Nestled in the Woods
  • Home
    • Schedule
    • Our Beliefs
  • Nature Studies
    • Macroinvertebrates
    • Night Time Sky
    • Amphibians
    • Fresh Water Fish
  • Unit Studies
    • Unit Study: Sacagawea
    • Unit Study: Amelia Earhart
    • Unit Study: 4th Grade Georgia Geography
  • Blog

Instant Pot Sloppy Joes: A Quick and Healthy Dinner for Homeschool Moms

11/25/2024

 
Picture
​Homeschooling moms, I see you! Between lesson plans, field trips, and daily activities, dinner can feel like one more thing to juggle. Enter Instant Pot Sloppy Joes, a quick and nutritious meal that will satisfy your family and allow you more time for what matters.
​
This recipe uses grass-fed beef, a healthier alternative packed with omega-3s and free of antibiotics. Pair it with your favorite buns, a quick salad, or some steamed veggies, and you’ve got dinner ready in under 30 minutes!

Ingredients: 
2 pounds of grass-fed beef
1 small onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
½ cup water or beef broth
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 Tablespoon liquid aminos (soy alternative)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar 
¾ cup ketchup
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:
Sauté the Beef and Veggies:
Set your Instant Pot to the sauté function. Add the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks. Once browned, drain excess fat if necessary. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened.

Mix the Sauce:
In a small bowl, whisk together ketchup, tomato paste, mustard, oregano, liquid aminos, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and water. Pour the mixture into the Instant Pot and stir to coat the beef evenly.

Pressure Cook:
Cancel the sauté function. Seal the Instant Pot lid and set it to manual pressure for 5 minutes. Once the timer goes off, allow pressure to do a natural release for about 5 minutes. 

Thicken the Sauce:
Open the lid and stir. If the mixture is too thin, turn on the sauté function and simmer for 2–3 minutes until thickened.

Serve and Enjoy:
Spoon the sloppy joe mixture onto buns or serve over baked potatoes. Serve with a side of veggies or coleslaw for a balanced meal.

Quick and Easy Instant Pot Curry Chicken: Perfect Weeknight Dinner

5/18/2024

 
Picture
Are you craving a flavorful, comforting curry chicken recipe but short on time? My deliciously quick and easy Instant Pot curry chicken is a lifesaver! This recipe is a healthy choice using organic ingredients and a blend of spices that fill your taste buds with rich, aromatic flavors with minimal effort. 

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons organic coconut oil
3 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 yellow onion, diced
2 teaspoons ground or fresh ginger
2 teaspoons granulated garlic or minced garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup chicken broth (or water)
1 lb. organic boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced into 1” pieces
1 lb. organic boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1” pieces
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon sourdough discard (or your choice of thickener)
1 cup coconut milk
​
Directions: 
Sauté the Spices

Preheat the Instant Pot on the sauté setting. Once the inner pot is hot, pour in the cooking oil, wait for the oil to shimmer, and add the curry powder, cumin, and turmeric.  Sauté the spices for 1-2 minutes or until the spices are darkened and fragrant.

Cook the Aromatics:
Add the diced onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir to combine, and add more broth or water as needed to prevent any bits from getting stuck on the bottom of your insert, triggering the burn notification. 

​Incorporate the Tomato Paste:
Add the tomato paste and make sure the ingredients are evenly mixed. 

Deglaze the Pot:
Begin by adding about ½ cup of chicken broth or water and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze any bits that are sticking.

Add the Chicken:
Cancel the Sauté function, add the diced chicken thighs, breasts, sea salt, and stir to combine. 

Pressure Cook:
Secure the lid and set the steam valve to seal. Select the manual setting and program it for 5 minutes on high pressure. Once the cooking is complete, perform a quick pressure release and then open the lid.

Thicken the Sauce:
In a small bowl, combine the sourdough discard with two tablespoons of the curry liquid and whisk until smooth. Next, pour the slurry into the Instant Pot and add the remaining coconut milk. Stir to combine and simmer until the sauce thickens.

Finish and Serve:
Serve immediately over curried yellow rice and pair with roasted broccoli parmesan. 

This quick and easy Instant Pot curry chicken is perfect for any night of the week. I recommend pairing this dish with Roasted Parmesan Broccoli and Instant Pot yellow rice (click links for recipe) for a meal sure to wow your family.

Pressure Cooker Bone-In Pulled Pork Shoulder

1/27/2024

 
Picture
Pulled or shredded pork is one of the most delicious dishes for a party or picnic! Among all pork recipes, pulled pork is the most versatile, used to make sandwiches, tacos, burritos, and salads, or it can also be eaten as a meal! This yummy dish is ready in just over an hour using a pressure cooker.

Ingredients:
3 pounds pork shoulder, bone-in
12 oz light beer (you could also use one cup of chicken broth or ginger ale.)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup BBQ sauce, more to taste

Directions: 
  1. Mix dry ingredients and rub all over the pork shoulder.
  2. Place a trivet in the bottom of the pressure cooker.
  3. Add the beer or broth to the pressure cooker.
  4. Add pork, close the lid, seal the valve, and cook on manual high pressure for 65 minutes.
  5. When done, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes.

The juice that the roast is cooked in will be a combination of beer and the fat from the roast. Use this to spoon over the shredded pork before you put barbeque sauce on it. The flavor of the juice will enhance the flavor of the pork.

Mix in your favorite fav BBQ sauce. Here's my homemade BBQ sauce recipe.​

Easy Instant Pot Boiled Peanuts

7/18/2020

 
Picture
Let’s talk about boiled peanuts a true 𝒮𝑜𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝓃 delicacy! I used to cook boiled peanuts all day in my crockpot, but you can cut your cooking time down substantially in a pressure cooker. My 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐬 recipe is delicious, the peanuts come out tender, and it is so easy to make!  Boiled peanuts are the perfect summertime snack. If you have never had the pleasure of eating a boiled peanut, you need to try this recipe. It’s kid-friendly and southern mom approved!  Now that I know how fast and easy it is to make my life is just about complete.
Picture
Picture
Ingredients:
2 pounds raw peanuts
1/3 cup salt 
Water to cover

Instructions: 
  1. Place peanuts in Instant Pot.
  2. Add water to cover the peanuts.
  3. Place the Instant Pot steamer rack on top of the peanuts and gently push the peanuts down. You can keep this rack in the Instant Pot during cooking to help weigh them down.
  4. Place lid on Instant Pot and turn the valve to sealing position.
  5. Set to Manual Pressure for 90 minutes.
  6. When the timer goes off let it natural release for 30 minutes. Then open the valve to release any remaining pressure and remove the lid.

Side Notes: 
  • I keep the peanuts in the pressure cooker for another hour and stir every 30 minutes.
  • Bag them in quart bags and place them in your freezer! 

Easy Make Ahead Instant Pot Boiled Eggs

3/16/2020

 
Picture
​Sometimes, life gets busy and stressful it can be tempting to fall back on bad habits such as eating unhealthy, highly processed, convenience foods. Boiled eggs are always my go-to breakfast when I'm looking to plan healthy, protein-packed morning meals. It is fast to prepare and cook, and there are only two pots to clean up!

Ingredients:
12 eggs
1 cup of water

Directions:
Place a trivet in the bottom of the pot.
Add 1 cup of water.
Add 12 eggs onto the trivet.
Close the lid on the Instant Pot and set the pressure release valve to SEALING.
Cook using the Manual setting for 5 minutes. This will give you a soft middle.
When the timer goes off, release the pressure, fill a bowl with ice water, and place the eggs in the bowl to stop the cooking process.  Peel the eggs and place them in an air-tight container in your refrigerator and enjoy! 

    WElcome!

    I am a homemaker and Home Educator of our four children at Soaring Pine Private Academy. Gratitude fills my heart for each day that God blesses me with my sweet family. I invite you to explore my blog, where I share our homeschooling adventures from our home nestled in the woods, along with delightful recipes and more!

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    September 2022
    June 2022
    February 2022
    September 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019

    Categories

    All
    Air Fryer
    Beef
    Breakfast
    Chicken
    Christmas
    Crockpot
    Dinner
    Easter
    Fall
    Frugal Living
    Gardening
    Get Outside
    Handicrafts
    Instant Pot
    Italian
    Korean
    Learn Through Play
    Menu Planning
    Mexican
    Movie Night
    Nature Study
    Our School
    Pork
    Pressure Cooker
    Recipes
    Sauces
    Sides
    Slow Cooker
    Snacks
    Sourdough
    Tea Party
    Unit Studies
    Welcome
    Winter Fun

    RSS Feed

"Mothers work wonders once they are convinced that wonders are demanded of them."
Charlotte Mason 
© 2025 All rights reserved. NestledInTheWoods.com
  • Home
    • Schedule
    • Our Beliefs
  • Nature Studies
    • Macroinvertebrates
    • Night Time Sky
    • Amphibians
    • Fresh Water Fish
  • Unit Studies
    • Unit Study: Sacagawea
    • Unit Study: Amelia Earhart
    • Unit Study: 4th Grade Georgia Geography
  • Blog