31 Days of Homemaking - Day 1 - Cooking Pork Stew

There's nothing more than cooking and the smell of a yummy meal that feels homier to me.  Since today is the first day of October and fall feels like it's here for good, I attempted my first batch of stew.  And it smells good!  My sweet husband was kind enough to go grocery shopping for me yesterday while I stayed home with the babe, so I was texting him my grocery list as it came to mind.  (I really need to work on making meal plans and grocery lists -- maybe that can be included in my 31 Days of Homemaking!).  I asked him to pick up a few ingredients that I thought would make a good beef stew.  Well, by accident, he got pork stew meat, so this is a trial run. :)

I took Paula Deen's Old-Time Beef Stew recipe and made it my own...

• 1 lb. Pork stew meat
• 1 tablespoon EVOO
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Dash ground allspice
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 6 potatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cans diced tomatoes

Brown the meat in the EVOO.  Then add the water, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice.  Cover and simmer for 1.5 hours. After the meat mixture is finished put it and the potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes in a crock pot..  Add about 2 more cups water.  Stir.  Spoon out 1 cup of the liquid and wisk in the cornstarch.  Then mix it back in with the stew.  Cook on high in the crockpot until potatoes and carrots are cooked through.

I'll be serving mine with corn muffins.  I'll let you know how the pork turns out. :)

31 Days of Homemaking

I'm jumping on the bandwagon (and hoping I stay on it!).  The Nester and Nesting Place is encouraging bloggers to blog for the 31 days of October.  When I first heard about this I was excited for a couple of reasons:  1.  Maybe this will help me get back into the swing of blogging, and 2.  This is a way I can document some of the home-y things I've been wanting to attempt.

I'm really looking forward to my 31 Days of Homemaking!

Whatchoo Talkin' 'bout?!

I've been contemplating my words lately, and the words of others, specifically about spouses.  I've seen and heard countless times spouses speaking poorly and downright horribly about one another.  And, the only thing I can think of when I see (on facebook, mostly) or hear this is, "You're the idiot who picked them!"  I don't care what s/he did...YOU look like the fool when you talk badly about the other one publicly.

The scripture tells us that the TONGUE has the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21).  So, when we speak negatively about things in our life...we are creating DEATH!  When we speak positively about things...we are creating LIFE!  It's. That. Simple. Really. It. Is.

Does that mean we don't deal with the reality of matters?  Absolutely not.  That just means when you're dealing with the reality of matters you need to speak life over them not death.

Let me give you a real life facebook example.  One of my fb friends shared over a status post that his wife had committed adultery.  I put it a lot more nicely than he did (you can imagine).  So, of course, the comments to the post were HORRIBLE, wife-bashing comments.  Well, a couple of months later, I noticed the couple was back together and happy.  I've learned from the wisdom of others....we have the grace to forgive our spouses while our parents (especially) and friends do not.  Keep issues about your marriage within your marriage or seek professional help.  Facebook is NOT the place to air your dirty laundry or emotional posts.

Let me add this in while I'm on the topic.  NEVER. EVER. NEVER. EVER. speak badly about your spouse (or ex-spouse) to your children!  Think about it folks...children get their identity from their parents.  If you're speaking badly about their father or mother to them, they take that on as their own identity.  If you're divorced, that's your issue...not your child's issue.  They are not your therapist and should never be put in that position.  Keep your words positive about your ex to your children or don't say anything at all...I don't care if your child is 4 or 40.  If you have spoken badly about your spouse to your child, ask them to forgive you and never do it again.

Again, you're either creating life or death through your words.  Speak life over your spouse.  Praise them. Love them like you committed to do.  Love them especially when they are unlovable.  Quit being so self-centered that it's all about them pleasing you.  Encourage them.  Support them.  EVEN WHEN IT'S HARD!  It's worth it.  I guarantee it...their actions will start matching up to your words.  It's Bible.

I am a WINNER!

Don't you just love getting mail that's not bills or junk?  I love checking the mailbox for handwritten letters and packages!  Today I received a package from Rebekah at A Bit of Sunshine! I felt like a kid at a candy shop.

Here's all the cool loot I got:

 

Thank you Rebekah!  I LOVE it all!

Dear TodaysLetters.com,

You're one of my favorites.  And, in honor of you, I'm gonna do it Em&Tim style.
 

Dear Mr. Miller, When you puff up to show me just how buff you are when you meet me for lunch, I wanna make-out.  Just sayin. 

Dear Twinner, In TWO DAYS you find out if you little bean is a boy bean or girl bean.  I will love (squeeze and eat) your bean no matter what it is, but what in the heck will we do with a boy???

Dear Momma, Thank you :) Lalalalala, Lalalalalala, Lalalalalalala :)

Dear Elder Sister, If you ever played one of those shower games where you have to find a specific random item in your purse you'd win.  I'm so glad.  Did you ever know that you're my hero? Fo Real.

Dear Fajer,  I wish we still had Burger Chef.  We could go on a date night :)

Dear cute little creatures in my yard, You make me feel like Snow White.

Dear Emery Rose, You're the rarest of roses and the prettiest of roses :)

Dear electric hand blender thing, You make making baby food FUN.

Dear Labradoodle,  You might just be the cutest little thing EVER. 

Dear Abzilla, When you get a Labradoodle, will you share with your auntie?? Love YOU.

Dear date-night-with-my-man, Will you get here already?!!?  I don't even remember the last time you were here!

Dear Husband, Please take me on a date-night-with-my-man. 

Dear Writer's block, leave.

Dear Jeremiah, (because you get 3 letters) I'm so proud of you for passing your big test.  You're on your way big boy!

30 for My Man

If you know Jeremiah, you know I married up.  He is the best man I know.  Tomorrow is his 30th birthday.  I met him right before his 23rd birthday.  I have seen Jeremiah grow from an unsure college student to the most supportive husband and daddy.

Easter 2011

In honor of you, Jeremiah, here's 30 reasons why you make my heart go pitter-patter.

1.   You tell me your favorite time EVER to be with me is first thing in the morning, right after I wake up.  Now that's love.
2.  You're going after your dream of earning an MBA.  You're giving it all you've got.  This little family of yours really appreciates that.
3.  You cook the best breakfast I've ever had.  Your gravy rocks!
4.  You let me follow my motherly-intuition even if it sounds crazy.
5.  You work just as hard outside as you do behind a desk.
6.  You're the toughest man I know and the most sensitive man I know.
7.  You give me the best and yummiest bite. :)  Always.
8.  In the past, you rocked the most beautiful spiral curls...prettier than I've ever seen on any girl. ;)
9.  You were my rock during labor with Emery.
10.  You can carry all of the groceries in at one time.  No joke.  That's talent.
11.  Whatever career or calling you have, your goal is always to help people.
12.  You change diapers and help me at feeding and bath time without complaining.
13.  You love the Lord.
14.  You don't bring to my attention every time I do something wrong or do something that frustrates you.
15.  You're slow to anger.
16.  You're passionate about life and the things you enjoy.
17.  You care about what my opinion is and always consider what I have to say about the direction our family takes.
18.  You'd give up your hockey tickets in a heart beat just to spend time with your family.
19.  You'll stay up late to talk with me even when you're dog tired.
20.  You always thank me for whatever I cook for you, even if it doesn't taste the best.
21.  You can read people like a book, but still love them if you don't like what you 'read'.
22.  You're good to your momma and to my momma.
23.  You dance with me in the kitchen, and tell me I really do dance like ursher.
24.  You'll watch chick flicks with me even if you don't want to.
25.  You sacrifice everyday to make a better life for us.
26.  You try to save as much hot water in the shower as possible for me.
27.  You make up songs...all the time. :)
28.  You fold socks.
29.  You're my 'list'....the best husband and daddy ever.
30.  I get to spend the next 30 years with you by my side.

Happy birthday. I love you.

Learning to Love People

How did I get so blessed?  Oh, I know.  I'm loved.  I'm loved.  I'm loved.  Sometimes I have to remind myself how loved I am.  I forget.  I can tell when I've forgotten because I'm not loving towards myself or others.  I'm learning that when I believe I'm something, I act like I am what I believe.  Loved --> Loving.    Merely Tolerated --> Aggravated.  Happy --> Light-hearted.  My actions are never the root of a problem, they are the fruit of what I believe about myself.  My feelings toward others are not a result of what they've done to me; they are the fruit of what I believe about myself.  I'm learning this.  I'm learning.


In the middle of controversy, anger, drama, issues, etc.  I can remain loving and peaceful because I know God loves me and is my peace. Recently, I felt betrayed and hurt.  The Lord revealed all of this to me before I could react in anger and bitterness.  While I was in the middle of complaining about people to him, he simply started talking about his love for me.  I could no longer dwell on "what they did to ME!", the focus went back on him.  He's good.  In the middle of moments where the hurt still feels raw and like it happened yesterday, I think on what a friend said (I'm paraphrasing) 'that when you've gone through something so intimately painful, there will come a day when you can look back, and, while you remember it happened, you remember as if it happened to someone else.  It doesn't have the same affect on you anymore.'  I'm getting there.  Slowly but surely.  Thanks to the Lord who's revealed His love for me so much so that I can love, REALLY love, the people I've felt betrayed by.