I promised my best friend and my little twin sister I’d be a lot less bombastic this year, so instead of big opinions, here’s a very PG, very G moment of quiet bliss.

I took a frozen young chicken that had been sitting in my freezer for six months, unwrapped it, set it on the trivet in my extra-wide 7.5L Instant Pot, added plain water up to the trivet, and cooked it for 70 minutes on Poultry with a natural release. No stock, no drama.

While that ran, I went to the store and bought a bag of plain white rice. Not jasmine, not brown. I’m from Hawaii. I rinsed it thoroughly, again and again, until the water ran clear, and cooked it in my new-to-me three-cup Toshiba fuzzy logic rice cooker. I used a Zojirushi for nearly 20 years, loved it, gave it up when I went carnivore, and decided this time to try something different. The Toshiba held its own.

I also grabbed a can of pinto beans, a can of mixed vegetables, butter, Crystal hot sauce, and later added pickled jalapeños. When the rice finished, I warmed it with the beans and vegetables, seasoned gently with cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Once the chicken cooled, I pulled all the meat from the bones and mixed everything together with the broth.

If I did it again, I’d put the bones back in and pressure cook them another 90 minutes for extra stock. Next time.

What I ended up with was deeply comforting: mostly chicken, plenty of broth, and just enough rice and vegetables to support it. I portion about 30 ounces per serving. This morning, for breakfast, I added pickled jalapeños, a splash of brine, and a pinch of salt. No eggs, no ham, no rules. Just what felt right on a cold January morning.

It was exactly what I needed. Coffee next. Day begins.