Healthy EatingHealthy Eating

As I learn to eat better I think about what is healthy and what is not something I need. I know there are all kinds of diets out there but that is not the kind I need. I don’t need to lose weight I need to put healthier foods in my body. I agree with some of the things others do like planting your own fruit and vegetables. But homemade is the best because then you know what is going on to the dish you are making. I think getting meat from somewhere you know that it is grass fed and how it is raised is an excellent source.

When it comes to eating, everyone will do things differently. I know that food is costing more, so we all need to find ways to eat health and save money at the same time. It is not easy for me as well. I have to find things that do more than one thing for me.

I know that I am trying but it is not easy for me. I try to make better meals and go out less cause you never know what is in when you order. This last year has taught me a lot about some people and what they believe in. I can’t always believe in the same thing but I can agree with some of it.

If you have land do what you can to make the most of it and grow what you want to eat. It is more healthier, plus it turns out you can learn new things on top of that like canning which is a good source.

I know next year I am going to try new things and learn new skills. I have what I want to do and I hope that things go my way for once and I can.

Happy Holidays

Holiday SeasonHoliday Season

The Holidays are among us and we all are busy with shopping , cleaning, wrapping and planning dinner. I know that each year around this time is one of the hardest times I have to go thru. I lost my mom just before Christmas and her birthday and it has been hard ever since. I know people tell me it will get easier and I don’t see how. The one person I could talk to about anything was my mom and now I don’t have that. I know that I have friends and other family members I can talk to but my mom was different. She loved me for me and it didn’t matter what was going on in our life. She always tries and makes Christmas the best for all of us. I still have the present that I got her that year. I know one year it will be easy for me to get thru the holidays but I am not sure when that will be.

It is never easy being down for the holidays, but I try and put on a brave face and get thru it. Sometimes the ones that are supposed to be there for you, don’t listen and make things harder to handle. I know that I will be fine and get thru the holiday season again, but just remember when you see someone don’t judge them you don’t know what they are going thru.

I want to wish everyone that has followed me and went on this year-long journey with me. I will continue next year where I know I will have challenges that will have to deal with. I know that I will get thru them with help from others and myself.

One day it would be nice to get a prayer answered once, but it will happen when you least expect it.

HobbiesHobbies

What are some of your hobbies that you do everyday, every week or every year?

Hobbies are activities done regularly in ones leisure time for pleasure. Any activity you enjoy doing in your spare time. Some activities conducted in your spare time are for recreation or pleasure.

I know that I have a few hobbies I do regularly, like baking, reading , listening to either music or a podcast. I have others that I do like cooking, crafting, gardening, watching movies or shows. There are some hobbies I like to learn as wells like learning a new language, canning, or photography.

I know that everyone has their own reason for some of their hobbies. I know that each one that I do helps me in a different way. When I think about a new hobby I look into it and make sure it is something that I could do or have the time to learn. Just remember you have your reason for the hobbies you do and you never have to explain why to anyone.

Please if you have the time let me know what fun hobbies you do and maybe we could learn something new together.

CookbooksCookbooks

These past few weeks, I have been going thru my cookbooks and finding new dishes to try. I have made a couple of goodies. It has been a long process to find recipes to try. I have been posting some of them. I hope others try to make them. I won’t post if I don’t like it. I would let you know if I change it. There are things I can have or I make it smaller cause I only cook for 2 or 3 people. I don’t like a lot of leftovers.

After I been thru the cookbook I am planning on selling them. I will post on different sites. I want others to be able to get out of them as I did. I write down the ones that I want to pass along to my kids.

My grandma did the same thing and I got a lot of them, it’s hard to read a lot of them but it is fun to look thru the books and notebooks full of recipes.

I just want to let everyone know that each week I will be posting recipes for others to try.

Enjoy

Tater Topped CasseroleTater Topped Casserole

1 Pound ground beef 1 tablespoon ketchup

1 med onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup) 1 tablespoon Worcestershire

1 can cream of mushroom soup 3 cups frozen fried potato nugget (tater tots)

Cook the beef and onion in a skillets, pour any fat

stir the soup, ketchup, Worcestershire in the skillet. Spoon the beef mixture into a 2 -quart shallow baking dish. Arrange the potatoes around the inside edge of the baking dish

Bake at 425 for 25 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown.

I made this and it was very good. It been nice to try new dishes. Please try and let me know what you think.

Hash brown potato casseroleHash brown potato casserole

1 package (30 oz) shredded hash browns 1 can (101/2 oz) cream of potato soup

1/2 block cheese , shredded (cheddar) 2 tsp of chopped oinion

2 tbsp sour cream 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven 350, spray a 3-quart shallow baking dish with vegetable cooking spray

Stir the potatoes, half of the cheese, sour cream, soup, onion and parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Season the potato mixture as desired. Spread the potato mixture in the baking dish. Cover the baking dish.

Bake for 45 minutes, uncover the baking dish. sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the top is lightly browned.

I did change this recipe because I can’t eat a lot of dairy. Plus I made it smaller because it was for only three people.

I don’t like a lot of leftovers. This was easy to make and it was good. I would make it again.

Please try it and let me know what you think.

ProjectsProjects

This summer we had a lot of projects going on like a lot of others. So you want to get done as much as you can, but money is the biggest factor. What you have to do is figure out what you can do and put what is important. I know what I want to get done. I am looking forward to next year. There are something that we can’t do until next year. We lived in our last house for over 20 years and we never got everything done that we wanted so I am working hard to get more done here.

Please keep up with this blog because I am trying new recipes and I am sharing them with others. I am trying to eat better. We started going to farmer markets and we got fresh vegetables. I want to do what I can to try new dinners.

So thank you for following me. please share this so I can reach as many as I can.

Easy GoulashEasy Goulash

I have a recipe that I tried and it was different.

1 lb Ground beef 15-1/4 oz can corn, drained

1/4 c Onion, Chopped 15 oz can kidney bean, drained and rinsed

14- 1/2 oz Can Stewed tomatoes shredded cheese

3/4 c water

2 c Elbow macaroni, uncooked ( you can use corkscrew noodles)

Brown beef and onion in a large skillet, drain grease. Add tomatoes and water; sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add macaroni and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until macaroni is tender, add more water if necessary. Add corn, beans and cheese; heat until cheese is melted. Serves 4 to 6

I made this and it was so different then the goulash I grew up making. It was good I did use seasons that I could have instead of salt and pepper.

Please try and let me know what you think.

Getting through the day?Getting through the day?

I am sorry it has been a couple of weeks. I have a few things going on in my life that I need to take care of. This last week I did meet a couple of nice people during a craft sale I was doing. It is amazing to me the people I meet. You really never know what someone is going through until you talk to them and start to understand other lives. I know that I live with some health issues no one knows unless I talk to them. I can always talk about my chickens and dogs. They are my life and I am not sure I would get through some days without them.

I know when I am baking for these shows I listen to podcasts which are great. I mostly listen to true crime but there are ones that they interview others that have stories to tell. It helps me focus on something else that I am doing. I always make a plan of what I am going to make and each day what my goal is.

I do have those bad days that I just want to just not want to talk to anyone. It is easy to feel like that on some of the days. I do have people that care and check in with me to make sure I am doing fine. Please remember this you don’t know what someone else going through at any give time unless you talk to them or walked in their shoes.

Thank you again

BBQ Pork Chop SkilletBBQ Pork Chop Skillet

I want to share a recipe that I made and it was real good.

BBQ Pork Chop Skillet

Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil

1/2 Cup BBQ Sauce (your Choice)

1/2 Cup water

4-6 Boneless pork chops

Drizzle a skillet with oil, Place pork chops in skillet and sear for 5 minutes on each side on medium heat. Season with salt and pepper as you like. Add in 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce, cover and simmer on low for 5-10 minutes until chops are cooked through. Let sit a few minutes before serving.

This was an easy dinner and I enjoyed it very much. Please try it and let me know what you think about it. I know that I had to change it to make it better for me to eat, which I don’t use salt. The Pork chop are tender and you can serve it with potatoes or even better vegetable.

Thank you for letting me share this great dinner.