Wednesday, February 29, 2012

He Will Uphold You

Is your heart heavy?  Be on the lookout; God will make something positive come out of your trials.  

Remember that He is in the business of healing the brokenhearted, and He can use your pain to make you a blessing to someone else as well.  

Affliction defeats us only if we allow it.

Don’t look back, move forward.

Don’t give up, look up.  Look to Jesus. 

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Monday, February 20, 2012

How to Season a Cast Iron Skillet & a Southern Cornbread Recipe

DSC_1781 If you have a new skillet, or you have an old one that has lost its sheen, follow these easy steps to a finely performing, non-sticking skillet:

1.  Scrub it thoroughly with soap and hot water.  Dry well.

2.  Completely coat inside of skillet with a thin layer of cooking oil or shortening. 

3.  On the middle wrack, place coated skillet in oven.  Bake for about an hour at 300-350 degrees.  Allow skillet to cool in oven.

Tip:  Keep a skillet for the sole purpose of making cornbread.  Wipe out with a dry towel between uses.  (Soap and water will cause the skillet to need to be re-seasoned.) 

Now you are all ready to make some delicious cornbread!

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Southern Cornbread

1 cup self-rising yellow cornmeal

1 slightly heaping tablespoon self-rising flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided

1 egg

1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, stir together cornmeal, flour and baking soda.  Add 1 tablespoon oil, egg, and buttermilk to dry ingredients, using enough buttermilk to make it pancake batter consistency.  Stir just until blended. 

On stovetop, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in cast iron skillet.  Lightly sprinkle a little cornmeal in hot oil.  Add cornbread batter, beating in air as you pour into skillet.  Transfer to oven and bake 15 – 20 minutes, or until lightly golden. 
Turn out onto serving plate immediately.

Notes:  If your skillet is newly seasoned, layer a coat of cooking spray before adding oil to pan.  Bake bread as directed.  The second time around, skillet will be even better seasoned and bread will turn out of pan with ease.

DSC_1789I follow the tradition of my mother and grandmother, using Sunflower Corn Meal Mix.  If you have access to it, give it a try.  Cornmeal brands make a difference, so experiment and see what you like best.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Weekend Highlights

I was in the midst of party plans when I got a bit distracted with paper, scissors, and glue,

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As I cut hearts and made a mess of my dining room table, sunshine poured through the windows spotlighting a pretty camellia blooming, gracing my view.  (Is this the right time of year for them to bloom?)

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Pink, oh, that reminds me!  Must be time for a break!

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Okay, now then, I must get down to business, and put the finishing touches on the Valentine party that we give for the homeschool group each year.

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But wait, Hubby just walked in the door with ROSES and CHEESECAKE!!  OH BOY!!!

DSC_1613     Happy Valentine’s Day!! Red heart

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Honey…Sweet!

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Turns out, Pooh bear was smart after all.  Honey has a lot of benefits!

Soothing a sore throat is one of them.  Mix honey with lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and warm water.  Gargle or sip, and it will help reduce inflammation and can also kill some types of bacteria.  I have used a teaspoon or two of honey mixed with a little lemon juice as a substitute for cough syrup.

Did you know that honey is a good first aid treatment?  Since it contains antibacterial properties, cuts and burns can benefit from it as it helps keep wounds free of infection and clean.  It also reduces swelling and scarring.

honey1Lastly, honey makes a good sugar substitute.  Although it has more calories than sugar, since it is sweeter, it requires less and has the added benefit of reducing cholesterol. 

So now that we all have a good excuse to indulge a little, here is an easy recipe (not that this will do anything towards reducing cholesterol!  Winking smile).

Honey BBQ Pulled Pork

1 Boston Butt Pork Roast
1 large bottle of prepared BBQ Sauce
(My favorites are Bull’s Eye and KC Masterpiece)

1 cup honey

1. Rinse roast.  Place in slow-cooker and cook LOW for 8-10 hours, or until roast is fork tender.

2. While still hot, shred roast with a fork, removing fat and discarding juices.  Place shredded pork in large baking dish.

3. Mix BBQ sauce and honey.  Spread over pork.  Bake 350 degrees, uncovered, until hot and bubbly. 

(Preparing steps 1 and 2 the day ahead works well.  I usually divide the shredded pork and freeze half of it for barbequing at a later date.)

Thanks you for popping in!  I hope you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day!

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