Southern Cooking with a City Girl

Justin grew up in South Georgia and he loves to eat things like greens and okra & tomata (otherwise known as tomato). He will occasionally make a request for some down-home southern cooking and as a dutiful wife I am happy oblige. But where does a city girl turn to find a recipe to feed a country boy? Southern Living of course! Here is a recipe that Justin loved. He said that it tasted like something his Momma would make. I knew he would like it when I read that it called for field peas with snaps (you can find them in the freezer section at Kroger). That just sounds Southern.

WARNING: Do not cook this meal in a tank top. I burned my arm pretty bad flipping the pork chop during the browning phase. I now know why chefs wear thick white coats.

Slow-Cooker Pork Chops and Field Peas

Total: 6 hours 30 minutes Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 (16-oz.) package frozen field peas with snaps, thawed

1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
6 (1-inch-thick) bone-in pork chops (about 3 1/2 lb.)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 (10 1/2-oz.) can condensed chicken broth

Preparation:
1. Place peas in a lightly greased 6-qt. slow cooker.
2. Combine mustard and next 2 ingredients; sprinkle over pork chops. Dredge pork in flour.
3. Cook pork, in batches, in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side or just until browned. Transfer pork to slow cooker. Reserve drippings in skillet.
4. Sauté onion in hot drippings over medium-high heat 6 to 7 minutes or until tender. Add chicken broth, and cook 2 minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Spoon onion mixture over pork in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours.

Southern Living, FEBRUARY 2010

Note: I did not use six pork chops, I used two (I have used three in the past) but did not change anything else about the recipe and it turned out great. I serve this dish with mac & cheese, roasted asparagus, and biscuits.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/beebrisk/

Gorgeous Photographs by an Amazing Photographer for a Wonderful Cause: Cleland Adoption Fundraiser

Justin and I had the privilege to have lunch today with The Cleland Family. The Lord has chosen to continue building their beautiful family through adoption. You can read all about their journey here. If you are local, or plan to vacation in Savannah, will you please consider donating to this very worthy cause? Erika is a very talented photographer and she is offering a full length photo session for any contribution to their adoption fund. What an amazing opportunity! We can't wait to have our session with Erika! Contact information is listed below, or you can always email David and Erika to set up a session when you visit their blog (just click on their blogger profile/about us).

Justin and I (and Scarlett, too) will be sure to post our pics after our session! :)

The Green-eyed Monster

I really enjoyed this post on (In Courage). I have been thinking about it ever since I read it yesterday. It is absolutely true. If you are a woman, you will relate to this post. Jealousy is an ugly thing that we all struggle with in one way or another (the fact that the setting for this post is in a gym is simply icing on the cake). I am blown away sometimes by how my view of self pales in comparison to my view of other woman. Beth Moore is tackling this issue head-on in her new book, So Long Insecurity. I am a little behind in my reading (I am doing her online blog study - LPM link in my blog roll) but I have found that each chapter reveals truth with an ultimate goal of healing.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

That includes you! And me, too.

Photo Credit: mollyjoy.deviantart.com
Thank you, Molly! Great picture!

The Luck of the (not so) Irish

Did you know that the city of Savannah shuts down to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? I thought it was crazy when I first moved here, but now I love it! It is great to have a random day off in the middle of the work week to sleep as late as I want, actually eat a good breakfast (not Lucky Charms at my desk), workout as long as I want, and clean at my leisure. Sounds fun, right? Was it the cleaning part that really got you interested? I thought so. No green beer here, just green toilets. I feel lucky!

A friend sent this to me and thought it would be a good look for Scarlett. Maybe next year. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Leprachaun Dog at the Gaithersburg St. Patrick's Day Parade: Photo © Nick Monaco

Source: dc.about.com

Ask and You Shall Receive: Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

I honestly cannot remember where I found this recipe. I was searching for easy slow cooker recipes and this was one that I found and decided to try. At the time, we were living in a very old apartment and the oven burned EVERYTHING. My slow cooker quickly became a very dear friend. My friend Katie requested that I post this recipe. It is SO easy and SO good. If you are short on time, have the ability to chop an onion and like beef stroganoff than this recipe is for you.

Ingredients:

· 1 pound cubed beef stew meat
· 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup
· ½ cup chopped onion
· 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
· ¼ cup water
· 4 ounces cream cheese
· Egg noodles OR rice

Directions:

1. In slow cooker, combine the meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and water.
2. Cook on LOW for 8 hours, or HIGH for about 5 hours. Stir in cream cheese just before serving.
3. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

Remember to use a slow cooker liner for quick and easy clean up. If you use Steam Fresh Rice instead of egg noodles, the only dirty dishes you have to wash are your dinner plates. Happy Cooking!

Delicious!

Do you read Our Best Bites? NO!?!? Well, you should. Not that this is a good thing, but their Molten Lava Cakes recipe (pictured above) single-handedly reversed the phenomenal results of the six week weight loss regimen I embarked on last May. They also have a Chicken Pot Pie recipe that I may, or may not, have on hand at all times in my freezer. Today they have posted a recipe for Chocolate Mousse Crunch Cake that looks so good I think I may run the risk of having to shop for an entirely new wardrobe.


So, if you dare, pop over and be amazed. Our Best Bites. You're welcome (in advance).

So, so, sweet...

I just love this picture of Scarlett. So, so, sweet. Have a great weekend!

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

I am LOVING this Southern Living Slow Cooker Turkey Chili. First let me say that I generally do not enjoy cooking with turkey meat. I can, however, acknowledge the health benefits of turkey over ground beef so when a recipe calls for turkey meat I am willing to give it a try. The first time I made this recipe I was not so sure that I would make it again. I had made with a dark beer from Bell’s Brewery and it was SO strong even after hours of cooking. This time I made it with Samuel Adams Noble Pils and it made all the difference. It is delicious! The recipe says to cook on LOW for 6 hours but I was in a rush so I cooked it on HIGH for 3 and it turned out great. Happy Cooking!

*Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients

•1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey
•1 large onion, chopped
•1 garlic clove, minced
•1 (1.25-oz.) envelope chili seasoning mix
•1 (12-oz.) can beer
•1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
•1 red bell pepper, chopped
•1 green bell pepper, chopped
•1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
•1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
•1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
•3/4 teaspoon salt
•Toppings: shredded Cheddar cheese, finely chopped red onion, sliced fresh jalapeños

Preparation
1. Cook first 4 ingredients in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 8 minutes or until turkey crumbles and is no longer pink. Stir in beer, and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon mixture into a 5 1/2-qt. slow cooker; stir in corn and next 6 ingredients until well blended. Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours. Serve with desired toppings.

*Cary Holladay, Memphis, Tennessee, Southern Living, OCTOBER 2009,
Photo credit: www.southernliving.com

Dear NBC...

I do not care for the Olympics. Is that un-American? If so, I apologize. I love America. This is not about America at all. Please understand, I just survived football season in the SEC. All I have seen on television since August is football. Tonight all I want to see is your regularly scheduled programming. On Tuesday, I was really looking forward to The Biggest Loser. Tomorrow I will be very disappointed when I miss my weekly dose of Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office, and 30 Rock.

I suppose that in a country as obese as ours it is good to celebrate sporting events. It is nice to see fit people, who workout for a living and maybe work part-time at Home Depot excel. I just think devoting weeks on end to the Olympics is overkill. Maybe we could just have the option to On Demand the Olympic events. I would like that.

Desperately seeking an end to the Olympic Games,

Amanda

Actually Writing on My Blog… Check.

I can now check writing on my blog off my list of New Year things I would like to accomplish. I have had this blog for over a year now. I have had two designs done and have never written a thing. I have been using it to follow blogs that I love to read and I LOVE to read blogs. Really, love is not a strong a word here. I learn so many things and follow some really neat people, some I have met, but most I have not. I do have to admit that I have a very false sense of reality based on the people that I do not know. Sometimes I tell J stories about people and he will ask who I am talking about and I always have to say, “So and So. Oh… she writes a blog I read.” The inspiration from Christian women in the blog world has really been a blessing. For this I am very thankful.