Want to Cook More Often? Start with the Instant Pot.

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Baked potatoes take only 18 minutes in an Instant Pot vs 45 minutes in the oven.

Cooking can be tough and intimidating. You need to meal plan, buy groceries, have the correct cooking tools, cook, and then wash dishes. Since cooking needs so many steps, it becomes so easy to order delivery on Seamless or to eat at a restaurant. Luckily, that is where the Instant Pot comes in to save you time and money. This cooking appliance is known to cook fast (whole frozen chicken in under an hour) and it is also a multi-cooker.

What can the Instant Pot do?

The Instant Pot is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, sauté pot, steamer, warmer, and yogurt maker. Thus, the Instant Pot also saves you money and counter space because it replaces seven kitchen appliances.

The baked potatoes look delicious and you can see the steam as well.

Where can I learn how to use one?

Luckily, there are so many resources on Facebook for recipes, tutorials on YouTube, and pins on Pinterest.  I even attended a live Instant Pot cooking demo at Bloomingdales that I found on Eventbrite. My roommate also owns an Instant Pot, so I have been learning in the kitchen as well.

How do the dishes taste?

I tried baked potatoes at the Instant Pot Cooking demonstration and it was so delicious! I was amazed at how fast it was to cook baked potatoes. For example, baked potatoes take 18 minutes to cook in the Instant Pot, whereas in the oven it takes 45 minutes. Also if someone blindfolded me I would not have known the difference between a baked potato made in the oven or one made in an Instant Pot.

The baked potatoes need more bacon and cheese!

Where can I buy an Instant Pot?

Amazon is the easiest, since if you have in Prime it comes in two days. Depending on the model it costs $89.95-$199.95.

3 Instant Pot Meal Planning Guides

  1. Instant Pot Meal Plan (One Happy Housewife)
  2. Instant Pot/Slow Cooker Meal Plan for a Month (365 Days of Slow + Pressure Cooking)
  3. Meal Plan Monday {Instant Pot} (Instant Loss)

2 Free Instant Pot Demo Events ( NYC)

  1. Instant Pot Cooking (Friday, May 10, 2019 6pm-7:30pm)
  2. Instant Pot Cooking (Friday, May 24, 2019 6pm-7:30pm)

5 Upcoming Free Food Events (NYC)

  1. Family Cooking Class: Look Who’s Cooking – May 11th (Saturday, May 11, 2019 10:30am – 12pm)
  2. Cooking with All-Clad (Monday, May 13, 2019 6pm – 7:30pm)
  3. Korean Grandma’s Kimchi at Essex Street Market’s Grand Opening Party (Saturday, May 18, 2019 12:45pm – 1:15pm)
  4. Cooking with All-Clad (Monday, May 20, 2019 6pm – 7:30pm)
  5. Family Cooking Class: Look Who’s Cooking – June 8th (Saturday, June 8, 2019 10:30am – 12pm)

NYC: 3 Day Weekend Budget Itinerary & Meal Plan

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Image by Jo Wiggijo from Pixabay

New York is known as one of the world’s most expensive cities, but it does not mean that you cannot be on a fun budget here. One of the amazing things about New York is that there are free events and discounted museum days. Please see below for my itinerary I would follow for a fun budget weekend.

My 3 Day Weekend Itinerary Guide

Friday

Morning: Financial District

  • Cost: Free
  • Highlights: Charging Bull, Fearless Girl, New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
  • Train: 2/3/4/5 train to Wall Street
  • Address: (NYSE) 1 Wall St, New York, NY 10005
Wall Street is the financial center of the United States. Image by Predrag Kezic from Pixabay

Afternoon: Chelsea & High Line

  • Cost: Free
  • Highlights: Walk around Chelsea and the High Line (elevated park)
  • Train: Take the 1 or C train to 23rd Street
  • Address: The park runs from Gansevoort Street – three blocks below 14th Street, in the Meatpacking District – through Chelsea to the northern edge of the West Side Yard on 34th Street

Evening: Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

  • Cost: Free Friday only from 4-8pm
  • Highlights: Vincent Van Gogh – “The Starry Night”, Pablo Picasso – “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon,” Monet – Water Lilies
  • Train: E/M train to 5th Avenue/ 53rd St
  • Address: 11 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019
Vincent Van Gogh – “The Starry Night.” Image by Eric Perlin from Pixabay

Saturday

Morning: Statue of Liberty (via Staten Island Ferry)

  • Cost: Free
  • Highlights: The Staten Island Ferry takes you right past the statue for free
  • Train: 4/5 train to Bowling Green

Afternoon: Central Park

  • Cost: Free
  • Highlights: Take a stroll walking throughout the park, the pond and Gapstow Bridge, and Sheep’s Meadow
  • Train: N/R/W train to 5th/59th St
Central Park is one of the most famous parks in the world. Image by David Mark from Pixabay

Evening: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

  • Cost: Pay only what you wish Saturday from 5:45pm-7:45pm
  • Highlights: Édouard Manet –“Before the Mirror,” Pablo Picasso –  “Woman with Yellow Hair”, Pierre Bonnard – “Dining Room on the Garden”
  • Train: 4/5/6 train to 86th St
  • Address: 1071 5th ˀAve, New York, NY 10128

Sunday

Morning: Brooklyn Bridge

  • Cost: Free
  • Highlights: Take photos of the iconic bridge and get spectacular views of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Brooklyn Heights, and DUMBO
  • Train: 2/3 train to Clark Street
  • Address: Take the Henry Street exit. Walk left on Henry Street. Go left on Cadman Plaza West/Old Fulton Street and walk downhill to the entrance to Brooklyn Bridge Park, located at the bottom of the hill, at the waterfront
Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. Image by Foundry Co from Pixabay

Afternoon: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met)

  • Cost: $25 (pay what you wish for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut residents)
  • Highlights: Jacques Louis David – “The Death of Socrates” , Raphael – Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints, Marble statue of Aphrodite
  • Train: 4/5/6 train to 86th St
  • Address: 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028

Evening: Times Square

  • Cost: Free
  • Highlights: Shopping, people watching and being amazed by the billboards
  • Train: 1/2/3/7/S to Times Square – 42 Street Station 
Times Square and the lights. Image by Foundry Co from Pixabay

Meal Plan

Sunday

Parmesan Garlic Cauliflower

Image by Couleur from Pixabay

Monday

Aspargus Carbonara

Tuesday

Sweet Potato Skillet

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Wednesday

Chicken Enchilada Skillet

Thursday

Sweet Potato Chicken Kale Skillet

Image by LEEROY Agency from Pixabay

Friday

Chicken with White Wine, Leek, Spinach and Arugula Pan Sauce

Saturday

Creamy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Mozzarella

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay
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