Tuesday, September 30, 2008
My Home
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Please Pass the...
This is one of my favorite recipes that my mom would make us. I make it for my family quite a bit. It's easy and yummy.
What you need:
4 pork chops (bone-in is best)
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper
1 package brown gravy mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup + 1 can of water
Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Season chops with salt and pepper. Brown chops for a few minutes on each side. Meanwhile whisk soup, water, and brown gravy mix in a bowl. Add a little salt and pepper if you want to.
When the pork chops are nice and brown, turn down the heat
and pour the soup mixture over the meat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or so--less if your using boneless.
We serve this over white or brown rice and sprinkle green peas on top. Yummy.
Find more family recipes for Please Pass the...over at Today's Housewife.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
First Days of Fall
Especially that last one. I like the light and the shadows. Kinda like impressionist paintings.
Here's to fall!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Happy Fall!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Autumn Delights Days Seven and Eight
Our first Autumn Harvest-soon to be applesauce and pie!
But first, we'll enjoy their beauty for a day or two.
For more great fall decorating ideas check out the Better Homes and Gardens website.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Autumn Delights Day Six
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Autumn Delights Day Five
Monday, September 15, 2008
Autumn Delights Day Four
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Autumn Delights Day Three
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Pumpkin Bread/Muffins
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
¼ t. ground cloves
¼ t. ground ginger
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. salt
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
½ cup applesauce
4 eggs
2/3 cups water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 loaf pans, 24 muffins cups, or,
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. I like to use a wire whisk for this. In a separate bowl, blend pumpkin, applesauce, eggs, and water. Add wet stuff to dry stuff. Stir until all is moistened. It doesn't look like it will all mix together, but it will! Pour into pans.
Bake: 20-25 minutes for muffins, 40-45 minutes for loaves, or until toothpick comes out clean.
Yum!
Autumn Delights Day Two
-the joy of cooking comes back with cooler weather
-soups and stews simmering along all day, filling the house with warmth and comfort
-baking, baking, baking
-pumpkin bread and muffins
-pumpkin pie
-pumpkin bread pudding
-apple pies
For tomorrow: creating a cozy fall kitchen
Friday, September 12, 2008
Oh, Yeah
Autumn Delights
Mmmm, the colors, for one thing.
So, I think a list is in order here. A list of Autumn Delights. The things that make this season so, well, delightful. I think what I should do, though, is break my list up into sections, and each day leading up to The First Day of Autumn, I'll post a section of the list.
So for today, I'll start my list with-
Autumn Delights: Sights and Smells
-bright, colorful leaves against deep blue skies
-blushing apples
-ripe pumpkins
-drying, crunching leaves
-smoky air on a cool, crisp morning
-warm, comforting smells drifting from the kitchen (which leads to tomorrows list...)
Happy Autumn dreaming everyone!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
The Nursery
Then I decided to get a few photos depicting the paint color I picked out. This will be the baby girl's room, too, so I decided on this blue/green called 'vintage map' by Martha Stewart. This blanket gave me the idea--see the polka dots?
I think it is perfect for a boy and girl's room. Not too boyish or too girly. Here is the top of baby girl's dresser:
And here are some of little man's things. The paint looks a lot darker in this photo:
I am really happy with the paint. We almost didn't take the time to paint the kid's rooms right away, but my prego hormones took over and my mom and husband had to comply. They did a great job!
I'll post pics of the big girls' room soon. It's, uh, a little bit of a disaster at the moment.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Lack of Posts
Thursday, September 4, 2008
A Wild Night
I heard all three dogs barking at about 3am. What was really strange, was that Shilo's bark turned very high-pitched and incessant. She just wouldn't stop. I got up and peered outside, calling to the dogs to be quiet. I couldn't see anything. Sammy and Tripod ran up to me all excited, but Shilo continued to bark non-stop in the vicinity of the cottonwood trees. I couldn't figure it out. I tried to find a flashlight, but none was to be found. I debated calling 911. I knew there was no way I was leaving three kids in the house and going out there to investigate while being 7 months pregnant. (My husband was out of town). I stayed up for a while, trying to get Shilo to quiet down. By this time I figured it wasn't a human intruder, must be some kind of animal and there was nothing I could do, so I went back to bed. At least Shilo was taking a break from barking now and then and I could fall asleep.
At about 5:30 the barking got crazy again. All three dogs were freaking out. I got up and it was just barely starting to get light. I could see that the sprinklers were on, Sammy was whining at the door, Tripod was barking and running from the trees to the house and back again, and Shilo was barking her crazy high-pitched bark from somewhere near the trees. I couldn't see her, and I was worried that she was hurt and getting wet from the sprinklers. She wouldn't come when I called, she wouldn't stop barking. I wondered if I should go out and see if she was ok. Finally, I saw her standing by the trees, getting wet, and barking. I couldn't turn off the sprinklers from the house, and Shilo wouldn't come when I called her. I finally just went back to bed, thinking maybe there was a bear or something up in the tree. I guess, last summer, a bear did come into the yard. I was worried about Shilo, but I wasn't about to put myself and the baby at risk. So, when we all got up at about 7:15, I could see Shilo sitting by the trees, staring up, but not barking.
She stayed there during another set of sprinklers, getting all wet, and she sits there even now. Sometimes she'll get up and walk around the trees, sniffing, looking up. But she won't leave them. I finally went out to check things out when my son went down for a nap. I couldn't see anything. I guess whatever it was must have gone from tree to tree, over to the neighbors and away. Poor, good Shilo. I hope the kids can coax her away when they get home.
Monday, September 1, 2008
A Garden Tour
Behind the trees, above, we have a large, undeveloped field. It get lots of sun, so I'm envisioning a vegetable garden, a cutting flower garden...oh, the possibilities! And somewhere, of course, we have to fit in a sunflower house for the kids, and their own little garden plots.
Below is our back yard/patio. I guess it isn't really a "yard". There are lots of brick planters, walkways and trees. Even a peach tree, with nary a peach this year...I hope we can convince it to produce next year.
This little "courtyard" will be really fun to fix up. Things need trimming, and lots of planning and planting needs to be done. Any suggestions for the planters? There are also brick rimmed beds around the house and fence.
If you look closely, you can see white, fluffy stuff from the cottonwoods. This piled up in drifts like snow in July. I'm guessing a leaf blower will come in handy next year.
I am hoping that I can get some planting done this fall. Poppies, peonies, and drifts of daffodils under the cottonwoods.