Well I Feel Bad

I thought about dinner during the day.

I even made a switch to serve edamame instead of spaghetti squash.

And even told Emily when it was time to start dinner she could help.

Not once did it cross my mind that I had not thawed the pork tenderloin that we were supposed to eat.

I like having a good meal ready for Rob when he comes home. And Rob likes it when I have a good meal ready for him when he comes home.

So there I was wondering what in the world were we going to do for dinner (Did I mention that I am slightly incapacitated because I hurt my knee?) and he comes home.

With this.

Yep, my man bought me a new to us 2010 Town and Country van!

A pretty shiny newer-and-nicer-than-I’ve-ever-had-before van.

One that doesn’t have a cracked and broken dashboard.

And it doesn’t make odd sounds because of some tire problem.

The trunk on this van opens all the time too.

I may be slightly spoiled.

Because I have a gorgeous new van and he got a bowl of cereal for dinner.

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Test Kitchen # 62 ~ Baked Beans

I do not normally like baked beans. Not for any good reason…they just don’t float my boat.

But then one day my friend Christy brought a batch to a gathering and oh, my goodness they were so good. I was skeptical that it was some sort of fluke so when we recently had her family, along with some other friends, over for a pool party/cookout  I may or may not have strongly hinted that she should bring her baked beans.

I am happy to report that the beans were just as good as before and she was willing to share her recipe too.
So be sure pin this recipe because it is a keeper and the perfect addition to any end of summer or back to school cookouts you have coming up!

What you’ll need:

6 slices of bacon, fried and crumbled

1 small onion

1 clove of garlic, or about 1 or 1 1/2 TBS of minced jarred garlic

3/4 cup barbecue sauce (may substitute with ketchup if needed)

1/2 cup molasses 

1/4 cup brown sugar (if you don’t use Blackstrap molasses you can omit the sugar) 

2 TBS Worcestershire sauce

1 TBS yellow mustard

1/2 tsp black pepper

a dash of liquid smoke

6 cans of your preferred beans (she uses 1 each of navy, northern, kidney, black, pinto, and baked)

What you’ll do:

Saute your onion and garlic using a little of the bacon grease.

Combine with the bacon pieces and all of the other ingredients except the beans in your crock pot.*

Rinse all of your beans and then add them to the crock pot.

Cook them on high for 1 to 2 hours.

Turn the crock pot to low and continue to cook for two or three more hours.

Serve hot and delicious with burgers and brats or whatever grill goodness you have going on.

*You can bake these in a 9×13 pan at 350 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours. Also, you can apparently add in a pound of sizzled Conecuh sausage and really up the taste factor.

Enjoy!

Tuesday’s Table

Life Is Good

We spent much of yesterday at the Naval Aviation Museum. The huge aircraft hanging everywhere or placed where we can get up close and personal is impressive but honestly my favorite part is the miniature aircraft carriers. Ironically, I am more aware and amazed by the sheer size of those ships when I see them scaled down.

After we had meandered around a while we went to the lighthouse and enjoyed a picnic under the shade of some huge old oak trees.

We walked along the beach and just enjoyed the beautiful day. While I cannot say that it was cool, the day was unseasonably not hot.

 Claire rolled her capri pants up as far as she could and splashed in and out of the water. She also drew in the sand.

She was with her people and all was well in her world.

And indeed it is.

Oh, Bring Us Some Figgy Pudding

Not that it’s Christmas time or anything.

Nor would I know how to make figgy pudding but I did get to go to a friend’s house on Monday and pick some fresh figs. I don’t remember ever eating figs before but when I plucked one off the tree and bit into it my mind immediately flooded with memories. It was like it was the taste of my childhood in the way that Noxema is a smell of my childhood. (My Mother would slather that stuff all over us after getting sunburned at the beach.)

I tried my hand at making fig preserves yesterday which was something. I’ve only ever done something like that years ago with a friend so I am not really sure how it will taste or keep but I did it. Boiled my jars before and after and everything. I found a recipe on Pinterest (of course!) that called for a little rosemary to be boiled in and removed before canning and since I have an ambitious little bush of rosemary in my backyard decided to give it a try. I figure as long as I am experimenting with the whole process why not get creative?

And also because I am me and it’s what I do I also did a little fig photo shoot before I started cooking. I am a lover of this pinterest board and food photography in general, and the colors of the figs also inspired me. They reminded me of fall with their rich hues.

Now, if the jam tastes as good as the pictures look!

Test Kitchen #61 ~ Pineapple Raspberry Trifle

Surprise!

Yes I know, it’s a blog post! I am as shocked as you are 🙂

Life is busy and, truth be told, I am practicing what I shared in my last post. I am trying to be critical of what I write and why. Am I being defensive? Making a point? Just spouting off? Wasting time writing something to avoid other chores and things I could/should be doing?

When I started this blog I purposed that it would be God honoring and helpful. And this time last year I was a blogging fool. Last summer I wrote posts on modesty, courtship, and just the overall joyful burden of life. Not to mention recipes and pictures and all manner of things.

This summer has been different though. Certainly not quieter in an everyday living sense but certainly in my blogging. I suspect it is just a season though and soon enough I’ll be at it again.

But to show that I haven’t completely abandoned my little corner of the cyber world I am sharing not one, but two, recipes. Actually to be fair the first isn’t a recipe as much as it is a wonderful snack idea. One of our favorite snacks here around the house lately is edamame. I will buy this shelled and serve them as a side dish at dinner but we devour them as a snack. All I do is boil them for a few minutes while they’re still in their pod, drain them, and toss with coarse salt.

So delicious!

Now, for an actual recipe. (Although it really is almost as simple as the edamame.)  It’s light and tasty and the perfect cool dessert in the middle of the summer heat.

What you’ll need:

One angel food cake mix, cooked according to package directions

1 20oz can of crushed pineapple, with juice

1 lg container of cool whip

1 small package of vanilla instant pudding

raspberries

What you’ll do:

Tear (or cut) the angel food cake into pieces.

Mix together the pineapple with the dry pudding mix until well blended.

Gently fold in half of the cool whip.

Layer half of the angel food pieces into the bottom of a trifle bowl.

Spoon half of the pineapple mixture into the bowl.

Sprinkle raspberries on top.

Repeat the layers.

Spread some of the regular cool whip on top and add even more raspberries on top.

Chill for at least two hours before serving.