Favorite Instant Pot Recipes

 Life's busy, and sometimes the last thing you want to do is spend hours in the kitchen. That's where the Instant Pot comes in! This magical appliance has revolutionized cooking for busy individuals and families alike. If you're looking for quick, easy, and delicious meals, you've come to the right place. I've gathered my favorite easy Instant Pot recipes that will have you enjoying flavorful dinners without the fuss.

Why do I love my Instant Pot? Let me count the ways! It's a time-saver, a flavor enhancer, and a one-pot wonder. Whether you're a seasoned chef or a kitchen newbie, the Instant Pot makes cooking accessible and enjoyable. Here are some of the key benefits:

• Speed: Say goodbye to long cooking times. The Instant Pot cooks meals up to 70% faster than traditional methods.
• Convenience: One-pot meals mean less cleanup and more time for what matters.
• Flavor: Pressure cooking locks in flavors and nutrients, resulting in incredibly delicious meals.
• Versatility: From soups and stews to rice and desserts, the Instant Pot can do it all.

Now, let's get to the good stuff! I've curated a collection of my favorite easy Instant Pot recipes that are perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prepping, and everything in between. Get ready to impress your family and friends with these simple yet satisfying dishes.

Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta

Banana Rice Pudding

Garlic Butter Glazed Carrots

Instant Pot Creamy Garlic Lemon Pasta

Pork Tacos

Peanut Butter Chicken Noodles

Banana Rice Pudding

Redefining Your Space By Adding Comfort to Your Home

 Designing a comfortable home is an art, blending functionality with an inviting environment to build life and relaxation. A truly comfortable home doesn't just look good, it feels good too. From small adjustments to major upgrades, there are countless ways of creating spaces that promote warmth, coziness, and peace of mind in any given space.

Photo by Julian Bock on Unsplash

Start with the Basics: Declutter and Organize

A clutter-free environment can bring you a lot of relief and comfort. Donate, recycle or repurpose items that you no longer use and invest in clever storage solutions such as baskets or open shelves to keep things tidy while adding style. When you design your spaces specifically for where belongings should go, your home becomes much more livable and comfortable.

Add Textures and Layers for Cozy Vibes

Layering your furnishings with plush throws, fluffy cushions, and cozy rugs will increase the comfort level in any space in your home. Try layering these items across sofas, chairs, and floors strategically to create an inviting yet soothing ambiance. Look for natural materials like cotton wool linen which not only feel amazing but add sophistication as well. Mixing textures like velvet pillows with knotted blankets add an additional sensory dimension. Pair these elements with neutral tones or soft colors to create a space which gently embraces you after a long day's work.

Temperature Control for Comfort

A properly designed heating and cooling system plays an important role in providing year-round comfort in the home. By providing steady temperature regulation, these systems ensure that your living spaces stay cozy during chilly winter nights while remaining refreshingly cool during hot summer days. Modern solutions come equipped with energy-saving technologies which enable you to create an inviting space while cutting energy costs. Programmable thermostats enable precise control so that temperatures can be tailored according to your personal preferences or daily schedule. When you have such a system in place, your home becomes an oasis of comfort year-round.

Make Lighting Work for You

Lighting can make an immediate and dramatic statement about who or what is in a space, and setting the right atmosphere can be just as easy. Overhead lights may feel overly formal and harsh. To create layers of illumination use various fixtures and bulbs with ambient lights such as floor lamps, table lamps and wall sconces as focal points to add warmth and depth. Install dimmable lights so brightness levels can be tailored according to the time of day or activity. Home offices require functional task lighting while your living room might benefit from more mellow tones. Even candles can add flickering glows for creating an inviting and relaxing ambiance.

Bring Nature Indoors

Nothing adds comfort and vibrancy like plants do. Not only can they improve your air quality, but their presence also adds a natural element to any room. Whether that means adding an eye-catching fiddle-leaf fig in the corner, or just some succulents on the windowsill, plants add vitality and atmosphere into any home environment. Get low maintenance varieties like snake plants or pothos to keep upkeep costs down. Add decorative pots or hanging planters for visual interest. Small touches of greenery can add tranquil energy into any home environment.

Conclusion 

Enhancing the comfort of your home can be a rewarding process that marries style with practicality. By decluttering, adding textures, optimizing lighting, and prioritizing temperature control you can transform any space into your sanctuary. You don't just live here, so it should also bring relaxation, connection and joy! With some mindful changes you can create an environment that invites well-being each time you come home.

Top Home Security Options That Increase Property Value

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You want your home to be safe and secure, don't you? That's a given; you do not need to answer that. But what does it mean to make your home more secure, and will security upgrades impact the value of your property? After all, you don't want to make substantial changes only to find out they cause the property value to plummet.

With this in mind, how can you make your home more secure without decreasing its value, and can any changes actually increase its value?

New Fencing

Opting for a new fence will increase the aesthetics and security of your home. From smaller front yard fences to higher privacy fencing in your rear yard or around the sides of your property, there are multiple options for fencing that not only look great but also offer your home more protection. 

Typically, the new fence alone can increase the property's value by around 30 to 40% of the cost of the fence, but as part of larger landscaping efforts, this can increase significantly. The best part about adding new fencing to boost home security is that you can pick the style and design that suits your needs. From a wood fence installation to metal fencing and even composite fencing, you can tailor the style, design, and color to exactly how you want it.

Smart Locks

Smart locks offer increased convenience and security, making them an all-in-one accessible product. By introducing smart locks to the external doors of your home, you enable remote locking and unlocking, meaning you can say goodbye to locking yourself out or needing to turn around halfway to work because you thought you forgot to lock the door.

Smart locks can come with or without key entry and can be locked and unlocked via access codes, sensors for fingerprints, biometrics, and even apps on your smartphone. When used in conjunction with other smart home technology, which can also boost security, you can make your home more appealing to tech-savvy buyers and add up to 12% to the value, according to some reports.

Video Doorbells and Security Systems

Home security systems are not just about protection; they're about peace of mind. Whether you're at home or away, these systems can significantly increase the visibility in and around your home for added peace of mind and act as a deterrent to potential intruders, providing you with a sense of security and comfort.

Video doorbells can be used independently, i.e., on front doors only or for certain rooms in the property. Alternatively, they can be connected to a smart home hub to give you remote access to your property for surveillance and monitoring when you're both at home and away via an app on your smartphone.

You can also choose wired home security options that are monitored or connected to an app for you to use at home. These require an access code to be entered to set the alarm, meaning if anyone accesses the property without authorisation, the alarm will sound if the right code isn't entered. If the system is monitored, the monitoring company will be alerted immediately to provide assistance.

Home security systems can potentially increase the value of your property by up to 5%. For a $300,000 home, this could mean an additional $15,000. However, some reports suggest that when used in conjunction with other smart home technologies, as mentioned earlier, this value could increase even further.

Thrive At Work: What Professionalism Really Looks Like Beyond The Surface

 

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When you think about professionalism, you may think that it’s just about looking the part. Dressing properly, responding to emails quickly, and speaking well are all part of the dance, but they’re not everything. It’s about how you carry yourself when no one’s watching and when outcomes are uncertain. It’s also about your behaviour when praise is heaped on someone else. Many people spend a long time going to college to prepare for their careers, but they do not prepare for the unwritten rules of working life.  

It’s important to develop a wide range of skills, but you will sustain a thriving career by handling tension and delivering under pressure. From the first day of work, there are things that are not taught - instead, they come with experience. It’s a mindset thing and not something that you reach after so many results. In this post, we are going to talk about four markers of real professionalism. Let’s begin: 

Know When To Take A Step Back

It’s easy to rush to the spotlight when things are going well. You will look a lot better if you scan the room and read the moment. Leadership is about situational awareness and knowing when your presence is too much. You don’t always have to be loud and hovering over people’s shoulders. Being quietly reliable speaks volumes when it comes to professionalism. It’s far more powerful than any performance rooted in attention-seeking or ego. 

Enjoy The Process As Much As The Final Output 

Deadlines and results obviously matter. The journey and how you get there are just as important, however. You should not take shortcuts if you want to be a professional. Quick wins might be satisfying, but they are not a habit of the best. Professionals ask extra questions, avoid assumptions, and document all decisions. One shaky detail can lead to serious consequences in high-stakes fields. Whether it’s malpractice insurance or a stock exchange blunder, you have to make sure the process gets as much attention as the successful finish to avoid pain. Take care on the way, and you’ll be more than a professional in your field. 

Be Comfortable With Accountability 

If you are a professional, it means you will own every outcome. Whether you are in a good situation or a bad one, you will not spiral out of control or seek applause. Admitting when you are wrong before being asked is a huge thing. With emotional steadiness like this, you will signal to others that you can be accountable and trusted even in the worst situations. In doing so, you will build long-term credibility.

Speak With More Than Just Politeness

It’s nice to be polite, but professional communication is also about being clear and direct. Precision keeps projects on track. With thoughtful communication, you will reduce misunderstandings and manage expectations. Whether you’re addressing a team or giving feedback to individuals, no words should be filler. Make sure you get your points across properly so that the recipient understands what is happening. This should move things forward with calmness.

Pumpkin No Bake Cookies

No bake pumpkin pudding no bakes are a fun and flavorful way to put a fall spin on a classic afterschool snack!

Pumpkin Pudding No-Bake Cookies: A Perfect Fall Treat

As the leaves turn golden and the air gets crisp, there’s nothing better than indulging in seasonal pumpkin treats. From lattes to pies, pumpkin flavors dominate fall baking, but sometimes, we want a quicker, easier option that doesn’t require turning on the oven. Enter pumpkin pudding no-bake cookies! These delightful little treats capture the cozy flavors of autumn with minimal effort.

The Magic of No-Bake Cookies

No-bake cookies have been a staple in home kitchens for decades. Originating as an easy, budget-friendly dessert, these cookies gained popularity during the mid-20th century when quick oats and instant pudding became household staples. Unlike traditional cookies, no-bake versions rely on a combination of stovetop cooking and refrigeration to set, making them perfect for busy days or when you just don’t feel like baking.

Why Pumpkin?

Pumpkin is synonymous with fall, bringing warmth and nostalgia to every bite. It’s not only delicious but also packed with nutrients like fiber, vitamin A, and antioxidants. The addition of pumpkin pudding in no-bake cookies enhances their creamy texture while infusing them with that beloved seasonal taste. Combined with ingredients like oats, spices, and a touch of sweetness, these cookies deliver the essence of autumn in every bite.

Pumpkin pudding no bake cookies

Makes 3 dozen

Ingredients:

½ cup of butter

2 cups of sugar

⅔ cup of milk

1 tsp vanilla

4 ½ c of quick cook oats

1 box of instant pumpkin pudding (3 ounce box)

A pinch of salt

Directions:

Line your countertop with foil or parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan combine butter, sugar and milk.

Bring to a rapid boil, over medium high heat.

As the mixture begins to bubble and boil, begin stirring continuously.

As the mixture comes to a rapid boil that you cannot stir away, set a timer for 1 minute.

Allow to boil for one minute.

Remove from heat.

Add vanilla, oats and instant pumpkin pudding.

Stir to combine.

Drop by the spoonful onto the lined work area.

 

Allow the cookies to dry for 90 minutes before removing.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

The Perfect Treat for Any Occasion

Whether you're hosting a cozy gathering, packing a lunchbox treat, or just craving something sweet, pumpkin pudding no-bake cookies fit the bill. They’re simple, quick, and require just a handful of ingredients. Plus, they store well in the fridge, making them a great make-ahead option for the season.

So, the next time you’re in the mood for a fall-inspired dessert but don’t want to spend hours baking, whip up a batch of these pumpkin pudding no-bake cookies. They’re a deliciously effortless way to savor the flavors of autumn!

Find more great cookie recipes here: 

Chocolate Espresso Cookies

Maple Brown Sugar Cookies

Golden Graham Cookies