| How to Steam Vegetables in an Instant Pot Posted: 22 Nov 2020 04:00 PM PST Say goodbye to mushy, overcooked vegetables! If you have an Instant Pot, use the steamer basket to perfectly cook almost any type of vegetable. Steam a batch of your favorite veggie or mix a flavorful assortment in the basket. Since most vegetables finish steaming by the time the Instant Pot pressurizes, you'll have delicious, perfectly cooked vegetables in no time. [Edit]Ingredients - of water
- of vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, green beans, or a mix
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Makes 4 servings - Pour of water into an Instant Pot and put a steamer basket into it. If you don't have a steamer basket, set the metal trivet that came with your Instant Pot into the appliance. You could also use a metal colander or strainer.[1]
- In a pinch, you can put the vegetables into the water, but they'll become a lot softer as they cook.
- Cut of fresh vegetables to create evenly steamed pieces. Get out the vegetables you'd like to use and cut them into florets or rounds. For example, if you're using broccoli or cauliflower, chop them into florets. To use carrots or eggplant, slice them into rounds. You could also steam:[2]
- Green beans
- Bell pepper cut into strips
- Halved Brussels sprouts
- Zucchini slices
- Asparagus
- Leave potatoes, sweet potatoes, and beets whole to steam them. You don't need to peel root vegetables like beets, sweet potatoes, or carrots before you put them into the appliance. Just prick the outsides of the potatoes or sweet potatoes with a fork before you put them into the steamer basket.[3]
- If you'd like to steam whole ears of corn, peel off the husk and silky strands.
- If your recipe calls for potato chunks or diced potatoes or sweet potatoes, feel free to cut them.
- Don't defrost vegetables if you're using frozen produce. Since the vegetables steam as your Instant Pot pressurizes, there's no need to defrost frozen veggies. Simply pour the quantity you want to steam right into the steamer basket.[4]
- Keep in mind that frozen vegetables will be a little softer than if you steamed fresh vegetables.
- Put the vegetables in the basket and close the Instant Pot lid. Arrange all of your fresh or frozen vegetables into the basket and check that they're not touching the water. If they are, pour out some of the water or raise up the steamer basket. Then, close the lid and turn clockwise until it locks.[5]
- Remember to plug in your Instant Pot so it's ready to go!
- Turn the steam release valve to "Sealing" and select "Manual/Pressure Cook." Look at the valve on top of the lid and switch it to "Sealing" so it closes. If the valve is open, the appliance won't heat properly. Then, program your Instant Pot to "Manual/Pressure Cook" on "High."[6]
- The high heat and pressure that builds up in the appliance steams your vegetable medley in almost no time.
- Set the timer for 0 minutes for most veggies. Press the "-" button to set the cook time. Even though you're setting the appliance to 0, your Instant Pot builds up steam and pressure, which perfectly steams your vegetables.[7]
- It should take 5 to 10 minutes for your Instant Pot to come to pressure, which is why you don't need to program extra time for your vegetables to cook.
- Add to the cook time if you're steaming starchy vegetables like potatoes. Since these vegetables take longer to cook than tender vegetables, add time to the "Manual/Pressure Cook" setting on "High." In general, add:[8]
- 3 minutes for corn on the cob
- 4 minutes for chopped parsnips or winter squash
- 4 to 7 minutes for diced potatoes or sweet potatoes
- 15 minutes for whole beets or 8 minutes for quartered beets
- 15 to 18 minutes for whole potatoes or sweet potatoes
- Turn the valve to "Quick Release" when the machine beeps. Once the Instant Pot pressurizes and beeps, wear oven mitts to switch the valve to "Quick Release." Always use caution and keep away from the hot steam that releases.[9]
- You can press the "Cancel" button to stop the cooking cycle once the floating valve drops.
- Remove the lid and lift out the steamer basket. To take the lid off, turn the handle counterclockwise to pull the lid off and away from you. Then, put on oven mitts to pull the steamer basket out. Now, you can enjoy your steamed vegetables or season them with your favorite spices or seasoned oil.[10]
- Try to work quickly so your steamed vegetables don't cool too much.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 1 week.
- If you'd like to keep the vegetables separate as they steam, put small, individual steamer baskets into the Instant Pot. You can usually fit about 3 small baskets into the appliance.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Instant Pot pressure cooker
- Steamer basket
- Spoon
- Knife and cutting board
- Oven mitts
- Serving dishes
[Edit]References |
| How to Play Pickle Posted: 22 Nov 2020 08:00 AM PST Pickle is a fun recess game where 2 players try to tag runners as they sprint between bases. Pickle can also refer to Pickleball, which is a game played by 2 teams on a court with a net, similar to tennis. To play either game, you'll need the right equipment and some friends to play with! [Edit]Playing Recess Pickle - Set up two bases apart. In an open area with plenty of space, set up bases for each thrower. You can use actual baseball bases if you have them, or you can lay down any object that won't float away and is easily visible, like a traffic cone or small bin.[1]
- Select 2 players to be the designated throwers at each base. 2 players will serve as the designated throwers, and will stay at their specific base permanently until they switch with a runner. They can throw the ball back and forth to one another, but they aren't allowed to leave their assigned base unless they have to pick the ball up off of the ground in the event of an inaccurate throw.[2]
- You can use a soft dodgeball, tennis ball, or football to play pickle.
- Start the game with 2 throws back and forth while the runners wait. The rest of the players are runners, and start the game by standing in between the 2 throwers. The throwing players initiate the start of the game by taking 2 practice throws back and forth.[3]
- Pickle is a good game if you have a large group. You can easily fit up to 15 players between the bases.
- Play by running between the bases while the thrower tries to catch you. After the third throw, runners can sprint in either direction to reach one of the bases. The throwers lob the ball back and forth to one another while trying to tag runners before they reach a base. To tag a player, all you have to do is touch them with the ball while you're still holding it. A player is only safe if they are standing on or behind a base.[4]
- Runners count how many times they can run back and forth between bases. The runner with the most runs back and forth is the winner after everyone has been tagged out.
- Switch with the thrower after you've been tagged 3 times. If you're a runner and you've been tagged 3 times, switch places with the last thrower to tag you. That thrower then becomes a runner, and you become the thrower until you've tagged a different runner 3 times.[5]
[Edit]Playing Pickleball - Get the right equipment and find 3 friends to play with. While you can play with only 2 players, pickleball is almost always played by 2 teams, with 2 players on each team. You'll also need a ball and paddles. A pickleball looks like a whiffle ball with slightly smaller holes. It is also a little harder. Pickle paddles look like ping pong paddles, except they're more rectangular and larger on each side. [6]
- You can purchase a pickleball ball and paddles online or in a sporting goods store.
- Find a pickleball court or make your own. There may be pickleball courts at a nearby beach or park. You can play there, or draw your own court with chalk and a collapsible net. A pickleball court is and divided in half by a net. Each side is divided into three zones, with the left and right serving boxes flush against the base line on each side.[7]
- The area in between the net and the serving boxes is called the kitchen.
- Serve underhand from behind the base line near your serving box. Every serve in pickleball must be made underhand. To serve, stand behind the base line of your serving box. Lob the ball in front of you with your nondominant hand, and firmly strike the bottom of the ball with your paddle. Your serve must bounce in the serving box on the opposite corner from where you're serving.[8]
- If a serve bounces in the kitchen, it is a fault and the next serving player serves.
- A fault is a mistake, and means that the serving team has failed to score by serving incorrectly, sending the ball out of bounds, or letting the pickleball ball bounce. The serve moves to the player on the left after every fault.
- Let the ball bounce once before returning a serve. You are not allowed to hit a ball in the air before letting it bounce during the first return. The pickleball ball must bounce at least once on each side before either team is allowed to hit the ball mid-air. If the returning team doesn't let the ball bounce once, the opposing team scores a point and continues to serve. [9]
- If the serving team doesn't let the ball bounce, it is a fault and play stops. Moving clockwise, the next player serves.
- Alternate servers after every fault. Each time a serving team fails to score, move the serve clockwise. So if a team fails to score when the player on the right is serving, the serve moves to the player on the left of the same team. If the serving team fails to score again, the serve moves to the left again and the player on the right serving box of the opposite side gets to serve.[10]
- A side out is a term in pickleball that means the serve is going to the opposing team after a team has failed to score twice.
- Move up to the kitchen after the ball has bounced on each side. After the ball has bounced once on each side of the court after the serve, each player can hit the ball mid-air. This means that each player should move up towards the kitchen so that they can return the ball quickly and prevent the pickleball ball from bouncing twice or bouncing out of bounds.[11]
- You are not allowed to hit the ball while standing in the kitchen, so stand on the edge of your serving box, closest to the net.
- Understand the rotation by tracking scores and faults. In pickleball, only the serving team can score and the serve only moves after a fault. This means that every round in pickleball results in a score or a fault. If a serving team scores, the same player continues to serve until a fault has occurred.[12]
- A game is usually over when a team has won 2 sets. A set is won by scoring 11 points.[13]
- Award points to the serving team for scoring. There are a few ways for the serving team to score in pickleball. A point is awarded if the ball bounces more than once on the opposing team's side of the court, the ball bounces once on the opposing team's side and isn't returned, or if the opposing team knocks the ball out of bounds without hitting the serving team's side. A point is also awarded if the opposing team hits the net.[14]
- If the serving team knocks the ball out of bounds, lets it bounce twice on their side, or hits the net, it is a fault and the serve rotates to the left.
- Announce the score and serving player number prior to each serve. Each player announces three numbers before serving. The first number you'll announce is your team's score, followed directly by the opposing team's score. The last number that you shout is the serving player's number, with player 1 on the right and player 2 on the left.[15]
- A sample score announcement might be "4-5-2." This means that the serving team has 4 points, the opposing team has 5 points, and the player on the left is serving.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References |
| How to Make a Driftwood Wreath Posted: 22 Nov 2020 12:00 AM PST Driftwood is any type of wood that's washed ashore from a body of water, and you can use it to make crafts that have a natural feel. If you want to create a simple but stunning decoration for your home, you can easily build wreaths by gluing pieces of driftwood together. For a classic circular wreath, start with a wreath ring as a base to use as a guide. If you want a more freeform shape, you can build the wreath without a base using the driftwood and glue. When you're finished, decorate it however you want to match your room's style! [Edit]Using a Wreath Ring Base - Hot-glue the end of a burlap roll to a wreath ring. Choose a wreath ring that's the same size as what you want for your final product. Buy a roll of burlap that's wide and set the end against one of the wires on the front of the wreath wring. Apply a line of hot glue to the end of the burlap and press it against the wire for 30 seconds so it sets.[1]
- You can buy wreath rings and burlap online or from your local crafts store.
- Wire wreath rings come in many sizes, so you can make a small or large driftwood wreath.
- Wrap the burlap around the wire wreath ring to make it look more natural. Pull the burlap tight so it doesn't wrinkle and put the roll through the middle of the ring. Bring the burlap around the outside of the ring so it overlaps the first strip by . Continue wrapping the burlap around the ring to ensure there aren't any visible wires or gaps.[2]
- Put a line of glue every 3–4 times you go through the center of the ring to ensure the burlap doesn't come loose.
- Leave a gap between the ends of the burlap. Stop wrapping the burlap around the ring as soon as there's only of empty space left. Cut the burlap off of the roll with a pair of scissors and use hot glue to secure the loose edge down.[3]
- The gap allows you to hang your wreath without attaching a wire or hook to it later on.
- You will be able to cover the gap from the front with driftwood to conceal it. It will only be visible from the back.
- Sort your pieces of driftwood by their sizes. Collect your own driftwood from beaches, rivers, or shorelines, or buy bags of driftwood wholesale from a craft store for your wreath. Organize the pieces on your work surface so pieces that are and longer are on one side and anything shorter is on the other side. That way you can easily work from the largest to smallest pieces when you make your wreath.[4]
- You can buy about 30–50 pieces of driftwood for around $10 USD.
- Arrange the largest pieces on the wreath ring so they don't hang off the edge. Take your pieces that are larger than and arrange them on top of the ring. Position the pieces so their lengths follow the curves of the ring to help them look cleaner. Try to fit the pieces so they don't overhang over the sides of the ring, or else you could make it lose its circular shape.[5]
- It's okay if you need to overlap some of the driftwood pieces on your first layer.
- Try to cover as much of the burlap as you can with the large pieces so you don't need to fill in as many gaps.
- Secure the driftwood to the burlap with hot glue. Use a high-heat glue in your glue gun so it's less likely to melt later on. Put dots of glue every along the length of a driftwood piece and press it down onto the burlap. Hold the glue for 15–30 seconds so it has time to dry before gluing down the next piece. Continue gluing the rest of the driftwood pieces down against the burlap.[6]
- If the driftwood comes loose while you're working, reapply more glue and press it back into place.
- Wipe the end of the glue gun on the driftwood after you let go of the trigger to help avoid stringy pieces of glue.
- Fill in the gaps with small pieces of driftwood. Begin arranging the smaller pieces of driftwood on top of the larger pieces to give the wreath more depth. Try to position the pieces so they cover the most burlap before you glue them down with hot glue. Continue working around the entire wreath filling in the largest gaps first before working on the smallest ones.[7]
- You can live some of the burlap visible if you want your wreath to have a more rustic and DIY look.
[Edit]Creating a Wreath without a Base - Arrange the longest pieces of driftwood in the shape you want for the wreath. Collect driftwood on your own from bodies of water, shorelines, or beaches if you want to save money. Otherwise, you can buy driftwood from your local craft store or online. Place the longest pieces you have on your work surface to form a rough, boxy outline of the size and shape for your wreath. Overlap the ends of the driftwood pieces so you know where to attach them.[8]
- For example, if you want to make a heart-shaped driftwood wreath, then you may make the outline of the heart with 6–8 large pieces.
- When you're finished, your wreath will be slightly wider than the outline you've made.
- Hot glue the driftwood pieces together where they overlap. Warm up a high-heat hot glue in the gun until it applies smoothly. Place a large dot on the end of the driftwood piece and press it against another piece to secure them together. Hold the pieces together for about 30 seconds so the glue has time to set before gluing the next piece.[9]
- Only work on 1 piece of driftwood at a time since hot glue sets within 30 seconds.
- You can also use super glue if you want.
- Attach more pieces of driftwood so they touch 2 pieces on the first layer. Take the next largest piece of driftwood and lay it on top of the layer you just glued together. Position the new piece so the ends cross through the centers of 2 pieces that are glued together. Glue the new driftwood piece with dots of hot glue. Continue working your way around the wreath to build up the shape.[10]
- Avoid using driftwood pieces that are shorter than for now since they won't cover as much area.
- Glue the smallest pieces of driftwood so the wreath has a full, rounded shape. Work from the biggest pieces of driftwood to the smallest to help give the wreath more definition. Fit the driftwood into the gaps between other pieces and glue them down so they're secure. Keep adding driftwood until the wreath rounds out on top and when you're happy with how full it looks.[11]
- It's okay to leave some gaps where you can see through the wreath.
- Wrap a wire around the top of the wreath so you can hang it. Cut off a piece of 18-gauge wire that's large enough to wrap around the top of the wreath with of excess. Put the wire carefully around the top of the wreath so you don't break off any driftwood. Twist the ends of the wires together and form them into a small hook or loop so you're able to hang it.[12]
- You don't need to add a wire if you don't want to hang the wreath.
[Edit]Decorating the Wreath - Hot-glue seashells around the wreath if you want to make it beach-themed. Look for various sizes of shells or marine-themed decorations, such as starfish or sand dollars, in home decor shops or craft stores. Set the shells and decor on the wreath and position them on the driftwood. Try multiple layouts to see which one you like the best before using a hot glue gun to secure them to the wood.[13]
- You can hang or tie netting around the wreath to make it seem like it got tangled in the driftwood.
- Add live flowers or artificial succulents to the wreath to give it a natural look. Wrap the stems of live flowers in twine to bundle them into a bouquet. Look for gaps between the driftwood where you can tuck the ends of the stems so you don't need to glue them down. As the flowers dry out or wither, you can either leave them or replace them with fresh blooms. You can also buy fake succulent plants and glue them around the driftwood to add some greenery to your wreath.[14]
- You can use artificial flowers as well if you want them to stay bright and colorful.
- Avoid keeping real succulents on the wreath since they require water and will rot otherwise.
- Wrap rope or fabric around the wreath to create a rustic feel. Look for thick pieces of rope or twine that contrast the color of your driftwood to add more visual interest. Coil the rope around the wreath so it goes through the hole in the middle, and wrap it as many times as you want. You can also use colored strips of fabric to add more decoration to the wreath.
- This is a great option if you want to change the decorations frequently since you don't have to glue anything down.
- Tie the fabric or rope into bows for added decorative features.
- Tie garlands and ribbons around the ring for a driftwood Christmas wreath. Look for real or artificial garlands to help contrast the colors of your driftwood and wrap them around the wreath. Run green and red ribbons alongside the garlands to add more festive colors to your wreath. Tie the ribbons into large bows on the front of your wreath so it looks like a present.[15]
- You may be able to hang ornaments from the driftwood pieces, but they could fall off.
- Run string lights around the wreath if you want it lit up.
- Attach a mirror behind the wreath to create a decorative driftwood frame. Choose a circular mirror that's the same diameter as the inner circle of the wreath. Turn the wreath upside-down and position the mirror over the hole so the reflective surface is face-down. Use super glue or hot glue around the outer rim of the mirror and press it gently onto the driftwood. Allow the glue to set for 1–2 minutes before flipping the wreath over and hanging it.[16]
- Opt for mirrors without a frame so it's easier to glue to the driftwood.
- You can also put the wreath around candles or use it as table decoration if you don't want to hang it.
[Edit]Warnings - Clean driftwood with a scrub brush and a solution of water and bleach if you found it in the wild so you don't spread any bacteria. This also helps to preserve the driftwood for a long time.
- Avoid using low-heat hot glue since it could melt if it gets too warm and cause your wreath to fall apart.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Using a Wreath Ring Base - Wire wreath ring
- Burlap strips
- Hot glue gun
- Hot glue
- Driftwood pieces
[Edit]Creating a Wreath without a Base - Driftwood pieces
- Hot glue gun
- Hot glue
- 18-gauge wire
[Edit]Decorating the Wreath - Seashells
- Netting
- Flowers
- Artificial succulents
- Twine
- Rope
- Fabric pieces
- Ornaments
- Ribbons
- Circular mirror
[Edit]References |
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