Saturday, October 28, 2006

AppleWine Pork Chops...

I'm not sure I can really claim this as my recipe-- because it's a pretty familiar theme.
But, seeing as Daddy liked it last night, I figured it was post-worthy....

For 3 People:

4 pork chops
Salt and pepper
Montreal Chicken Seasoning, by McCormick
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 Apples
1 onion
again, salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. white wine
1/4 c. apple juice/cider

Heat 2 pans: one, a saute pan; the other, a heavy-bottomed frying pan (preferably cast iron.. )
Place 1 T. oil in the saute pan, and 1 1/2 T. in the frying/cast iron pan.
Sprinkle salt, pepper, and Montreal seasonings on pork chops and rub in the mixture.
Cut apples and onions into thin slices. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Montreal seasoning, drop into the saute pan, and begin sauteing.
Meanwhile, check to see if frying pan is searing temperature (a splash of water should evaporate in 2 seconds). When the pan is ready, place pork chops in pan, leaving, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes. Then, turn to the other side, and do the same. Pork chops will not be fully cooked.
Once finished searing chops, remove them from pan, keeping the temperature high. Pour the wine into the pan, and scape the bottom of the pan to "deglaze" it. Place chops back into the pan, along with the apple-onion mixture.
Cook, covered for 5-10 minutes, until wine is almost fully evaporated. Then, pour apple cider over chops, and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

Serve with mashed potatoes, homemade bread--whatever...

Lol!

God Bless y'all...

Posted via web from marielenora's posterous

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

As Promised...

Saturday, I started out with just a coupla goals:

  • Open my wheat grinder (That I had for a week, and still not been able to play with...)
  • Learn how to use it (Pretty easy if you know what you're doing...)
  • Bake bread (Also not too hard, provided you know what you're doing...)

First--opening the box and reading the instructions.
Then, time to clean the grinder... which basically meant using it for the first time.
I put the wheat in the hopper:



Turned it on...

And flour went everywhere.



Hmmm.... They'd forgot to mention to make sure the bottom basket was shoved in all the way!
(Or else, I was skimming it too quickly...lol... also a possibility...)

After I cleaned up the mess... It was time for coffee.



And time to make more flour, to make bread.




Now, Bread has 4 essential ingredients: Flour, salt, yeast, and liquid. That's really all you need.
This recipe had more than that, but that's not too important...

So, I'm mixing away, talking to Heather on the phone, having a great time with Mama's 6-quart Professional KitchenAid mixer, and the bread's looking good. Really good.



As you can see, the dough hook's doing its job, and I hardly had to get my hands messy,
with the mixer doing all the work!

And then, I noticed something laying on the counter. The packet of yeast.
(Sigh) So much for not getting into it...



I mixed the yeast with a bit of warm water and honey, poured in the flour to make a sponge, and then hand- kneaded the two doughs together. So-- now you know what to do if this happens to you! --Lol...

A couple of hours later, this is what it looked like:



Shaped:




And ready for the second rising. Except one problem: I had to go to the "Family Fall Birthday" party at my aunt's house. 1 1/2 hours away. And I knew it was gonna be late when I got back.

But, thankfully, I really like to read cookbooks, and I remembered from somewhere:
If you stick bread in the fridge during a rise, it won't kill the yeast, but it will slow it down...

Good news.

So, after I got back at 1 AM, (and Sharon, who'd gotten home an hour earlier than me, had pulled the loaves out of the fridge, ) I stuck them in the oven on the "proof" setting for a little longer:



And then. Time to slash the tops. Which seriously reminds me of popping a balloon:



For obvious reasons. Poor bread.

Thankfully, the oven does wonders:



And the slashing pretty much did it's job.

The final result:



Posted via web from marielenora's posterous

Monday, October 16, 2006

"What?!"

"You've never seen the kitchen?!"

This is what my conversation with Heather sounded like as I made bread and she cleaned.
It's a sort-of routine we have; to talk while we're doing stuff on occasional Saturday mornings...

And then, we both discovered she'd not been to my house in over 4 1/2 years.
Not since before the kitchen was remodeled.

Good Grief! What marriage will do to a girl!

(Lol--I'm just kidding!! Don't get up-in-arms, anyone!)

But, for her benefit, I decided to upload some pics of my mom's kitchen to my photosite:

http://www.marielenora.photosite.com

There, Heather; your very own virtual tour!

--God Bless!


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Sunday, October 15, 2006

Marie had a little lamb...

As promised from the forums...

(which I've just rediscovered is an awesome place.)

My Birthday:

Began at 12:00 AM, with my mother, grading papers.

Because grades were due in by 3:00 PM, 10/12.

(I'm not exactly known for my anti-procrastination. Ahem.)

She gave me a surprise, because she was sad nothing else was gonna be. Isn't she the sweetest?

Mama looooves to bargain shop, and she'd found a really pretty green jacket and a shirt to match.

After school, I call my mother to tell her it's too late to meet up to shop for new glasses (of which I'm in desperate need...) She suggests we go out... and I'm all game!

We go to the best restaurant within a fifteen-mile radius.

(Well--that could be debatable. It's what you're looking for...)

But it was really good. Here's what I had: Lamb Chops plus...



I know it looks rare... the picture turned out a little more red than the meat actually was.

And here's my birthday cake that wasn't cake--but it was sooooo good, nonetheless.
I think they must have used Challa to make this, because the bread held up so well.


I also gave myself a birthday present--lol--
but Abby and her family had to get it for me, from their stay at Myrtle Beach:


I don't want to quote what Abby said when I got it, but needless to say, I was excited. After all, I'd been out for a week...

Finally: the big'un. My family went in together to get me what I really wanted, which was.... (drumroll...)


A Wheat Grinder!

Yup. I've been indoctrinated by my sister. And thoroughly convinced that freshly-ground flour tastes better than the other stuff. Soooo... next post... when I get to it... will be a retelling of my first loaves out of the oven..
(Well--from my very-own freshly-ground whole-wheat. I've made bread before.)

Entertaining, I'm sure it will be... because I can't do anything without something resembling a catastrophe...

Especially if it's supposed to be a "first"... of sorts...
Lol...

But to all of you who made it a special day, thanks so much.

The friends I have who are part of the Bride of Jesus Christ--they're the best ones around.

God Bless Y'all!

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Thursday, October 05, 2006

Just wanted to praise God...

I went to the eyedoctor today. I hadn't been in two years.

I went because the left hinge of my current frames is on its last legs. And I figured I'd better find out if my perscription's changed before I go and spend another $300-$400 on a new pair.

If you know the history of my eyes, or you've tried on my glasses (usually that's a dizzying experience for most peeps), you know this:
I'm farsighted in one eye; nearsighted in the other--and those two factors really wouldn't make a difference except that I've got pretty bad astigmatism in both. It's worse in my right eye.

And I hardly ever go to the doctor without a change in perscription... especially if it's been--like--two years.

Praise the Lord.

My perscription's been steady for three years now!

I know it's small--but I'm so thankful.

Posted via web from marielenora's posterous

What my name REALLY means...

Lol...



Marie --
[noun]:

An immortal

'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com



Lenora --
[noun]:

A person who laughs at anything (even this entry)

'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com


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Monday, October 02, 2006

Der Svedish Meatball...

My brother in-law's brother (isn't that called once removed?)
has currently discovered Muppets videos.

But not just any.

Oh, no.

C'est la creme de la creme... or perhaps the meatball of meatballs...
in more ways than one.

Here 'tis, in all of its glory.
(boing...)

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Sunday, October 01, 2006

80 Days 'Till Christmas Break...

At least that's what my countdown says.

I started this year with such high expectations. And overall, it's going well. But that doesn't help that:

  1. I think I'm out of my place--thankfully with my daddy's approval--
    and...
  2. I'm already tired. And I've got a little over three nine weeks left. So--I'm just depending on the Lord to take me through. It's the only thing I can really do anyway.
    (It sounds like I need a break... hmmm...)
The meetings were wonderful. I feel as if I'm back where I was when I first recieved the Holy Ghost... and that's such an awesome place to be. My God is so good--all Glory to Him!

Other than that, I don't feel as if I have much news. Maybe I'll have more to say in a coupla days...

God Bless.

Posted via web from marielenora's posterous