Phil and I got an Instant Pot for Christmas last year. I’ve been learning to use this new piece of equipment. I comes with recipes, so I’ve been trying some new things. Some are pretty tasty.

I’ve been trying some of my old favorites and they work famously in the new gizmo. Some not so much. I’ve had two failures recently. I have a spare rib in bbq sauce that does famously in the crock pot. I decided to use pork loin instead of pork ribs - I don’t know if it was the different meat or what, but the sauce wasn’t very good. Meat was nice and tender, but the sauce was too sharp with vinegar. I decided to try my beef stroganoff recipe. Nope. Not a winner.

But, I keep trying!

I like the idea that I can put something into the Instant Pot and it’s done in about an hour—rather than waiting for at least three hours with a crock pot or slaving over a stove mixing and stirring other meals. This allows me to do a bunch of other stuff most days without thinking about the main meal of the day until the later.

Planning and meal prep has been a major portion of my day—every day for most of my life. Having a new toy . . . I mean, a new tool, makes it a bit more fun and interesting. With the latest failures, the word “interesting” takes on new meaning.

I like the flavor of the old and familiar. I like the speed of new and different. Will the worlds collide? Will I be able to blend the two? Maybe not. Maybe I’ll learn new recipes the new way and do the old and familiar recipes the old way.

I’ve done it before . . . When Phil discovered his gluten intolerance, everything shifted. I had to learn a whole new way of cooking. Now we are both gluten free. The shift was a lot easier with the pattern already in place.

So time to adapt again. Time to find some new patterns/recipes. The hardest part is the trying and failing. Yet, without failing, I don’t know what works (or what doesn’t). Failing holds great value! Failure teaches us things that success cannot reveal.

My chili was too thick for the Instant Pot. So was my stroganoff. I’m learning. Bless Phil’s heart—he will eat even the failures—unless they are burned. His willingness spurs me on to try again. What will it be today? Good thing the weather is turning cooler and we can have some hearty soups. My squash soup in the Instant Pot was spectacular! Success! I’ll do more of that and mark stroganoff off my Instant Pot list.

It’s hard to let go of what doesn’t work. Part of me thinks that if I just tried harder . . .

Don’t we keep trying things that don’t work? We think it will work this time. It won’t. Let it go. Time to utilize new tools and techniques for a happier result. It’s hard to try something new. It’s hard to let go of what used to work. Failure is our friend—when we listen.

What’s our friend Failure teaching us right now? What are we learning? What new tools, techniques or patterns will help us have a better result? Take a new look. Take a new step.