Instant Pot Wild Rice Chicken Soup

Wild Rice with Chicken Soup in the Instant Pot! A great Recipe for Fall!! 

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INGREDIENTS

For the Instant Pot:

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice 
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning ~ I used a combination of sage and oregano and rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

For the Stovetop:

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 can of coconut milk

I added a cup of Cooked Chicken before serving

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Instant Pot: Put all the ingredients in the first list into the instant pot.  Cook for 45 minutes (manual). Release steam using the valve on top.
2. Stovetop: When the soup is done, melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour. Let the mixture cook for a minute or two to remove the floury taste. Whisk the coconut milk, a little bit at a time, until you have a smooth, thickened sauce. Throw a little salt in there for good measure.
3. Together: Mix the creamy sauce with the soup in the instant pot. Voila! Mushroom Wild Rice Soup.

REcipe adapted from Pinch of Yum

Worked on this really large Floral Painting today.  I used an 24 x 48 canvas that I had laying around.  It was previously painted and very brightly colored and textured.  I painted over it before I started.  Not quite sure if I am finished yet....

A few little October paintings

We had doubts while making these, but they turned out Wonderful.  Quinn made this recipe from the recent issue of Pioneer Woman Magazine.

Caramel Apple Sweet Rolls

Prep: 90 Minutes	Level: Easy
Cook: 30 Minutes	Serves: 30

Ingredients

• Dough
• 2 cups Whole Milk
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 4-1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 package Active Dry Yeast (about 2 1/4 Teaspoons)
• 3/4 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Filling
• 4 whole Granny Smith Apples, Finely Diced
• 1 stick Butter (1/2 Cup)
• 1 cup Lightly Packed Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• CARAMEL ICING
• 1 stick Butter (1/2 Cup)
• 1 cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 cups Powdered Sugar (up To 4 Cups Depending On Consistency You Want.)
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt

Preparation

DOUGH

To make the dough, combine the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a large saucepan or small pot. Heat it until just about to boil, but don't allow it to boil. Turn off the heat and let it cool until warm...but not too warm!

Add 4 cups of the flour and the yeast, and stir to combine. The dough will be very sticky at this point. Cover the pot and let it rise for an hour. 

Add the remaining flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Stir to combine. Then you can proceed with the rolls OR refrigerate the dough, covered, until you need it. 

FILLING

To make the filling, saute the apples in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them to a plate and set aside.

In the same skillet over medium heat, add a stick of butter and a cup of brown sugar. Stir it around until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, then pour in the cream. Stir it around and let it bubble up and thicken for about a minute. Turn the heat to low and add the apples back to the skillet. Sprinkle in the cinnamon, stir the mixture, and let it thicken for another 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon it into a bowl to cool. 

ROLLS

When you're ready to make the rolls, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and roll out the dough on a floured surface to a rectangle about 10 x 30 inches. Spoon the caramel apples all over the dough and spread it out evenly. Roll the dough toward you into a long, tight roll. Pinch the seam when you get to the end, then turn the roll over so that it's seam side down.

Slice the dough into rolls 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick and place them into disposable roil cake pans with a little melted butter spread into the bottom of each pan (the rolls will fill about 3 to 4 pans.) Set the rolls aside and let them rise for 20 to 25 minutes, then bake them for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they're nice and golden.

ICING

While the rolls are rising or baking, make the icing: Melt the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and let it dissolve and start to bubble. Add the cream, then cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Turn off the heat and add the powdered sugar and whisk together. Add up to 2 more cups of powdered sugar to get to the consistency you want. 

The second the rolls come out of the oven top with the icing and spread to coat all the rolls generously!

Serve warm.

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake

Love this really rich Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Cheesecake ingredients~

• 1 (18 1/4 ounce) packages spice cake mix
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 large eggs
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and Ginger

• Topping ingredients~
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1. Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 325 dg. Lightly grease a 13 x 9" baking pan with the softened butter or vegetable shortening. Set the pan aside.
2. Measure out 1/2 C of the cake mix and set aside for the filling.
3. Place remaining cake mix, melted butter and 1 egg in a large mixing bowl. Blend on low for 2 minutes Scrape down the sides of bowl with spatula. Batter should come together in a ball. With your fingertips, pat the batter evenly over the bottom and 1" up the sides of the prepared pan, smoothing it out with your fingers until top is smooth. Set pan aside.
4. For the filling, place the cream cheese and condensed milk in the same mixing bowl used to make the crust and and blend about 30 seconds until combined. Add remaining cake mix, remaining 3 eggs, pumpkin, brown sugar, and spices. Beat on medium for 1 minute then scrape down the sides of the bowl with spatula.
5. Pour the filling onto the crust and spread so that filling covers the entire surface and reaches the sides of the pan.
6. Place the pan in oven and bake until cheesecake looks shiny and center no longer jiggles when you shake the pan, about 40 to 45 minutes Remove pan from oven while you prepare topping. Leave the oven on.
7. For topping, place the sour cream and brown sugar in a small mixing bowl and stir with spoon until well combined. Pour topping over the cheesecake and return pan to the oven.
8. Bake until the topping sets, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool, approximately 30 minutes.
9. Lightly cover the pan with plastic wrap and place the pan in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hr., but preferably 24 hours for the flavors to meld. Cut into squares and serve.