Pepsi Cola Pork Chops

Yesterday evening we tried a new recipe.  Songbird ate seconds and Farmer Boy went back for thirds.  Needless to say, these pork chops were a huge hit with my family.  Here's the recipe:

 

Pepsi Cola Pork Chops

Pepsi Cola Pork Chops

8 pork chops
1 c. ketchup
1 c. Pepsi cola
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. mustard
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Season pork chops with salt and pepper.
Arrange pork chops in baking dish.
Brush mustard onto pork chops. 
Mix ketchup, Pepsi cola, and Worcestershire sauce; pour mixture over pork chops.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour or until internal temperature reads 160 degrees F.

6-8 servings

Correct Dosages

I had to get some medical tests done.  The results were not as bad as they could have been but not as good as I expected.  No, I'm not dying or suffering from any sort of long term illness.  However, the results indicated that I am grossly deficient in some vitamins and minerals.  I was pretty shocked by these results because not only do we grow and harvest a large portion of our diet, but I also eat far more fruits and vegetables than most people I know.  Long term vitamin and mineral deficiencies cause all sorts of serious medical conditions.  I am fortunate to have found a physician who is more interested in preventative treatment and the root cause of illness than simply treating the symptoms of an illness.  He has prescribed a vitamin regimen and one temporary prescription drug.

 

 

Once I got home and realized that I need to take 11 pills of differing dosages everyday, I immediately knew that my busy lifestyle would discourage me from consistently sticking to this routine.  I thought about the little plastic pill boxes for each day of the week, but quickly dismissed that idea because I know that on "fill the pill box" day, I'll get busy and forget to do it and in turn miss days or even weeks.  I've found a very quick and simple solution for me.  I simply write the number of dosage from each bottle on the bottle cap and store them next to the Advil.  So far so good, I haven't missed a single dose and I haven't become confused about how many of each vitamin or prescription I need to take each day.

Keeping Busy with Crochet

As busy as life keeps me, this past autumn & winter evenings have found me wielding a crochet hook.  Granny squares are a favorite of mine.  They are terrific for utilizing skeins of yarn left over from other projects.  I also purchase partial skeins for 10 - 25 cents from our local thrift store which allows me to crochet a variety of projects for pennies.  Most often I  use granny squares to make baby blankets.

 

 

Above:  As I taught Songbird how to crochet granny squares, we joined them together with a deep burgundy to make a bright and colorful crib sized afghan.

Above:  Wooden baby blocks were my inspiration for this bright and colorful little blanket.  I hope the baby boy who will receives it will enjoy using it to learn his colors.

Above:  I've actually crocheted three shawls this season.  One in a pretty peach, one in a dark teal and this orange one.  This orange shawl cost me less than $2.50 to make.  All the yarn is from partial skeins that were purchased from our local thrift store and one past project.  At $1.75 the button closure cost more than the yarn.  I made this orange shawl for me - it is the only crochet project I've made for myself in at least 5 years.  Recently, orange has become a favorite color of mine and I've decided to try and add some orange pieces of clothing to my wardrobe.  This orange shawl looks terrific over my cream colored turtleneck sweater.

Are You a Binge Blogger Too?

Yep, that's what my dearest friend, Mrs.A, says.  After reviewing my past blogging history, I shamefully agree.  I love blogging and writing and wish I were more consistent.  But alas, I often find many other tasks competitively racing to the top of my priority list. 

 

Now that I've admitted to being " binge blogger", I am going to overwhelm my audience with 3 posts today. 

First up ...

 

Songbird recently performed a duet at a neighboring church.  (I didn't include a photo of her partner because I don't have permission to do so).  They sang "The Revelation Song" and was so well received by the congregation we are expecting more requests.  They harmonize so well together, Songbird is eager to work with her on additional projects.

 

 

 

I recently received a "blessing" package from my dear friend Mrs.A.  Pictured above and below are a couple of the treasures found within.  Above:  cotton crocheted dish cloths ... this type of dish cloth is my all time favorite!  And the colors are PERFECT for my kitchen décor.

 

 

Also tucked inside that "blessing" box were additional pieces to add to my Colonial Homestead dinnerware set.  Yes, she sent me some for my b-day last summer but recently found even more to add to my collection.

 

The 2nd post of the day is only moments away ...

Reader Suggestions on How to Maintain a Grocery Budget

 As food prices continue to rise, how do you, dear reader, manage and  maintain a reasonable grocery budget?  This morning I clicked here to read an on-line article regarding the steady increases we've all experienced at the grocer.  The article points out that although our government reports that national inflation is low, grocery and utility pricing is not factored into government inflation statistics.  Thus, significantly higher food and utility costs coupled with stagnant wages are the primary culprits as to why the American worker knows our federal government has grossly skewed inflation figures.

Over the years I've shared numerous suggestions on how to reduce, manage and maintain a reasonable grocery budget.  Since we all know what works for me, today, I'd love to hear from you.  How do you manage and stay within your grocery budget?  Have you tried any of my past suggestions or ideas? Do you have any tips or suggestions that may be helpful to others?

I am very exited to hear from you!

Strawberry & Cream Cheese Crepes

They say breakfast is the most important meal of they day and at the B house we eat breakfast every day.  Songbird and Farmer Boy have let it be known that they are bored with the usual bacon, eggs, oatmeal, potatoes or pancakes.  In fact they are so bored with their usual selection, one of this year's Christmas gifts was a crepe pan.  For yesterday's breakfast, I blessed them with strawberry & cream cheese crepes.  My family enjoyed this recipe so much I've decided to share it with you.

 

 

Mrs.B's Strawberry & Cream Cheese Crepes

Mrs.B's Strawberry & Cream Cheese Crepes

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Using a hand mixer, mix all ingredients until smooth and creamy.

Strawberry Sauce:
8 oz. strawberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients over medium heat.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Continue to boil, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until mixture begins to thicken and sheets off the back of a spoon.
Note:  Other berries or fruits may be substituted for the strawberries.  We especially enjoy blackberries or peaches.

Whipped Cream:
1 c. heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. powder sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a cold bowl (I place mine in the freezer for about 10 min. prior to use), beat all ingredients, using a hand mixer on high, until light and fluffy.

Crepes:
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Beat with a whisk until smooth.  Allow batter to sit for 15 minutes.  Lightly butter a crepe pan; heat over medium heat until bubbly.  For each crepe pour a scant 1/4 c. batter onto heated pan.  Immediately rotate pan so batter spread across the bottom surface.  Cook over medium heat until underside is lightly browned.  Use a wide spatula to flip the crepe and cook the second side until lightly browned.  Stack crepes, placing waxed paper between each one, covered until ready to fill.
makes about 1 1/2 dozen
Note:  Crepes may be frozen.  Cool completely.  Place waxed paper between each crepe and place in a zip type freezer bag.

Assembly:
Smear approximately 1 Tbsp. of the filling mixture onto each crepe.  Gently roll the crepe into a cylinder.  Place each rolled crepe onto serving plate or platter.  Drizzle with fruit sauce and garnish with whipped cream.


On another note ...

Whilst Songbird and Farmer Boy were enjoying our local high school basketball game yesterday evening, I indulged in one of my most favorite Christmas gifts.  My dearest Mrs.A shipped a carton of Blue Bell's Rocky Road ice cream to me this year.  Yes!  I said Blue Bell - absolutely the best store bought ice cream money can buy ... it isn't sold anywhere on the Montana prairie and only in the past few years has it become available outside of Texas .  I have been rationing it because I want it to last as long as possible.  Blue Bell's moto is "We eat all we can and sell the rest."  I wish they'd quit eating so much so they could sell some up here.  Here's a photo of last evening's indulgence ... don't you wish you had some?

Blue Bell Rocky Road Ice Cream

Weigh-In

Songbird's new beau, Willy, had his official 4-H weigh-in today.  He came in at 618 lb., which means he will need to gain an average of 75 pounds per month between now and August.  Our extension agent was very pleased to see that this little fella is already halter broke.  Songbird is proud of herself for being the first 4-H'er in the county to have completed the halter breaking phase of her beef project.

 

 

Willy & Songbird, lovingly gazing into each other's eyes.

 

Kiss, Kiss, Kiss ... that sound means "follow me".

Oh No!  Mr.B smacked Willy's back end ... It scared him ...

Most kids have to walk their dogs ... 4-H'ers walk their livestock.

Catching Up - Part 4

I was away from my blog for so long that we also celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Although I had to spend Thanksgiving in bed, Songbird stepped up and prepared a fine Thanksgiving meal of roasted chicken, sweet potato casserole, green beans and carrots.  Mr.B drove to town and picked up a couple pies and the family enjoyed a hearty meal.  I am proud that Songbird not only stepped up and filled in for me, but did an amazing job as well!

Most Christmas seasons you will find me lovingly preparing a few homemade gifts directly from my kitchen.  This year I blessed our big boys & other relatives, who live out of state, and a few neighbors with:

 

homemade cocoa mix, BBQ sauce and "The Sauce" (my homemade spaghetti sauce - every ingredient is homegrown, including herbs) ...

 

 

... and mini pecan pies.

 

I am so proud to announce that my dearest Mrs.A won 2nd place in her neighborhood for her Christmas decorations.  She lives in a nice subdivision thus, this award is quite the compliment.  She has such a wonderful gift for landscape design and maintains a beautiful yard and home year round.  If anyone deserves recognition, it is certainly her.

 

Although I'm not going to win any awards for our home's landscape or holiday decorations, especially since we live 4 1/2 miles off the main road and then another 1/4 mile back behind a stand of cottonwood trees,  Mrs.A's creativity sparks my imagination and is an inspiration to me.  This year, whenever I was in town I'd peruse the Christmas décor section of our re-sale shops looking for decorations that would enhance our snow covered landscape.  All my outdoor decorations cost less than $30.  I've enjoyed driving up to our home and seeing all the pretty little touches.

 

 

When approaching our home you will first see the deck tied with red velveteen bows.

 

 

Next, you will pass our front door where I placed faux poinsettias in our flower pots, tied bows to the porch and added a wreath to the door. 

 

 

As a main entry to the house we use the side door nearest the garage.  Out here I also added faux poinsettias to the flower pots and bows to our bench as well as another wreath to this door.

 

Once inside I've decorated with our usual Christmas décor, which I've posted photos of in years past.  Since Grandpa, the big boys and other extended family would not be up for the season, we chose to move the loveseat into the master bedroom and place our little "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree in front of the large living room windows.

Our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were very enjoyable and I hope you and your family were as blessed as ours.  Praying you and your family enjoy a happy and healthy New Year.