Attempting to be a Super Mom

 Do you watch Sister Wives? I sure do. Christine has always been my favorite, and the fact that she now has a cooking segment with TLC is my favorite. Here is her Beef Pot Pie recipe which I made for the family and we loved it. Beef Pot Pie 1/2 cup flour 1 tbsp garlic salt 1 tsp paprika 1 1/2 lbs stew meat 2 tbsp avocado oil 1 medium onion, chopped 5 small yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch chunks 3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks 2 cups water 1 packet brown gravy mix 1 box double pie crusts, thawed Combine the flour, garlic salt, and paprika in a large bowl. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and toss in the flour mixture to coat well. Heat an instant pot on the saute setting and add 1 tbsp of the oil.  When the oil is hot, add half of the beef and brown on all sides.  Removed to a plate and repeat with the remaining oil and floured beef. Once all of the beef is browned, add it back to the pot with the onions, potatoes, carrots and any remaining flour ...

 This is such a simple thing but I always forget how to do it. I'm leaving this here as a place for me to always find it, but for anyone else who may want it as well.  Instant Pot Baked Potatoes Put the trivet in the instant pot. Pour in 1 cup of cold water for a 6 qt model or 1 1/2 cups of cold water for an 8 qt model. Scrub the potatoes well and prick the potatoes several times with a fork or knife. Cook on high pressure. 10 minutes for small potatoes 12 minutes for medium potatoes 16 minutes for large potatoes 20 minutes for extra large potatoes Allow the pressure to release naturally for 8-10 minutes before venting. If you want crispy skin, brush the potatoes with olive oil or melted butter and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or broil for 2-3 minutes per side.

 I love quick and easy meals as all 4 of the kids do multiple activities. My husband sent me this recipe and asked if it would be too hard for dinner. I read it over and realized I had everything, or almost everything so I through it together, with the exception of the nori. It was so good, easy, and very fresh tasting. I served it with sautéed zucchini. Chicken Teriyaki Sushi Bowl 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces 1 bottle teriyaki chicken marinade 1 english cucumber, cut into wedges 1 lg avocado, sliced sesame seeds 2 sheets nori, cut into triangles Place the chicken along with 1/2 cup teriyaki marinade into a large sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Turn off the heat, drain the liquid from the pan and coat the chicken with 1 cup of teriyaki sauce. Serve the chicken in a bowl over rice along with the cucumber, avocado, and nori triangles. Drizzle sriracha mayo and sprinkle se...

We love a nice, body warming, creamy potato soup in our house. This recipe from  Sugar Spun Run  was really good! Creamy Potato Soup 6 strips bacon, uncooked and cut into small pieces 3 tbsp butter 1 yellow onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/3 C flour 2 1/2 lbs gold potatoes, peeled and diced into pieces no larger than 1" 4 C chicken stock 2 C milk 2/3 C heavy cream 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder 2/3 C sour cream Place bacon in a large Dutch Oven over medium heat and cook until bacon is crisp and browned. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.  Add the butter and onion. Cook over medium heat until onions are tender. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients in the pot and stir until smooth. Whisk if needed.  Add diced potatoes to the pot along with chicken stock, milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, ancho chili powder. Stir well. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender whe...

We had this Korean restaurant here that we loved so much, but it closed recently and left a hole in our stomachs. This is in no way the same thing, but it's nice for a quick and easy dinner that gives us a bit of that warm feeling we got from O Cafe. I got this recipe from  The Recipe Critic . This is the recipe that I use to feed all 6 of us. Korean Ground Beef Bowls 3 lbs ground beef 9 garlic cloves, minced 3/4 C brown sugar 3/4 C soy sauce 6 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp ground ginger 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper 3/4 tsp pepper sliced green onion and sesame seeds for garnishing In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and garlic until browned crumbles. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper, and pepper. Pour over the ground beef and let it simmer for another minute or two. Serve over hot rice, topped with green onion and sesame seeds. I usually serve this with a green vegetable.

A while ago, my friend sent me a picture of a chickpea salad she had made for her kids and they loved it. The picture alone made my mouth water, so I decided to make pork souvlaki and add this as a side. I used the recipe I found on Delish and added the cherry tomatoes like my friend had in hers and it was sooo good.  Mediterranean Chickpea Salad 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 medium cucumber, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 1 C cherry tomatoes, cut in half 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 1/2 C kalamata olives, chopped 1/2 C crumbled feta salt pepper Lemon Parsley Vinaigrette  1/2 C EVOO 1/4 C white wine vinegar 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes salt and pepper In a large bowl, mix together the chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, olives, and feta. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. In a jar, mix together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, red pepper flakes and shake it until emulsi...

 In my house, we LOVE Greek and Mediterranean food. This Pork Souvlaki came from a Healthy Greek cookbook I have, and we do it often. Pork Souvlaki 3 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes 1/3 C freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/3 C EVOO 2 tbsp salt 2 tbsp pepper 1 tbsp dried Greek oregano 2 red onions, quartered 3 bell peppers, any color, cut into 1-inch squares Lemon wedges, for garnishing and squeezing on to finished dish Preheat the grill to med-high heat. In a large bowl, combine the pork, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. Let sit for 15 minutes. Assemble skewers: Alternate pork pieces with red onion and bell pepper. When adding the onion, pull off 2 layers from each quarter and put them on the skewer. Grill the souvlaki for 7 minutes. turn and cook for another 7-8 minutes more, or until the pork is done.  Squeeze lemon wedges over the pork after serving.

 I have this really good and easy Pork Souvlaki recipe that I will have to add as well. It is really good, but it definitely needs some kind of sides. I found this Lemon Orzo recipe and the kids wolfed it down. We had hardly any leftovers. Lemon Orzo 1 lemon, for juicing and zesting 1 C orzo 2 1/2 C chicken stock 1/2 tsp dry oregano 1/2 tbsp butter 1 tsp fresh mint, finely chopped Zest the lemon. Bring the orzo, chicken stock, lemon zest, and oregano to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 13-15 minutes, uncovered until the orzo is tender. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Let it rest for 5 minutes.  Juice half the lemon onto the orzo, add the mint and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 The beginning of Lent brings on a need for meatless meals. Seeing as my kids can sometimes be picky and my husband needs some kind of meat, fish, or replacement protein to feel full I decided to find a homemade Alfredo sauce recipe that I could add a ton of shrimp and mix with pasta and steamed broccoli. This one , much like the rest of the recipes on The Salty Marshmallow, was delicious! It was also insanely easy. I will never buy jarred Alfredo sauce again. Best Homemade Alfredo Sauce 1/2 C butter 1 1/2 C heavy whipping cream 2 tsp garlic, minced 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 2 C freshly grated parmesan cheese Add the butter and cream to a skillet and let simmer for 2 minutes. Whisk in the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper for one minute. Whisk in the parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Serve immediately.

 It's been cold and rainy here lately. I needed something a little different to feed the family for the night, and I wanted to take advantage of the end of soup season. I found this recipe online at  The Cookie Rookie  and it was a major hit with the family. Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup 2 Tbsp cooking oil (I use avocado oil) 3 carrots, chopped 3 celery stalks, chopped 1 onion, chopped cooked ham, cubed (I used a half ham from Costco) 4 garlic cloves, minced 8 cups chicken stock 5 15.5 oz cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed 1 Tbsp soy sauce 3 tsp white wine vinegar 3 tsp Italian seasoning 2 tsp thyme 1 tsp salt 2 bay leaves Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add oil. When hot, add the carrots, onion, celery. Stir occasionally until the onion starts to soften. Add the ham and garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add the chicken stock, beans, soy sauce, vinegar, seasoning, thyme, salt, and bay leaves. Turn off the sauté mode and set the Instant Pot to pressure...