We don't eat a lot of pork at our house, but occasionally do like a nice pork chop. And what goes better with a chop than some flavorful rice. It's done all in one pan, and only takes about 30 minutes to make - perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. You need an oven proof … Continue reading Perfectly Easy Pork Chops and Rice In One Pot
We love Swiss Chard, and I often grow, as well as buy, Rainbow (Bright Lights) Swiss Chard. It's a healthy green, cooks quickly, and can be quite tasty without being bitter. Besides, Rainbow Chard is so pretty! By all means use plain green and white Swiss Chard if that's what you have. It's still a … Continue reading How to Cook Easy Skillet Rainbow Swiss Chard
There are few things that equal the sudden loss of a four-footed family member. This recently happened to our household. One night when I couldn’t sleep, I was up reading at about 2.30 AM. With a blanket on my lap, both Tommy and Squeeze, two of our house cats were on my lap. For an … Continue reading When a Pet Suddenly Dies – How to Cope with the Loss
Living way out in the country has lots of positives - being near a good Chinese takeout restaurant is not one of them. I've been trying to use my Instant Pot to cook with more often, instead of using it only for rice, potatoes or hard boiled eggs, or making yogurt. I bought a couple … Continue reading How to Make amazing Wonton Soup!
The cold crept back again 2 nights ago. Yesterday, the snow arrived. Heavy, all morning. And by evening, it was over knee deep with 18 inches on the ground. Night arrived as the clouds departed. Now it’s even colder outside with clear skies, stars from heaven blinking away, and a large yellow moon hung in … Continue reading A Surprise Sighting of the Owls of the Night
Follow some simple rules for a great photograph of your pet. These ideas work even if a family member is also in the photo. Though many phone cameras are great and get better every year, the more professional photographs will be taken with an SLR camera (most are now all digital), which have a lot … Continue reading Smart Ways to Take a Great Photo of your Favorite Pet
I retired a month ago. I sold my business and took down the proverbial shingle. So now what? Retirement used to mean you put in your 25 – 30 years, maybe even 40 years, collected the gold watch, and went fishing. If you had a pension you started collecting on it and filed for Social … Continue reading What Does Successful Retirement Look Like For You?
I just read about making angel food cake in a cast iron pot in a recent issue of Southern Cast Iron Magazine - yes, so surprising, no hole in the center! I just had to try it. It calls for a 4 quart cast iron pot - I used my 3 quart cast iron pot … Continue reading A surprising new way to make Angel Food Cake
Last week I showed how easy it was to make chicken Shake and Bake mix at home - and this week it's time for the pork Shake and Bake home version. I'm also giving you a new recipe to try: stuffed Shake and Bake pork chops with onion gravy. You'll need one pork chop per … Continue reading How To Make Surprisingly Good Stuffed Pork Chops With Gravy
Those little boxes of pre-made crumbs for poultry are convenient, but so expensive! And really, the packets of "shake & bake" are common things you probably already have in your kitchen. I make my own bread crumbs, so for me the cost is a few cents for the spices. I save all bits of bread … Continue reading How to Make my Copycat Shake & Bake Crumbs for Chicken