As the world continues to maneuver through the chaos and unknowns of the current crisis of coronavirus (COVID-19), three directives have been proposed for the general population to assist in the process of “flattening the curve” and helping keep us safe from the viral threat.
First, the public should engage in copious amounts of hand washing, for at least for 20 seconds each time. Second, everyone should practice social distancing, or more precisely physical distancing.
The third proponent is that of wearing face masks to minimize the dangers involved when you must be in the company of others. The specifics of wearing face masks has been evolving from it being relatively unimportant to being a critical move in helping curb the spread of the virus.
This FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) guide has been compiled to address some of the issues surrounding the practice of wearing homemade face masks. The shortage of N95 respirators and surgical masks necessitates they be reserved for health care workers and first responders. Therefore, homemade face masks are the main option for everyone else.
Why should the general public wear face masks?
It is estimated that 25% of people may have coronavirus and not exhibit any symptoms. Therefore, they could be contagious and infecting people with whom they come in contact. So wearing masks could protect others around you by blocking germs from coughing and sneezing, and the wearer could be protected from incoming germs. The latest guidelines from the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) say that anyone going into public spaces should wear a face mask.
Do I need to wear a mask if I’m not sick?
Yes. For reasons explained in the previous question, everyone entering public spaces should wear masks to protect themselves and others around them. You may be unaware of being a carrier of the virus, being either asymptomatic or prior to symptoms manifesting themselves.
Are there correct procedures for using a face mask?
Yes. Things you should remember to remain as safe as possible include:
Prior to using a face mask, wash your hands thoroughly.
Use ear loops or ties to put on and take off the mask, while avoiding touching the fabric part of the mask
If you live in an apartment, put on your mask while inside your home. (Elevators and stairwells are high-contamination areas.)
Wash and dry your fabric mask daily.
Keep your clean mask in a clean, dry place.
For maximum safety, use a face mask in combination with correct hand washing procedures and social distancing for a compounding effect.
Are there wrong ways to wear a face mask?
Yes. Some things you should not do when wearing a face mask include:
Don’t fidget with it. Put it on and keep your hands off the mask. And don’t pull it down around your neck and reposition on your face later.
Don’t wear it below your nose.
Don’t wear it so it just covers the tip of your nose.
Don’t leave your chin exposed.
Don’t wear it loosely on your face, with gaps on the sides.
Don’t push your mask under your chin, resting on your neck.
Don’t touch the fabric part of the mask, because that is where germs are concentrated, and you don’t want to spread them.
Are there risks to wearing a face mask?
The main risk is that you might overestimate the amount of protection provided by the mask. Masks differ in their ability to filter germs depending on the materials with which they are made and the design of the mask. Also, if you touch your face while wearing the mask, you risk spreading germs more than protecting yourself from them.
Do I need to wear a face mask outdoors?
Yes, if you are in public places where you may come in contact with others. It’s the socially responsible thing to do. But if you are at home in your back yard away from others, it is not necessary.
Do I need to wear a face mask during outdoor exercise?
Most experts believe it is not necessary to wear a mask during outdoor exercise. But they do not know how exercise affects the spread of the disease. For some, it may be difficult to breathe easily during heavy exercise if wearing a mask.
Should children wear face masks?
Children under the age of two should not wear a mask. However, children should not be exposed to public places anyway, such as grocery stores.
It may be difficult for parents to get children to wear a mask if they must go out in public. However, parents may make a game of it and keep the process lighthearted in order to get children to comply. Also, masks made of colorful fabrics or cartoon characters may encourage children to wear them.
When should a face mask be worn at home?
If there are others in the household who are sick, then masks should be worn indoors by everyone in the household during the period of illness.
What type of materials should be used to make a mask?
Although different sources say different things, the most commonly recommended fabric is a tightly woven cotton. Fabric used by quilters has been recommended, because quilters typically use high quality cotton fabric for their designs. The best test for determining if a fabric is appropriate is to hold it up to the light. More suitable fabrics are tightly woven and do not filter a lot of light through the fabric.
You should also hold the fabric up to your face covering your nose and mouth and see if you can still breathe easily. Fabrics that are too thick or too tightly woven may inhibit breathing.
Cotton is the fabric of choice and some sources of cotton that have been suggested for use include T-shirts, tea towels, pillowcases and sheets. Also, a two-layer mask of flannel and cotton was deemed comparable to a surgical mask as tested by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Those who led the study also had good success with quilting fabric. However, flannel may be too warm for comfortable wear in the spring and summer.
Should a filter be used with the mask? What types of filters are acceptable and where can I get them?
Research is emerging that suggests using a filter within the face mask can increase its effectiveness at blocking germs. Many types of materials have been tested around the country.
Some sources found that HEPA filters, such as those used for furnace filters and vacuum cleaner bags did a very good job of filtering the small particles of the virus. However, they may not have the breathability necessary to be comfortable. Also, some of types of filters contain fiberglass, which would pose health risks to the wearer and should not be used at all. Check manufacturer guidelines for further information.
The Suay Sew Shop in Los Angeles built their own homemade testing facility to find fabrics that were best suited for face masks. Shop employees found that stretchy blue shop towels made from a polyester hydro knit made the ideal filtration material. By inserting these towels between two layers of woven cotton fabric, the resulting mask filtered out the smallest particles their machine could test. The shop towels that tested best can be found at hardware and automotive stores. The two brands that tested the best were ToolBox’s Shop Towel and ZEP’s industrial blue towel.
Coffee filters and paper towels have also been tested as filtration materials. The coffee filters did show up to 50% filtration but were not as breathable as other products.
Is any type of face mask appropriate?
Any type of protection is better than nothing, but there are a wide variety of option from which to choose. Therefore, pick a mask that provides the most protection available in a homemade version.
Can I reuse my mask?
Yes, depending on the type of materials in the mask. However, they need to be sanitized between uses. If you have multiple masks, you could rotate use, giving the virus time to decay over the course of a few days. And there are other options for caring for masks.
How should I care for a fabric mask?
The simplest way to care for homemade fabric masks is to wash them after use with laundry detergent. They may be dried in a dryer or air dried. If there is a filter inserted between the outside layers of the mask, it would need to be removed and discarded, if disposable.
Some sources suggest sanitizing the masks in a plastic freezer bag in the microwave oven for two minutes. However, microwave ovens vary greatly in their wattage and could result in scorching the masks or causing a fire. The most recent recommendation is not to sanitize masks in a microwave oven.
How do different types of face masks compare to each other? What is the best design/pattern for a face mask?
Adding layers of fabric increases effectiveness in all masks.
Type of Mask
Sewn?
Recommended materials
Key Points
How To Make?
A Doctor Explains the Safest Face Mask
Yes
-Vacuum cleaner HEPA bags -Pipe cleaners -Elastic
-Claims to filter up to 99% of particles -HEPA vacuum bags said to be dangerous by another doctor -*Second link in How To Make column is rebuttal by Vacuum Cleaner Market
-Tightly-woven cotton or flannel -Shop towels for filter -Floral wire, twist ties or paper clips for nose clip
-Read tutorial and select variation of mask that suits your needs -Use elastic or knit for trim to get best fit -Read tutorial for recommended brand of shop towels -Harder to make, but creates better fit
-Tightly-woven cotton fabric -3/16” synthetic clothesline cord -Floral wire or similar product
-One of easiest to make -Can get good fit with the cord -Easiest to put on -Can increase effectiveness with different thicknesses of fabric and type of filter used -Easy to discard filter and wash mask
Everyone is on the Internet now. I know. My already slow service has ground almost to a halt. I can’t even watch a YouTube video without constant interruptions of the dreaded stalled circle trying to return the video to something I could actually view.
It seems as though the number of emails I’m getting that are ready and waiting to solve every problem has increased dramatically. Am I wrong? Emails abound from an undisclosed source with a “too good to be true” subject line and only one thing in the body of the email – a clickable link. DON’T click on the link! You could be scammed.
In times like these, scammers are working overtime. Don’t get sucked into every interesting headline that makes enticing promises. If you’ve never heard of the source, it is well worth your time to check it out. Here are five things you can do to avoid Internet scams.
1. Make sure the message comes from a legitimate source. Assuming there is a website listed, check out their About page to see if it sounds legitimate. They should have a working contact page that gets you a response when you submit a question. Google them for reviews. Look for complaints from the Better Business Bureau or Federal Trade Commission.
2. Use a password manager. Of course, you know not to use “password” or “1234” as passwords to sites where you have accounts. But are you guilty of creating a clever password that’s easy for you to remember and using it over and over? Bad idea!! Identity theft is always a threat when you use simple or reused passwords online. If you don’t need to access passwords on multiple devices or within the family, there are free password manager apps that will store your passwords for you and help you create secure passwords that are more difficult to hack.
Consumer Reports recently reviewed password manager apps. They checked for data privacy, security and usability. Their top-rated app just happens to be the one I’ve used for several years now – 1 Password. I have hundreds of passwords, so a password manager is a must. Currently, 1 Password is $60/year for families when billed annually or $36/year for an individual. And you can get 12.5% back if you sign up through Rakuten, my favorite cash-back service! (Psst – you can sign up free here: https://www.rakuten.com/r/VPEEL2?eeid=28187 )
Rounding out the top four password managers as reviewed by Consumer Reports are: Keeper Password Manager, Bitwarden Free and Dashlane Free. Most offer free trials.
3. Be careful of phishing scams. Scammers often send legitimate-looking emails that include logos of reputable companies. However, if you are asked to verify personal information in an email, you can be sure it’s a scam. No reputable company will ask you to submit personal data through an email. If you get an email that says “we’ve been trying to reach you”, do not click on it. If the email indicates it is from a company with which you do business, contact the company through another method and inquire if they are in fact trying to reach you. Most likely, they are not. So, avoid giving personal data via email to avoid being scammed.
4. Watch out for entering contests with enticing prizes. Although not every contest is a scam, some may be. If you enter a scamming contest, a bot will be downloaded that continually sends your personal information to other scams. Do some research about the contest before entering. Some are actually legitimate. I’m still expecting to be notified any time about winning the HGTV Dream Home!
5. Beware of offers that address current world or local circumstances. –Coronavirus scams are currently circulating, such as those that will help you get your relief check quickly or companies that say they have ample supplies of toilet paper you can get at unbelievable prices! Other current scams include fake charities, online dating scams, lucrative work-at-home offers and fake prizes. Remember, if it seems too good to be true, you know the drill – it probably is too good to be true!
The entire world is in a vulnerable position right now. So, take your time and investigate offers that appear to be quick and easy solutions to common problems many people are experiencing. Staying safe involves more than social distancing. It involves being alert and cautious about possible Internet scams. So, keep your distance and stay safe!
We are living in uncharted times. The stress of not knowing what is going to happen can easily overwhelm us. But really, we never knew what was going to happen when things were “normal”. We went about our day to day activities and planned for our lives as if we had control over them. We didn’t and we never will.
One thing I believe can help us get through the uncertainties of days ahead is to live each day in gratitude. I’ve been keeping a gratitude journal for over a year now and I can attest to the power of writing down what you are grateful for. Every night, I write down five things I’m grateful for. I start each sentence with “I am grateful for…”. It is a calming force to realize you have so much to be grateful for every day.
While there are many things that we can do to weather the storm, here are five that may guide us in developing an attitude of gratitude.
Make a Plan. One of the single best things you can do to maintain positivity during tough times is to make a plan on how to deal with it. Plan things to be productive and ways to have fun. When you focus on the solution rather than the problem, you will naturally feel more positive. You will feel like you are rising to the challenge.
Reach Out for Support. Support in and support out! Reach out to loved ones and offer your support. Reach out if you need assistance too. When things are dire, it is always reaffirming when people pull together and help each other. If at all possible, find ways to connect with friends and family via online resources such as Facetime, Zoom, or Skype. You can also play games with others through smartphone apps.
Take a Break. Sometimes our circumstances are so dire that we are forced to think about our problems constantly. It is OK to take a break. You can take a break from the news, social media, or other people. It might not be easy but taking a break from external stimuli can help keep you positive.
Focus on Things You Can Control. When your world seems like it is spinning out of control, you may feel helpless. One way to address this and stay more positive is to focus on the things you can control. Instead of fretting about things out of your control, focus on making sure you do your best job on the things you can control.
Think and Write About Things You are Grateful For. Even during great personal turmoil, you still have things you are grateful for. When things get tough, it is vital to remember that there is good in the world, and more importantly, in your life. When you are struggling, take some time to list the things in your life you are grateful for. Journaling is a powerful tool in so many ways. By simply giving you a place to express your gratitude, a journal helps you maintain positivity outside of its pages.
Perhaps now more than ever an attitude of gratitude is one of the best habits you can nurture. Just realizing that we have more to be thankful than we have pulling us down will help us to “keep calm and carry on”.
If there is one thing that I’ve learned since the beginnings
of self-quarantine and social distancing, it is that toilet paper is valued
above diamonds and emeralds. This is apparently the first thing retail
establishments that carry it run out of. There is none to be found. So, of
course I am grateful that I had some on hand, although I am close to the onset
of panic, because my supply is running low.
In light of the importance of this oft-reported topic, I
have thoroughly researched the issue and am poised to enlighten you of the
current situation. And all of this is backed up by reputable scientific testing
or I would not be sharing this with you.
(As a side note, the previous facts are a teachable moment –
all teachers will be familiar with this concept. Teachable moment: You should
not take everything you read on the Internet as solid facts. You do need to
read reputable sources, of which I am one, and make your own decisions based
upon thorough research, avoiding the crowd mentality that bubbles to the
surface in times like these.)
Back to the toilet paper dilemma. Various brands of toilet
paper were tested for the speed with which they disintegrated in water – a very
important factor in your decision as which brand to buy. Of course, I realize
that in the current situation, you may be forced to buy any brand that is still
on the shelf.
To begin, let me describe the actual scientific testing that
occurred. Nine brands of popular toilet tissue were purchased – not donated by
the companies that produce them, which would taint the results and render them
useless. Two squares of each toilet tissue brand were dropped into a standard
toilet and were left unattended or flushed for 15 minutes. Then a single stir
of the product simulated a flush. The results of the experiment were “fished”
out of the toilet and examined to see what was left of the initial product.
The unbiased results of the experiment were as follows, with
the brands of toilet tissue being designated as belonging to one of three
categories: Bad, Okay and Best.
Bad:
Quilted
Northern Ultra Plush: is a 3-ply tissue, and while that sounds appealing,
it doesn’t break down easily, thereby creating its own destiny of an eventual
clogged toilet. Therefore, you are cautioned to consider this: which is more
important, the fleeting thrill of 3-ply tissue or dealing with a clogged
toilet?
Cottonelle
Ultra Comfort Care: a 2-ply tissue which actually performed much like the previous
loser.
Okay:
Charmin Ultra Soft & Charmin Ultra Strong:
(side note: I always wondered which of these would be the best choice. It
became a dilemma itself – choosing between the two of them!) In the test, Ultra
Soft broke down a little better than Ultra Strong. (Ah – scientific data to
guide my future choices!) But of course, they only performed a little better
than those in the Bad category.
EverSpring Recycled: (first thought here: How do
you recycle toilet paper??? Ugh!!!) Again, performance was much like the
Charmin twins. Since I am unfamiliar with this brand, I conclude that the
decision of whether to purchase this brand will be an easy one, because I will
be unable to find it where I shop.
Kirkland Signature Bath Tissue & Smartly:
For those of you who reside in the “boonies” like I do, you may be unaware that
Kirkland is Costco’s brand. However, being the sophisticated shopper that I am,
I was aware of that. After that seemingly arrogant statement of fact, I regret
to inform you that I had to look up who makes the Smartly brand. It is Target.
I may be arrogant, but I’m honest. Anyway – the result: they performed about
like the others in this category – just okay.
Best:
Angel Soft: Ah…imagine little angels floating
all around. That is because this is a 2-ply tissue that disintegrates quickly
and easily, ensuring you can leave the plunger in its place.
Scott 1000: was the clear winner! Of course, it’s
a (ugh) 1-ply tissue. The researchers in this test even matched six squares of Scott
tissue against two squares of Quilted Northern, and still won the match! Conclusion:
you can use more of the 1-ply Scott and it will still outperform (in terms of
disintegration only, as the this was the only criterion of this scientific test)
Quilted Northern.
So, there you have it. You can now
go confidently into your next shopping trip, armed with the knowledge to make
an informed choice concerning which toilet tissue to buy. Don’t take that
charge lightly.
In conclusion, I cannot let this moment
pass without making the definitive declaration about that age-old dilemma of
whether to hang toilet tissue with the end coming off the top or the bottom.
Answer: top! Feel free to share that life-changing fact with others who may be
uninformed, a.k.a. husbands.
Source: Family Handyman Tips and Hints: The Best
Toilet Paper For Your Plumbing, 3-26-20
When my mother’s declining health necessitated
around-the-clock care, my three sisters and I accepted the privilege. I use the
term “privilege” because it was an opportunity for us to give back just a
little for all she had meant to us through the years. It also provided precious
time for us to spend with her when we knew such times were limited.
One of the challenges during that time was managing our
individual schedules so someone could be with my mother at all times. It was
also challenging to know what she had eaten and what medications she had taken,
as well as sharing anything of significance when we were with her.
While thinking about and researching ways to manage the
process, I discovered an app entitled Cozi, which is a family organizer app.
Cozi became a lifesaver for sharing pertinent information with each other about
the caregiving process.
Cozi allowed each of the four of us to view a calendar and
enter the times that each of us could stay with our mother. When there were
gaps in time where no one signed up, we collaborated to determine who might be
able to step in and be there.
We keyed in her medications and when they needed to be
administered and left notes for each other to keep up to date.
We also entered data about the meals she ate and at what
times. Cozi had a journaling tab where we were able to share stories of our
times with our mother that contributed to our own personal memories.
Although our experience with Cozi centered around helping us
manage a difficult period in our lives, the app is a great way for families to
“be on the same page” in managing everyday family life.
With a 4.8 star rating out of almost 200,000 reviews, Cozi
obviously works for many other families. The app is available for both IOS and
Android devices.
A few of the most important features of Cozi include:
Family Calendar
Keep track of schedules of family members in one
place with a simple color-coded calendar
Set reminders of important events or practices
Send automated agendas via email to family
members
Subscribe to other calendars, such as work,
personal or team schedules
Shopping Lists and To-Do Lists
Keep updated grocery lists
See items any family member needs and adds to
lists
Create to-do lists or checklists for any family
member
Recipe Box
Organizes recipes in one place for anytime
accessibility
Add ingredients to shopping list quickly
Schedule meals on your calendar
No-dim button allows you to cook from a recipe
on your mobile device
Additional features
All features are accessible from any mobile
device or computer
Family journal option allows any family member
to add notes or ideas
The same information is stored in one place and
accessible to all family members
Entire family shares one account, which can be
accessed with their own email and the shared family password
All above features are free. There is also a optional
ad-free subscription called Cozi Gold. The premium subscription offers
additional features like contacts, birthday tracker, mobile app themes and more
reminders, views and notifications.
If keeping up with family members schedules and appointments
is something that might make your life easier, check out the features of Cozi.
The more complicated family activities are, the more such an app could benefit
your family.
There are also many other family organizer apps available on
Google Play and iTunes App Store. If you’re looking for different features,
check out some of the options there.
Do you use a family organizer app? If so, tell us how you
use it and why you like it.
“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From
discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” –
Albert Einstein
Do you have a place
for all your stuff? Or is your stuff stuffed into places where you can’t find
it? Could you describe a lot of your stuff as clutter?
Decluttering has been
a popular, or should I say prevalent, term in recent years. If you have stuff
that you need to get rid of, then you have clutter. When your home is filled
with clutter, trying to tackle a mountain of stuff can be quite overwhelming. In
fact, it can be paralyzing. You know you need to do something, but you think
there must be a commonly known place to start that everybody knows but you. So,
you don’t do anything.
Here’s my
advice: start with just five minutes. Baby steps are important. Sure, five minutes won’t barely make
a dent in your managing all your stuff, but it’s a start. Celebrate when you’ve
made that start!
Then take another five minutes tomorrow. And
another the next day. Before you know it, you’ll have cleared a whole closet or
a room and then half your house and then … who knows? Maybe one day you will
have completed decluttering and you can describe your home as uncluttered!
For those who are overwhelmed by their
clutter, here are some great ways to get started, five minutes at a time.
Designate a spot for incoming papers. Papers often account for a lot of our clutter. This is because we put them in different spots — on the counter, on the table, on our desk, in a drawer, on top of our dresser, in our car. No wonder we can’t find anything! Designate an in-box tray or spot in your home (or at your office, for that matter) and don’t put down papers anywhere but that spot. Got mail? Put it in the inbox. Got school papers? Put it in the inbox. Receipts, warranties, manuals, notices, flyers? In the inbox! This one little change can really transform your paperwork.
Start clearing a starting zone. Clear one area. This is your no-clutter zone. It can be a counter, or your kitchen table, or the three-foot perimeter around your couch. Wherever you start, make a rule: nothing can be placed there that’s not actually in use. Everything must be put away. Once you have that clutter-free zone, keep it that way! Now, each day, slowly expand your no-clutter zone until it envelopes the whole house!
Clear off a counter. Your goal is that all flat spaces are clear of clutter. They could still have useful or decorative items on them, such as a toaster or maybe a candle, but not things that don’t belong. Only you can decide what belongs. So start with one counter. Clear off everything possible, except maybe one or two essential things.
Pick a shelf. Now that you’ve done a counter, try a shelf. It doesn’t matter what shelf. It could be a shelf in a closet, or on a bookshelf. Don’t tackle the whole bookshelf — just one shelf. Clear all non-essential things and leave it looking neat and clutter-free.
Pick up 5 things and find a home for them. These should be things that you actually use, but they just seem to be put down anywhere, because they don’t have a home. If you don’t know exactly where things belong, you have to designate a place for them. Take a minute to think it through — where would be a good spot? Put them close to where they would be used. Then always put those things in those places when you’re finished using them. Now they have a home, which is the ultimate goal for everything you own. That is how you can actually end the decluttering process. Do this for everything in your home, a few things at a time. If everything has a home and you put everything in its home, you will not have clutter and therefore will not need to declutter!
This should give you a starting point. Just pick one hack that seems doable to you and get started! Once you get going, the whole process may unfold as you decide what you want things to look like and how you want to live in your space.
Next
time, I’ll list a few more hacks that may help you conquer the overwhelming
task of decluttering. I also have some ideas for stuff for storing your stuff!
Sometime around the first of each year, I get stingy. Maybe
it’s the fact that I overspent on Christmas gifts for my family, which seems to
be a personal weakness of mine. Or maybe it’s that I subconsciously make a New
Year’s resolution to be more thoughtful in my purchases. That means I plan to
not get excited about every new trend that I’m sure will make my life easier
and more enjoyable and therefore give in to my uncontrollable urge to buy it!
So, in my quest to be more frugal with money and at least make
my purchases a “bargain”, I researched the best times of the year to buy just
about anything. You know a bargain is not a bargain if you don’t need it. My
husband always gets worried when I tell him how much money I saved on
something! Of course, not purchasing something saves you even more!
If you actually plan purchases you need, there is little
reason to purchase anything unless it’s on sale. Sales are an everyday
occurrence. However, you can save a lot of money just by knowing when the
lowest sale price for an item is most likely to happen. This is especially true
for big-ticket items.
I researched the best months to buy things from five
different sources.
Forbes.com
The Krazy Coupon Lady
Money Under 30
Nerd Wallet
The Penny Hoarder
And these sites researched other sources, such as Consumer
Reports, which is probably the most credible and least biased organization that
reviews and rates products. Other sources of the sources included Lifehacker,
Freeshipping, Wisebread, Finder.com and Deal News.
From this research, I compiled an annual calendar for The Best Time to Buy Anything. Holidays and annual sales drive many of the best times to purchase some items. For instance, the Consumer Electronics Show in January unveils many new models of electronics, which makes early January a good time to buy TVs, especially if you’re willing to consider older models. January is also known for white sales on bedding and linens.
The best use of the buying calendar is that it allows you to
plan purchases, especially for expensive items.
The experts don’t always agree on the best months to get good deals on products, so you’ll see some of the same products listed in several months of the year. And clearance sales of some larger items occur several times a year because retail stores need the space for newer inventory.
You can download your free copy of The Best Time to Buy Anything annual calendar below:
In a previous blog post, I talked about the basics of an
Instant Pot. Today, I’m sharing my most recent experience of cooking in an
Instant Pot. Porcupine Meatballs is a family favorite – meaning my husband
likes it!
I whole-heartedly recommend reading the user manual first.
In my experience, that will pay off and save you time in the long run. Did you
guess that I didn’t heed my own advice? If so, you are correct! I thought I
could remember what to do; surely the controls were intuitive. Not necessarily.
PORCUPINE MEATBALLS
Preparation Time: 30 min
Cooking Time: 8 min
HighTemperature
INGREDIENTS
½ cup long-grain white rice (uncooked)
¼ cup finely diced yellow onion
¼ cup beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 pound ground beef or turkey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (16-ounce) jar chunky spaghetti sauce
2/3 cup beef broth
3 teaspoons sugar
DIRECTIONS
In a mixing bowl, combine uncooked rice, onion, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, allspice, salt and pepper. Add the ground beef (or turkey) to the bowl and mix well.
Form the meat mixture into 1 ½ inch balls.
With the cooker’s lid off, heat oil on HIGH or “Saute”, until sizzling.
Brown meatballs in the oil on at least 2 sides. You may need to work in small batches to brown them all. When finished, return all meatballs to the cooker.
Mix spaghetti sauce, beef broth and sugar and pour over meatballs in cooker and securely lock the pressure cooker’s lid. Set for 8 minutes on HIGH.
Let the pressure release naturally 10 minutes before performing a quick release for any remaining pressure. Set cooker to LOW or “warm” and serve.
Before I started making the meatballs, I started rice cooking in a double boiler, so I could serve the meatballs over the rice. A simple salad is a good way to complete the meal.
Assemble all ingredients first.
Then, I assembled all ingredients and chopped the onion. As I measured the first 8 ingredients in Step 1, I added them to a mixing bowl.
I usually do Step 3 first or at least before Step 2, which included adding the oil and turning on the Instant Pot to Sauté, so it can be heating.
I mixed the ground beef with my hands, trying not to overwork the meat. In Step 4, I added the meatballs to the oil to brown, using silicone tongs to carefully turn the meatballs as they brown. Browning on all sides as much as possible adds flavor to the dish.
Turn meatballs gently to brown on all sides.
I was able to brown all meatballs in the same batch.
However, if your meatballs are crowded, cook them in batches until all are
browned.
In Step 5, mix remaining ingredients and pour over the meatballs. To secure the lid, align the upside-down triangle with the vertical triangle “Open” on the cooker housing rim. Turn clockwise to lock in position.
(As in reading the manual, I found this process is faster if you actually locate the above marks and align them to lock the lid!)
Setting cooking time involves the Manual setting and
adjusting the time to 8 minutes. The temperature should come on the high
setting. About 10 seconds after you complete the settings, the LED light should
indicate ON. This means pressure is building to the appropriate temperature and
pressure, which also means you need to allow enough time for this to happen.
When this is complete, the light should change to the cooking time and count
down until cooking is completed.
After cooking is completed, the Instant Pot switches to WARM to keep the food warm and allow time for pressure to go down. Allow this to occur naturally instead of doing a Quick Release. At the end of 10 minutes, you should be able to turn the steam release handle to Venting to complete the release process. Be sure to stay away from the steam release handle to avoid burning yourself from remaining steam. Before opening the lid, make sure the float valve next to the Steam Release Handle has dropped down.
Ready to eat! Serve with or without rice and enjoy.
OBSERVATIONS AND/OR TIPS: (The products listed below in italics are clickable links for ordering. Hover over a product to see if there is a clickable link.)
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, this recipe could easily be cooked in a Dutch oven on the range. You would need to allow enough time for the rice to cook or add quick-cooking rice instead of long-grained uncooked rice.
Ground beef that is 80-20 is a good ratio of lean meat to fat, because it does not render so much fat that you need to drain it. Also – if you could get pasture-raised, grass-fed beef, it would be healthier.
Most vegetable oils are not the healthiest choices. I used avocado oil in this recipe. It can be heated to higher temperatures without breaking down like olive oil. Coconut oil (organic, unrefined cold-pressed is best) will also work.
You can vary the taste by selecting any type of chunky spaghetti sauce you like.
I also prefer brown sugar to white sugar. I often use a small amount of brown sugar to reduce the sharpness of my homemade spaghetti sauce.
The cookbook I referenced, Great Food Fast by Bob Warden, has some great-sounding recipes. I’ve already selected several to try next. If you’d like a copy of the cookbook, you can order it here.
If you try out this recipe in your Instant Pot, comment about your experience! Or let us know about other recipes you’ve tried and your own Instant Pot hacks!
Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
I
am taking this opportunity to tell you something very personal and actually
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If
you know me well, you know that I am an introvert – an extreme introvert.
(Sounds like a confession of sorts, doesn’t it?!) What that means for me is
that my energy comes from within. Interaction with others has always been on a
surface level until I get to know you very well. Even then, I don’t share a
great deal of myself on a personal level. Therefore, this blog is a huge leap
of faith for me!
My
blog is H.E.R. Life Hacks at https://herlifehacks.com. H.E.R.
stands for Home Economics Reimagined. As you may know, my career began as a
home economics teacher. Currently, the term Home Economics is no longer used.
It is now Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS). However, since I was a home
economics teacher, I chose to keep that terminology and add the term
“reimagined”, because the skills I learned throughout my education and career
have continued to grow and evolve with changing times. And at this point in my
life, I believe I have something to offer to others who are doing their best to
juggle personal lives and careers, manage family responsibilities and live their
lives with intention in an increasingly noisy and complicated world.
Home
economics (or Family and Consumer Sciences) is so broad and encompasses so many
facets of life that it is difficult to narrow the focus of my blog. On H.E.R.
Life Hacks website, blog posts are categorized as Home Style, Lifestyle and
Food. My goal is to address topics and tips that help you save time, money and
energy.
I
am looking to you, my readers, to help me narrow the focus to specific topics
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me know if you’d like to see more of a specific topic.
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Raise your hand if you got an Instant Pot for Christmas OR already had one. How often have you used it?
I’m sure it has already transformed your life. You’re cooking more healthy family meals at home and are constantly finding new ways to use it. (LOL!)
Truth? I’ve had one for about a year now, and I’ve only cooked a few things in it. I do have one recipe I like and have cooked it several times. Seems like I don’t have the time to find a recipe I want to try, have all the ingredients on hand or the time to learn the controls of my Instant Pot. My husband says I’m always surprised that mealtime comes around so regularly!
And I have another confession to make – one that is going to determine what I share with you. I’m really a very picky eater. I like my food plain and predictable. I’m not very adventurous when it comes to trying out new foods. And that presents a problem. There are lots of Instant Pot recipes out there, but most contain ingredients I don’t regularly buy and would never eat in the first place!
So – let’s talk a little about features of the Instant Pot first and meal situations for which it would be a good idea to use it. Then we’ll talk about recipes.
As you probably already know, the Instant Pot (and by the way, that’s not the only brand on the market) uses pressure and heat to cook a wide variety of foods more quickly than other methods. The pressure also tenderizes meats well. Most instant pots are programmable, with settings to sear, sauté, steam, slow-cook and simmer. All the settings and programming alone can confuse you and leave you saying “I’ll try it out when I have more time to actually read the manual”, and you never do.
If your recipe calls for the food to be crispy or crunchy, don’t use an Instant Pot. But for many other foods, it works great. It is especially good for meats (pot roast comes to mind). You can also cook vegetables, mac and cheese, soups, chili, and the list goes on and on.
If you want the CliffsNotes version (do they still have those??) of the article, here it is.
Start out using the Manual setting and leave the programming to learn later
Even though cooking time is greatly reduced, you need to add time for preheating and pressure release.
Don’t let it scare you. Instant Pots are much safer than the old “jiggling-top” pressure cookers. (I had one of those and was always nervous when it started jiggling too much!) Just be careful with the quick-release function and avoid the rush of escaping steam.
The Instant Pot is great for quick cooking, but if want the flavors of the recipe to develop more, use the slow cooker instead.
At least start out using recipes that are designed for the Instant Pot.
Just in case you go out on your own without a recipe, at least include some liquid.
Have a great Instant Pot recipe to share? Let us know about your experiences and tips in the comments section.
In the next post, I’ll start sharing some recipes I like and tips for success with them. See you then!
And, just in case you’re one of the few people who didn’t get an Instant Pot for Christmas, you can order yours here: https://amzn.to/2Rzop0h. It’s on sale now at Amazon!
Disclosure: Bear in mind that the above link is an affiliate link and if you go through it to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
