Tuesday Things.
1. Ummm so I finally broke down and got an Instant Pot. Ugh. It’s for a very specific reason (that you will benefit from!) but so far… I’m unimpressed. I actually feel like I can make the recipes on the stovetop in an instant more than in this pot. If I was naming something an Instant Pot, I’d like to throw tortillas, fish, avocados, salsa and slaw inside and make it instantly turn into fish tacos.
2. Majorly craving this enchilada chicken tortilla soup.
3. Can I get a fiddle leaf fig tree online? I’ve looked around here for years (and probably talked about it in 34 tuesday things posts since all I do is repeat myself) and they are NO WHERE! See also: I will probably kill it so just tell me about a really good looking fake one?
4. I can’t get into the true crime podcasts because most things like that SCARE THE CRAP out of me. Some I can handle. Most I cannot.
5. The only thing we watched this week was Divorce since it came back on HBO. Oh my gosh, Thomas Haden Church just makes us laugh out loud CONSTANTLY. And I’ll obviously forever love SJP. Such a good show. Also, just started Marvelous Mrs Maisel! Yes yes yes.
6. Can we please discuss the Tonya Harding special?! I’m still dying to see the movie and it’s only playing at a few random places… but it’s like, are we supposed to adore her now? I’m confused.
7. Who has read The Sarah Book? I started reading and listening to it (after reading about 40 reviews on Friday night, in the middle of the night, while feeding Emilia) and it’s SO good but so horrible at the same time. If you’ve read it, you probably get it?
8. Very into this idea of the morning gratitude routine. I always have done it the opposite way!
9. I’m so very sad that our Christmas decor is down and now the house just seems so DARK inside. I want something to replace the twinkle lights. Halp me.
10. If you grew up in Pittsburgh as a hockey fan in the 90s, this is a must see. Very heartbreaking and (hopefully will continue to be) inspiring.
82 Comments on “Tuesday Things.”
Cost Plus World Market has a fake fiddle leaf fig that a bunch of design bloggers have raved about. Also, not too unreasonably priced! I believe Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn also have versions.
thanks amy!
The fake version of the FLF is definitely the way to go. They are so stinking temperamental, and keeping them alive is nearly impossible. #bitter
Also, the Nesting with Grace blog has cute ideas for decorating with twinkle lights year round. Keeps that relaxing glow around even after Xmas is gone :)
this is my fear too! thanks lora!
I’ve had great success with two of these and the price is great!
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Delray-Plants-8-3-4-in-Ficus-Pandurata-Bush-in-Pot-10PAN/203380954
They aren’t a full tree (more like a bush) but mine has grown probably a foot or two since I got it and they look great!
I bought a fake one from Target and it just looks so fake. Make sure you get a good one if you go the fake route.
thank you so much!
I am so here for your Instant Pot indifference. My husband got one for Christmas and is obsessed with it, but, like, it takes the SAME amount of prep time as a Crock Pot, only with the Instant Pot you actually have to do work when you get HOME from work. No thanks. I’ll keep to my three crock pots (which I love and use very regularly).
hahaha! i hear ya!
I am with you with the Fiddle leaf. 1. I have not been able to find them in the midwest, 2. I have a brown thumb and scared I will spend a small fortune ordering a live one and kill it 6 months later, 3. Our apartment gets no light, so even the things that we should be able to keep alive die (like my spirit), 4. I am strongly considering faux- but they are crazy expensive too- but I will have it forever right? or until I get sick of it? or tired of dusting it? ugh. Kathleen of CBL recommended this one-> http://www.silkplantsdirect.com/fiddle-leaf-tree-green-pack-of-2-crg-752ftls.html a while back. I have also heard good things about the faux plants on wayfair from Young House Love (Maybe? i think it was sherry).
I’m obsessed with True Crime podcasts. 90% of the podcasts I listen to are that genre. But tbh, they make me crazy. I spend plenty of time questioning every relationship I have because how well do you REALLY know a person… someone I love is probably plotting my murder right now.
I will never love Tonya Harding. I only caught the tail end of the special, but she came off sooo flippant. I get that if she didn’t ACTUALLY have anything to do with it how it COMPLETELY and UTTERLY ruined her life, but can she honestly be blameless? I don’t know. I was 6 when it happened so I didn’t know details (and for some reason never launched my own investigation as an adult…), but I do remember the story and images, and watching the Olympics that year. The sitch was very suspect. ANYWAY… I want to see “I, Tonya” in a serious way. No one I know is as obsessed with the Olympics, or olympic athletes like I am so I will likely go alone lol.
Can you please share the true crime podcasts you listen to? I love them and I’m always looking for recommendations!!
I realize you weren’t asking me – but I just started listening to Buried. Only three episodes are out so far, which is kind of painful…. maybe wait until they’re all out so you can binge!
The obvious ones: Serial, S town, Up and Vanished, Sworn (is good and shorter- each episode discusses a different case). But in the last year I have listened to… :74 seconds by MPRnews- I’m a Minneapolitan and listened to this one as the episodes came out while the trial was taking place so I was enthralled, Dirty John, Young Charlie (not so much investigative, but a recount of the Charles Manson murders-which ended up being crazy eery because I was listening to this when he died), currently Atlanta Monster (only episodes 1 and 2 are out now and it is killing me). You listening to any good ones?
Thanks to both of you for recommendations! Carrie, I haven’t heard of Buried and will check it out! Hannah, I am just finishing 74 seconds. So crazy. I have listened to some of your recommendations but not all! The only one I can add is The Shot. It takes place where I live (Norfolk, Virginia) and it’s compelling!
Tonya Harding is the WORST. I was a teenager when it happened – she TOTALLY had something to do with it, has never expressed ANY remorse, and now wants journalists who ask about her past to be fined? She totally has a personality disorder, and is AWFUL.
Yeah, in the interviews, media coverage etc. since the incident she doesn’t come off remorseful at all. And when I say she comes off as flippant, it feels like she is exuding this “But i am a victim too! I lost EVERYTHING!” attitude and is so mad at the media. Which is why I say I realize she lost a lot, but I can’t imagine anyone who loves me going and hiring someone to commit this kind of assualt to further my career/life without ANY sort of indication from me that that is what I wanted, you know what I mean? But then again, people interpret things how they want to, and her boyfriend didn’t seem all their either. I don’t know all the details, but it is hard for me to believe that she didn’t plant the seed.
i would totally go with you! wish you lived closer!
First off so happy to hear you aren’t totally onboard with the instapot thing. I just cannot get into it.
Second I love a true crime anything, but I know it isn’t for everyone. Have you tried My Favorite Murder? Two female hosts who are hilarious and honest about their love for true crime and life in general. An incredible positive network has also sprung up from their fanbase that makes me smile on a regular basis.
Have a great week!
i haven’t because i am sooooo afraid and such a baby. but i know everyone loves it!
I love My Favorite Murder! :) I honestly used to be terrified of all things related to true crime (I couldn’t even watch the news), but somehow now it makes me feel better by directly confronting the fact that these terrible things happen in our world, in a way. But it’s definitely not for everyone (my husband included, ha) and so no need to feel like you have to give it a try if it’s not for you. But I did want to say that I’m also very confused with the renewed focus from “I, Tonya” … I haven’t seen it yet but I felt a little disturbed that it is considered a comedy? Albeit a dark one, but it was still a very real and very messed up situation.
I came to comment and recommend MFM, but figured someone had already beat me to the punch – haha!
I have to 2nd Harper’s recommendation though – the fact that it’s a comedy murder podcast (I know, how is that a thing? Trust us though, it just works) takes the edge off.
What’s up fellow murderino?!:)
Home Depot has a fiddle leaf – small one I think https://www.homedepot.com/p/Delray-Plants-8-3-4-in-Ficus-Pandurata-Bush-in-Pot-10PAN/203380954
I bought mine from Williams Sonoma (I had gift card haha) and it’s growing slowly! I got it last March or something, and it’s grown 3 leaves so far since then. I found out the more I ignore it the better it does.
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/fiddle-leaf/
thanks cori!! will check these out!
Oh oops. I don’t think you’d kill a real one, I thought I would and 17 houseplants later MOST have done well with research! I don’t do a lot of crazy plant lady things, but I gave my fiddle leaf fig a bright room (north east facing, exactly what they say NOT to do) and try REALLY hard not to over water it. It took some playing around with pot/planter sizing and the right room but it seems fairly happy and I hardly do anything to it anymore.
Totally disagree on the instant pot! I got the Crock pot version for Christmas (from myself lol) and the ability to sear meat in the SAME pot without more dishes is amazing. That, and I don’t have to assemble all my dinner in the crockpot before work, I can totally do it when I get home in the afternoon and it’s done in time. Meat falls apart tender and cooking chicken to shred when I need it for recipes is SO MUCH better than boiling (ew) or trying to pan cook a thick chicken breast that inevitably overcooks one side by the time you get the middle done. I guess if I had the time, it wouldn’t be necessary but because I usually don’t, I totally love it!
i totally get all of this! i think one of the reasons the pot didn’t impress me was because i already have a crockpot that sears IN the crockpot and i agree, that is life changing.
i have the same thing. crockpot that sorta also has a “stove” option. being able to cook in it before (like brown meat ) is the only way i am willing to make things in crockpot.
Melissa Clark’s cookbook Dinner in an Instant has been pretty incredible. I bought an Instant Pot after seeing a CBS Sunday Morning special on it featuring Melissa Clark and everything I’ve made has been fantastic!
https://www.amazon.com/Dinner-Instant-Recipes-Pressure-Multicooker/dp/1524762962
omg katelyn i totally forgot about this book. i love everything melissa clark does, so i’m going to check it out. thank you!
Qvc has a great game fiddle leaf but constantly sells out. http://www.qvc.com/5-Potted-Fiddle-Leaf-Tree-in-Pot-by-Valerie.product.H210720.html
thanks laura!
My favorite thing in the Instant Pot so far is rice in 8 minutes and unsoaked dry beans in like 45.
AGREE!! the beans thing IS a game changer for me.
Thanks for the instapot opinion! I’v been so back and forth and think I would feel the same way about it. For someone will limited kitchen storage I just don’t think it would be used enough. Also, can’t wait to read this book! Thanks!
Definitely fair criticism. I would argue though that since it’s a multicooker, it’s super useful for people with limited kitchen space. We lived in 900 sq feet until about 6 months ago, and it never left our counter top because it does so much — we use ours about once a week at least for things like hard boiled eggs, one pot pastas, spaghetti squash, mashed potatoes, chicken, beans and more. It’s absolutely not always faster than cooking on the stove top, but for certain things it really does make a difference.
i also think it’s great for someone in a small space because it is smaller than a slow cooker! so maybe it’s not great for seasoned kitchen people (like us, haha) but for someone starting out to build a kitchen and get appliances, i’d perhaps recommend the instant pot over the crock pot to save space!
i think i am the only person who has not heard of this fiddle fig tree ?
i am not into instapot either. My BFs sister has one and is like i can cook a ham in 8 mins or something equally crazy and im like hmmm why ?
im on the fence about tonya harding. at the time i sorta remember everyone being against her and as a kid not really understanding why since she was not the one that actually did anything. and damn it i wanted a girl to hit a triple axle ! in the years following though seeing nancy kerrigan seem to have a piss poor attitude (like the disney thing) made me feel a bit more on the tonya side. i tivoed the special and will watch later. and after the globes i really want to see the movie for some reason.
ive never seen divorced but really want to. always and forever heart sjp
omg tara i could not agree more. i had forgot about the disney nancy kerrigan thing until i saw a replay last week. and her attitude on dancing with stars a few years ago was sort of pissy too! i generally feel bad for tonya harding because her upbringing just seems so awful and sad. but it’s hard to think she didn’t know what was going on!
Just 15 minutes ago I was wondering if I could buy a fiddle leaf fig online too!
haha! great minds!
I think of my instant pot as a game changer for prepping food items or weeknight meals rather than just like a slow cooker.
Some of things I do daily/weekly:
1. steam eggs for 1-2 minutes for soft boiled eggs (or you can do a big batch and then pop into fridge)
2. Cook rice especially short grain brown rice which usually takes hour or so but i can do it in 40 minutes.
3. Bone broths / soup from whole chicken in just 45 minutes!
4. Steam veggies in broth to pop into the vitamix for soup
5. Steam/ cook awkward long cooking items like spaghetti squash.
6. Long braises on meat like beef cheeks, short ribs. Just make sure the pressure releases naturally not forced so it doesnt taste boiled.
Hope that helps!! I think with more time you might find yourself using more often.
Came down here to hope someone would share this. We’re obsessed with our pot for the exact reasons you list. My husband calls it the chicken toaster for its ability to cook a whole chicken to juicy (albeit falling off the bone so much it’s kind of ugly) perfection and yield four cups of the most gelatinous broth ever in less than an hour. We use this recipe and are in love: http://healinggourmet.com/healthy-recipes/pressure-cooker-chicken/
Other than the stuff Chrissy notes above (which I agree with 100 percent), I would also add that we use ours for dried beans — no soaking necessary and ready in about 30 mins once it comes up to pressure. I make hummus frequently, and haven’t bought canned chickpeas in years. Adding a little baking soda to the cooking water makes the chickpeas basically fall apart — SMOOTHEST hummus ever and you don’t have to go to the hassle of shelling them (because who has the time!?).
actually, i totally agree that THESE are the reasons i really like the instant pot!!! especially the eggs and the dried beans and rice. i should have been more specific above and said for full meals i wasn’t impressed!
TOTALLY agree! I think the problem with the instant pot craze is that people want to cook EVERYTHING in the IP. It isn’t meant for everything, just like a slow cooker isn’t meant for everything! My favorite things to make are – eggs, broths and soups, GREEK YOGURT (total game changer I will never buy it from the store again!!), steel cut oats, and tough meats. Stuff that takes a long time to do on the stove, or things I never remember to put in the crock pot in the morning! Just like anything else, it is a tool to use in the kitchen and is not a be all end all. LOVE my IP, but for specific things!
I am totally out of the loop on the fiddle leaf fig, now I will research. Something else for me to want, lol. I also don’t love the instapot at all. Which crockpot do you have that Sears, Jessica? I love my basic one but I think I need an upgrade. I forgot Divorce was back on, oooh! I’ll watch tonight. I loved Mrs. Maisel!
i have this one! i love it SO much. i sear everything in it!
https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-MSC-800-Central-Multi-Cooker-quart/dp/B0053WRWX8
Apt Therapy did a post on the best faux FLFs not too long: https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/review-the-best-fake-faux-fiddle-leaf-fig-tree-world-market-wayfair-amazon-252704
thank you jenni!
I’m with you – I don’t love the IP as much as I’d hoped. I’ve had some luck with cooking chicken/steak for tacos, but most recipes I’ve tried haven’t been keepers.
I do, however, bust it out 1-2 times a week to make hard boiled eggs. It’s far easier to do them in the IP than on the stovetop. I regularly make them while getting ready in the morning. I follow Skinnytaste’s method (5 min. on high pressure + 5 minutes natural release, then release all steam, eggs into an ice bath).
agree, love it for this and dried beans too!
For me, the biggest selling point if the Instant Pot is that I’m gone for 10-11 hours during the day… and I think pretty much any meal I’ve made in the crock pot comes out dry and/or just has a “crock-pot cooked” texture after that long (and I even have one that goes to keep warm after a set amount of time). Also, there is no way I could ever do chicken with being gone that long, it would be sooo dry!
With the Instant Pot, I can do the same things once I get home (granted, I get home 2-3 hours before we eat so I have time for longer cooking ones) and I think they turn out better! Seriously, I’ve had very very few meat recipes from a crock pot that aren’t still a tiny bit dry. I think shredded meat from the IP is the best I’ve ever had.
But, I do agree that it’s not the savior of the kitchen like a lot of people act. I cook mostly from scratch so am not necessarily looking for IP recipes where I dump in 3 ingredients and walk away, although I imagine that is when it truly seems like the best product ever. :) If you haven’t tried hardboiled eggs yet, you should. They turn out better than any of the dozens of methods you can find online!
i totally agree – crock pot meals tend to TASTE like crock pot!
Go see I tonya…we totally enjoyed it. Allison Janney is excellent…its kinda of campy and we laughed a lot and the music in certain sense…ugh so great!!! I still do not have any sympathy for Tonya Harding.
I’m dying to see it and Allison Janney is one of my favorite actors!
The idea of an instapot never appealed to me but I am curious to see what you will do with it. I’ve always just been a fan of the slow cooker. But fun fact, people use instapot in science labs.
Oooh The Sarah Book sounds so good. Ordering it now! Even though I don’t have time to read.
There hasn’t been anything good to watch lately, at least not online, so I’ve been watching Scrubs. Loved that show way back when. But I’m really excited for the next season of The Handmaid’s Tale to come out. But I’m also nervous because I heard it’s darker than season 1 and I’ve been trying to keep the happy go lucky more prevalent in my life, hence, the Scrubs watching.
Today, I’ve been working on creating a more productive morning routine. I started using the Pomodoro technique, have used it before for different task, but am using it now to help me read through science articles in my field. But I love the morning gratitude link you shared so I’ll have to incorporate that in as well.
I love that you are doing that in your morning routine! xo
Amazon now sells plants. They have several options from young FLF trees to mature trees at varying price points. You can pretty much find any of the plants lifestyle & design bloggers write about on Amazon now. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=fiddle+leaf+fig+tree
oooh thank you!!
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I’m so glad to hear you aren’t in love with the Instant Pot! I have a pressure cooker and several crockpots so I’ve wondered if it’s actually worth the hype (and I’d have to get rid os something – was!). I’ve bought trees online at http://www.fast-growing-trees.com and had good luck. And, no, we will never adore Tonya Harding!
thanks PJ!
I’m so with you on the Instant Pot. I bought one about a year ago and I’ve forced myself to use it a handful of times. And every time I think this would be so much easier (and quicker!) in a regular pot. I want to see what you did in it though!
I missed the Tonya Harding special but I want to see it and the movie. I’ve been reading like every article about her though!
Hello Jessica, happy new one, in delayed mode… About your Xmas tree and the dark it leaves in your house, why don’t you invent a new spring/summer version by dressing an ordinary tree/plant with glittering lights, small ones, or a cactus or a statue (I do this for the winter for my fountain in the garden) I am sure you will come up with a good idea for your place. O maybe dress up a scarecrow of your own and cover with lights? Or make a tree with empty bottles (beer or else) and cover in lights, then you get a glass summer tree! I have a photo I can send as an example. I know you have so much imagination that such a project can be fun to make with Max…or not.
Home decor bloggers Young House Love just covered fake plants on their podcast. I love that they put a fake tree on the front porch and if the live one I bought last year ends up dying (it looks like hell, but I’m waiting until spring to make any final declarations) I am completely buying the fake one they recommended.
https://www.younghouselove.com/2017/10/podcast-68/
Have you tried the Criminal podcast? Each episode is fairly short and most of them aren’t that dark. I really like Phoebe Judge’s voice.
My step daughter just got the crock pot version of the IP and loves it. I have too many other gadgets and too small a house so I’ll live vicariously through her!
Wow. Just wow. That documentary was absolutely tremendous. And just cements my love for the Pittsburgh Penguins that much more. To see that his former teammates have stood by him and been there to help pick up the pieces is amazing. #66. Truly a gentleman.
Someone may have already posted this already but here’s a fiddle leaf fig tree!
https://www.crateandbarrel.com/faux-fiddle-leaf-fig-trees/f76313
Crate and Barrel always have great quality things :)
Glad I wasn’t the only one unimpressed with the Instant Pot. I had it for one day, cooked with it and returned it the next day. I wish I was more excited. :(
1. GAH YES!!!! I’m so unimpressed too! I kept seeing the instant pot everywhere – like I felt like a bad person/blogger for NOT having one. So I caved. Its like meh, I don’t get it.
6. I’m going on a date night tonight to see the movie. BUT, at the Critics Choice awards Olivia Munn spoofed the movie doing a trailer called “I, Nancy: What the F*$!” LOL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dI7ZuHayxo
Hi Jessica. Have you tried Risotto in the Instant Pot? I make a delicious Pumpkin Risotto that only needs 7 minutes cook time and no stirring!
P.S. Thanks for all your great recipes from a fellow Pittsburgher
Yes on the instapot sentiments. The day you begin to rave about it being a staple in your kitchen is the day I will go purchase one for myself.
Oh don’t hate on the Instant Pot!!! I wasn’t a fan when I first got mine. I was like, it’s not really 12 minutes to cook my chicken when it takes 10-15 damn minutes to even come to pressure! But I have to say that over a year later and I have accepted it gladly into my fold of kitchen must-haves. I use it weekly to make bone broth which comes out amazingly gelatinous and stinks the house up A LOT LESS than 24 hours in the crockpot. To be honest, I rarely use the sauté feature unless a recipe specifically calls for it. The IP has saved me numerous times if I don’t quite have enough time for a long crockpot or oven cook or if I need to make some quick shredded meats (lifesaver!). I mentally budget an extra 15-30 minutes of planning for every recipe to 1) account for time to come to pressure and 2) time to naturally de-pressurize (my preference). If you think about it, your oven takes about 10 minutes to pre-heat anyway, so time to get to pressure is basically a wash with oven preheating. It definitely takes time to get used to and for me, it hasn’t replaced any of my 3 crockpots (after all, you need different sizes for different recipes, am I right?!!) It’s another handy tool in the kitchen, and I can convert almost any recipe to the IP if needed. If I had to downsize and could only choose one IP or one crockpot, I would choose the IP because it can do both quick cooking and slow cooking. I think the only thing I would want to change about the IP is its shape. I would prefer an oval shape versus the tall cylindrical one. :-) You are my favorite blog to read. Thank you for always brightening my day with your wit and inspiration!
have you started watching 9-1-1 on Fox (Wed Night)? OMG – it’s so good. I love it. It has Peter Krause from Six Feet Under. I absolutely love this show. *sigh* It has a great story line with 911 calls thrown into the mix. Love!
This time of year, I like lots and lots of flame-less candles. That creates a nice glow without being dangerous to the kiddos. Plus it’s an easy segue into romantic decorations for Valentine’s Day. For another idea, my mom keeps a small tabletop “holiday tree” in her house. She just changes up the decorations to fit which holiday it is: Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Fourth of July, etc, etc. I adore her little ceramic Easter eggs! :)
Your Fiddle Leaf Tree…..Amazon! You! They have everything. I live in small town America & I am new to this area. Amazon is my go to place for just about everything. I wanted a Meyers Lemon Tree (here in Maine it is not advised) so I went to Amazon. 6 months I’ve had it & so far so good! I even have lemons on it!
Give the instant pot a chance! It may still take some time, but it gives “cooked all day” flavor in a fraction of the time in my opinion.
I also TOTALLY agree on the Melissa Clark Dinner in an Instant book… NO STIR RISOTTO and the rice cooks in 6 minutes! It was unreal. Also, the mac and cheese recipe is so creamy because the pasta, cheese, and starchy water make the sauce… delicious!
Hope you rethink it!
If you miss your Christmas Tree, do what we did, purchase a Cherry Blossom Tree from Costco & have used it for over 5 years in the corner of the Living room & everyone comments on how beautiful it is.. I think you can still find the large ones on Amazon…
I felt the same way about the instant pot! I am going to experiment more, but I feel like if you know how to cook…you don’t really need it? Underwhelmed by the air fryer too. But I think it may just take a while to adjust and find a groove with both. Kind of like when you get a new oven. Excited to see any recipe you come up with though! 💕💕
I bought an instant pot about three weeks ago. It’s a fun gadget. For things like chicken cacciatore, or some pasta recipes, while it was good, I think my traditional recipes are better. But it is fast, and it is easy; some days that counts the most. The pulled pork and sloppy joes I made in it were some of the best ever. Yesterday I made mini cheesecakes for two, and they were great. It does wonderful rice too. While I am not getting rid of my slow cooker, the Instant Pot has its place for sure.
I hope you decide you like it more; then you will perhaps share the recipes you make in it. 😊
How about you decorate with those christmas rice lights all around? They add warmth and nice light in the room at night.
Or put them inside or around a wine bottle and place it in a corner of the room.
And why don’t you try the night gratitude? Write or count your blessings before you sleep or write them in a small notebook on your nightstand
Thanks to all for share your opinions.
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