Jan 4, 2014 |
This is one of Dot’s favorite recipes. I remember the first time I put this together. That was the moment I first thought of putting together my recipes for The Unemployment Cookbook. So you know this is very special to me.
Slow Cooker Pork & ‘Kraut
Living in a tiny apartment, working a part-time substitute job at the school district, I knew after a full day of work, school, and errands for the both of us, Dot and I would be hungry the moment we walked back in the door.
I quickly layered Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup (undiluted), two pork chops, and a bit of sauerkraut in my slow cooker. I repeated the layers, then turned the slow cooker on low.
Eight hours later we came home with a few fresh rolls and a head of lettuce for salad, and dinner was ready!
These days, I like to change up the recipe a bit depending on our schedule and whether or not we’re also feeding company.
With the first weekend of January already upon us, and I’ve yet to take down the Christmas decor, it was a no-brainer to make a larger amount than usual.
For less than $20 I bought all the ingredients I’d need.
Slow Cooker Pork and ‘Kraut. Twenty dollars. Five ingredients. Eight hours. Ten dinners.
I layered each ingredient, then repeated the steps three times. Because there was more than I usually prepare at one time, we had to let it cook longer. (This worked out well since Dot came home announcing her best friend was in town and wanted to go to dinner!)
Pork & ‘Kraut layers
After an overnight cooking, Dot and I woke up to a wonderful smelling kitchen! We now have enough of this filling, flavorful dinner for Saturday, Sunday, Monday lunch and Monday dinner. Anything left after that can go into individual freezer containers for lunches later this month.
This is a great recipe that can easily be altered to suit your family’s size and taste. We’ve substituted chicken breasts and cream of chicken soup. Omitted the sauerkraut. Added a can of diced mushrooms for more flavor. There’s no wrong way to fix this delicious, hearty slow cooker meal!
And when you don’t have a lot of time, money, or kitchen space, what’s a better way to show your people you love them by providing a hearty, healthy, delicious home-cooked meal?
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . . : RECIPE: Slow Cooker Pork & ‘Kraut @RealMojo68 #amcooking #the unemploymentcookbook
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jan 1, 2014 |
BETTER! 2014
Let’s be real: 2013 was a heart breaker, wasn’t it?
Everyone ~ and I mean everyone ~ has a story of hardship within the last 365 days. At the same time, everyone is looking forward to the New Year.
There’s always a sense of fresh. New. Hope. Promise. Something Good.
Am I right? As you’re reading this, aren’t you nodding and mentally going over your resolutions and new to-do’s? Don’t you feel like whatever happened in 2013, today begins the chance to change? A completely blank slate, to shape it however you want it to be.
Sitting Around
Yeah. Me, too.
The last two years I started the New Year with a theme. Two years ago I dared to be an awesome orange. Last year I set boundaries.
Today, I’m starting to be better.
2014: BETTER.
I have a brain bucket full of resolutions and ideas and goals and insights and dreams and warnings and… you get the picture.
I wrote out began my list. Things I want to accomplish/achieve/acquire in 2014:
- Get back to meal planning.
- Read a heck of a lot more.
- Do the Popover Project that I never did last year.
- Finish the interior improvements at Bedford Manor.
- Write. Write. Oh, and write.
- More Mother-Daughter Dates with my daughter.
- More Mother-Daughter Dates with my mother.
- Reach out of my comfort zone more. To people. To locations. To experiences.
- Create new recipes. And lots of them.
- Spend more time in my kitchen creating, less time cleaning.
- Redo the outdoor sprinkler system.
- Buy a reciprocal saw.
- Plant an olive tree.
- Craft more.
- Plant rose bushes.
- Buy fence slats.
- Buy many mason jars. In many sizes. For many reasons.
- Visit the Midwest.
- Get a passport.
- Visit Canada.
- Keep money in my savings account.
And so much more.
And as I looked at my incomplete list, I began to feel… overwhelmed.
This is the part where I channeled my mother’s mantra: “Simplify!” And, in case I didn’t hear her the first ten guzillion times: SIMPLIFY! (Stop yelling, Mom. I get it!)
My list is too long. It’s too exhausting. And honestly, too stressful. I can’t possibly achieve everything on that list.
And I’m not really sure I want to.
Sure, it looks good to put out there all these great goals. Oh, look at Molly’s Resolutions. This Girl’s got gumption! She’s a go-getter for sure! Okay. Quit laughing.
So this year, it’s not about New.
It’s about BETTER.
Taking what I already have, and working with it. Doing more, not different. Fixing, not forgetting. Stop adding to my plate and just enjoy what’s already there.
My goals for 2014 are the same no matter what day of the year it is: Be Better.
Do.
Be.
Dream.
Feel.
Live.
BETTER.
I’ll continue with the meal planning and the budgeting and the home improvements and the writing. Those are not new. If I gain a reciprocal saw and a passport, I’ll be happy. But if I don’t, the world doesn’t end.
I’ll make my life better because I’ll be better for the people in my life. I’ll surround myself with people who get it, who get me. Who encourage me and strengthen me and love me and support me. I’ll reach out more when I need them. And I’ll reach out to them when they’re not reaching out to me. I’ll make girl dates with Pam and Megan and Lisa and Nancy and let them know how they affect me and challenge me to be better.
I’ll let my family know I’m proud of them. For all they do. I’ll make the efforts to let them know I love them. No matter what. Just because they are who they are. And that’s good enough for me. They are always striving to be better, and I appreciate each and every one of them. All the time. And I’ll be better at telling them so.
Reading is something I do but not enough. Two years ago, I challenged myself to read a book every ten days. What was I thinking? In 2014, my goal is 12 books. Total. That’s right. Just one book each month. If I read more than that I’ll count it as a bonus. 12 books in one year is 10 more than I’ve read since last Christmas.
I’ll work on my current writing projects without starting new ones. I’ll finish NOLA and Amara’s Light and Broken Girl. I’ll record episodes of Five Minute Faith. I’ll do whatever I can to be the Writer I say I am.
I’m going to be a better version of myself and make my world a better place.
Not new. Not different.
But fresh. Hopeful. Good.
And definitely
BETTER.
Do Something
What’s your word for 2014?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
Following Fabian
You can’t see where you’re going if you’re always looking behind.
The Friday Five – STORIES
Amara’s Light: Book One of the Grenalia Chronicles
Doing Something. Good.
Aug 28, 2013 |
Life at Bedford Manor is changing. Dot starts her second year of college this week. College! While some of her friends are going away to school, we can only afford for her to attend the local community college. Turns out, it may be the best decision anyway because it has one of the best nursing programs in the state. Yup. Dot’s gonna be the greatest Peds Nurse since Arizona entered Grey’s Anatomy.
So far we’ve navigated nicely. While I’m working the day job, she’s been taking care of the home front. Last week she earned her keep by nearly scrubbing every inch of our house in preparation for the jewelry party we hosted. Since then, we’ve both done much to keep it clean: wash our own dishes right away. Make the beds as soon as we tumble out of them. Dust the furniture when the furfamily moves. It’s been wonderful.
I love coming home to a clean ~ really clean ~ house. I like not having a huge list of chores to conquer. Just a short To-Do like check the mail, water the garden. Things that cumulatively take less than fifteen minutes. That leaves the entire evening free to spend with Dot.
And that’s about to change.
Because my wonderful daughter, friend, confidante, and house-cleaner just got her first job. You may have seen the news on my Facebook page.
It’s one of those it-could-only-happen-to-her things. We were at the right place at the right time when she heard about the opening and landed the first interview. The rest was all her! Dot doesn’t realize how blessed she is. But she’s starting to understand.
I’ve been mentally preparing for a few months. I knew once she went back to classes our closeness would shift. She’ll be doing homework at night. Some mornings I might be lucky to just get in a hug goodbye as she leaves.
And now she’s got a job.
Which makes me wonder, what other good things will go her way this year? Is this the year she moves to her own place? (I seriously hope not, but if so, please please please let it be a place that allows cats. Fluffy can’t be without Dot for more than a few hours before that mad howling kicks in.) Is this the year she goes out more than stays home? I told her “home” is not a pit stop. But I can’t fault her for enjoying these moments while she can. Is this the year I lose her as my baby finds herself? Yeah. That’s the tear-jerker statement right there.
At first, the thought of her working made me lonely. I imagine there will be nights when I’ll be eating alone. Nights when she’ll call and say her best friend is in town and they’re going out after work. Mornings when she’ll want to sleep in that extra half hour instead of having a morning chat as I get ready for my day.
The thought of her working made me lonely.
But it exhilarates her. And her exhilaration is contagious. Her future is in front of her, and she’s grabbing hold.
And I’m not so lonely as I anticipate a quiet zone that allows for more writing. More story telling and blogging and typing and wordsmithing and writing. Yeah. This job is gonna be a good thing for me her.
A job ~ this job ~ means new people. Extra income. Opportunities. Socialization… and many Pumpkin Spice Lattes for Da Momma.
My Own Personal Barista
But don’t tell her that. She thinks this moment is all about her.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Aug 16, 2013 |
Five Things Friday at Frankly, My Dear…
Remember the CBS show NUM3ERS? That was a great show. I loved every episode. How Charlie showed his big brother Don that crimes don’t have to be solved with force. That sometimes brains are better than brawn. That while human nature is unpredictable, numbers are always reliable.
Y’all know my theory of One. It’s pretty much the best number in the world, because it’s a beginning. A start. The foundation upon which anything else is built. Because I’m not God, I can’t create something out of nothing. I need to add to what’s already there.
Yeah. I really like the number One.
This week’s Five Things Friday takes a bit of a different turn. Instead of listing tangible Things, it’s more of a this-is-what-I-think-and-feel post.
It started last week when the worlds of several friends began to crumble. A death. A divorce. A sickness. Compounded by the typical wearing-down that life can bring. We prayed with each other. For each other. We reached out, we accepted. And it’s been a great comfort. We found security in not being alone. We found Safety in Numbers.
People need people. We need to know we matter especially to those who matter to us. A “hi” here, a cup of coffee there. A friendly text or phone call. Reaching out is one of the greatest things we can do for someone else. Even if we’re hurting. Even if we’re struggling in some way (and who isn’t)?
People need people.
Reaching out takes the focus off ourselves and lets someone else know they’re not alone. Their situation is unique. They are one-of-a-kind. But they (YOU) are not alone. And reaching out bonds us together. It gives us that fortitude we need to continue.
And let’s face it… when someone reaches out to you, doesn’t it make you smile, just a little? Even if they don’t get it. Even if they can’t comprehend what you’re going through. Even when no one else knows what’s happening in your world. Doesn’t it make it better when someone comes alongside you for a bit of the journey?
So what are you waiting for? Be that person for someone else! I like asking the hard questions. “How are you, really?” “What’s honestly going on?” “Did this or that get resolved?” “What are you thinking right this moment?” I like being a person that others can trust, want to trust. I like being a person others can reach out to when they don’t think they have someone. I like being a friend.
I like being a friend.
In Matthew 18:20 Jesus tells us, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Certainly, our relationship with God is singularly individual. But it’s also communal. Just as you have a singularly individual relationship with your spouse, each child, each friend, and everyone who crosses your path. You’re One. I’m One. And together, we’re more.
Your efforts may not be returned. They may be ignored or worse, trampled upon. They’re still important. If for no reason other than you’re capable of showing compassion.
That’s my first for this Five Things Friday. To tell you how important you are.
You matter. Period.
2. Just a thought, but who’s more protected: someone with one person on her side, or the one with ten? Do you walk a dark street at night alone if you don’t have to? Do you make the tough decisions without talking to anyone else first? Would you rather send one person into battle or a hundred? I find great Safety in Numbers. Great comfort, joy, fun, and encouragement. I’m a bit of an awkward social butterfly, but I do so love going out and meeting people.
3. I enjoy cooking big. Most times, it’s just for me and Dot. But I love those once-a-week cooking moments that provide great leftovers (and fewer cleanups!). I’d rather cook four chicken breasts at once and know she has lunch ready the next day, and often, dinner as well. I’d rather make a huge pot of soup and freeze half of it for later. Less dishes, more family time. And I’m a Big Fan of the grab-and-go ease of having something already prepared for my own lunch. I’m not so big on making lunch myself each morning.
4. My friend Danny helped push me toward self-publication two years ago with this great comment:
“Would you rather write something that five million people read once, or something that five people read a million times?”
In all honesty, the latter. And so if my niche is a smaller market, I’m okay with that. Five million is a big number. And to be recognized by five million readers would be spectacular, being remembered forever by five is a big more wonderful. Sometimes there’s Safety in (Smaller) Numbers, too.
5. One is a great number. It’s the start to everything. But it’s not the conclusion. You can’t have a collection of something if you only have one. “How do you like my spoon?” or “What do you think of my stamp?” just isn’t as special as an assortment. That doesn’t mean you have to collect everything. I love Jim Shore Disney miniatures, but only certain ones. I adore coffee mugs. I stopped collecting cats after Sparkles became the fifth member of our fur family.
Sparkles
I also think it’s a bit punny that this post should be under the “Five Things Friday” umbrella. I guess there really is Safety in Numbers.
Where do you find Safety in Numbers?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
The Friday Five – STORIES
Five Things Friday – TRAVEL
Five Things Friday: Everything Old is NEW Again
Five Things Friday: POETRY
Five Things Friday: The Big Easy
TGIF: One
If you link up a Blog post, make sure to add the button/backlink to your post so your people can find you here along with other great contributors!
Jul 31, 2013 |
Recently I’ve been asked by several people to offer guidance on starting a blog. Apparently, I’m doing something right, if people are coming to me for inspiration.
Let’s face it: there’s a lot of blogs out there. It’s hard to know which ones to emulate, imitate, or eliminate. I like that Frankly, My Dear… is a “small” blog: by that I mean, it’s still personal. It’s a two-person operation. My web designer fixes the glitches and comes up with some amazing designs. I dream, create, cook, craft, photograph and write.
That’s not to say I wouldn’t love to have thousands of followers each month with more paid sponsorships, but I’ll take what I can get. Because I love being a Blogger. I’m in it for the love of the game.
Who can forget the Grand Reveal of the new blog design with this post just two months ago:
Field of Dreams
So yeah… I must be doing something right.
There’s a lot of advice to offer someone who’s thinking of starting a blog. The most important thing I can tell you is this: Take that first step. Ask yourself why.
My dear friend Chuck told me just tonight [paraphrasing here], “What are you afraid of? You have to put yourself out there. People aren’t going to hand you what you want until they know you want it.” And he’s right.
I’m a big fan of magical thinking. But the problem is just that: it’s only thinking. And I don’t really believe in magic. So. Back to the basics. Remember the TGIF: One post? It all starts with One. One idea. One step. One goal. One accomplishment. One foundation.
For those of you thinking of starting a blog, my first question to you is
WHY?
Never mind if others don’t get it. If you can satisfy yourself with the answer, you’re on your way.
There are many reasons to write a Blog. Some want a creative outlet or a place to vent. Others are looking for recognition or perhaps another avenue to promote themselves (writers, especially). Large companies and small mom-and-pop operations blog now and then to personalize their business.
There are Food Blogs, How-To Blogs, Craft Blogs, Family/Parenting/Mommy Blogs, Political/Religious/Viewpoint Blogs. Is the sky blue? There’s a Blog for that. Why is the grass green? Do you want the physical, environmental, creative, or religious perspective? There’s a Blog for that.
Knowing why you want to blog will guide you in designing your blog and how you promote it. But don’t feel you’re limited to just one theme. One overall idea, yes. One theme? Stagnant.
A traveler can blog about so many things: the different foods, customs, jet lag, environment.
Food blogs not only have recipes, but great kitchen product reviews and giveaways.
Photographers share their images and the stories behind them.
There’s no wrong reason to want to blog.
Do you have something to say? You can blog it!
But if you want to blog for fun without a sense of a Blog theme, I caution you to think about it first. Your Blog name will be your Brand. And if you don’t have a direction for your Blog, what you name it on a whim may end up not being at all what it’s about.
When I first started “Frankly, My Dear…” everyone expected me to write with an “I don’t care” attitude. And I can honestly say, that’s still me. Yes, the Blog has transitioned from a social experiment to a personal “here’s my day” recap to something much more fulfilling and substantial: my tales of Faith, Family, Food, Fun, and everything in between. But it’s still Me. And I don’t sugar-coat much (ask my best friend Julie. We pull no punches with each other). So whether it’s a new recipe or a movie review or a video of my cats, I blog because I’m a writer. And I can’t not write. I was born with ink in my veins. I have to write. Does it make a difference if others like my posts? Of course! I love the likes, shares, clicks and comments. Who wouldn’t? But I write what I write the way I write it. Because that’s me. And if I didn’t write the way I am, how could I authentically ask you to read my blog?
Blogging can be an adventure. A daily diary of your journey through life even if you never leave your chair. It can be an eclectic collection of poetry and prose that you’ve dusted off from the corners of your mind and want to share with the world at large. Or it can be a story, your story, on a continuing basis. Because you have something to say. And each day that you’re alive, you have more to share.
In future posts I’ll discuss ways to start a Blog and basic design options as well as posting Do’s and Dont’s. So if you have any questions about blogging, leave them in a comment below. Share this post with your friends who you think would make great bloggers. And be sure to subscribe to both the Blog (look in the column on the right) and the monthly email newsletter (click here) to stay updated with Frankly, My Dear… and New Inklings Press.
Here’s a Bonus Bit for today: Don’t be afraid to share yourself with the world. Whatever you write, write it authentically. Readers know what’s trite and what’s true. Don’t underestimate the worth of how you tell your tales.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading these blog samplings:
TGIF: A-P-P-R-E-C-I-A-T-I-V-E-L-Y
TGIF: One
Kitchen Craft: Aromatic Mason Jar
Destination: Mission Inn, Riverside, CA
Feta Tomato Spinach Salad in a Jar
Writing Prompt: Songs
When I Get to New York
Mojo Movie Review of the Week: “Eat, Pray, Love”
