Saturday, September 8, 2012
OVEN-BAKED AND BREADED PORK CHOPS
If you're in the mood for some chops, but don't want to fuss with frying them - this recipe is for you! These come out so tender and flavorful. An added bonus is that they are incredibly easy to make. Here are the ingredients you will need to make 4 servings:
4 pork chops, bone in, about 1/2 inch thick
salt and pepper
1/3 cup mayonnaise (estimate depends on the chop size)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (use flavored or not and this is also an estimate depending on size)
oregano and garlic salt, to taste
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| Rinse and pat dry each bone-in pork chop then season generously with salt and pepper. |
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| Using the back of a spoon spread mayonnaise on each side of each chop. Use less mayo if the chops are smaller or if watching fat content. You just need enough for the breadcrumbs to adhere. (Throw out any unused mayo because it will now be contaminated from the raw pork.) |
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| Thoroughly coat in breadcrumbs on all sides. Sprinkle with oregano and garlic salt. Place on baking sheet and bake at 325*F for about 1 hour. |
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| I served ours with steamed broccoli, sweet beets, and little baked red potatoes seasoned with olive oil, garlic, and parsely. (Please stop back by and let me know how you served yours. :) |
LITTLE MAN BAKES COOKIES
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| Just look at that face! It screams, "YUM!" |
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| Laying them out on a cookie sheet. |
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| We hardly ever bake store bought cookies, but the back-to-school theme hooked me while I was grocery shopping this week. Also, I liked the idea of having most everything done for me. It made it so easy for our lil guy to "bake" them. |
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| What to do with all that leftover dough? |
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| Roll out some more, of course. :) |
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| Crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. So cute, too! |
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| A backpack and a pencil . . . good choices, Little Man. LOVE THAT SMILE! |
Friday, September 7, 2012
FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH
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| Saw this beautiful sight on an early morning drive last month. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. (Psalm 19:1) KJV |
BIHON GUISADO (SAUTEED NOODLES)
I recently discovered a $10 Fiesta gift card lurking in my paper clutter. It was from 2006! I almost threw it in the trash, but decided against it and called Fiesta instead. The representative on the line asked me to send it to her so she could issue me a new one . . . and she did.
I got it in the mail a couple of weeks ago. I stopped in at a Fiesta and bought most of the ingredients for the recipe I will be sharing today. I love Oriental cooking - especially Filipino foods since visiting there. (Hubby introduced me to Lumpia and it was so good. Forgive me, but I drool.)
We had this for lunch and dinner today along with some very yucky cookies. I hope the birds liked them better than we did. :(
It is best to have your ingredients prepared BEFORE beginning to cook them because things go pretty fast and there might not be time to mince, dice, and shred once you get started. (I took the photo above before I had finished prepping the shrimp. I left the frozen veggies in the bag until I was ready for them, and if you notice, I left the chicken on the cutting board. It didn't even make it to the photo-shoot. ;)
Pre-heat a wok on high heat. (If you don't have a wok, a large, deep skillet should work fine as long as it can take high heat.) Next, add your oil, onion, and garlic to the wok. Saute just until the garlic starts to turn golden. Do not overcook as garlic burns quickly and will taste extremely bitter. Next, add in the chicken and shrimp and cook about 3-5 minutes on high. While the meat is cooking begin adding in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt and pepper. Stir to mix well.
Gently pour in the chicken broth and add the cabbage, carrots, and stir-fry veggies stirring once again to coat all the vegetables. Bring to a boil, and remove meat and vegetables using a spider or a slotted spoon in order to leave the broth in the wok. The meat will be cooked and the veggies will be crisp but tender.
I got it in the mail a couple of weeks ago. I stopped in at a Fiesta and bought most of the ingredients for the recipe I will be sharing today. I love Oriental cooking - especially Filipino foods since visiting there. (Hubby introduced me to Lumpia and it was so good. Forgive me, but I drool.)
We had this for lunch and dinner today along with some very yucky cookies. I hope the birds liked them better than we did. :(
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| These are the ingredients needed to make approximately 6 servings. 1 Tbs canola oil 1 small red onion, diced 4 cloves of garlic, minced 1 cup chicken, cut into thin, bite-sized chunks 15 shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into thirds 5 Tbs soy sauce (low-sodium recommended) 1 Tbs oyster sauce 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper 2 1/2 cups chicken broth 1 cup cabbage, shredded 1/2 cup carrots, pre-shredded 1/2 cup stir-fry veggies 8 oz. package of rice noodles |
Pre-heat a wok on high heat. (If you don't have a wok, a large, deep skillet should work fine as long as it can take high heat.) Next, add your oil, onion, and garlic to the wok. Saute just until the garlic starts to turn golden. Do not overcook as garlic burns quickly and will taste extremely bitter. Next, add in the chicken and shrimp and cook about 3-5 minutes on high. While the meat is cooking begin adding in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt and pepper. Stir to mix well.
Gently pour in the chicken broth and add the cabbage, carrots, and stir-fry veggies stirring once again to coat all the vegetables. Bring to a boil, and remove meat and vegetables using a spider or a slotted spoon in order to leave the broth in the wok. The meat will be cooked and the veggies will be crisp but tender.
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| This is what the veggie/meat mixture looks like when removed from the broth. |
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| All that's left is to plate your food and enjoy a delicious meal. I highly recommend serving it with lemon slices if you like the tang of citrus. |
Thursday, September 6, 2012
LEST WE FORGET . . .
“You are as much serving God in looking after your own children, and training them up in God’s fear, and minding the house, and making your household a church for God, as you would be if you had been called to lead an army to battle for the Lord of hosts.”
~ C.H. Spurgeon
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| ♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ All hail the power of Jesus' Name! ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ |
Friday, August 31, 2012
GOD'S PROMISE IN THE SKY
"And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth." (Genesis 9:8-17 kjv)
When I see a rainbow it reminds me that God is also looking upon it, and He is remembering His covenant.
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| Last week we saw this beautiful rainbow on the way home. Its colors were so vivid! So vibrant! So brilliant! |
When I see a rainbow it reminds me that God is also looking upon it, and He is remembering His covenant.
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| Amazing! |
A CHUCKLE 4U - "Laugh at Yourself"
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| "Laugh at yourself first, before anyone else can." ~ Elsa Maxwell "Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine." ~ Lord Byron |
LIBRARY FUN
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| Today we visited the library like so many other days. We enjoy our libraries so much that we hardly ever leave empty handed. |
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| Today little man found the finger puppets. They have an amazing collection! |
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| I couldn't resist staging this picture. :) |
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| He's such a "snuggable" little guy, and he sure loves to be read to. |
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| We had trouble getting the Cat in the Hat to sit up straight. Clifford just wanted to make friends with the brown dog. Not sure what Horton was hearing today. |
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| No visit to the library is complete without a turn at the computer. |
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| We LOVE our librarians! Here's Diane helping little man check out his books. (His expression reminds me of the Cheshire cat. lol) |
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| "I visited my library today" sticker. Can't wait to go back! :) |
Friday, August 24, 2012
MARTYRED MOTHERS
I received the post below in an e-mail, and it brought tears to my eyes. It also caused me to give thanks. I wanted to share it because this could become anyones reality . . . including mine.
(I have placed the link below to give credit where it is due.)
A young mother lost her three year old son last week in a fatal accident. I don’t know her. She is a friend of a friend. That’s still too close.
In a moment that mama crossed over from an ordinary life of homeschooling, homemaking and what-will-I-fix-for-supper-tonight… into grief, sorrow and agony that crushed her heart beyond what we think humans can endure. When she woke up that morning she had no idea that her time was to be cut short with that boy.
"Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." (James 4:14) KJV
His days were numbered by His Creator set to end on that specific day. Death touches us all at one time or another but when it touches, or threatens to touch our children, we recoil inside. Some of you reading have experienced the same anguish this grief-stricken mother has. And when I heard the news I hugged my babes tighter and let my lips linger on their soft faces a bit longer at bedtime. Then I looked into my own mother-heart and realized with shame that many times I have given way to sin and selfishness and let the enemy whisper to me:
“Imagine how great it will be when they are all grown up and you have:
Lipstick that has a point on it
And a cake with no finger traces in it
And plastic tablecloths with no spaghetti stains on them
And no kisses with snot and no salad with olives picked out and no muddy knotted shoelaces to untie
Imagine!
A bookcase that stays perfect for more than five minutes
And a conversation with a friend that is uninterrupted
And a phone call that isn’t start and stop and a night of sleep that isn't disturbed
Oh yes….just imagine how wonderful that will be!”
And yet what would the grieving mother—the one whose toddler went to be with Jesus, or the one who is infertile or the one who is waiting on the Lord to bring her a husband—what would she give to have a day of messes, mischief, cutting up someone’s grapes, reading Peter Rabbit or rocking the sleepy body of a feverish toddler in the night watches?
Oh mothers, reject those thoughts. Take them captive!
Yes, there are days that are challenging as a mom. I’m not dismissing the fact that motherhood requires tremendous demands of patience, selflessness, lovingkindness and walking the way of the cross. Those actions are supplied only through the supplying of the Lord’s mercy as He strengthens our hands to the task, so we must abide in the True Vine. But may we not live our lives as martyrs that have given up something great, and thinking that motherhood is only about sacrifice. Sure there are some sacrifices. But to be a mother is a precious gift and privilege never to be taken for granted. Instead let’s walk in the joy of the Lord, being grateful for His gift of children, that aren’t really even ours.
". . . for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10c) KJV
"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (Psalm 16:11) KJV
"REJOICE in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright." (Psalm 33:1) KJV
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