Instant Pot Review + Tips, Hacks and Giveaway

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The Instant Pot is one of my favorite things! I’ve had mine for 2 years now, and still rave about it to everyone I know. I gave my parents one for Christmas and now they are hooked, too!

If you want to cut straight to the chase, you can check out some of my favorite Instant Pot recipes, hacks and cooking tips I’ve pinned to my Pinterest Board: I Love My Instant Pot.

What’s an Instant Pot

If you haven’t already heard about the Instant Pot, it’s a programmable electric pressure cooker that takes the place of 7 kitchen appliances/cooking functions. It’s a Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer. Not only is it super versatile, but it also let’s you prepare healthy, tasty dishes up to 70% faster. It’s great for parties and entertaining since it keeps food warm for hours.

Instant Pot Bone Broth and Stew for Pets and People

In addition to cooking for your human family members, you can also use the Instant Pot to cook for your dog! Making bone broth is super easy in the Instant Pot and I usually make several batches each month and always make a batch with NO onions or garlic so that it’s safe for Daisy. I also make dog-friendly stew to store in the freezer in small portions for Daisy. Her favorite is a fish and sweet potato stew but I like to experiment.

How to Store Broth, Stew and Batch Cooking

I find the easiest way to freeze and store bone broth, stew and soup in small portions is using these Square Silicone Molds. Each tray holds 8 4oz cubes so portions are pre-measured when I want to pop a few out of the freezer to use them. I learned this tip from Michelle Tam at Nom Nom Paleo. She’s got amazing Instant Pot Recipes and Tips on her blog!

Easy to Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

Another of my favorite IP tricks is making hard-boiled eggs in the Instant Pot. Although it’s not really much faster than other methods, the pressure makes them way easier to peel than any other way I’ve tried. I use this method as my guide but usually put them in a bowl of ice and water to chill them quickly as soon as they are done cooking.

Getting Started with Instant Pot

There are SO many things I make in my Instant Pot: steamed beets, carnitas, “baked” sweet potatoes, short ribs, corned beef & cabbage, shredded chicken…you can even make cheesecake although I haven’t tried that one yet!

If you don’t know where to get started, LifeHacker has done a list of The First 7 Things You Should Make With a New Instant Pot.

You can also join the Official Instant Pot Community Group on Facebook. You’ll connect with all kinds of IP Fanatics and real people sharing Instant Pot recipes, ideas tips and solutions.

In addition to what’s on my Pinterest board, these are some of my favorite Instant Pot recipes and resources:

 

Got a dad or hubby who loves to cook? The Instant Pot makes a GREAT Father’s Day gift idea!

Where to Buy an Instant Pot

If you’re wondering where to buy an Instant Pot, I recommend Amazon.com. I got mine on sale HERE and as new models come out, the previous version usually becomes a great bargain. You’ll also spot Gold Box deals on Instant Pot from time to time as well as Black Friday and Cyber Week deals.

Instant Pot Giveaway

Want a chance to WIN an Instant Pot? Enter our giveaway!

Use the contest widget below to enter for a chance to WIN an Instant Pot 7 In 1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, 6 Quart. $99 value.
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Trick or Treat! Happy Halloween Roundup for Pets (& Their People)

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Halloween Pets Roundup

Happy Halloween to all our furry friends and pet lovers! Or should we say HOWL-oween!?!

We hope everyone has a super spooky Halloween with lots of treats and maybe a few fun tricks. To help kick off the festivities, Daisy and I have put together a roundup of some of our favorite Halloween tips, recipes, freebies, deals and other Halloween-themed goodies. Enjoy, have fun, and stay safe everybody!

Halloween Roundup for Pets (& Their People)

The Best Dog Tricks on the Planet: 106 Amazing Things Your Dog Can Do on Command

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best dog tricks book

Wouldn’t it be great if you could teach your dog to bring you the newspaper, get you a tissue when you sneeze, and even help sort the laundry? These are just a few of the fun and amazing tricks you and your dog can learn from the new book The Best Dog Tricks on the Planet: 106 Amazing Things Your Dog Can Do on Command by celebrity dog trainer Babette Haggerty.

sort laundry dog trick

Starting with basic Building Blocks, and then moving on to more advanced and original tricks, the book includes detailed photos and step-by-step instructions to teach you how to teach your dog to do some really amazing stuff including:

  • Bring Me the Ringing Phone
  • Wipe Your Feet
  • Turn the Lights On and Off
  • Open the Door
  • Balance an Egg on Your Nose
  • Strum a Guitar

Daisy and I have skipped ahead to Chapter 4 Circus Tricks and are going to surprise Woof Woof Papa with the Army Crawl trick for Christmas morning if we can learn it in time. Since he’s an Army veteran, I thought that would be so cute! (Hopefully he doesn’t decide that NOW is a good time to start catching up on reading my recent blog posts! LOL)

As the author points out, training your dog to do tricks isn’t just for the entertainment value or even just so that you can have a well-behaved dog. More importantly, it also creates a strong bond between you and helps your dog learn boundaries, makes them happier, more confident and relaxed. Don’t we ALL want that for our fur kids?

This book makes a great gift idea for any dog lover on your list, so you might want to snag a few extra copies to have on hand in addition to one for yourself. The book is so entertaining and easy to follow that it’s perfect for anyone from your Tweens to Grandma & Grandpa! It would also make a thoughtful Thank You gift for your dog’s favorite groomer, pet sitter, or other important pet person in their life.

dog trick book back cover

You can get it at Amazon in both Kindle and Paperback formats. I love the printed version for the coffee table, since it’s fun for people to flip through and try out when they visit, but I’m also thinking of downloading the Kindle version so that I can have the detailed training tips with me on my phone when Daisy & I are out at the park, too!

Super FUN Spring-Loaded Pet Treat Launcher

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pet treat launcher

I just ordered this in orange for Daisy and couldn’t resist sharing the deal with you all, too! Doggyloot has the Unique Petz Treat Launcher for 52% OFF the regular price, so it’s only $12 ($25 reg.) with Free Shipping included.

Choose from black, pink or orange. Looks super fun for teaching Daisy some new tricks by launching kibble for her to catch in mid air! Batteries are not needed, since it’s spring-loaded so only expense is what you decide to put in the launcher. Go here to see all the fun pet deals currently available at doggyloot!

101 Dog Tricks Book: Paperback and Kindle Editions on Sale!

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101 dog tricks book

Teaching your dog new tricks can be both fun and challenging. I’m always on the lookout for tools and training tips and this book, 101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog, caught my eye today. When I did a little price comparison around the web, I came up with 2 ways to save when you buy it:

Kindle Edition $8.79 ($18.99 list price): Available for immediate download at Amazon. Don’t worry, you don’t need a Kindle device to read it. Get a free Kindle Reading App for your iPad, Android Phone, PC or other device and get started!

Paperback Edition $10.98 ($18.99 list price): Eligible for Free SuperSaver and Amazon Prime Shipping, get 101 Dog Tricks Book at Amazon for $8 Off the list price.