Sugar, Grease, Salt and Alcohol...
There they are in all of their glory. And in this very special episode of Facts of Cooking Life, there will be Thanksgiving. That's right, there will be grease (fatback, lard and bacon grease- oh my), sugar, salt and alcohol in all of its Thanksgivingy glory.
Hubby and I eat an early lunch with my family, head home and prepare/have Thanksgiving dinner with his family. I am amazed every Thanksgiving at the amount of food I have on my dining room table for only six people. Turkey, yeast rolls, company rice (my Mother-In-Law's recipe that she is yet to share), sweet potato casserole, green beans with county ham, collards, butter beans, dressing, bread pudding, a cobbler of some sort and pecan pie. I am trying to figure out exactly who it is I think I am feeding.
It may be more akin to getting to play with make-up when you are little girl. You do not get to do it often so Sugar, pile it on until the lipstick tube is empty, rouge is in perfect pink dots and your powder blue eye shadow is glistening for all to see! Or in this case all the sugar, flour,bacon and country ham in a tri-county area is sitting on my counter top waiting for a little Thanksgiving love.
Now I do not do it all by myself. Memaw, my mother-in-law, brings the company rice and the sweet potato casserole. My brother-in-law brings the bread pudding. The rest is all me, baby. I love, LOVE, L-O-V-E to cook. Cooking for Thanksgiving and Christmas is like opening gifts from Santa on Christmas morning. However, I know that I cannot do it all in one day so some of my dishes I cook as freeze.
This weekend, I made my collards and froze them so all that will need to be done is thaw and reheat. Collards are perfect for freezing because they taste better after a little time in the freezer.
I have two recipes for my collards. One that incorporates almost all of the Four Southern Food Groups with lots piggy. There is also a lighter version that I promise is almost as good. Hey, I said almost.
I am a huge fan of the crock-pot for a recipe like this. Throw them in and walk away.
The yummy goodness that is collards my Grandma's way-
4 lbs of collards
1 1/2 lbs of ham hocks or neck bones
1 quarts of water (brought to a simmer)
1 small onion
1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
A pinch of sugar
Clean your collards! If you are buying them from a Farmers' Market, they will need to be cleaned. If you are buying in the bag from a big box story or grocery store them will need to be rinsed.
I find the best way to clean them is fill your sink up with cool water and in small batches put the collards into the water and swish them. (Swish is a very technical culinary term.) We are not done. Fill the sink with water and white vinegar, I would add a cup, and put the collards back in and let them soak for 5-10 minutes. Little creatures do not particularly care for the vinegar and that will help you find any that the swishing missed. Again swish, think the agitator in your washing machine for about 30 seconds. Drain and rinse 2-3 more times. You should be all set. If you are using the store bought bagged collards that say pre-cleaned, give them a good rinse under running water and drain.
1. Chop your onion and put in your crock pot. If you are not using your crock pot (cp), put them in a stock pot on low. You really do not need to add oil or grease because we are not browning the onions. But you are more than welcome to add a little bacon grease it you like. Fat is flavor.
2. Chop your collards to the size you like.
One of my grandmother's left hers in pieces and my other grandmother chopped hers, think the consistency of creamed spinach. They are both delicious it is just a matter of preference. I leave mine in pieces since not everyone like the "smushed" texture of chopped. Smushed another technical culinary term.
3. Place the collards in your cp or your pan. Pour the water over the collards. If you are using your cp, you may need to this in batches pouring some of the water over the collards. This will wilt them some so that you can put more in the cp. If you are using the pan, it is not as important because the collards will start to wilt a little in the heat of the pan.
This will look like a ton of collards but they will cook down. This recipe actually serves 6. It will look like 26 when prepping them.
4. Add the the remaining ingredients.
5. For cp users- set it on low for 6-7 hours or high for 4-5. Stove top cookers- bring your collards up to a gentle boil. As soon as they come to a boil, reduce heat to med-low and simmer 1 1/2-2 hours. I find that if I just my cast iron dutch oven, I have to turn them almost to low due to the pot likker evaporating. Check on them occasionally and if the water is getting low just add a little more.
I know, I hear you. This tale a long time. That is why I did them this weekend. I prepped them first thing and went about cleaning. By the time, the house was clean and errands run they were ready to be put in containers to cool. Once cool put in the freezer.
Now the Almost As Good as Piggy Infused Collards
(Remember- I said ALMOST.)
4 lbs of collards
3 cups of *chicken stock and 1 c of beer (nothing fancy or limey or frou-frouy) (brought to a simmer)
1 small onion
1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
A pinch of sugar
*veggie stock may be substituted if you want to keep them meat free
Clean your collards! Refer to the method above.
1. Chop your onion and put in your crock pot. If you are not using your crock pot (cp), put them in a stock pot on low. You really do not need to add oil or grease because we are not browning the onions. But you are more than welcome to add a little olive oil it you like.
2. Chop your collards to the size you like.
3. Place the collards in your cp or your pan. Pour the stock and beer mixture over the collards. If you are using your cp, you may need to this in batches, pouring some of the liquid over the collards. This will wilt them some so that you can put more in the cp. If you are using the pan, it is not as important because the collards will start to wilt a little in the heat of the pan.
This will look like a ton of collards but they will cook down. This recipe actually serves 6. It will look like 26 when prepping them.
4. Add the the remaining ingredients.
5. For cp users- set it on low for 6-7 hours or high for 4-5. Stove top cookers- bring your collards up to a gentle boil. As soon as they come to a boil, reduce heat to med-low and simmer 1 1/2-2 hours. I find that if I just my cast iron dutch oven, I have to turn them almost to low due to the pot likker evaporating. Check on them occasionally and if the liquid is getting low just add a little more chicken stock or water.
Beer in collards? What in the world? That is crazy. While I am a big proponent of the 4 Southern Food Groups, this is not adding alcohol for the sake of alcohol. It actually gives a a great flavor and helps with the bitterness that greens have. You can also use beer in the first recipe as well as chicken stock if you want even more flavor.
Thaw in the refrigerator and heat and serve on Thanksgiving day. You can freeze them in containers or in zip-top bags. Drop the bags in a large pot of simmering water and you do not even have to thaw. Simmer until heated through and put in serving dish.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Bumfuzzled
I love words. The weirder the better, like bumfuzzle/bumfuzzled. It means to confuse, perplex, fluster. It is such a great word because it accurately describes how I feel right now.
I am so blessed to have a Mama that taught me very valuable lessons early on in life. You have naturally curly hair, brushing will hurt. You will always immediately sneeze after applying mascara. I may not see what you are doing but Jesus can. (Ponder that one for a minute- puts the kabosh on a lot of fun things that might get you in trouble.) There will always be someone smarter than you, more talented than you and prettier than you, that is life. It can be unfair but do your best and you will be successful. Now those were not her exact words but that is what I learned from the things she said. And it was the absolute best thing she ever could have taught me. Well that and the teeny tiny little thing called respect. I do believe there was many a b-u-t-t whooping (putting it politely) when I was disrespectful. Now my mama was the queen of wait until your Deddy gets home. She did not like to spank us one bit but you start sassing or being disrespectful and she would go from loving mother by day to choose your means of butt whooping this is going to hurt me more that it will hurt you by night. (Ummm- not so much but I am still scared of her so I will zip it.) And Lord help you (no really, Lord save your scrawny behind) if you had been disrespectful to one of my grandmothers. She would not only get you but then tell Deddy. Do you see the recurring theme here? Disrespect was not allowed in the Turner household. No way Jose. It was not allowed with our family, other adults, our friends or each other.
So that leads to my bumfuzzlement. (That may or may not be a Jodyism but I will look it up later. If it is not a "real" word, it should be!) Didn't the majority of us learn this valuable lesson? If we did, have we forgotten it? I am crushed by the things friends have said to friends; family to family; Christians to Christians during this political season. It breaks my heart. AND that is hard to do, I am Southern. My heart has been blessed at least 784,642 times in my years on this Earth.
I was taught we can agree to disagree but we can never be disrespectful to one another. In preparing for this blog, I looked up the meaning of the words disagree and disrespect. Merriam Webster says:
Disagree- to fail to agree; to differ in opinion
synonyms- differ, dissent, nonconcur, to take issue
antonyms- agree, consent, concur
Disrespect- to have disrespect for to show or express contempt.
Contempt- the act of despising
The synonyms for despise are abhor, abominate, hate. The antonym- LOVE.
No wonder Mama was so tough on us about being disrespectful. Disagree does not carry the negative weight of Disrespect. We can agree to disagree. I can disagree with what you say, offer you a cup of coffee and some cobbler. Disrespect me and well, no cobbler for you.
As we go into Election Day tomorrow remember this- It is okay to disagree. It is what makes this Nation GREAT. We have the right to disagree with one another. We do not all have to be the same. Think of how stinking boring that would be. But we do have to be respectful, especially if we are Christians.
Romans 13:8-10 says it best....
8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,”[a] “You shall not covet,”[b] and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”[c] 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Regardless of what happens today, if your guy wins or loses, remember to respect the ones you love. They are special enough for God to put them in your life and carve in stone to love them as you love yourself.
And also remember, that if your guy wins are loses, PRAY. Pray for our President, our Government, our Country. Pray for each other. I know there is enough going on in my life that if someone wants to randomly or not so randomly pray that I have God's strength and wisdom working in me, I will gladly accept it because I need it. Like someone dying of thirst, I need it.
Love and Respect to everyone! And THANK YOU to any and everyone who has served or is serving in the military and protected my right to stand in line and cast my ballot this morning. It was an honor to do so and I am grateful.
I am so blessed to have a Mama that taught me very valuable lessons early on in life. You have naturally curly hair, brushing will hurt. You will always immediately sneeze after applying mascara. I may not see what you are doing but Jesus can. (Ponder that one for a minute- puts the kabosh on a lot of fun things that might get you in trouble.) There will always be someone smarter than you, more talented than you and prettier than you, that is life. It can be unfair but do your best and you will be successful. Now those were not her exact words but that is what I learned from the things she said. And it was the absolute best thing she ever could have taught me. Well that and the teeny tiny little thing called respect. I do believe there was many a b-u-t-t whooping (putting it politely) when I was disrespectful. Now my mama was the queen of wait until your Deddy gets home. She did not like to spank us one bit but you start sassing or being disrespectful and she would go from loving mother by day to choose your means of butt whooping this is going to hurt me more that it will hurt you by night. (Ummm- not so much but I am still scared of her so I will zip it.) And Lord help you (no really, Lord save your scrawny behind) if you had been disrespectful to one of my grandmothers. She would not only get you but then tell Deddy. Do you see the recurring theme here? Disrespect was not allowed in the Turner household. No way Jose. It was not allowed with our family, other adults, our friends or each other.
So that leads to my bumfuzzlement. (That may or may not be a Jodyism but I will look it up later. If it is not a "real" word, it should be!) Didn't the majority of us learn this valuable lesson? If we did, have we forgotten it? I am crushed by the things friends have said to friends; family to family; Christians to Christians during this political season. It breaks my heart. AND that is hard to do, I am Southern. My heart has been blessed at least 784,642 times in my years on this Earth.
I was taught we can agree to disagree but we can never be disrespectful to one another. In preparing for this blog, I looked up the meaning of the words disagree and disrespect. Merriam Webster says:
Disagree- to fail to agree; to differ in opinion
synonyms- differ, dissent, nonconcur, to take issue
antonyms- agree, consent, concur
Disrespect- to have disrespect for to show or express contempt.
Contempt- the act of despising
The synonyms for despise are abhor, abominate, hate. The antonym- LOVE.
No wonder Mama was so tough on us about being disrespectful. Disagree does not carry the negative weight of Disrespect. We can agree to disagree. I can disagree with what you say, offer you a cup of coffee and some cobbler. Disrespect me and well, no cobbler for you.
As we go into Election Day tomorrow remember this- It is okay to disagree. It is what makes this Nation GREAT. We have the right to disagree with one another. We do not all have to be the same. Think of how stinking boring that would be. But we do have to be respectful, especially if we are Christians.
Romans 13:8-10 says it best....
8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,”[a] “You shall not covet,”[b] and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”[c] 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Regardless of what happens today, if your guy wins or loses, remember to respect the ones you love. They are special enough for God to put them in your life and carve in stone to love them as you love yourself.
And also remember, that if your guy wins are loses, PRAY. Pray for our President, our Government, our Country. Pray for each other. I know there is enough going on in my life that if someone wants to randomly or not so randomly pray that I have God's strength and wisdom working in me, I will gladly accept it because I need it. Like someone dying of thirst, I need it.
Love and Respect to everyone! And THANK YOU to any and everyone who has served or is serving in the military and protected my right to stand in line and cast my ballot this morning. It was an honor to do so and I am grateful.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Fried Baloney Sandwiches
I love my job! No really, I do. I am truly blessed to have a wonderful job. It can sometimes, however, get in the way of my fun and my blogging... But that is what those pesky day jobs sometimes do. I apologize for the lapse.
Yesterday was Father's Day, number 2 without Deddy and number 1 without Grandeddy. Mama and Sissy were out of town, so I was intent upon pretending it was any regular Sunday. My wonderful hubby took my dear father-in-law out to breakfast early while I was at church and scheduled a Sunday afternoon of sitting on the front porch reading. It was the perfect plan to live in denial. But don't you love when God butts in and throws a monkey wrench in your plan, in a inconspicuous way.Yesterday went exactly as planned; church, lunch, reading, and napping on the front porch. However, I did not get to pretend that it was not Father's Day and I did not get to not think about my two missing fellas.
And what started an avalanche of memories? Why food, of course. Good to you but bad for you food. Fried Baloney Sandwiches and Banana Sandwiches. I do realize that for most people, baloney is mis-spelled, with the proper spelling being bologna. Where I am from, you would be more likely to see it spelled baloney on someone's grocery list and that's not because we don't know how to spell it, we just like it that way.
Sitting with some of the best musicians (EVER!) at church yesterday, the conversation centered around their children. One person mentioned he hoped his children had planned a day canoeing because nothing would be better than that as a Father's Day gift. Many of us spend our lives feeling as if we need bigger and better to be successful. We work hard to have a nice house, nice cars to meet the definition of what others tell us is success. But when it all boils down, it is the simple things that stick with us; canoeing, fishing, singing in the backyard to the radio as loud as we can get it. Deddy worked two jobs when I was growing up so that he and Mama could give us a nice home, food on the table and clothes on our back. We were not wealthy and there were times we were broke. I never knew it and it certainly isn't what I think of now.
Now, I have one of those brains that one thought can cause a tornado of thoughts to spin around in my head as you can tell from the paragraph above. All of that came from one simple comment from a friend at church about a Father's Day gift. I still had my mind made up that it was NOT going to be a sad day of me thinking about what I was missing because I was not going to think about it at all. Then it happened, my day went exactly as I had planned. Indeed, I was so smart, my to do list yesterday was perfect for avoiding all of the crappy stuff that sneaks up on you in quiet moments when you have lost a part of your world. I have learned as a Christian, God is a part of your life even when your to do list has conveniently left his plan off. He understands that I am still sad, angry and devastated that my Dad is gone. He understands that I have a hole in my heart the size of Texas and nothing seems to diminish it. I think that may be why He gave me a Father's Day gift.
It started by reading a book that is in the Southern chick-lit genre. I wanted something fun to read that I could finish in one afternoon. I settled down and it was a cute book for an afternoon of front porch reading. And there is was- a fried baloney sandwich, spelled the "proper" way. It was a special treat for the character in the book. I thought of how long it had been since I had had a fried baloney sandwich and there is was- when I still lived at home and it made me think of Deddy. No ma'am, we are not doing this today. Keep reading, forget about the stupid fried baloney sandwich and your spaghetti sauce that Deddy loved even with the mushrooms you chopped small thinking he would not know they were in there. Ugh and the potted meat he would put mustard in and eat out of the can with Saltines. How can anyone eat that stuff? And lets not talk about Vienna Sausages. What in the heck is in it anyway? Oh yeah- "Josephine, it is the rooter to the tooter and it is perfect fishing food. Quick, easy and good!" Fishing on the Tar River, I got to drive the boat and never once had to bait my on hook. It was peaceful and he let us swim in the river even if we didn't wear our bathing suits. We could drive the boat fast enough to dry off before it was time to go home. Sunburned and full of Munchos and Jungle Juice. Deddy picking the corn in my garden because there were spiders in the stalks. Conveniently forgetting to tell me there would be an iced pig in the bathtub on the Sundays we had pig pickins so I would throw back the shower curtain and Wilbur would cause me to jump 5' in the air. (Where else you gonna store your 80 lbs pig?) Pig pickins and the beer to pig/beer to Deddy ratio. Grandeddy and Deddy cooking the pigs/grilling out. Grilling out at White Lake. Grandeddy taking of his shirt and his tanned truck driver arms such a contrast from his white torso, he looked like he still had on a t-shirt. Grandeddy chucking my life-size doll because she was a little too life like and he thought there was a dead body in his storage freezer. (Grandma could not even save her from the trash pile at that point.) Trips to Myrtle Beach when grandeddy had a Teamsters meeting there. Summer afternoons when Grandma and I always had to be back home in time to make lunch for Grandeddy, a banana sandwich on whole wheat. I closed my eyes smiling thinking of all those great memories and I fell asleep, in my chair on my front porch. A relaxing, warm from the sun nap that was nourishing. I think I was even smiling, OK, so it may have been my mouth was gaping open but I am going with smiling. When I woke up, I was in a better mood and happy. Not once did I remember cancer or COPD. Not once did I see either of them sick. They were smiling well not so much when the doll scared Grandeddy half-to-death but these were good memories. Simple times that were wonderful. If you have an opportunity, make time for these moments, savor them. Swing at the park, go fishing, dance with abandon with a little one, act goofy and sing at the top of your lungs, out-of tune with someone you love. There will come a time when they are the gifts that gets you through the day and reassures you that you will be OK again.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
That's what you think...
I am someone who weighs the pros and cons, plans, has a back-up plan through the letter z and tries to remain calm through crazy situations. I have not always been this way but one day I realized that the drama in my life was self-imposed thanks to having a "great idea" and jumping in head first without the first swimming lesson. God has had to fish me out of some pretty interesting situations. Thankfully no one was hurt and they are all pretty funny 10 to 12 years after the fact. I wish I could say I had the "planning and organizing" epiphany on my own but I owe it all to my dear husband. You can only be married to the most organized/adorable/fiscally responsible/handsome/drama less/cute man in the world for so long before he either divorces you or rubs off on you. (Sidebar in case dear hubby reads this. He is a rather imposing character with his 6'3", goateed and adorably cute bald headed self. I may get into a little trouble calling him cute and adorable but I cannot help myself.) Thankfully he rubbed off on me. Now, I list, plan and execute. And when that does not work, the Marines say it best... Improvise, Adapt and Overcome. In my job, it is how you are successful because there are times things simply are out of your control.
This mentality has kept my insanity intact through some of the most difficult moments of my life; my job, my mom and dad's cancer battle, losing my dad, losing my grandfather, my father-in-law's Alzheimer's. I am grateful to God for my husband. God gave me someone who brought out these much needed qualities in time for all of the above to happen within the last 5 years. The comfort of my lists and plans and back-up plans have helped me. So you can imagine that I approached OP31 with the mentality. List-Plan-Attack. So let me tell you how this is working for me...
I prayed, God answered. Yay
God planted a seed. I listened. Double Yay
I brought my own shall we say fertilizer to the project. I am going to help the modern woman in her plight to do it all and be a good Christian in the process. F-E-R-T-I-L-I-Z-E-R!!!! Shoot, half the time I have to play 6-day catch up on my devotional and I am going to help someone with their plight. Yeah, right.
I quickly got an "Ease up there Love Chops, the lesson in this is for you and your plight" from God. Uh wha?
You mean I am not going to publish some cute and funny blog for others, post some great pictures and show my hubby I can do it all as a Proverbs 31 W-O-M-A-N? That is not what I signed up for, Lord. That thunder you just heard was God laughing his behind off at me. He had/has a thing or two to teach me and he is kindly doing it through humor.
By now my "plan" was to have my kitchen completed. Not so much God's. I listed, planned, bought and calendared. The new floor is in and I have the cabinets/pantry organized like Martha herself came and did them. I cleaned, sanded and primed the cabinets before I painted them. I should have new pictures up for everyone to see all of the hard work I put into the new Proverbs 31 kitchen. But I don't. Probably because I just said I 9000 times in the course of the 3 sentences. So I reckon God decided to see how I would bend if he threw a wrench in MY plans. Here is how it went down...
Below is my actual list:
Friday- vacation day, paint
_____ Clean (Wainscoting, window seals, trim)
_____ Sand (Wainscoting, window seals, trim)
_____ Tape Off Room
_____ Prime
_____ Paint
Saturday- FLOOR DAY ((Woo Hoo)
______ Move Furniture
______ Clean behind appliance in the kitchen
______ Floor/Carpet Installed
______ Touch up paint
______ Remove Tape
Sunday- ORGANIZE
______ Channel Martha Stewart
______ Be OCD Martha Stewart
______ Throw crap away
______ Throw more crap away
______ Organize
Does anyone see anything on this list that says- repaint the kitchen because the paint did not adhere? I didn't think so but that is exactly what is happening. I have to repaint because oh I don't know I just do.
So cut to last Friday- Vacation day part 2. I was going to stay home and repaint. I now had an even better plan on how to fix the paint crisis so it did not peel again. List, check. Plan, check. Brad taking Friday off since it is going to be nice outside, che- no wait that was not on my list. I have things on my list that is not one of the things on my list! But it is May in North Carolina and it is only supposed to be 73 degrees. Last year it was 92! But I planned to paint, I need to post pictures for my blog. I need... I want... I planned... Indeed, that is God's laughter you heard, again. I think may have even patted me on the head, not sure, but I think so.
We woke up early, drank coffee and planned our attack. It was a simple plan because that bed needed help.
Friday- vacation day, yard
_____ Home Depot, mulch
_____ Weed
_____ Lay newspaper
_____ Mulch the front bed
We headed to Home Depot for 10 bags of mulch. Angus (our 1970 Ford truck) is currently out of commission so we had to use our car which only allows 10 bags at a time. JP, in the garden Center, now recognizes us by site. Three trips and 35 bags later it was 1:00 p.m. and we were pooped. But there was so much more that needed to be done. We have never been yard people so three summers in our house, the yard was looking a little peaked. It was a beautiful day so we pushed through and worked a few more hours.
One of the verses in Proverbs 31, verse 23 Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders, is the one that had me stumped. I have interpreted this as a man who is leading by example. Doing what is right because it is right and others see this in him. Hubby does this things but he does them quietly, never drawing attention to himself or what he is doing. There are times he does or says something so kind and thoughtful, that it catches my breath and makes me realize I have a long way to go. And he would be quick to tell you so does he. Wisdom- check. I do not want people to think we are perfect and we have a perfect marriage. Well- we do have a perfect marriage, for us. I am secure enough to be me, flaws and all, in front of my husband. I can show my vulnerable, crazy, not-so-nice side when I need to and he still sees the best part of me. He can be himself, tough, protective, kind warmed hearted and sometimes incredibly irritating, driving me crazy one minute and making me laugh the next. He treats me with respect and kindness. I love him regardless as he does me.
So how did 3 trips to Home Depot, one water hose fight, 6 hours working in the yard, tears, laughter and good music lead to what I think is verse 23? Three neighbors walked over to our house and spoke to him about what we had done and how nice our yard is looking. My father-in-law dropped by and liked it so much, he and my mother-in-law came back later that evening. Not bad for a Friday's work that almost did not happen.
You see, if I had told hubby that I wanted to work in the kitchen instead, he would have saved his vacation day and I would have some great kitchen photos to share with you. I would have had my nice neat little list checked off and hubby would have been excited at how nice the kitchen looked. It would have been a good, productive day. Instead, it turned into a wonderfully fantastic, productive day. God had a different plan, list and outcome for that day. It had nothing to do with mine and yet it so blew mine out of the water. I am grateful that I, for once, shut up and listened. Becoming this woman in Proverbs 31 is less about the checklist and more about listening and letting God take control. By doing so, God will take care of the rest and it will easily fall into place.
This beautiful Friday also helped me but I will share that next time... For now enjoy the before pictures. I will post after pictures as soon as I am able to lift my arms to take more photos. Yard work is really good exercise! Saturday was spent on the couch unable to move.
This mentality has kept my insanity intact through some of the most difficult moments of my life; my job, my mom and dad's cancer battle, losing my dad, losing my grandfather, my father-in-law's Alzheimer's. I am grateful to God for my husband. God gave me someone who brought out these much needed qualities in time for all of the above to happen within the last 5 years. The comfort of my lists and plans and back-up plans have helped me. So you can imagine that I approached OP31 with the mentality. List-Plan-Attack. So let me tell you how this is working for me...
I prayed, God answered. Yay
God planted a seed. I listened. Double Yay
I brought my own shall we say fertilizer to the project. I am going to help the modern woman in her plight to do it all and be a good Christian in the process. F-E-R-T-I-L-I-Z-E-R!!!! Shoot, half the time I have to play 6-day catch up on my devotional and I am going to help someone with their plight. Yeah, right.
I quickly got an "Ease up there Love Chops, the lesson in this is for you and your plight" from God. Uh wha?
You mean I am not going to publish some cute and funny blog for others, post some great pictures and show my hubby I can do it all as a Proverbs 31 W-O-M-A-N? That is not what I signed up for, Lord. That thunder you just heard was God laughing his behind off at me. He had/has a thing or two to teach me and he is kindly doing it through humor.
By now my "plan" was to have my kitchen completed. Not so much God's. I listed, planned, bought and calendared. The new floor is in and I have the cabinets/pantry organized like Martha herself came and did them. I cleaned, sanded and primed the cabinets before I painted them. I should have new pictures up for everyone to see all of the hard work I put into the new Proverbs 31 kitchen. But I don't. Probably because I just said I 9000 times in the course of the 3 sentences. So I reckon God decided to see how I would bend if he threw a wrench in MY plans. Here is how it went down...
Below is my actual list:
Friday- vacation day, paint
_____ Clean (Wainscoting, window seals, trim)
_____ Sand (Wainscoting, window seals, trim)
_____ Tape Off Room
_____ Prime
_____ Paint
Saturday- FLOOR DAY ((Woo Hoo)
______ Move Furniture
______ Clean behind appliance in the kitchen
______ Floor/Carpet Installed
______ Touch up paint
______ Remove Tape
Sunday- ORGANIZE
______ Channel Martha Stewart
______ Be OCD Martha Stewart
______ Throw crap away
______ Throw more crap away
______ Organize
Does anyone see anything on this list that says- repaint the kitchen because the paint did not adhere? I didn't think so but that is exactly what is happening. I have to repaint because oh I don't know I just do.
So cut to last Friday- Vacation day part 2. I was going to stay home and repaint. I now had an even better plan on how to fix the paint crisis so it did not peel again. List, check. Plan, check. Brad taking Friday off since it is going to be nice outside, che- no wait that was not on my list. I have things on my list that is not one of the things on my list! But it is May in North Carolina and it is only supposed to be 73 degrees. Last year it was 92! But I planned to paint, I need to post pictures for my blog. I need... I want... I planned... Indeed, that is God's laughter you heard, again. I think may have even patted me on the head, not sure, but I think so.
We woke up early, drank coffee and planned our attack. It was a simple plan because that bed needed help.
Friday- vacation day, yard
_____ Home Depot, mulch
_____ Weed
_____ Lay newspaper
_____ Mulch the front bed
We headed to Home Depot for 10 bags of mulch. Angus (our 1970 Ford truck) is currently out of commission so we had to use our car which only allows 10 bags at a time. JP, in the garden Center, now recognizes us by site. Three trips and 35 bags later it was 1:00 p.m. and we were pooped. But there was so much more that needed to be done. We have never been yard people so three summers in our house, the yard was looking a little peaked. It was a beautiful day so we pushed through and worked a few more hours.
One of the verses in Proverbs 31, verse 23 Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders, is the one that had me stumped. I have interpreted this as a man who is leading by example. Doing what is right because it is right and others see this in him. Hubby does this things but he does them quietly, never drawing attention to himself or what he is doing. There are times he does or says something so kind and thoughtful, that it catches my breath and makes me realize I have a long way to go. And he would be quick to tell you so does he. Wisdom- check. I do not want people to think we are perfect and we have a perfect marriage. Well- we do have a perfect marriage, for us. I am secure enough to be me, flaws and all, in front of my husband. I can show my vulnerable, crazy, not-so-nice side when I need to and he still sees the best part of me. He can be himself, tough, protective, kind warmed hearted and sometimes incredibly irritating, driving me crazy one minute and making me laugh the next. He treats me with respect and kindness. I love him regardless as he does me.
So how did 3 trips to Home Depot, one water hose fight, 6 hours working in the yard, tears, laughter and good music lead to what I think is verse 23? Three neighbors walked over to our house and spoke to him about what we had done and how nice our yard is looking. My father-in-law dropped by and liked it so much, he and my mother-in-law came back later that evening. Not bad for a Friday's work that almost did not happen.
You see, if I had told hubby that I wanted to work in the kitchen instead, he would have saved his vacation day and I would have some great kitchen photos to share with you. I would have had my nice neat little list checked off and hubby would have been excited at how nice the kitchen looked. It would have been a good, productive day. Instead, it turned into a wonderfully fantastic, productive day. God had a different plan, list and outcome for that day. It had nothing to do with mine and yet it so blew mine out of the water. I am grateful that I, for once, shut up and listened. Becoming this woman in Proverbs 31 is less about the checklist and more about listening and letting God take control. By doing so, God will take care of the rest and it will easily fall into place.
This beautiful Friday also helped me but I will share that next time... For now enjoy the before pictures. I will post after pictures as soon as I am able to lift my arms to take more photos. Yard work is really good exercise! Saturday was spent on the couch unable to move.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
You can laugh or cry but crying only ruins your make-up!
I started Operation P31 after much prayer, thought and consideration. I was trying to figure out who I wanted to be when I grow up. I have felt like I was being pulled in so many directions. How do I be the perfect wife, daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, friend, employee, church member, insert role here? Because in all truthfulness, I was probably "jack of all trades master of none" in all of them. These roles do not line up neatly according to height and patiently wait their turn. They back-up, drop their head and come barreling at you full speed from all directions. Who am I, what do I want to be in all of these roles? Once I figure it out, what do I do to get there? And then I saw an old photo that sparked a thought that allowed God to plant a seed.
Have I mentioned how much I love my grandma? And even though she is no longer with me, she still influences me. The old photo was of her, hanging her laundry out to dry, a normal activity for the 1950's housewife. But there she was in a crisp top, skirt, espadrilles and red lipstick. I do not know why but it lit a spark in me. I wanted to be that kind of woman, someone who put her best foot forward even when hanging out the clothes. I realized I wanted my husband to feel honored and loved when he walked into our home without me having to say a word. We tell each other "I love you butthead" everyday, (I promised honesty and it is a term of endearment, promise.), but I wanted him feel it. I want everyone to see that I am grateful and how much I appreciate all of the blessings God has given me. Driving by my yard and closing doors to hind messes, was not doing that at all. I wish I could tell you it was because I am so busy and never have time to get anything done. I am busy but there was a little idleness going on as well. Did I really need to watch that show about housewives who are on the lam from Alaskan fishermen on redneck vacations while buying unclaimed storage containers? Well of course, but not at the expense of the things that are important. So that is the story of what got my behind in gear. The realization that a little less idleness and a little more "Do I gotta? Yes, I gotta!".
For those that do not know me, I have a job that has two big events per year. I normally have a pretty good story after each event. I am not a person who panics or stresses easily. And if I reach the point of panic, I will try my best to "remain calm and carry on". In my position, if I am panicked/stressed/worried it causes a lot of other people to do the same and that makes my job of fixing it more difficult. So if the words "You have got to be kidding me" or an abbreviation of shitaki mushroom ever exit my mouth seek cover because those slip out before I have had a chance to pull it together. The story you will hear after the event will make you laugh because I normally shhhing the EMTs with gurney's so they do not disturb the other people. Or telling my very proper attorney boss, that I do know who to use a gun if necessary and that they will just have to put to put their big girl panties on and deal with it. So here is the FUNNY, story of why the photos of the kitchen are not posted.
My dear sweet wonderful husband (no really- I am not being sarcastic) decided we would have the kitchen floor and den carpet replaced. Thank the Good Lord up above. I decided to paint the wainscoting and trim in the kitchen before the floor was replaced. My deddy taught me how to paint so I am a very neat and clean painter but white paint on new wood floor may have caused a few abbreviated shitaki mushrooms. I decided to do it in the week time frame before the installers arrived. Every evening and one vacation day were spent lovingly painting my kitchen. I scrubbed, sanded and painted (with primer) with a smile on my face. It was going to be beautiful and not need to be done for a very long time. Friday night I collapsed in to bed with thoughts of lollipops, puppies and freshly painted kitchens dancing in my head. It was like Christmas Eve, the next day my beautiful new kitchen would be complete. Not so much... The next morning the gentlemen arrived to install the floor. They were fantastic until they started pulling up the quarter-round. Then they licked they red right off my lollipop. Coming off the wall and cabinets along with the quarter-round was my beautiful sanded, primed paint in sheets like wallpaper. There was a combo of the panic phrases in the above paragraph in front of the nice gentleman, my husband and father-in-law. Needless to say there will be a slight delay in posting the before and after pictures. Oh no, there will be no posting of before without after. That would be like hearing the story of Moses and the Egyptians without hearing the part of the Red Sea parting. No thank you. Painting will begin again on Friday and should be completed on Saturday. I will post before the paint dries and my arms start to look like Popeye's. Although many more days of painting and people will be able to stand beside me as I wave without fear of being slapped by my triceps!
Have I mentioned how much I love my grandma? And even though she is no longer with me, she still influences me. The old photo was of her, hanging her laundry out to dry, a normal activity for the 1950's housewife. But there she was in a crisp top, skirt, espadrilles and red lipstick. I do not know why but it lit a spark in me. I wanted to be that kind of woman, someone who put her best foot forward even when hanging out the clothes. I realized I wanted my husband to feel honored and loved when he walked into our home without me having to say a word. We tell each other "I love you butthead" everyday, (I promised honesty and it is a term of endearment, promise.), but I wanted him feel it. I want everyone to see that I am grateful and how much I appreciate all of the blessings God has given me. Driving by my yard and closing doors to hind messes, was not doing that at all. I wish I could tell you it was because I am so busy and never have time to get anything done. I am busy but there was a little idleness going on as well. Did I really need to watch that show about housewives who are on the lam from Alaskan fishermen on redneck vacations while buying unclaimed storage containers? Well of course, but not at the expense of the things that are important. So that is the story of what got my behind in gear. The realization that a little less idleness and a little more "Do I gotta? Yes, I gotta!".
For those that do not know me, I have a job that has two big events per year. I normally have a pretty good story after each event. I am not a person who panics or stresses easily. And if I reach the point of panic, I will try my best to "remain calm and carry on". In my position, if I am panicked/stressed/worried it causes a lot of other people to do the same and that makes my job of fixing it more difficult. So if the words "You have got to be kidding me" or an abbreviation of shitaki mushroom ever exit my mouth seek cover because those slip out before I have had a chance to pull it together. The story you will hear after the event will make you laugh because I normally shhhing the EMTs with gurney's so they do not disturb the other people. Or telling my very proper attorney boss, that I do know who to use a gun if necessary and that they will just have to put to put their big girl panties on and deal with it. So here is the FUNNY, story of why the photos of the kitchen are not posted.
My dear sweet wonderful husband (no really- I am not being sarcastic) decided we would have the kitchen floor and den carpet replaced. Thank the Good Lord up above. I decided to paint the wainscoting and trim in the kitchen before the floor was replaced. My deddy taught me how to paint so I am a very neat and clean painter but white paint on new wood floor may have caused a few abbreviated shitaki mushrooms. I decided to do it in the week time frame before the installers arrived. Every evening and one vacation day were spent lovingly painting my kitchen. I scrubbed, sanded and painted (with primer) with a smile on my face. It was going to be beautiful and not need to be done for a very long time. Friday night I collapsed in to bed with thoughts of lollipops, puppies and freshly painted kitchens dancing in my head. It was like Christmas Eve, the next day my beautiful new kitchen would be complete. Not so much... The next morning the gentlemen arrived to install the floor. They were fantastic until they started pulling up the quarter-round. Then they licked they red right off my lollipop. Coming off the wall and cabinets along with the quarter-round was my beautiful sanded, primed paint in sheets like wallpaper. There was a combo of the panic phrases in the above paragraph in front of the nice gentleman, my husband and father-in-law. Needless to say there will be a slight delay in posting the before and after pictures. Oh no, there will be no posting of before without after. That would be like hearing the story of Moses and the Egyptians without hearing the part of the Red Sea parting. No thank you. Painting will begin again on Friday and should be completed on Saturday. I will post before the paint dries and my arms start to look like Popeye's. Although many more days of painting and people will be able to stand beside me as I wave without fear of being slapped by my triceps!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Stop Acting a'Fool
"Ummm wifey, do you realize you just called God a fly? Now I'm not sure
but something tells me that may get you a heaven timeout!" Don't you hate
it when they use your own stuff against you? I may need to explain.
I am one of "those" people who cracks inappropriate jokes at the worst possible times and then gets tickled to the point of uncontrollable laughter. There are a few that really get me and laugh inappropriately with me. I call them family; where else do you get this ability? And my friends that get me, well I will not name names to protect those that cannot claim me by blood.
I am one of "those" people who cracks inappropriate jokes at the worst possible times and then gets tickled to the point of uncontrollable laughter. There are a few that really get me and laugh inappropriately with me. I call them family; where else do you get this ability? And my friends that get me, well I will not name names to protect those that cannot claim me by blood.
Exhibit A- After my Deddy was diagnosed with esophageal cancer;
he was scheduled for surgery to remove the tumor and surrounding tissue. I will
not go into details but it is by no means a simple surgery and would have
caused many months of painful recuperation and therapy. With that said, the
pre-op appointment was probably not the place to have one of these moments. But
there it was, in all of its inappropriate glory and it was all Milton’s fault.
You see, Deddy had a hernia and he asked if Dr. Moran could “fix” during his
surgery. Now, if you do not know where my mind went immediately then you are no
John Hughes fan and we can no longer be friends. Ok, of course we can still be
friends but there will be a mandatory movie night at my house a.s.a.p. There he
was, Long Duck Dong, the first image to enter my mind. And the first words to exit my mouth? “You
gonna fix it so grandpa’s hyena don’t get disturbed?” Well there were two
people in that room that thought that was hi-la-ri-ous and they were not my
mother or the doctor. How was I supposed to know Milton would know what I was
talking about and find it as funny as me? What’s that you say? He is my dad
and that might be why I thought it was funny in the first place? Well, you are
little late with that advice now aren’t you. I will let you know when I am no
longer grounded..
What about this timeout in heaven thingie- that started with one of these inappropriate moments. I am striving for complete openness and honesty in this journey. I am going to share how it happens and not sugarcoat it. This means not making the things I think and say sanitized. I pray, a lot but it is not always in the most formal way. I have been known to start a conversation, “Really Lord? This is what you had in mind? I really liked things like they were.” So I will not be surprised if there is a chair in the corner with my name right by the entrance when I arrive at the Pearly Gates. I will still get to enter but I may have to sit a spell and think about what I have done. I know that is not how it works but saying I will get a heaven timeout forces me to stop and reevaluate what I have said and get myself back in alignment.
What about this timeout in heaven thingie- that started with one of these inappropriate moments. I am striving for complete openness and honesty in this journey. I am going to share how it happens and not sugarcoat it. This means not making the things I think and say sanitized. I pray, a lot but it is not always in the most formal way. I have been known to start a conversation, “Really Lord? This is what you had in mind? I really liked things like they were.” So I will not be surprised if there is a chair in the corner with my name right by the entrance when I arrive at the Pearly Gates. I will still get to enter but I may have to sit a spell and think about what I have done. I know that is not how it works but saying I will get a heaven timeout forces me to stop and reevaluate what I have said and get myself back in alignment.
Where does the journey start? The same place this blog
started, my kitchen. We just got new carpeting in our den and flooring in the
kitchen. Everything is in complete chaos and it is the perfect time to start.
By the time the floor is in, we will have almost completely renovated our
kitchen one piece at a time. This weekend I will have before and after photos.
It will be an attempt at Proverbs 31:27.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Cattycornered, Cattywhumpus, Off Kilter even
That is what this blog will be doing for a bit. Going a little all of the above. But first I feel I should share the actual pronunciation and meaning of the words in my title so that non-ENC folks can use them properly. :)
Cattycornered is technically cater-cornered meaning diagonally.
Cattywhumpus is catawampus meaning askew or awry.
Off kilter is out of kilter meaning out of alignment.
This blog started as a way to share my canning and cooking experiences. However, I found that through this blog, I am beginning to appreciate where I am from and who I am. I feel pulled in the direction to turn it into something more than food. I recently read My So Called Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife: A One Year Experiment by Sara Horn. It is a wonderful book and it really opened my eyes to the many blessings God has given me. Then came the question... "Am I presenting them (my blessings) in a way that is to his glory?" Dum dum dummmmmmm. Cue overly dramatic music and me with bent index finger to my lips. (Oh my dear sweet Mama, I am so sorry I watched the Young and the Restless with Grandma Turner every summer afternoon. It really did have an effect.) Well, take a minute call your mama and let her talk you up, put on your best dress, do your hair and make-up and maybe even hit the nail salon because you are going to need to feel good about yourself before you ask that question. It goes down hill faster than my dog down the steps when you say "chicken jerky". Translation- nope.
So that led to my really reading Proverbs 31. When I sat down I just knew I was going to have a perfect score. Ha! HA! I say. I have not failed a test this bad since high school geometry. (Oh honey- math is an evil four letter word.) The transcript for that conversation is below.
New Living Translation-
10 [b]Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.
11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.
12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
10 Well, I prefer sapphires because they are my birthstone but rubies will work.
11 Trust-Check! Enrich-Definitely! My chocolate hot pot desserts alone enrich his life.
12 Check! Ok if you don't count the time I hauled off and knocked the snot out of his arm for being a butthead about my new hair cut. Ok, so 1/2 check.
13 She finds wool and flax and busily spins it.
14 She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.
13 I spin it right on around in the washing machine BUT not the dryer
14 Does the Farmer's Market and the Whole Foods on Wade Ave count as afar? It is a bit of a drive from North Raleigh.
15 Have you met me? That would be a negative.
16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She is energetic and strong, a hard worker.
18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night.
16 If by fields you mean a Red Dot sale at Belk's and vineyard you mean wine, SUCCESS!
17 This one I feel comfortable saying yes without the risk of lightening.
18 Triple coupons at HT, baby. I am definitely more of an night owl
19 Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.
20 She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.
21 She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm[c] clothes.
19 I can sew a mean button there lovechops!
20 Hmmm... Could I be doing more?
21 Fear, worry? Me, nope not me, not one teeny tiny little bit. Never ever ever.
22 She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
23 Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders.
24 She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants.
22 I buy my own bedspreads and did I mention the Red Dot sale? Cute stuff thanks to those.
23 He really doesn't talk much but he is a good, kind man who is well thought of by his family and those who meet him.
24 Does helping make lawyers count?
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.
25 See 21
26 Crickets chirping... (still working on this one)
27 One word- ouch. Maybe I need to apply more of 17 to my household and not just my job.
28 Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!”
28 No children of my own but I am HUGE on the 12 month to 8 year old circuit. He does praise me but again could I be doing more?
29 In my mind maybe but not by example not yet anyway.
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.
Well as we can all see, there is work to be done in the my 31 household! And that is what I am doing. I am starting a journey to get my home and life in order. I want others to see God through me. I want you to feel the love of God, family, and friends in our home. I plan on starting first with my house and yard. How do I do that?
Darn those crickets are chirping again...
Cattycornered is technically cater-cornered meaning diagonally.
Cattywhumpus is catawampus meaning askew or awry.
Off kilter is out of kilter meaning out of alignment.
This blog started as a way to share my canning and cooking experiences. However, I found that through this blog, I am beginning to appreciate where I am from and who I am. I feel pulled in the direction to turn it into something more than food. I recently read My So Called Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife: A One Year Experiment by Sara Horn. It is a wonderful book and it really opened my eyes to the many blessings God has given me. Then came the question... "Am I presenting them (my blessings) in a way that is to his glory?" Dum dum dummmmmmm. Cue overly dramatic music and me with bent index finger to my lips. (Oh my dear sweet Mama, I am so sorry I watched the Young and the Restless with Grandma Turner every summer afternoon. It really did have an effect.) Well, take a minute call your mama and let her talk you up, put on your best dress, do your hair and make-up and maybe even hit the nail salon because you are going to need to feel good about yourself before you ask that question. It goes down hill faster than my dog down the steps when you say "chicken jerky". Translation- nope.
So that led to my really reading Proverbs 31. When I sat down I just knew I was going to have a perfect score. Ha! HA! I say. I have not failed a test this bad since high school geometry. (Oh honey- math is an evil four letter word.) The transcript for that conversation is below.
New Living Translation-
10 [b]Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.
11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.
12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
10 Well, I prefer sapphires because they are my birthstone but rubies will work.
11 Trust-Check! Enrich-Definitely! My chocolate hot pot desserts alone enrich his life.
12 Check! Ok if you don't count the time I hauled off and knocked the snot out of his arm for being a butthead about my new hair cut. Ok, so 1/2 check.
13 She finds wool and flax and busily spins it.
14 She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.
13 I spin it right on around in the washing machine BUT not the dryer
14 Does the Farmer's Market and the Whole Foods on Wade Ave count as afar? It is a bit of a drive from North Raleigh.
15 Have you met me? That would be a negative.
16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She is energetic and strong, a hard worker.
18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night.
16 If by fields you mean a Red Dot sale at Belk's and vineyard you mean wine, SUCCESS!
17 This one I feel comfortable saying yes without the risk of lightening.
18 Triple coupons at HT, baby. I am definitely more of an night owl
19 Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.
20 She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.
21 She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm[c] clothes.
19 I can sew a mean button there lovechops!
20 Hmmm... Could I be doing more?
21 Fear, worry? Me, nope not me, not one teeny tiny little bit. Never ever ever.
22 She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
23 Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders.
24 She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants.
22 I buy my own bedspreads and did I mention the Red Dot sale? Cute stuff thanks to those.
23 He really doesn't talk much but he is a good, kind man who is well thought of by his family and those who meet him.
24 Does helping make lawyers count?
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.
25 See 21
26 Crickets chirping... (still working on this one)
27 One word- ouch. Maybe I need to apply more of 17 to my household and not just my job.
28 Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!”
28 No children of my own but I am HUGE on the 12 month to 8 year old circuit. He does praise me but again could I be doing more?
29 In my mind maybe but not by example not yet anyway.
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.
Well as we can all see, there is work to be done in the my 31 household! And that is what I am doing. I am starting a journey to get my home and life in order. I want others to see God through me. I want you to feel the love of God, family, and friends in our home. I plan on starting first with my house and yard. How do I do that?
Darn those crickets are chirping again...
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
BananaFanaFofana
The hiatus is over! Woo Hoo! The February Bar Exam has been administered and I can start cooking again and to celebrate... Homemade Banana Pudding.
Pardon me for a moment I am day dreaming of last Sunday morning. Where in the rehearsal room at church, we had breakfast casserole, pretzel crack and banana pudding. Worshiping the Lord and good food, the ultimate Sunday morning.
I grew up in a small church and some of the best Sunday lunches I have ever eaten were church potlucks OR getting to go to Cherry's BBQ both of which had Banana Pudding. Cherry's... now I really am daydreaming... Ok let me wipe the drool, I mean get back to reality. It started as an innocent post on Facebook about my friend Susan's pretzel crack. As in- we needed some A.S.A.P. I LOVE my friends. I am not sharing the recipe because I do not want others to know how to make it for the simple reason that I currently fit into my clothing. That led to a banana pudding request and then to breakfast casserole. So that is how breakfast Sunday came into being... Did I mention that I LOVE my friends? Those who request the food and those who make it.
I have made banana pudding in the past but it was a Paula Dean recipe. Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding. It is delicious. Not traditional but delicious. When Lynn asked if we could bring something, I decided to put on my Supergirl cape and say "I can make banana pudding." Not bring make! I said it like I meant it- I owned that banana pudding- It was me and the banana pudding mano a mano. It would be a fight to the death and hopefully not the death of someone eating it. See- I had always cheated, instant pudding. Yes, there it is. A woman calling herself a southern cook owning up to using i-n-s-t-a-n-t pudding. It will be spelled or whispered going forward because that is what we do. Now I made it as homemade as possible by adding mashed banana but it was still well you know i-n-s-t-a-n-t. I do not even want to imagine the conversations my grandma has had with Jesus about her grandbaby using pudding from a box to make Naner Pudding, I am just glad she is not on lightening duty in Heaven. I would be toast, no not having it but being it. Ok- back to the pudding. It was time to put on my big girl Underoos and make homemade banana pudding, as in homemade pudding.
Here goes...
Ingredients:
4-5 ripe bananas
1 box of Nilla Wafers (See my realization below better make it 2)
Ingredients for Pudding:
½ cup sugar
1⁄3; cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups milk*
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
- Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in pan over medium low heat.
- Gradually stir in milk, stir well.
- Stirring constantly for 12 minutes, until it begins to thicken.
The mixture will burn quickly so stir constantly.
- Reduce heat and let cook for ten minutes.
I continued to stir on a regular basis. You may let this cook longer than 10 minutes until it is the consistency that you prefer.
- Beat 2 eggs with an electric mixer.
- Stir 1/2 cup of the cooked mixture into the beaten eggs very gradually while continuing to beat mixture with electric mixer.
- Repeat 3 times.
- Pour egg into cooked mixture.
- Stir well and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- When slightly cooled, stir gently, and add vanilla.
* I used fat free evaporated milk. The evaporated milk gives the pudding a rich creamy taste without all of the fat of 4 cups of 2% or whole milk which is what you would use when using milk.
I did not cut the sugar but the evaporated milk is sweeter than regular milk so you could possibly cut it down to 1/4 cup and still be fine.
Peel and slice your bananas on the diagonal. This will make them lay flat. Since you will be slicing for a few minutes, I recommend slicing them in a bowl with a little lemon juice, maybe a teaspoon. This will prevent the bananas from browning. Toss the sliced banana in, stir and you will have lovely naners not ugly naners. Layer your serving dish with Nilla Wafers, a layer of bananas and then a layer of pudding. Depending on the size of your dish you may have multiple layers. I think my pan was 9x13 and it was one layer with a nice amount of pudding on top.
Now I cannot say this strongly enough- I do not like meringue. I would say hate but my grandma is probably still mad about the i-n-s-t-a-n-t and may someday control lightening. So, there will be no meringue on my banana pudding, ever. Unless you ask me for it. There will be, however; whipped cream and additional Nilla Wafers if there are any left after eating them with milk. Ahhhh! Now I see why grandma bought 2 boxes, smart Lady.
One final note about the pudding itself. It does not thicken much more once refrigerated than the consistency in the pan. Continue to heat until as thick as you would like it in you pudding. If you will be adding lots of Nilla Wafers you can leave the mixture a little more "runny" so the wafers will absorb the moisture and become cakelike. Sorry- drooling again.
I will end this post with more daydreaming of Cherry's BBQ. I must admit, I have not been in some time since it is "on the other side of Wilson" but my great grandma was a waitress there so it is an establishment. And hopefully, it is still as delicious as I remember it. BBQ, pudding, pudding, BBQ. Yum.
Pardon me for a moment I am day dreaming of last Sunday morning. Where in the rehearsal room at church, we had breakfast casserole, pretzel crack and banana pudding. Worshiping the Lord and good food, the ultimate Sunday morning.
I grew up in a small church and some of the best Sunday lunches I have ever eaten were church potlucks OR getting to go to Cherry's BBQ both of which had Banana Pudding. Cherry's... now I really am daydreaming... Ok let me wipe the drool, I mean get back to reality. It started as an innocent post on Facebook about my friend Susan's pretzel crack. As in- we needed some A.S.A.P. I LOVE my friends. I am not sharing the recipe because I do not want others to know how to make it for the simple reason that I currently fit into my clothing. That led to a banana pudding request and then to breakfast casserole. So that is how breakfast Sunday came into being... Did I mention that I LOVE my friends? Those who request the food and those who make it.
I have made banana pudding in the past but it was a Paula Dean recipe. Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding. It is delicious. Not traditional but delicious. When Lynn asked if we could bring something, I decided to put on my Supergirl cape and say "I can make banana pudding." Not bring make! I said it like I meant it- I owned that banana pudding- It was me and the banana pudding mano a mano. It would be a fight to the death and hopefully not the death of someone eating it. See- I had always cheated, instant pudding. Yes, there it is. A woman calling herself a southern cook owning up to using i-n-s-t-a-n-t pudding. It will be spelled or whispered going forward because that is what we do. Now I made it as homemade as possible by adding mashed banana but it was still well you know i-n-s-t-a-n-t. I do not even want to imagine the conversations my grandma has had with Jesus about her grandbaby using pudding from a box to make Naner Pudding, I am just glad she is not on lightening duty in Heaven. I would be toast, no not having it but being it. Ok- back to the pudding. It was time to put on my big girl Underoos and make homemade banana pudding, as in homemade pudding.
Here goes...
Ingredients:
4-5 ripe bananas
1 box of Nilla Wafers (See my realization below better make it 2)
Ingredients for Pudding:
½ cup sugar
1⁄3; cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups milk*
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
- Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in pan over medium low heat.
- Gradually stir in milk, stir well.
- Stirring constantly for 12 minutes, until it begins to thicken.
The mixture will burn quickly so stir constantly.
- Reduce heat and let cook for ten minutes.
I continued to stir on a regular basis. You may let this cook longer than 10 minutes until it is the consistency that you prefer.
- Beat 2 eggs with an electric mixer.
- Stir 1/2 cup of the cooked mixture into the beaten eggs very gradually while continuing to beat mixture with electric mixer.
- Repeat 3 times.
- Pour egg into cooked mixture.
- Stir well and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- When slightly cooled, stir gently, and add vanilla.
* I used fat free evaporated milk. The evaporated milk gives the pudding a rich creamy taste without all of the fat of 4 cups of 2% or whole milk which is what you would use when using milk.
I did not cut the sugar but the evaporated milk is sweeter than regular milk so you could possibly cut it down to 1/4 cup and still be fine.
Peel and slice your bananas on the diagonal. This will make them lay flat. Since you will be slicing for a few minutes, I recommend slicing them in a bowl with a little lemon juice, maybe a teaspoon. This will prevent the bananas from browning. Toss the sliced banana in, stir and you will have lovely naners not ugly naners. Layer your serving dish with Nilla Wafers, a layer of bananas and then a layer of pudding. Depending on the size of your dish you may have multiple layers. I think my pan was 9x13 and it was one layer with a nice amount of pudding on top.
Now I cannot say this strongly enough- I do not like meringue. I would say hate but my grandma is probably still mad about the i-n-s-t-a-n-t and may someday control lightening. So, there will be no meringue on my banana pudding, ever. Unless you ask me for it. There will be, however; whipped cream and additional Nilla Wafers if there are any left after eating them with milk. Ahhhh! Now I see why grandma bought 2 boxes, smart Lady.
One final note about the pudding itself. It does not thicken much more once refrigerated than the consistency in the pan. Continue to heat until as thick as you would like it in you pudding. If you will be adding lots of Nilla Wafers you can leave the mixture a little more "runny" so the wafers will absorb the moisture and become cakelike. Sorry- drooling again.
I will end this post with more daydreaming of Cherry's BBQ. I must admit, I have not been in some time since it is "on the other side of Wilson" but my great grandma was a waitress there so it is an establishment. And hopefully, it is still as delicious as I remember it. BBQ, pudding, pudding, BBQ. Yum.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Beans, beans, good for your heart
OK, I was born and raised in North Carolina with two very Southern grandmas. I do not leave the house without lipstick and mascara. And as much as I would like too, given my fond affection for jammie pants, I put on real clothes to go to the grocery. But sometimes you just have to be silly and the beans rhyme fits a silly day.
The second easy and healthy recipe is poached eggs over lentils. Yes- I know I started posting the 2 healthy recipes last week but life sometimes gets in the way of blogger land.
We went out on NYE and had a wonderful dinner at Vivace a wonderful restaurant here in Raleigh. The amuse bouche was lentils with speck. It was heavenly. We both wanted more than a little taste and I decided to make this a meal with a Southern twist, country ham of course.
Ingredients:
The lentils:
1 1/2 cups French caviar, or du Puy, lentils (regular lentils will work if you prefer them)
1 bay leaf
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
3 eggs (1 for me and 2 for hubby)
1 slice of country ham (I used the biscuit slices you see in the grocery, you may use as much or as little as you like)
1 shallot
1 tsp of olive oil
The lentils:
Place the lentils in a small stainless steel pot and add 3 cups cold water. Add the bay leaf and bring to a simmer over medium heat. When the mixture comes to a light boil, reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for approximately 10 minutes add salt and continue cooking for 10 minutes, stirring a few times to ensure even cooking. The lentils should be firm but not crunchy, and the interior should be smooth. If at 20 minutes cooking time, they have not reached your desired doneness, continue cooking for an additional 5-10 minutes. You will want to check them so that they do not overcook.
In a small frying pan heat the olive oil over med low heat. Add your sliced ham and cook for 5 minutes. Add your shallot and cook for 5 minutes. Watch the shallot and don’t let it burn. We want to cook it low so that we get as much flavor as possible for when we add our lentils. When done, remove shallots and ham from heat.
Once the lentils are done, drain and add to the ham and shallot. Place the pan on a low burner to keep warm.
Poaching your eggs:
Heat 2 inches of water or broth with about 1 Tbsp. of vinegar in a wide, shallow pan to a steady simmer (or until an instant-read thermometer reads 180°). Adjust heat to maintain this temperature.
Crack eggs into into a measuring cups before adding water. This allows you to remove any bits of shell (I am so not a professional cracker), make sure the egg is not a yucky egg, and have more control when guiding the egg into the pan so you don’t break the yellow yummy goodness that will make your lentils extra special good.
Hold the cup right at the liquid's surface and gently pour the egg into the liquid. Repeat with remaining eggs, up to four eggs per batch.
Letting eggs come to room temperature before poaching them helps them cook more evenly. Also, the fresher the egg, the better it will hold its shape while poaching.
I like runny yolks for the poached eggs over lentils. I actually like runny yolks for pretty much any recipe that uses poached eggs, but especially for this recipe. The yolk makes for a delicious “sauce” over the lentils.
Cook room temperature eggs 2 minutes for runny yolks, chilled eggs for 3 minutes. Add an additional 2 minutes if you prefer a set yolk. This is your dinner make like you want it. That is the great thing about cooking you can have it your way, have it your way. (Yes there is music always playing in my head, some good, some- not so good like fast food jingles.) Using a slotted spoon, gently lift each egg out of the pan Set eggs on a paper towel to drain off as much liquid as possible.
Serve the poached egg nestled in the lentils with a green salad or whatever else you feel like doing. As you can see I gave a generous portion of lentils since this was our dinner. You can leave off the poached egg and serve this as a side. This will change the serving size to 4.
If my recipes sound a little wonky please let me know. This is my first attempt at writing them from scratch and I am writing as I cook. I may have written wrong or added wrong (my failure in all math related fields is of epic proportions). Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions.
As hubby would say, I hope its yummy to the tummy. :) j
The second easy and healthy recipe is poached eggs over lentils. Yes- I know I started posting the 2 healthy recipes last week but life sometimes gets in the way of blogger land.
We went out on NYE and had a wonderful dinner at Vivace a wonderful restaurant here in Raleigh. The amuse bouche was lentils with speck. It was heavenly. We both wanted more than a little taste and I decided to make this a meal with a Southern twist, country ham of course.
This is what I came up with...
Black Lentils with Country Ham and Shallot served with a poached Egg
Yum! I know it sounds fancy but trust me it was easy.
Ingredients:
The lentils:
1 1/2 cups French caviar, or du Puy, lentils (regular lentils will work if you prefer them)
1 bay leaf
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
3 eggs (1 for me and 2 for hubby)
1 slice of country ham (I used the biscuit slices you see in the grocery, you may use as much or as little as you like)
1 shallot
1 tsp of olive oil
The lentils:
Place the lentils in a small stainless steel pot and add 3 cups cold water. Add the bay leaf and bring to a simmer over medium heat. When the mixture comes to a light boil, reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for approximately 10 minutes add salt and continue cooking for 10 minutes, stirring a few times to ensure even cooking. The lentils should be firm but not crunchy, and the interior should be smooth. If at 20 minutes cooking time, they have not reached your desired doneness, continue cooking for an additional 5-10 minutes. You will want to check them so that they do not overcook.
In a small frying pan heat the olive oil over med low heat. Add your sliced ham and cook for 5 minutes. Add your shallot and cook for 5 minutes. Watch the shallot and don’t let it burn. We want to cook it low so that we get as much flavor as possible for when we add our lentils. When done, remove shallots and ham from heat.
Once the lentils are done, drain and add to the ham and shallot. Place the pan on a low burner to keep warm.
Poaching your eggs:
Heat 2 inches of water or broth with about 1 Tbsp. of vinegar in a wide, shallow pan to a steady simmer (or until an instant-read thermometer reads 180°). Adjust heat to maintain this temperature.
Crack eggs into into a measuring cups before adding water. This allows you to remove any bits of shell (I am so not a professional cracker), make sure the egg is not a yucky egg, and have more control when guiding the egg into the pan so you don’t break the yellow yummy goodness that will make your lentils extra special good.
Hold the cup right at the liquid's surface and gently pour the egg into the liquid. Repeat with remaining eggs, up to four eggs per batch.
Letting eggs come to room temperature before poaching them helps them cook more evenly. Also, the fresher the egg, the better it will hold its shape while poaching.
I like runny yolks for the poached eggs over lentils. I actually like runny yolks for pretty much any recipe that uses poached eggs, but especially for this recipe. The yolk makes for a delicious “sauce” over the lentils.
Cook room temperature eggs 2 minutes for runny yolks, chilled eggs for 3 minutes. Add an additional 2 minutes if you prefer a set yolk. This is your dinner make like you want it. That is the great thing about cooking you can have it your way, have it your way. (Yes there is music always playing in my head, some good, some- not so good like fast food jingles.) Using a slotted spoon, gently lift each egg out of the pan Set eggs on a paper towel to drain off as much liquid as possible.
Serve the poached egg nestled in the lentils with a green salad or whatever else you feel like doing. As you can see I gave a generous portion of lentils since this was our dinner. You can leave off the poached egg and serve this as a side. This will change the serving size to 4.
If my recipes sound a little wonky please let me know. This is my first attempt at writing them from scratch and I am writing as I cook. I may have written wrong or added wrong (my failure in all math related fields is of epic proportions). Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions.
As hubby would say, I hope its yummy to the tummy. :) j
Honey, I know what side my bread is buttered on...
...that is why not one single time in this post will you hear me say "I told you so." No siree, not once...
My wonderful hubby has degenerative disc disease. It is a common because, unfortunately, it is a natural part of aging. Basically, the discs between the vertebrae break down over time causing pain. And although wonderful hubby is still young, 15 years of basketball is catching up with him. He was diagnosed last spring after a horrible night of pain with no apparent cause. After a doctor's visit and spine adjustment, he started feeling better. Of course once you start feeling better, you lose the mojo to do what you need to do to "fix" it, a healthy diet, exercise and supplements. After almost a year of no problems, last week was BAD! We now have 6 weeks of therapy, a barrage of supplements, an exercise plan after therapy and the order to lose 15 lbs. Sound familiar? Two sentences up, the wifey's plan for health? Nope, no told ya so here.
Now that we do not have a choice, we are trying to avoid dieting and make some lifestyle changes. We are 50/50 on the healthy meter, we just need to crank it up. I have two recipes that may help. One absolutely wonderful and one that, well, let's just say, I tweaked a little too much and wound up with great flavor but a funky color. There are pictures scary purple people eater pictures.
Is That Color Found In Nature? French Onion Soup
Hubby LOVES French Onion Soup but it can be a not so friendly option. I made a few easy and delicious changes; however, one subistitution added bold color... a description better suited for a wall.
The recipe is:
Ok- we are pressing pause for one second to explain the funky color. Hubby and I were drinking the white wine. It was delicious and who knew using red instead would cause our soup to look like it belongs at an ECU tailgate party so we kept sipping. In went the red and out came purple, Crayola could not be more purple if I tried purple. SO- stop sipping the white and dump it in instead.
4 c reduced sodium beef broth (chicken will work but it will not have the rich meaty flavor)
Peel the onions, half them down the length and slice them thinly. In a dutch oven, cook the onions, rosemary (thyme can be substituted), bay leaves and salt in the olive oil over med low heat, uncovered, for about 45 minutes, stirring frequently. The onions should be soft and golden brown. Add flower and cook for approximately 1-2 minutes cooking out the raw flour taste but not letting it get too brown. Stir in the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and pepper and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
I did not add the bread and cheese and bake in the oven. I placed a slice of brie over the soup just before serving and it was warm and gooey. And had almost the same effect, almost, but definitely not bad for a "knock-off" version. Oh- mistake number 2- I blended the soup. No, No, No!! It changed the texture too much. I was hoping to give it a creamier feel, don't do it. Bad idea. Step away from the blender and serve as is and you will not be disappointed.
My wonderful hubby has degenerative disc disease. It is a common because, unfortunately, it is a natural part of aging. Basically, the discs between the vertebrae break down over time causing pain. And although wonderful hubby is still young, 15 years of basketball is catching up with him. He was diagnosed last spring after a horrible night of pain with no apparent cause. After a doctor's visit and spine adjustment, he started feeling better. Of course once you start feeling better, you lose the mojo to do what you need to do to "fix" it, a healthy diet, exercise and supplements. After almost a year of no problems, last week was BAD! We now have 6 weeks of therapy, a barrage of supplements, an exercise plan after therapy and the order to lose 15 lbs. Sound familiar? Two sentences up, the wifey's plan for health? Nope, no told ya so here.
Now that we do not have a choice, we are trying to avoid dieting and make some lifestyle changes. We are 50/50 on the healthy meter, we just need to crank it up. I have two recipes that may help. One absolutely wonderful and one that, well, let's just say, I tweaked a little too much and wound up with great flavor but a funky color. There are pictures scary purple people eater pictures.
Is That Color Found In Nature? French Onion Soup
Hubby LOVES French Onion Soup but it can be a not so friendly option. I made a few easy and delicious changes; however, one subistitution added bold color... a description better suited for a wall.
The recipe is:
2 lbs medium onions
1 tsp of fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
3/4 tsp of salt
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp flour
1 1/2 c white wine
Ok- we are pressing pause for one second to explain the funky color. Hubby and I were drinking the white wine. It was delicious and who knew using red instead would cause our soup to look like it belongs at an ECU tailgate party so we kept sipping. In went the red and out came purple, Crayola could not be more purple if I tried purple. SO- stop sipping the white and dump it in instead.
4 c reduced sodium beef broth (chicken will work but it will not have the rich meaty flavor)
1/2 tsp black pepper (I love black pepper so I added more)
Peel the onions, half them down the length and slice them thinly. In a dutch oven, cook the onions, rosemary (thyme can be substituted), bay leaves and salt in the olive oil over med low heat, uncovered, for about 45 minutes, stirring frequently. The onions should be soft and golden brown. Add flower and cook for approximately 1-2 minutes cooking out the raw flour taste but not letting it get too brown. Stir in the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and pepper and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
I did not add the bread and cheese and bake in the oven. I placed a slice of brie over the soup just before serving and it was warm and gooey. And had almost the same effect, almost, but definitely not bad for a "knock-off" version. Oh- mistake number 2- I blended the soup. No, No, No!! It changed the texture too much. I was hoping to give it a creamier feel, don't do it. Bad idea. Step away from the blender and serve as is and you will not be disappointed.
I have lentil recipe that is divine in post number 2. :)
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Don't You Make Eyes at Me...
Any young Southerner worth their salt has heard this on occasion but if you had my grandma, you only did it once. Only once because once was when you would have to pick your switch. Making eyes is the equivalent of rolling your eyes and not a good thing. Well I just made eyes and it was over, of all things, biscuits. I have been trying to make biscuits for some time now but to no avail. I have a pan that is currently serving as paper weights, another that is on some super secret military mission and another that, well let's just say 275 years from now there will be an archeological dig and people will be blessing my heart. After questioning several biscuit aficionados, the most common response was "Baby, you have got to use lard if you want a good biscuit." This is where the making eyes comes into play as in I "made" them and thought nope- cannot, am not, will not make biscuits with lard. I am trying to make yummy southern food that will not send me to an early grave or to an early bird sale for bigger clothes. Well, umm, errr, OK- never say never because you will eat your words. You will eat them smothered in honey jelly over a lard filled biscuit with a big cheesy grin on your face as you change in to elastic waist pants.
It all started with a trip to buy short ribs. Dang short ribs! I have started the tradition of Sunday Dinner at our house. We try and eat dinner at the table every night but some times that does not happen. Sundays are a non-negotiable. Butt- chair- 5:00 p.m., or earlier if we decide to have early dinner. I stopped by our local Compare Foods, which is an ethnic grocer here in Raleigh. You can find the bits and parts that not everyone uses but that are essential in Southern cooking. (As in do not be surprised to find the piggie's snout, ears and feet wrapped in plastic in the meat section.) As I was roaming the store picking up a few things, I turned the corner and there it was giving me the stink eye- laughing at me and my paltry biscuits- a lard display. I snorted and kept a'walking down the aisle, around the corner and right back to the lard. It knew my name and was calling me like Krispy Kreme after a workout. Somehow, a tub of Lundy's lard from Clinton, NC jumped in my basket and found its way into my refrigerator. I blame my mother-in-law. She is from Clinton and that lard was just trying to give her a little taste of home.
Now here comes the fun part, oh no not the making of the biscuits although that is fun, but the explaining to Brad how something that I said I would never use was now sitting in the refrigerator conveniently covered by parsley, hidden behind milk and on the bottom shelf so you could not see it through the glass. 5 minutes in and I hear "Hey bobbie, what's this stuff?" Please oh please not the lard, do not ask about THE LARD! "You bought lard? Are you feeling ok? Do I need to call someone?" Yea- Mr. Funny Guy/Smart (Insert PG-13 word here), you are sooooo cute.
Do I even need to tell you that they were the best biscuits I have ever made? And after telling my in-laws that I was making biscuits with lard they would wind up eating dinner with us?
So below is the recipe for the infamous lard biscuits. I made 1 substitution. The original recipe calls for 2 cups All Purpose (a-p) Flour. I used 1 c a-p flour and 1 c cake flour. You do not want to use a flour with a high protein content. That will make for tough biscuits so no bread flour. Cake flour has the lowest protein content making a lighter fluffier biscuit. I also recommend chilling the lard.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
1 c a-p flour
1 c cake flour
1 c buttermilk*
2 oz lard
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* Regular milk may be used in the place of buttermilk.
In a mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined.
Add the lard and butter. Using a pastry cutter, cut the mixture until only pea-sized lumps remain.
Pour the milk into the mixture. Using a spoon, stir until the flour is wet and clumps together.
Dust a silicon baking mat or parchment paper with flour. Form dough into a ball. Do not over work the dough, this will create a tough biscuit. Roll out the dough to the thickness you desire for your biscuits.
Using a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut your biscuits and place on a parchment or silicon mat lined cookie sheet.
Once you have cut the biscuits you can reform the leftover bits and cut those but they will be a little more dense.
Bake at 450 until golden- about 13-16 minutes depending on your oven. Set your timer and keep an eye on them.
Enjoy!!
PS-
I will be posting a healthy and delicious recipe soon that will almost counteract the biscuits. :)
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Puttin on the Gritz
Trying hard to look like Gary Cooper (Super Duper)
Sorry- but you know I had to go there. That was one of the silly songs of my 80's youth and I had to share.
No- it is not a typo. I said puttin on the gritz because I have two new easy peasy recipes to share that have made my supper life easier. I love sitting down to supper with one handsome hubby and one begging doodle-bug, paws propped on the edge of the chair with a pitiful look on her face. Unfortunately, getting home at 6:30 or 7:00 means tired which means no thank you to dirty dishes and standing by the stove. So, my goal this year is to create an arsenal of easy and healthy meals that will allow us to do have a nice dinner with as little hassle as possible during the week. I am willing to put in the extra effort one or two Saturday per month to have weeknights be easy.
Crock pot chili was one of our suppers this week. Something we have all probably had hundreds of times but I love this recipe because if you forget to put everything together the night before you can do it in 15 minutes in the morning.
The ingredients are-
1/2 cup of black beans
1/2 cup of kidney beans
1/4 cup of speckled beans (Heck- I don't know what they are called but they look like speckled eggs and I love them.)
1 14 oz can of petite diced tomatoes
1/4 c of salsa (I used the HT brand cilantro. It tastes yummy and has a little kick.)
Now- here is the tricky part, as in I tried to trick my hubby. 1 link of smoked turkey sausage sliced.
I was going to make it sans meat but I decided to not throw him into shock just yet. Let's just say one bite in and he asked did I use real sausage. Dang it man. But he did like it. I promise. No, really he did.
If you prefer ground beef, brown it in the skillet the night before and put in with thother ingredients.
2 chipotle bullion cubes
1 onion- chopped to the size you prefer
Hot sauce to taste
Put all ingredients in the crock pot. Cover the ingredients with water, there should be about 1/2 inch over the ingredients. Turn on low and go to work. You will come home to a yummy smelling house and pretty darn good pot of chili. It tends toward a thinner consistency but hubby likes to put his cornbread in it so that works perfectly for us. If you prefer a thicker chili, you can always add a little cornstarch slurry.
I did find the next day for lunch it had thickened a little and was even better. Yum.
The next great thing was a knock spaghetti and meatball frozen meal like the ones you find in the grocery store $8.
Items needed:
Ice Trays
Zip top bags
Tomato/Spaghetti Sauce
Meatballs
Spaghetti/Penne/Angel Hair whatever pasta you prefer
I made a batch of tomato sauce:
1 pint jar (16 oz) of roasted garlic tomato sauce I canned this summer
1 14 oz can of petite diced tomatoes (I will definitely be canning more those this summer)
And any other ingredients you would like in you sauce. Dice the ingredients. They will need to be in small pieces.
I let that simmer for a while to develop a good flavor. If you really want to save time and effort crack open a jar of your favorite jarred sauce.
I would love to tell you I then made homemade meatballs but that would be a fib the size of Texas. I had pre-made frozen meatballs in the freezer from a great sale a few weeks ago, so in they went. If you do not have pre-frozen, BUY THEM, um I mean please feel free to make your own. Truthfully, they will be less expensive and can be used for lots of other meals.
I recommend doing this in steps, it makes it easier to handle and clean up. Once your sauce has the flavor you like, turn it off and let it cool. Take your ice tray and spray each cup with a quick blast of cooking spray or rub with a paper towel dipped in just a little oil. Fill each cup 1/4 to half way and stick in the freezer until frozen. I find one ice tray per bag works perfectly for Brad and I. Just saucy enough without being to much. However, this is your bag put as many cubes as you would like.
If you made homemade meatballs, cook them thoroughly in what ever manner works best for you, skillet or oven. You want to make sure they are completely done. The frozen dish is only reheated so the meatballs need to be thoroughly cooked. Take a cookie sheet or whatever size pan will fit in your freezer, line with parchment and place your meatballs on it. Place it in the freezer until your meatballs are frozen.
Cook your pasta. The key to this dish being successful is freezing each component separately and that you do not over cook your pasta. It needs to be al dente. Due to additional cooking time from the freezer to heat your meal, if you cook it too much it will be a soft mushy mess when you heat your dinner. Once your pasta is ready, drain, cool and spread on a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze.
The reason I said steps worked best is I did not have room in my freezer for 2 cookie sheets and lots of ice trays. When my sauce froze, I pulled it out and put in my freezer bag along with my meatballs. If you have homemade meatballs, just put your sauce in the bag and put in the freezer. Add your meatballs once they are frozen. Once your pasta is frozen, add it to your bag and you now have a complete meal. I double bag mine in one gallon bags to prevent freezer burn, which is silly since I do not think they are going to last that long. :)
You may be tempted to throw all of the ingredients in at once and not freeze in separate steps. DO NOT do this. You will have one big clump in your bag that will take forever to heat. Your pasta will be over cooked and it will be eehhh. Eehhh meals are not a good thing.
I plan on trying different varieties of the dinner over the next few weeks. I will let you know what works and what does not and hopefully have pictures.
If you try it, let me know how it works for you. I would love to hear how you tweak things to match your tastes or to make the recipes better.
Thanks and Happy New Year!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year!!
I have just awaken from a long winter's nap well, actually a Sunday afternoon nap on a 67 degree day in North Carolina. Happy New Year from our unusually warm weather. I think Sunday afternoon naps are good for the soul. We so rarely get to indulge in them and when we do it feels luxurious. I know that sounds like a silly statement, a nap, luxurious but try to "sneak" one in next Sunday and see if you don't agree. Not a 10 minute power nap, a fall asleep and sleep until you naturally wake up nap- it truly is a luxury.
Well it is THAT time of year... Time for New Year's Resolutions. Get healthy, lose weight, be nicer, yeah yeah yeah. I had already broken half of those before 8:15 this morning. Actually, I did not make resolutions in that vein this year. Our pastor, Pastor Chuck, preached a series on spending time with God. AND wait for it... zipping it Pippi long enough to hear what God has to say. OH!!! You mean I was suppose to shut up long enough to listen? Well Hello, who knew, such a novel idea. For the past month that is what I have been trying to do. Listen. And frankly, I suck at it. I am like the dog in Up!, yes Lord I hear you, you want me too, Eww! Squirrel, Chocolate, Phone, Sparkly. In the past, my conversations with God have been more like, well imagine God as a therapist. He is sitting in his chair, in a sports coat with elbow patches, looking at me over his reading glasses and I am laid all out on the couch dumping my woes in his lap and when I am done taking my lollipop and hitting the streets feeling ever so much better but starting the drive around the same mountain once again. However, I have noticed that God is taking advantage of those 3 seconds of attention and laying a few things on my heart- 16 pages and counting. :) Hey carrot cake...
Now I have had a few "Come to Jesus" moments with my Mama. NEVER EVER EVER GOOD! I think I may still be grounded from one of them. But when God has a "Come to Jesus" moment with you (should they be called a "Come to ME" moment?) it is not quite the same in my experience. I have not been grounded until I am 40 and I get to keep the keys to my car. It was more throwing the spotlight on a few things that made me cringe and then helping me realize that they need to change and can only change through and by him. The heavens did not part and I did not hear the voice of James Earl Jones (yes indeed- in my world God sounds like James Earl Jones) telling me what a bad child I have been. I felt conviction, conviction that there were some things that needed realignment. I read something recently that stated conviction is something about which we are convinced. A convinced conscience. My conscience has been convinced that I need to be more disciplined, a better steward and a better wife. Um, excusez moi? Me, a better wife? But Lord, I am the perfect wife, gracious, loving, never a negative thought or word..... And that ladies and gentlemen was the sound of heaven and Brad laughing their hineys off. Well maybe the good folks of heaven cannot laugh their hineys off but they sure thought that was HI-larious. Even I cannot type, write or say that with a straight face. And I am finding that those three things are interwoven. I want to be a better steward of the many blessings God has given me; my husband, family, home, finances and job. Using what God has given me to His glory, appreciating it and sharing it. And this blog is going to hold me accountable. It is still going to follow the craziness of canning, freezing and saving the dollars but now with a different purpose or shall I say with a purpose. Fasten your seatbelts, its going to be a bumpy, funny, fall on my face, honest, amazing ever so wonderful year. (The Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise. thanks Deddy)
Well it is THAT time of year... Time for New Year's Resolutions. Get healthy, lose weight, be nicer, yeah yeah yeah. I had already broken half of those before 8:15 this morning. Actually, I did not make resolutions in that vein this year. Our pastor, Pastor Chuck, preached a series on spending time with God. AND wait for it... zipping it Pippi long enough to hear what God has to say. OH!!! You mean I was suppose to shut up long enough to listen? Well Hello, who knew, such a novel idea. For the past month that is what I have been trying to do. Listen. And frankly, I suck at it. I am like the dog in Up!, yes Lord I hear you, you want me too, Eww! Squirrel, Chocolate, Phone, Sparkly. In the past, my conversations with God have been more like, well imagine God as a therapist. He is sitting in his chair, in a sports coat with elbow patches, looking at me over his reading glasses and I am laid all out on the couch dumping my woes in his lap and when I am done taking my lollipop and hitting the streets feeling ever so much better but starting the drive around the same mountain once again. However, I have noticed that God is taking advantage of those 3 seconds of attention and laying a few things on my heart- 16 pages and counting. :) Hey carrot cake...
Now I have had a few "Come to Jesus" moments with my Mama. NEVER EVER EVER GOOD! I think I may still be grounded from one of them. But when God has a "Come to Jesus" moment with you (should they be called a "Come to ME" moment?) it is not quite the same in my experience. I have not been grounded until I am 40 and I get to keep the keys to my car. It was more throwing the spotlight on a few things that made me cringe and then helping me realize that they need to change and can only change through and by him. The heavens did not part and I did not hear the voice of James Earl Jones (yes indeed- in my world God sounds like James Earl Jones) telling me what a bad child I have been. I felt conviction, conviction that there were some things that needed realignment. I read something recently that stated conviction is something about which we are convinced. A convinced conscience. My conscience has been convinced that I need to be more disciplined, a better steward and a better wife. Um, excusez moi? Me, a better wife? But Lord, I am the perfect wife, gracious, loving, never a negative thought or word..... And that ladies and gentlemen was the sound of heaven and Brad laughing their hineys off. Well maybe the good folks of heaven cannot laugh their hineys off but they sure thought that was HI-larious. Even I cannot type, write or say that with a straight face. And I am finding that those three things are interwoven. I want to be a better steward of the many blessings God has given me; my husband, family, home, finances and job. Using what God has given me to His glory, appreciating it and sharing it. And this blog is going to hold me accountable. It is still going to follow the craziness of canning, freezing and saving the dollars but now with a different purpose or shall I say with a purpose. Fasten your seatbelts, its going to be a bumpy, funny, fall on my face, honest, amazing ever so wonderful year. (The Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise. thanks Deddy)
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