Rather appropriate for today I think.


Now I'm going to enjoy my coffee and do a bit of blog reading.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

6 comments:

The Queen Jester said...

So sorry to hear about the pressure cooker experience. I remember steam coming out of my Grandmother's old one on the stove, so perhaps this is normal? I can't help you since I never got to play with mine before I parted with it. Good luck and I hope it works out for you,.

Unknown said...

Edna,
What laughter your blog brought me today. I too am technically challenged. I am sorry that you have had so much trouble with your new pressure cooker. Sometimes I think that the old way is often the better way.
I have my own story to tell. I had always wanted a Maytag... it could be anything mind you. Washer, dryer, fridge. I didn't care as long as it was a Maytag. My father in law bought my mother in law a Maytag washer and dryer set when their first son was born in 1951. She was still using it when my husband and I married in 1983. She continued to use it for a long time. Never a minutes trouble with it. She did replace it in 1991 finally.
Well when my frige died I went shopping. You guessed it. I finally got my Maytag. I should have known it was a lemon when they brought it into the house and the door fell off! But the delivery men said that they had taken the door off at the ware house to get it out onto the delivery truck and just forgot to secure the bolt back.
It was a fancy side by side. It had a water and ice bar on the front. Oh what fun for the kids. They could get their own water now. We would never run out of ice again... My own little heaven in my own little kitchen.
One night sitting at the dinner table the thing went nuts... spewing out ice and then water and then ice and then water. We had no way of shutting the dang thing off. My husband unplugged it and I cleaned up the mess. Oh the kids thought that it was hilarious watching the ice and water shoot out of the thing. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. Maytags are NOT supposed to do that.
Well it went under work several times while I had it. Since I had paid cash for it they wouldn't actually replace it. But I had the extended warranty. It was still spewing ice and water randomly the day that I walked out of that house and my marriage. We dubbed it the Possessed Maytag!
Have a great day! Beth and Cisco.

LV said...

Loved your story, but the note if the most precious and a keeper.

Stacey said...

How wonderful you got a beautiful note from Kevin! Glad you got your stew even if you had to make it the oldfashioned way. Hope you didn't get a faulty pressure cooker!

smiekeltje said...

Your blogpost made me smile, a good thing to start the week, LOL.
But I am so sorry for you that the pressure cooker doesn;t seem to do the work properly?
I cannot help you in this, I don;t have one. We still cook on gaz, and I am comfortable with it. Oh yeas, sometimes things go wrong, of course, like me forgetting I had something on and it burns or cooks completely dry, but most of the time all goes rather well.
That note of Kevin is a precious thing, how sweet of him.
And yes, such things are the things that keep us going and bring smiles to our faces, despite a not nice working pressure cooker, hahaha.
I hope to find a not too wet period today, so I can go to the market, weather is kind of unstable at the moment.

Have a lovely day,
Hug
Kyra

Nani said...

I totally get the "cheap date" concept and I'm right there with ya! Rina spoils me with sweet messages every now and then and it makes me smile for days. The note Kevin sent you is a treasure!

Hugs, Nani