I'm A Carnivore All Of A Sudden

 

I haven't eaten a steak in a while, until very recently.  And by a while, I mean like years... five or six.

Tonight, I decided I needed to cook one. 

(I don't even recognize myself anymore. So many changes. So unpredictable)

I guess the recently cravings meant my body needed the iron and protein.  So anyway. No special recipe... except the steak sauce I made from various sauces and ketchup in my fridge. When you don't cook or eat steak, you don't tend to have steak sauce around. It was pan fried/grilled with onions and it was...

Yum.

Apple Crisp for One

 

First I buttered (half stick) the 1 quart stone baking dish 

(I have had it for many years waiting to be used. It was too small.)

Then I sliced and cut two granny smith apples into medium sized pieces and placed them in the buttered dish.

Next I used a baggie to mix brown sugar, oats, and flour (approx 1/2 cup each)

I then poured the mixture over the apples and added another 1/2 stick of butter "sliced" into chunks.

Baked for around 30 minutes at 350. (preheated)

Mine all mine, unless I share.  

Happy 2015

Ponder This...

We do more damage in relationships with our shield than with our sword.

The Freezer is my Friend

I freeze everything or I end up throwing it away sooner or later.  When I had a big family, things got eaten. Now I still struggle with cooking more than one person will eat...especially if that one person puts it in the back of the fridge and forgets about it.

What is everything? (I'm still experimenting.)

1. onions (chop or dice) If I chop them before I put them away, I can just grab a handful for an omlet or stir fry etc.
2. celery (chop or dice)
3. bell peppers (chop or dice)
4. bread (I can thaw a slice a time in the toaster oven)
5. bananas and other fruit (peeled and sliced or chopped so that they are perfect for smoothies or protein shakes)

and I still like to bake... but I don't freeze that. I take it to work and give it away.

So what do you freeze?

Dearest Friend

We’ve been talking about your dissatisfaction in your relationship. I can see and hear your frustration and pain. As I’ve had time to sit back and really think about it, I have put together a few thoughts that I hope you take to heart.

I also know and understand how tough it is when it comes to making a decisions about your relationship… and truthfully, sometimes there is no right or perfect answer.

1. Sit still and listen to what your heart (your spirit, your intuition, your instinct, your experience) is telling you. Be HONEST with YOU. Know YOUR limits. Trust YOURSELF. Accept who you have become.
2. You CAN stay because he loves you. You CAN stay because it’s easier than leaving. You CAN stay because you love him. But STAY because it’s YOUR choice.  TRUST yourself. But don’t stay dissatisfied. If you are going to stay, pull out all the stops. Make it WORK. 
3. Remember there is no perfect answer. You have to be willing to live with your choice. Either way, there are going to be tough days ahead. You have to be sure. Sometimes it’s about timing. Maybe you don’t have to decide just yet. Keep listening.

Side note… I don’t believe you can truly trust GOD if you don’t trust yourself.

Sit still and listen to your heart. You will find the answer.

I’m here for you. (period)

Choosing JOY! Jacki

Epic Fail... Old habits are hard to break, but not impossible.

This is my second post…the post after the very first one. You know the post where I declared that I was going to do things differently with my cooking.  I was going to look for recipes and/or develop recipes and actually follow them… which is different from what I usually do… make things up as I go.
Guess what… I messed up already.  

I should talk a little about the failed baking project. It was supposed to be two chocolate chip mini cakes. I found a recipe for butter cake using 4 eggs and I tried to modify by dividing the recipe into a 4th of the recipe. First of all, baking as opposed to cooking (my cooking, that is ) is a very precise science. The recipe has to have certain components in specific ratios. Although I’ve done a whole lot of baking in my lifetime, about 20% of the time I am very careful to follow a recipe, the rest of the time I use mixes. I learned a lot about recipes and baking when I was in Minnesota last year staying with my friend, Karen, who is an excellent baker, and an excellent teacher, and excellent recipe follower… me, yeah... not so much.The real problems occurred when I didn't have the specific ingredients and tried to make substitutions.
I don’t want to concentrate on the failed chocolate chip mini-cakes; instead, I want to talk about what this experience taught me or reinforced for me.

•   Old habits die hard. Just as water takes the path of least resistance, if you’re not careful, even when we start out with the best of intentions, we will revert to what we know… what is most familiar.

•     Change is difficult, even when it is our choice.  It takes FOCUS and DETERMINATION and DILIGENCE. 

 Back to the drawing board or the recipe board. LOL!

 Still choosing JOY! ~  Jacki

First Recipe... Sweet Potato Fries Sauce.

Being alone at my age was not in my life plan. I never expected to get divorced. No one does (right?). But even more of a shock to my system was how quickly my nest emptied out.  Adjusting to being by myself wasn't the worse part. I'm a recovering introvert so that was easy... Easy in a sense that I can fill my time and I have plenty to do.  
Having said that, I need to emphasize that I miss the day to day interaction with my kids. They are truly wonderful people. My heart aches and I long for their physical presence. I am making the best of it. I just wanted to make that clear.

No... the most difficult thing I have had to adjust to is cooking for one person. I learned to cook as a part of a family of 7 and being a mom to 5 kiddos... yup 7 again.
I can follow a recipe, but for the most part for my favorites and staples, I don't. I call myself a "creative cook" which basically means I sometimes make it up as I go along. I know how it should taste, or look and I'd just add stuff until it looks or tastes like it is supposed to.

There are some staples like my macaroni and cheese, for instance, that I had a a routine rather than a recipe. I used the same pot and added milk to halfway fill it. Added enough cheeses to melt into the milk. I used one box of elbow macaroni, and it all made a purple (9 x 13) pan full of cheesy goodness every time.

Since I've been in my apartment and my daughter has gone back to college, I am truly cooking for one. I start off making less, but it still isn't less enough. For instance, I made Eggplant Parmesan on Sunday night and I am still eating it at least once a day and it's Thursday.

Now this is maturity talking....pay attention...

I'm going to start using and creating recipes. Actual recipes, written down/recorded and tested with adjustments for 2, 4, and 6 servings... ok?.

This is symbolic of my life right now. I'm making the necessary adjustments to survive... and THRIVE!

Today's recipe is my concoction for the sauce I use for Sweet Potato fries. I LOVE sweet potato fries. I will pull out my pan and oil and cook some on a whim. I don't generally eat fried foods, but Sweet potatoes are different. ( Let me live my fantasy, ok?)



Equal parts of Ranch salad dressing and light brown sugar and two tablespoons honey... How simple is that???

1/4 cup Ranch dressing
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons raw honey

Stir well.

Prepare fries according to package directions. After removing the fries from the oil, sprinkle with sea salt before drizzling with sauce. I also use the sauce for dipping. 

Ok... So try it, and then tell me what we should call the sauce.

Choosing JOY! Jacki