Got me some Kona Cotton!!!!

Not the best picture....but, boy howdy am I excited! I just got my 32 yards of Kona Cotton!!! I LOVE fabric!!!  Not its time to start sewing! Yay!

Homemade BBQ Sauce

This is the BEST BBQ Sauce ever!  I love it!  It's finger licking good!  If you like BBQ give this one a try and let me know what you think!  You can never go wrong with Homemade.  I love knowing (and being able to pronounce) every ingredient in what I'm eating.

For some reason I didn't take of picture of it by itself, so here it is pictured with the Meat Loaf. Sorry. I'll try to get a better picture and post it here next time I make it! Which is more often then you may think! HA!

My favorite with this one currently is the Meat Loaf (found here).  So yummy! Please note, that I only make half this recipe when I do the Meat Loaf and it is more than enough.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

2 C Ketchup
1 C Brown Sugar
2 T Worcestershire Sauce 
1/4 C Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Tabasco Hot Sauce (I don't use this, becasue I never have it when I need it) 

1/2 C Molasses

1 tsp. Minced Onion

1/2 tsp Garlic powder

2 tsp. Dry Mustard (I have used the wet mustard also)

3 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

Combine all in saucepan, simmer til slightly thickened about 20-30 min (20 works great!). Enjoy!

Good on Chicken, Meat Loaf, etc... 

What I love about summer

Fresh Garden Tomato Salsa.

I've said it before: Nothing taste better than a fresh garden tomato. I am so in love with them. I've caught Corban picking a few of my green tomato's and I said "Corban, these are Mom's tomato's and I want all of them, you do not pick Mom's tomato's." Mean I know. Plus I may be teaching him some bad sharing habits, but that just lets you know how protective I am of these guys. Good thing for the brown paper bag trick. The green tomato's he has picked {yes, that hasn't stopped him from picking the green one's, he's just such a great little helper} are now a nice and juicy red tomato.

Anyways, we are loving this little treat. I thought I would share. I don't have any measurements I just do it to taste but I'll let you in on what all is in it.

• Garden Tomato's Diced
• Jalapeno pepper Diced
• Cayenne pepper Diced
• Onion Diced

{I go by looks with the onion and peppers. And with how hot you may want it}

• Garlic clove Minced
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cilantro chopped up small {or if you are like me and thought you planted cilantro but it's really parsley, that taste pretty good to}

Mix it all together and let if chill in the fridge for a while.

Enjoy the yumminess of summer!

Yummy Meat Loaf

I love a good meat loaf!  I feel like its a little healthy because it has oats in it, I use whole wheat bread for the bread crumbs, and you get your protein. Healthy right? 

I've been making this one for years, but with just Ketchup. I had a friend once make one with BBQ sauce and oh boy was it good!  I remembered it for a few years before trying this version when I came upon a homemade BBQ sauce that is delicious!  Together they make a perfect pair!  My 7 year old request this one quite often.  He loves it!

I made it tonight for a dear family, who I love.  They moved here about a year ago from Columbia and are on their way home in the morning.  I am going to miss them so much and their wonderful example!  Not to mention their boys who are some of my boys best-est friends!  Oh, I could go on and on about this wonderful family!

 

I thought it was funny though when their daughter mentioned how she thought it was Chocolate Cake at first sight.  They all said they liked it though! In fact they requested the recipe too! 

So here ya go!

Meat Loaf

• 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (I buy my meat at Costco and freeze it in 1 lb. increments, so I just use 1 pound meat. Makes the mixture thinner but it still works and tastes great!)
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup rolled oats, uncooked
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg, beaten

Mix everything together.  

Pack into greased 9" x 5" x 3" loaf pan.  Spread 4 or 5 tablespoons of some Homemade BBQ Sauce (recipe here).  Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Serve with the BBQ sauce (please note, I only make half the recipe of BBQ and it is more than enough for the Meat Loaf).  Enjoy!

Yield: 8 servings


It's perfect paired with Mashed Potatoes!  I love the BBQ Sauce on those as well!  I'm a saucy kind of girl :)
 

The Giant Sugar Cookie

Another one from the Archives!  I still make these a lot too!  Enjoy!

I have made these twice in the last week or two.  We love them here in our home.  They are super easy and super quick.  Jace and I whipped these up while Adam went home teaching last night and before him and Corban got home they were done and just starting to cool.  Thought I would share.  Enjoy!

Makes 10 * Prep time 15 minutes * total time 1 hour

What you’ll need:

*2 cups flour, spooned and leveled

*1 teaspoon baking powder

*½ 1 / 2 teaspoon salt

*1 / 4 teaspoon baking soda 

*8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, 

room temperature

 *1 1 / 2 cups sugar, plus more for sprinkling

*1 large egg

 *1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

*1 / 4 cup sour cream

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350, with one rack in upper third and another in lower third. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

2 Using an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, beat well to combine.

3. With mixer on low, add half the flour mixture, followed by sour cream, then remaining flour mixture. Mix just until smooth, (dough will be stiff. You may need to finish mixing it by hand with a wooden spoon.)

4. Drop mounds of dough each equal to about 3 tablespoons, 3 to 4 inches apart, onto two ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with sugar.  Bake until edges of cookies are just firm and tops are barely beginning to brown, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheets once halfway through. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.

No Knead

First thing first.  I'm going to try and grab some of the recipes from the archive from my private blog from way back when.  This one is from 2009 and I'm still making it and loving it! Give it a try!  You'll be glad you did!

So I have been into cooking as of lately. Mainly baking. I have made this bread twice in the last four days. It is super good. It has the crispy crust with the soft middle. Yummy. It's super easy, the ingredients are simple but the rising time is long, so the catch is to planning ahead. I found with my second loaf, the longer it rises the better {Even for the second rise. Yeah, the power went out right as it was time to cook it, so it rose four hours instead of two. It just made it softer}. Hope you enjoy!

No-Knead Bread

*3 c. flour

*1/4 t. yeast
*1 1/4 t. salt
*1 1/2 c. water

* mix together ingredients in a large bowl, then cover and leave to rise 8-16 hours (you will see bubbles under surface--it will more than double in size - I find the longer the better).
* dump dough out onto well-floured surface, let it flatten out for a second, then fold four times (left, right, then top bottom). let sit for 10-15 min., then turn upside-down (seam down) onto a dishtowel that's been sprinkled with cornmeal. wrap loosely with towel, and leave to rise another 2 hours (until doubled).
* turn on oven to 500 and put ceramic, lidded baking dish in to pre-heat. once oven and dish are up to temp, sprinkle cornmeal lightly into dish (to help keep dough from baking onto dish). dump bread dough into dish so seam is on top (this is for looks). replace lid and bake for 25 min..

remove lid and bake for another 5 min..

here's a link to another version/explanation: link
a video: link

Side note: We use a crockpot (with glass lid) in the oven. the bread will grow to the size of the dish you use, so don't use anything too big or you'll have a pancake. 

Current note: My crockpot I used to use broke in one of our many moves.  So now I just use a rounded (with a flat bottom) Pyrex Dish and a rounded glass bowl for the lid.  Whatever works right?

G-O Lets Go!

Alright!  I'm ready to give this a shot!  I feel like I have good ideas, most the time. I want a place to keep them all, so I know where to find them all.  Because, I'm losing track of some, but oh boy, is it fun when I do happen upon them!  It's like a new treasure all over again!  Oh well, now It will be in a place where I can always find them!

I named this 'The Pleasures of Home' because that is where I love to be!  I have always loved home.  Yes, even as a teenager.  I got my fist job when I turned 16, it lasted about a month and I think I lost like 10 pounds from the stress I had from not being home when I wanted to.  

'Home' is so important for so many reasons. It's important for a good family life.  We are supposed to make our Home like a temple.  Make our Homes as a refuge from the world.  To help us raise up great kids and have them know that they will always always have a place to go.  No mater what!

I want others to know the many pleasures that can come from the Home.  I know we all don't come from the ideal home and it's not everyone's safe haven.  Thankfully I was raised in a great home with loving parents that set a great example for me.  But I do want others to know there is hope somewhere.  Weather they make it in their Home or find it in anothers home.

I am a big fan of the blog 71 Toes.  Oh, heck, who am I kidding, I am a fan of anything the Eyers have to say.  I love reading their thoughts and I love all their ideas on ways to make the Home so.  So you'll probably find me referencing them a lot.

Now a little side note.  I'm am not a writer.  Never have been.  I have a personal blog and my sister has pointed out the laughs her and her husband have had over my writing and MANY typos.  I try.  So maybe you'll find humor in it and hopefully I will improve over time. Enjoy!