What’s for Dinner?

 

Italian Pork Chop Sheet-pan Dinner This was a great way to to spice up the the old Pork Chop dinner. It fairly easy too. Plus you get to add all your favorite veggies. Do it! Super yummy. Does take some prepping so read the recipe before you just start baking.

Cajun Oven-Fried Chicken  Ok so I was skeptical about this recipe but I had buttermilk left for from making biscuits. These were amazing! I almost want to make a bunch and freeze them. That way I could have breaded chicken strips for lunches. Totally worth it. I used Tony’s Cajun spices. Warning its a little warm. Plus its only 250 Cals

Lattice-Topped French Onion and Chicken Rice Bake   So I had this one on my list for some time. Yes I have a list of recipes I work through. I enjoy French Onion Soup so I thought I would try it. It is very easy and turned out well. Very sweet when you use purple onions. I love it. The only thing I changed was used 90 second rice bag. Everything turned out well. I also learned how to make chicken breasts into shredded check very easily.

Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk Cake  I still had more buttermilk to go through so I thought it would be great to try this. The roasting of the strawberries were interesting. They don’t get firm but kind of mussy. I didn’t have the large grain turbinado sugar so i used regular granulated sugar. I have only nibbled on the sides but it smells lovely.

 

 

Sunday Meditations

Oh Spring. Everything is trying to burst alive all at once. Many of our local rivers have left their bank behind for wider territory of the lower land around them. This should be a sure sign to all of us of the renewal of life. Sometime it is powerful and breaks it banks sometimes it is quiet like a pushing seedling through soil. But it comes and we all must be aware.

Sunday Meditations

 

I am not sure if he really said this. However, it is a fantastic thing to keep in mind. If you feel drained look at who is taking all your energy and make sure you are recharging to full.

 

More Home Projects

Well here is another weekend (for me) and more projects around the house. The window coverings were lacy and very dated. My 118 year old home doesn’t need to feel like 1900s but beautiful in 2018!

I saw these window privacy clings on amazon. I thought that would be a great way to get the lacy curtains down. I have to say it works great. I ran out of cling and had to order more. However, this is what I got so far. I also finally got to put the shelves up in the library. I need to stain and varnish them but its a bit cold outside. I am going to go with a dark stain. I have plenty of room to expand in the future. I can’t wait to get my books out of my trailer stuck in the snow bank. We have been in the high 40s so it should melt soon. Then I can put all my favorite adventures out on display. I need some ideas for window covering in my bedroom. I so much to do so little time. 🙂

Sunday Meditations

Today I am not very strong. My mind is running wild and my emotions are close to the surface. I would rather stay in bed and not deal with the world. It happens; days like these. To everyone, even the strongest. That is ok. You just make it through to another day, another moment. One of them will bring you back to your center. This is not a time to give up but to push through. You can do it. I can do it. We can make it.

A Twist of the Diamond

Have you ever had the shock of accepting something you were against before? It doesn’t necessary have to be something you were dead set against but something you maybe didn’t approve of or agree with. Then something changes in you and then that thing isn’t so bad. It has recently happened to me. It wasn’t a big issue or something life shattering but I feel off balanced. Like that last step I expected but it wasn’t there or when you see the 3D picture in the chaos of imagines. I had a friend tell me that knowledge is a diamond. Each facet holds wonders and you must turn the diamond to get all the information.

Embrace the new information. The problem happens when you shun or try to pretend the knowledge didn’t change you. This change doesn’t have to deal with facts. It could be an emotional thing. Like the moment when you realized that two people you know are closer then you thought. Or a character was the good guy all along.

I am not sure what to do with this new emotion and feeling. I am going to have to rethink everything! It will take time getting used to. But until then I will continue to explore these things and not shy away from change.

In case you have no idea what I am talking about here is a picture of Skittle Chicks. (These are chicks that are dyed in the shell and come out colored. Later they molt and look like normal chickens.)

 

This Explains a Lot

 

Sunday Meditations

So last week I went to a Bible Study group at a friends house. I was a little underwhelmed at the content and interaction. I was disappointed, more in my expectation or hope then anything else. That is ok. The thing is I went. If you have something you want to try and it doesn’t work out-that means you actually tried something. Its a good thing. If you don’t try you will never know. This can be as simple as trying new food, app, or going to a new store. You might surprise yourself and find something you really enjoy.

Book Review: March

Poor showing for March but its been busy.

Blind Decent by Nevada Barr I picked this book up when I was at Carlsbad Caverns in December. This author writes about caves all over the world and this book is about Carlsbad area caves. Since I have been down them it is really interesting. Full of suspense and action it is a great story about places where the sun never shines.

The Sword Bearer by John White This is a cute little book about a young boy dream for adventure. Very much reminds me of The Magician’s Nephew. Epic fight for good and evil. Easy read and very enjoyable.

 

 

 

Home Improvements

So this is why I have been so quiet. I have been painting my house. My mother came up to help and we knocked out some major projects. It has been a huge change and I love it. I have no desire to paint anymore, anytime soon. So here is what I have done so far. This is the dinning room. It was this bold farm house red. I went with Mosaic Blue. Its bold but at the same time not overbearing.

I picked out a neutral gray for the living room. It is called Quiet Rain. I wasn’t sure about how much I liked it. However, it has grown on me with the curtains, rug, and dark baseboards. I have ordered a Chesterfield type loveseat to go next to the chaise. Down the road I will get a full size Chesterfield couch. It really has matched the dinning room well.

 

The hallway and entry way took a long time to do. I might have done some sketchy stuff on the ladder to reach some of the corners but its DONE. Its hard to see but the color used to be yellow. Like a sunshine yellow. Now it is Fencepost White. Yes, I got it just for the name. While I like it better then the yellow it is a bit sterile. Once I get my storage trailer out of the snow bank I will be able to put my artwork up and that should help add character.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So now I am going to add shelves to the library. I have all the boards and brackets, I just need to do it. It is really coming together. I don’t think I will have to do any more indoor painting unless I want to change my bedroom. I would like use Quiet Rain in the laundry room because its super dark but that is for another time.