First, my women's bible study started back up today. I wasn't sure I was going to go, but my sweet DIL went to the ER last night with spotting. They were sure they had lost the baby, just found out a few weeks ago that she was pregnant, but a sonogram was done and a heart beat was found. She goes to the doctor tomorrow for a check up. At any rate, I woke up this morning thanking God for his protection and blessings last night and decided that I should go to bible study and praise God, even though I had not picked up the study book and had not done the first lesson in preparation of today's session. A couple of things happened to me as the morning went on to delay my leaving. Now, normally I would have just stayed home rather than showing up late. However, I reasoned that since it was the first session and since they never start on time, I went on and had a wonderful bible study and fellowship. So that turned out well in the end.
As I was leaving the church, the school calls and my daughter was having an asthma attack but had failed to take her inhaler with her. So, I headed to the house to pick one up, then noticed that I was out of gas. Stop at the gas station, which for some reason has removed the automatic pump flow so I had to stand there and hold the pump on the whole time. Finally to the school to find my girl sitting on a bench crying. Calmed her down and was on the road again. She is having a bit of a rough time at the moment, yesterday we got her eye glasses ordered and she was actually disappointed that she couldn't get them for about 7 - 10 days.
Next stop was to Walmart to pick up a few things with my Christmas money. I bought a steamer, some new canisters, some other kitchen items, and some dry beans. A little before Christmas I got a wild idea, popped in my head when I found it on sale for a big discounted price, and purchased an electric pressure cooker. It is Cook's brand.
Which is the JC Penny's Brand. I had grand plans of being able to cook a chunk of meat in to some type of wonderful meal like the chefs on the tv shows I have been watching. After I thought it through a bit more, and looking at the book that came with it, wondered if I hadn't made a huge mistake. As a matter of fact, I had actually decided to just take it back. Well, today my mind blew a few cobwebs out and thought that I should at least give the gadget a go before sending it back. Hence, the purchase of the beans and the beginning of everything I attempted ending in total failure. First, I made the cornbread, it didn't rise and just thinned out like big corn pancake, crunch browned pancake. Then, I read the directions to operate the cooker. Totally inadequate in my opinion. The step by step directions are vague at best, totally confusing, but I started it anyway. When the timer cut off, I let the pressure vent, opened the lid, found lovely looking beans with the ham bone and thought this was great. Cooked beans in 30 minutes. Until I tasted one, it was still crunchy. I had wondered if I had operated the cooker correctly. After all, it took it quite a few minutes before it heated up, the regulator didn't make any noise or move the whole time. So, I thought maybe I should try it again and cook it one more time. Doing the regulator a little different this time, it was just a few minutes this time before I could hear that traditional hissing. I then made a second batch of cornbread and put it in the oven. That pan came out so much better. When the timer went off this time, I vented it, and opened it up to find a very cooked ham bone and nice looking beans that tasted very nice. In the end, my hubby said they tasted good, just needed a little more salt.
I am wondering if I need to heat the food up a bit before locking the lid and starting the pressure timer? On the way home from picking up J I ran in the grocery and picked up a roast that was on sale. I am going to try that tomorrow night and see what happens. I figured hubby would be upset that I had bought the cooker, was discussing the meal when he surprised me and asked me if I could heat up fried chicken and the cook it in the pressure cooker. That was what they did at a store he worked at when he was younger, I told him that is what KFC does. He was actually listening when I explained that the more expensive cookers would be better at that.
I guess this does kind of blow my menu plan, but it is all in the interest of research. Yeah that's it, research. That's what I'm sticking to. At any rate, out of failure comes knowledge. Somewhere in all of that is knowledge I will take away.
Come back soon.
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