Where there is a will, there is a way! We wanted lights around the garage door since we don’t often see the lights that were installed to outline the front of the house! Since we enter thru the garage in back, we followed several of our neighbors who have put lights up around their garage doors. Dresses up the ally! So because Randy is no longer able to get up and down a ladder or a step stool, we worked as a team! I climbed on the step stool and glued the lights up one by one! In order for me to balance getting up and down each few feet I used a walker to balance myself. We started laughing thinking how hilarious we looked with a walker rt beside the ladder with me using it to steady myself climbing up and down! I told Randy we would probably win some money on AFV for that sight! But we got the job done and tonight when we drive back in from having Mexican food for dinner, beautiful white lights will welcome us back in the door guiding me into the kitchen to once again find the Advil for all the aches from stretching and climbing! Chocolatecastles.com
Last evening we were having friends over for dinner. A few weeks ago I had experimented with pork tenderloin and thought that was what I had taken out of the freezer to make again for dinner last night. The loin had turned out so good when I made it the first time, that I figured I would try it again and because it is so easy, I could serve it with rice pilaf, cashew salad (what we call Rita salad because Rita gave me the recipe and we LOVE it!) and hot rolls! About 3:00 when I undid the meat out of the paper, I discovered that instead of finding a pork loin staring back at me, I was looking down at a pork roast. Well, I didn’t have time to run to the store because I still had to make the pie and clean house, so I decided to just cut the roast up in pieces, trimming off any fat and cook it the same way I had done with the loin! When our friends walked in the door at 6 sharp, I quickly told them my story and if it didn’t turn out because it was too tough to chew, we would send the guys out for Whataburger! When I uncovered the dish of the roast, I kept praying “Lord, let it be tender”. Well answer He did! It was so tender you could cut it with a fork! It was delicious. The only thing different from when I made the pork loin, was this time around I layered thinly sliced onion before pouring the gravy over it to bake. This is such a great and different way to make pork and one that should be in your recipe keep file! We served it with the salad, rice pilaf and had some Trader Joe’s orange cranberry sauce! It was a delicious dinner. Ended our night with pecan cream cheese pie! Also started with our new tradition since we did this with all our kids last year, that anyone who comes in our house during the holidays has to take an “Elfie” picture. Janet and Gary, not only were you our Guinea pigs for two new recipes, you are the first non family member to take an “Elfie” for us! Happy Thanksgiving and since y’all have a million recipes of traditional thanksgiving recipes I thought I would give you a new recipe that gets your mind off turkey and onto the pig!!!
One pork loin or roast! Trim any fat off! Not your body, the roast!) If using the loin, slice into 1” slices if using pork roast, cut in to slices or chunks that can be dipped to fry. Remember this is like chicken fried steak only pork so that is the goal: chicken fried pork covered and baked i n gravy!
In a small bowl, combine 1 egg with 1 cup of milk
Mix and dip each piece In the milk/egg mixture and then dip wet slice into a bowl of flour that you have added some seasoning to (like salt, pepper, garlic, lemon pepper whatever you like)
In a frying pan, heat about 2/3 cup oil. Heat the oil and fry each meat piece until it is lightly browned on each side. Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder and a little thyme while meat is frying. You don’t need to worry that pork isn’t complete done. It will also be baked throughly while it is baked. Layer slices/chunks of meat in a Pyrex baking dish (you have greased first) or Dutch oven. Thinly slice an onion over the meat using about 1/3 of a small onion. Pour some of the gravy over this and then Repeat the layers until all meat is used. Top with the gravy. Cover well with foil or lid and Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about an hour to an hr and a half. Depends on how many layers you have of the meat. After an hour check to see if you need to add any gravy or water to the dish so it is not dry. Serve with rice pilaf and any side dish you like.
Gravy recipe
I had bought a Pioneer packet of brown gravy! I followed the directions on the back and set it aside while I made some gravy to add to it. in the same skillet I fried the pork, I simply added some flour to the left over drippings to create a roux stirring constantly over medium heat. As soon as the roux began to lightly brown, I added about 1 cup of milk, salt and pepper stirring constantly with a whisk to not allow it to get lumps from the flour. Then I added the gravy from the packet to this gravy. And stirred until they were combined. If you don’t like to make gravy simply use the packet of brown gravy and use cream of mushroom soup! Pour the soup into the frying pan with the drippings! (Most of the grease you used to fry the pork will have been soaked up in the meat so you shouldn’t have but a couple tables of grease left in frying pan) Stir in about a 1/2 cup of water. Then add the brown gravy packet to the soup mixture and you are good to go. I think I’ll make a video tomorrow of the gravy so you can watch it be made. Will make it come to life!!! We are having 3 couples over for dinner tomorrow night so will make a new batch of this using the pork loin this time!!! Plus corn casserole and they are bring the rest. Would be a great evening.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all and to all a Great Meal!
This precious little cookbook was bought in 1997 in Lake City, CO when Randy and I were driving with his parents on a day trip while visiting them in South Fork, CO. His parents spent about 25 years going to SF in an 5th wheel where they stayed from May thru Sept. We loved our time with them there and learned about biscuit bakes and microwave divinity. The nights spent gathered around a camp fire would be the highlight for me as we would sit with blankets wrapped around us on cold evenings in lawn chairs and visit with the 50 or so people who gathered around the fire. I loved that. People who came to SF every year knew the peoples families. They heard about grandbabies being born or relatives who died and the friends who went thru cancer or other health issues. It was a campground that formed friendships that lasted for years. Each year when I bring out this little book, it brings back so many wonderful memories which still brings a smile to my heart.
Coming home from Phoenix Tuesday night, we were tired and ready to be home. The plane was late and I couldn’t wait to take off and read a new book I had downloaded. We had had such a great time with our kids but…..we were exhausted and ready to go home to our own bed! As soon as Randy and I had settled into our seats, we smiled thinking that maybe just maybe , we would not have anyone come and ask, “is that seat taken!” So here we are up 36,000 feet in the air when the lady sitting next to me begins to share her visit to her 80 year old mom in CA and all the festivities that they had planned to celebrate her birthday! We then began to talk about food (is this a surprise to anyone that I would talk about food?)
She shared a recipe with me that she said sounded weird but promised me that it was the best spaghetti sauce and her mom had been making it for years. When I ask her if she would please share it with me, she gladly did! Well, last night I got some grape jelly and made it. It was indeed very very good and was so glad I had not stuck my nose in a book and ignore this sweet lady! Thank you Sabrina for sharing your treasured old recipe with me! It is delicious and is now a very sweet memory of our plane trip home! I’m posting the picture she sent to me that shows it was written on an old piece of paper! Those recipes seem to always be the good ones!!!
Chocolate Castles 