I'm Marci! Join me here on TIDBITS for healthy Instant Pot recipes and get 10 free recipes from my cookbook, Master the Electric Pressure CookerRolling out a new series today called “TIDBITS Talk”. This is my chance to chat with you wonderful readers over a hot cup of Crio Bru and discuss all things, love, life, and chocolate (and perhaps a few other topics too). Bonus: all new, never before seen or tasted recipe for my latest obsession: Instant Pot Golden Crio Bru!
This post is sponsored by Crio Bru
I'll admit, I'm pretty psyched about today. Nervous as can be and having flashbacks of being the new kid in school, worried that no one was going to talk to me or want to be my friend . . . but mostly excited.
Since leaving my office job as a Nurse Practitioner I went from talking nonstop and ending each day hoarse, to spending the majority of my day typing in silence or singing my heart out to Rachel Platten and Andy Grammer songs.
There are pluses and minuses to both scenarios which is why I've had this idea for a TIDBITS Talk series on my brain for several months.
I never thought I could feel so connected with people I've never actually met in person, but there is a different type of friendship built through incredible recipes and treasured food memories that is exquisite and I look forward to it every day.
So in the spirit of all you foodie friends, pull up a chair, grab a hot cup of Crio (or whatever your drink of choice may be), and let's talk!
IMPORTANT ITEMS OF BUSINESS TODAY
- I'll be answering one of my most frequently asked questions – might have something to do with two high energy twin boys who I love so dearly despite them contributing to my permanent sleep deprivation
- Kids and Sports – HELP!
- How to look and feel good without ever putting on a pair of jeans
- Must listen to Podcasts
- One of my deepest, darkest food confessions
- Things I'm Lovin' lately
- Crio Bru flavor of the month
Let's do this!
INFERTILITY, TWINS, AND SURVIVAL
As I've told stories of my twin boys over the past couple years, I repeatedly get the same two questions, “Do twins run in your family?” “How did you survive 3 kids, 2 and under.” Short answers: No, and, Prayers, meditation, and motorcycles.
Longer answer: Infertility wasn't something I liked to talk about in the midst of it all. Once people know you struggle with this type of thing, they either act awkward around you, or that's all they want to talk about. Which is fine, that's understandable, but it was also exhausting.
Now eight years, thousands of dollars, a couple miscarriages, and about 100 shots later, I have three wonderful children who challenge me and force me to be better each and every day.
So no, twins do not run in my family, but were the result of modern-day medical miracles that I was able to carry and deliver 3 very healthy babies to term. I'm so grateful to all the doctors and nurses who encouraged me along that weary road, for a husband who put shots into my behind when I just couldn't do it, and for the incredible blessing these three kiddos are in my life.
My heart goes out to anyone who is sharing a similar experience. The heartache is real and intense, but it was the first time I really understood the phrase, “lean not to thine own understanding.” I learned to trust in a higher power during that trying stage of life and accept that my best life is in the hands of someone who knows all. We learn our greatest life lessons in the heat of a trial, I wouldn't trade the experience for the world.
And how did I survive 3 diaper wearing babies? Well, there wasn't really a choice. I got up every day, ran like crazy, and fell asleep exhausted beyond measure every night. Meditation became essential to handling the anxiety of it all (I recommend Headspace and my new favorite Christian Meditation–life changing!), and I'm so grateful to have this skill in my survival tool bag. Also, every weekend since my kids were babies, we've gotten a babysitter, and weather permitting, my husband would whisk me away on our KTM 1290 Adventure motorcycle, and all my worries, for a moment, would slip away.
KIDS AND SPORTS – IS IT A MUST?
Okay, this question is for you guys. I'm ridiculously uncoordinated and every memory of playing sports brings with it horrific memories of embarrassment. Thus, I don't enjoy watching or playing sports of any kind. In fact, I fell head over heels for my husband when I found out he loved motorcycles and hated going to college games. I have yet to put my kids in any type of organized sports (aside from a 2 month hockey trial) and I have constant guilt over it. What do you guys think? Are organized sports such as soccer, basketball, etc essential for optimal child development? I shudder at the thoughts of scheduling life around practices and weekend games, but am I just being selfish?
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you
CAN LOOKING GOOD AND FEELING GOOD COEXIST?
If I put on a pair of jeans I'm immediately bombarded by questions from my kids. “Where are you going?” “Are we going out to eat?” “Is something wrong?”. They are jeans kids, not a prom dress!!!
I basically live in yoga pants/leggings these days claiming that I'm just going for a “sporty look,” which obviously doesn't make sense considering I just confessed my dislike of sports. So tell me, have you found a line of clothing that looks put together and will allow me to still work from home in comfort? Help a “never done yoga, but I own 12 pairs of yoga pants” girl out! I did get a good laugh over this quote though:
Update: Thank you Brooke for suggesting this Betabrand Dress Pant Yoga Pants. I can't wait to try them!
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE PODCASTS
I'm embarrassingly late to this train I'm afraid. I've only listened to one podcast diligently, and that's only been this past year. Brooke Snow and her words of wisdom and encouragement was the exact turning point that stopped my self degrading thoughts. I'm still a work in progress of course, but I'm so grateful for what I've learned from her.
What are your favorite Podcasts? Are there some gems you couldn't live without?
FOOD CONFESSION TIME
One of my favorite foods is far from my wholesome eating mentality, yet I have no plans of giving it up anytime soon – I Can't Believe it's Not Butter Spray. I love it on toast, on veggies, on popcorn, and so many more things. Can anyone else relate to my fake butter love? Do you have a food confession of your own? Famous quote from an old roommate:
“Why can't you believe it's not butter? It's been in the fridge all day and it's still liquid. What's hard to believe?”
THINGS I'M LOVIN' LATELY
I consider it my job to try out new products, fads, trends so that I can share that experience with you. At least that's what I tell my husband when he gasps over the pile of Amazon boxes in my office. “I know!!!” I say, “My life is so hard!” Here are my faves over the past few months:
MasterClass: This is an incredible collection of classes taught by the rich and the accomplished. I bought it for the cooking classes taught by Gordan Ramsay, Thomas Keller, Alice Waters, and Wolfgang Puck. I just recently finished the cooking class by Gordan, and colorful language aside, was mesmerized by it all. I learned so much and feel like I am Gordan's new best friend. Except I never want to meet him because he'd probably make me cry.
I just started Alice Water's class and her passion for home cooking just about has me in tears. I didn't even know who she was before and now she feels like family. There are many other topics such as photography, writing, storytelling, etc. It's a treasure trove and I'm thoroughly enjoying it!
Chill Out Chair: Well technically this is a Cordaroys bean bag that can convert to a bed, that's waterproof, and comes with a 100% lifetime guarantee. Considering my kids have been beating this thing up since we got it, all of those things are very important to me. Ultimately I bought it to go in my office and I was going to call it the “Chill Out Chair.” It was meant to be a place for any of my kids to go when they were upset or causing problems so they could calm down in silence. As soon as they get bored with catapulting themselves into the bean bag, I'll give my idea a try and let you know how it works as a peacemaker.
StickTogether: I bought this positively genius sticker activity board after seeing my kids mesmerized by it at our local library. I'm hanging it right next to the Chill Out Chair for when a sweet child of mine turns into a Tasmanian devil and needs a super calming, therapeutic activity. My critique so far – this product is a lifesaver and an answer to my prayers!
Honey Money: This is an app you can download that will not only tell you the cheapest price that items have been on Amazon, but it will also alert you when the product drops down to that price. I recently bought this Enameled Cast Iron Pot and this new Pan Set using Honey Money and got the lowest price in history on both of them. Download it ASAP! It's bargain shopping for the lazy at its finest.
Is there something you just can't live without? Something you want me to test? I'd be honored to be your guinea pig.
MY DRINK OF CHOICE 10 YEARS RUNNING
For those who have been around here long, you know I have a total obsession with Crio Bru, and that love went to a whole new level when I discovered how deep, dark, and rich my Instant Pot could brew my Crio Bru. Be sure and check out my go-to Basic Crio Bru recipe, but today's recipe is OFF THE FLIPPIN' CHART!
Have you heard of Golden Milk? It's a drink made with various spices and made yellow with the addition of turmeric, AKA, Super Spice. It's slightly sweet, a touch earthy, and 100% comforting. Guess what happens when you combine Golden Milk and Crio Bru? An explosion of joy, peace, and comfort like you've never experienced from a warm drink. It is by far my favorite version of Crio Bru and I'm ecstatic to finally deliver this recipe into your hands.
HOW TO MAKE GOLDEN MILK CRIO BRU IN THE INSTANT POT
- Gather up all the wonderful spices
- Add spices, milk, syrup, and Crio Bru grounds to the pot, pressure cook for 5 minutes
- Strain the Crio Bru and Enjoy!
WHAT IS CRIO BRU? WHAT DOES CRIO BRU TASTE LIKE?
If you're not familiar with Crio Bru, it is basically roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be brewed the same as coffee grounds. It is a terrific coffee substitute, is 99.9% caffeine free, safe for both adults and kids, and contains a natural stimulant called theobromine. It's loaded with antioxidants, gluten free, dairy free, sugar-free, and can be flavored to create so many fun flavors.
Don't expect this to taste like a rich cup of hot chocolate, that's not what this is all about. This is the kind of chocolate drink you could drink several times a day and feel really good about it. You can make it as creamy or as sweet as you like by what you add to it, but I prefer mine unsweetened, dark, and smooth with a splash of almond milk.
The best place to buy Crio Bru is on their website when they are running one of their many sales. If you sign up for their newsletter and you'll get announcements for future sales in your inbox. It is also available on Amazon and possibly at a grocery store near you.
I have high hopes that Crio Bru will also create a chain of stores throughout the US so we can one day enjoy one of our heart to heart TIDBITS Talks in one of these locations. Are you listening Crio Bru? Crio Bru sit down locations, everywhere, ASAP, thanks 😉
To celebrate our first TIDBITS chit chat, Crio Bru is giving away a gift box of Crio Bru and Durci Chocolate to one of you wonderful readers. I will pick the winner at random from the comments below and announce the winner on Saturday, February 23, 2019. Giveaway is now over. Congratulations to the winner, Heidi! We'll be in touch!
You guys are the greatest! I adore each and every one of you! If you'd like to see more TIDBITS talk goin' on around here let me know! I'm envisioning a monthly chat + a new Crio Bru Flavor of the Month. Are you into the idea? If you have a question for me or a topic you'd like to see discussed, feel free to send me a message.
Be sure to report back on what you think of this Golden Crio Bru! My fridge has been stocked with it for weeks and I'm dying to know if I'm just weird, or if this is actually a flavor we can all agree on.
TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE GOLDEN CRIO BRU
- Instant Pot
- Crio Bru on their website or on Amazon – Crio Bru Ghana is the flavor I usually buy
- Fine Mesh Sieve
- Turmeric (easy to find in most grocery stores)
Instant Pot Golden Crio Bru
Slightly sweet, a bit earthy, and 100% comforting. Instant Pot Golden Crio Bru is a drink for the heart and soul!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 2 – 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup Crio Bru grounds
- 2 cinnamon sticks (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
- 1 inch of fresh peeled fresh ginger, cut in half (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger)
- 5 – 10 black peppercorns (or a couple cracks of black pepper or more if you like extra heat)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom (optional)
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to the pressure cooker pot.
- Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position.
- Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes
- When cooking is complete, use a natural release for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
- Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and pour Crio Bru through the sieve to filter out the grounds. Be careful! The Crio Bru will be very hot.
- Serve immediately with a Frozen Whipped Cream Dollop if desired.
- Store cooled leftovers in a mason jar in the fridge for up to 4 days. It tastes delicious cold or warmed back up in the microwave for 1 – 2 minutes
Notes
- A fine mesh sieve is important here so you don’t end up with a gritty beverage. I suspect a nut milk bag would also work great but the turmeric may stain it
- This can be easily doubled and stored in the fridge. Then when you want a cup, simply microwave it for about 2 minutes.
Keywords: instant pot recipe, chocolate drink, coffee alternative
I really enjoy your site. there has to be a little however from me though. I have subscribed becuase I enjoyed it, but the pop up subsribe button comes up and won’t go away, the video ad comes up on the right hand side, and as much as I can find the X to cancel they both pop up within a minute. It tired me when I can’t get through one of your posts any longer without the constant distraction and annoyance of this. Please know that I understand the adverts help generate income – I get it, but please please can’t you do something to about both on the screen at once blocking any hope of actually reading what you’ve written to us? Frustrated in the Bahamas….I can send you a screen shot if it would help you see what I experience.
Helen, thank you for the heads up! I’m actually addressing that as we speak. My users experience is more important to me than the ads. It’s not something I can fix immediately, but over the next week or two things will improve. Are you getting the pop up subscribe button on mobile?
Hi Marci, I’m a great grandmother and although I can’t always relate to your topics on point, I certainly enjoyed reading this new ‘column’ and I use your IP recipes constantly. Thank you!
Anita, thank you so much! I’m sure you read my many mother stories and just laugh and shake your head like my mom does 😉
I love making crio bru in my instant pot–thank you so much for that technique. But the golden milk version? I’ve got to try that ASAP!
Kids and sports? I have so much to say about that! I steer my kids towards lifetime, individual sports–running, swimming, etc, even though they have tried many others. Our HS is huge and so competitive, and we have been happy seeking out the less common sports–the ones you don’t have to start when you are 4. Swim team, cross country, lacrosse, and water polo have been the sports my kids picked up at 13-14, after a childhood of being active for fun.
Mirien, oh just wait, this golden version is gonna make you cry 🙂 Your statement about sports speaks to my soul. That’s exactly how I feel. Hearing someone else say it makes me feel 100x better about my choices!
I’m hoping to win…but can’t wait to get an order of Crio to try myself!
Love Crio…what an interesting recipe…will have to try!
How fun is your blog! Loved reading about your kids and struggles- it feels so good to relate to other moms just trying to do our best! How delish does that Golden Crio Bru look?? Yum!! Looking forward to reading more of your stuff!
Shay, It makes being a mom easier when you know others struggle with the same things, right?! Crio Bru helps with all mother responsibilities 🙂
Could regular milk be used instead of almond milk? Thank you.
Sydney, yes it will work okay, but the taste of the almond is better in my opinion. But my kids like either!
OH MY WORD. I didn’t even consider instant pot + crio bru. This recipe is gold!! I cannot wait to try it!! My husband and I gave up caffeine and have replaced our morning cup of coffee with Crio Bru and Nutpods. Thank you so much for this recipe! This is going to be amazing!!
★★★★★
Anna, I’ve never tried nut pods, do you recommend it? It’s like a creamer, right? You’ll be shocked how much more flavor you’ll get out of the IP version!
this looks amazing! I love Crio Bru
Crio Bru is phenomenal. I love it. Ive never thought to drink it in a golden milk style. Thats brilliant!
Courtney, It’s my new favorite flavor, I love it!
Enjoying your new venture a lot. Great topics of discussion.
On children in sports. My husband and I have always had a peeve when children are forced to play in a sport their parents like or just to try to get a scholarship to play a sport. Kids have an awesome knack to know what they like. Sometimes they see peers playing and want to play to be accepted. We always allowed our children to try whatever sport they wanted, but when a season started they had to stick it out for the season. Don’t build a team on those participating and then leave mid-season. If they didn’t like it, don’t do it next season. We were fortunate that one of our children was blessed to receive a full sports scholarship paying for four years of school, but it was because she LOVED the sport and excelled in it.
Honey Money-Have used it for quite a while and love it. I go between Honey and Ebates. Love saving and receiving money. Also, great excuse to shop.
Would love to try the drink. I enjoy hot chocolate, but it is so sweet I can’t drink much at all.
Keep up the good work. Use your recipes a lot.
Hi Yvonne! That’s a great lesson in itself to a kid that they have to follow through with commitments until it’s fulfilled. I like that. I use Honey Money and Ebates as well, I’m sure my husband is happy that I have more reasons to shop, haha! For me, Crio Bru is more about the chocolaty, warm comfort and less about having a “treat.” I think you would love it! Thank you for your words of encouragement. Statements like yours keep me going on my 5 hours of sleep on the days I need to the most!
Ah! I have been looking for a good (Cafeine-free) substitute for my coffee!! Just found your site and am looking forward to following you!
Holly, it was meant to be, welcome! Crio Bru has got me through twins in a sense, I think you’ll love it!
I’ve tried Crio Bru in the IP before, but found that it tasted burnt. I ended up throwing it away and have stuck with my french press since then. Have you had that happen?
Molly, I’ve never had that problem and I brew it at least twice a week. Have you tried it with almond milk? I’d be curious of what you thought of this Golden flavor. I’m not sure why it would taste burnt!
Oh and about sports, I love having my kids in sports because it teaches them commitment and teamwork, but you can get that from other things too like musical instruments. Honestly, watching my son play competitive soccer right now is my favorite thing to do because he loves it so much. As soon as it’s too much we’ll be done though. I’m not going to push anything my kids don’t want to do! But I really like having them try all different kinds of things until they find something they love.
Megan, that’s a great way to look at it. More than the activity itself, I love watching my kids find joy in things. You put that into words perfectly.
I still need to try Choffy in the instant pot! Your golden version sounds amazing! And I think athleta has the best comfy casual clothes I can still feel put together. Lululemon, too, but athleta has way better sales. 😉
My favorite podcast right now is Crime Junkie!! I love a good true crime story haha. Have you listened to Cold yet?
Megan, You haven’t tried this yet?! Miss IP queen! Choffy is incredible in it, do it asap! I own a few Athleta pieces and adore them. They last forever too, that quality is worth the cost. Crime Junkie would keep me up at night, I’m a wimp like that, I’ve never heard of Cold though.
I’d love to hear more about your meditation practice as a potential future topic. I trust the people who say it would benefit my life but I just don’t get it. I’ve practiced practicing meditation but not for long enough, probably.
Stephanie, I hear ya on that one. I went through a few books, websites, cds, and dvds before I found what works for me. It seemed pointless for the longest time until I made a few discoveries. That’s a great topic idea, thank you!
(I’m trying to post as many comments as I can think of because you says I could to try to win the give-away away and because I’m procrastinating work stuff). Food confessions… oh this is bad… save the grease from browning sausage and put it on plain popcorn (+salt). It’s like essence of sausage filling your whole mouth. Also, and this is much more benign- I love my homemade peanut butter. Just peanuts in the food processor with a little salt (I like 1/4 tsp/cup of peanuts) and cinnamon (and other nuts if I’m splurging, but this is mostly about saving major $$ over store-bought natural pb).
Stephanie, Virtual high five for taking a moment to procrastinate work. You’ll come back that much stronger 😉 Sausage grease popcorn…I’ll admit I’m gagging and drooling at the same time and very intrigued – that’s a lot of emotions for one thing, haha! I agree, homemade butters are incredible. I love the silky, drippy factor.
Favorite podcasts!? I love listening to podcasts, my tastes change but my long time favorites are Better Than Happy with Jody Moore (listen and then join her coaching program and change your life), Happier with Gretchen Rubin, TED Radio Hour, 3 in 30, Awesome With Alison, and Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations. I’d love to read any follow up you want to share about podcasts you find that you enjoy.
Stephanie, I’ve written these down! I’m gonna start with Better Than Happy. Thank you!
I’ve been wanting to try Crio Bru, I forget about it until I see you post about it. Seems like a great treat-yo-self drink:)
Stephanie, It’s a treat that’s not a sugar laden treat. Basically it just makes me happy to drink it 🙂
I’ve never heard of this product/drink. I’m not much of a coffee drinker (I tell people I add coffee to my cream and sugar!), but would love to try this. I’m always game for trying something different and this has many things for ingredients that I really love! Enjoy your blog, recipes and all your info…thank you!
Rebecca, thank you! I think you would love it. It’s my comfort/happy drink.
I LOVE chocolate and coffee. I’ve never heard of Crio Bru. Sounds delicious. Love all the recipes I’ve tried so far from your website. Thanks!
Stephanie, then Crio Bru is your baby!