Hippie Chic's Makings

Salmon, oyster, potato soup/stew cheap, easy, quick, 1 recipe 3 soups

2022-09-02T01:31:00.008-07:00

in my mind a stew is a a hearty chunky bowl of deliciousness that has many ingredients.. beef stew for example meat, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion. broth. that to me is a stew. soup on the other hand, (to my way of thinking is more liquid, less other stuff. So if you go by my way of thinking. then the recipe I'm about to share is a soup recipe. but I've grown up with them being called "stew" my whole life and I'm not going to argue with grandma and mama about it so. stew is what we will call this soup.(these soups) all three start with the same basic ingredients and can be tweaked to become salmon stew, potato soup, or oyster stew. Get creative tell me what you would add to this basic soup/stew starter in comments. the starter- all 3 require milk, butter, salt, pepper... the rest is up to you.

*add salmon and serve with saltines or oyster crackers for salmon stew. (we sometimes add canned diced potatoes also. and daddy likes to put ketchup in his. this could also be made using leftover cooked salmon steaks or fillets if you have that on hand)

*add canned potatoes, garlic, your favorite cheese for a simple potatoes soup. serve with saltines, or my favorite for potato soup townhouse crackers (add ham, bacon, sour cream, chives, if you want to fancy it up a bit)

*add canned oysters and a dash of hot sauce for a great oyster stew served with crackers (you could also add canned potatoes or canned corn, or both to add a little more umph to it. but I never do that. Fresh oysters can be used but thats alot of work this will no longer be a quick easy recipe) this is not a fancy recipe, but this is a good very quick meal for a night when your running low on time or energy or both. kids football game starts in an hour you need something quick.. THIS IS IT! worked late still have baths and homework to tend before beditime... THIS IS IT! Low on time and energy and need a meal that's quick. easy. and cheap? THIS IS IT. ONE RULE it's an important rule. DO NOT LET THE MILK BOIL. How I avoid this is I put in my 1/2 or 1/3 stick of butter in one whole piece and when it's warm enough to melt the whole clump of butter it's warm enough to simmer on low or to serve right away. the potato soup will be fine on low for a good while. But I dont usually let my fish or oyster stew simmer for very long. It's a personal preference I guess but I dont really like the fish stews taste after simmering to long. the potato soup could probably be made with raw diced potatoes and in a crock pot. but this post is about quick and easy and cheap. and that's not quick. the recipe
3 cups milk 1/2 stick butter salt and pepper to tastes 1 can salmon or oysters or 2 cans potatoes or a combo of above add all igredients to to your pot and simmer until butter is melted and soup/stew is warmed thoroughly serve with saltines, or your choice of crumbled crackers. or croutons in a bowl. (optional add-ins ketchup, hot sauce, chives,French fried onions or French fried jalapenos im sorry i dont have pics of these dishes to share. I will update with pictures when I cook these. I am making this post because someone commented on my fried oyster post that they wanted the salmon stew recipe and I said I would post it. Let me know what you think.

John Prine - my new favorite

2022-04-16T05:58:00.003-07:00

I only recently discovered John Prine. Sadly after his death from coronavirus. He popped up on my pandora(link opens in a new tab) I don't know how I went my entire life without ever hearing John Prine. and Im sad to know he will not be making anymore delightful music. His songs are simple, like stories set to music. Stories you want to listen too. After finding him on pandora And loving him I got to googling and find that I love quite a few of his songs. My top 2 are summer's end, and "inspite of ourselves"a duet with Iris DeMent.

He has others I enjoy as well, but at the moment these are my two favorites and are on every playlist I have. What are your favorite John Prine songs?

Its been a long time

2022-03-31T22:48:00.004-07:00

Hello all, it has been a super long time since I blogged. Alot has changed in my world in the last 5 years. I have 3 grand children now, alcoholic liver disease, and a job I start on Monday. Just 4 short days from now.

My sobriety was forced on me due to the liver disease. It wasn't a choice I made. But I like sobriety and now it's a choice I make every day.

Sobriety changes you. It changes your thinking, changes how you feel, and changes your relationships. I see people in an entirely different way than I did drunk. Hubby in particular. I still love him, but he drinks, in front of me every night and I find in disrespectful. He saw my struggle, my illness. I understand it's an addiction he can't control any more than I could control it. I'm not judging him. I dont fuss about it. But I do wish he'd do it outside. Anywho that doesn't tempt me.

I've been sober over a year and I dont even want it. My only weakness is a margaritas at the Mexican restaurant. That is hard to resist. It's like that cig after sex.

Anyway I hope to gwt back to posting again, maybe offer up some great content.

Thus post is just a taste of what all I have to talk about. So watch for more. Maybe some confession of a sober bitch stuff.

My top 5 "in my feelings" songs

2017-04-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but sometimes I get in my feelings more than I should and when I do I turn to music therapy to sooth my soul.. These are my top 5 go do songs I go to when I need a dose of music to drown out the daily bullshiz...

#5 Ray LaMontagne - Let it be me

#4 Bellamy Brothers - Old Hippie

#3 Kris Kristofferson -Why me Lord

Cristy Lane - One day at a time

Ferlin Huskey - Wings of a snow white dove

venison (deer) corn casserole

2017-01-30T17:25:00.000-08:00

As I'm sure I have mentioned before, I love a casserole. You can turn just about anything into a casserole. Tonight I turned ground venison (deer) into a casserole. Casseroles are great for cleaning the fridge out of leftovers, and are usually fairly easy to make. If I were teaching someone to cook, I think one of the first dishes I would teach would be casseroles. Anyone can make a casserole.

I was watching "The Chew" today, and they were discussing casseroles, and what each person thought a casserole consists of. One thought casseroles always had to have Campbell's soup, another thought a casserole always had to have cheese. What do you think is a required ingredient in a casserole?

I personally think anything can be a casserole, but it has to have cheese.. But I am a cheese lover so I put cheese on like I put Franks Red hot on.. I put that shit on everything.

Tonight's casserole is made from a mixture of ground pork and ground venison. The deer meat was ground with bacon so it was ground bacon/venison to start with, and I kicked it up a notch with the ground pork. You want to add fat to your deer meat no matter the cut because it is a very lean meat and just isn't good without the added fat.

I also don't like the smell of venison cooking. For me you have to pair deer meat with very strong and very aromatic ingredients or that smell will stay in your house for days. I don't mean to sound down on deer meat. Deer meat is awesome cooked right. But if you have never cooked it then I would advise doing some research on techniques and tricks, and recipes.. Read lots of recipes, see what they have in common, then go from there.

The strong flavors I paired with the ground deer tonight were lot's of onions, strongly brewed black coffee, garlic, basil, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, franks red hot, Those smells are far more pleasant to me and will over power that deer smell easily.

The girls aren't here to try out the venison casserole but it is hubby approved, and also approved by the two sons so winner winner ground deer dinner..

After the casserole recipe scroll down and you will find a bonus recipe in this post. I didn't get pics so I'm not giving it its own post, but it's an oven recipe for deer onion rope sausage. It includes beer and some other things and they loved it too.

Venison (deer) casserole

1 lb ground venison (deer)
1/2 lb ground pork (chicken or pork sausage will work too)
2/3 cup diced yellow onion
1/4 cup diced jalapenos ( I didn't use the jalapenos this time but usually do)
1 can whole kernel corn drained
1/4 stick butter
1/3 cup strong black coffee
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp sweet basil
1-1/2 tbsp black pepper
1-1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup franks red hot
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup ranch powder
1/3 cup chicken broth (optional - see notes after recipe)
1 bag frozen home style fries (tater tots, or hash browns work well here too)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (for top)

in cast iron skillet melt your butter and add your minced garlic, sweet basil, onion, chili powder, black pepper, (if using fresh jalapenos add them now, if canned or from a jar add later)
give these ingredients a good stir and cook for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes over medium high heat (between 6 and 7 on my electric stove) Just until hot, onions will not be done at this point

add ground venison, and ground pork and cook until meat is mostly brown but you still see some pink in it.. add your corn, jalapenos, black coffee, Worcestershire sauce, continue cooking until meat is fully cooked stirring frequently

In separate bowl mix ketchup franks red hot and 1 tsp sugar, and ranch powder and set aside

line a casserole dish with french fries or hash browns (even layer) pour meat and all of its drippings over fries evenly

Pour the ketchup mixture over that layer

top with cheese

bake uncovered for 35 minutes at 400 degrees or until cheese is brown.

add parsley or jalapenos for garnish (optional)

Recipe notes and variation

this recipe can be used with any ground meat but if using beef Id back off the pepper, chili powder, and Worcestershire sauce a little

ketchup mixture can be stirred into meat instead of added as another layer if you chose

your meat mixture should have plenty of liquid for the fries on bottom to absorb most liquid and still leave you with a moist but not soupy casserole, If your meat mixture seems a little dry add the chicken broth if it seems OK leave this off.. (if you have ever made tacos from a seasoning package your liquid to meat ratio should look similar to that when you have just added the water. If you aren't sure leave it off try it and learn from it what to do next time.. In my opinion is far better to have fries that are too dry than too soggy... you can always add ketchup or some other sauce if its too dry.. Not much you can do with too soggy,

Some other add-in, or topping ideas are, black beans, salsa, Rotel, diced tomatoes, diced bell peppers, pepper jack cheese, pimentos, chick peas, french fried onions on top, crushed chips, crackers, or bread crumbs, crumbled bacon, green peas, (just be mindful of liquid content no one likes soggy fries)

All of my recipes are easy and very versatile.. So, experiment, share your ideas and results, Id love to know..

Now for that bonus recipe

Venison (deer) onion rope sausage in the oven

1 lb venison (deer) onion rope sausage
1 yellow onion sliced into fairly thick slices
1 red bell pepper sliced
1 green bell pepper sliced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 stick butter
1 can miller high life beer
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tbsp chili powder
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/3 cup franks red hot
1/4 cup grape jelly
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp celery salt
2 tbsp Italian dressing powder
salt to taste (you won't need much because of the salt in the Worcestershire and celery salt)

melt butter, add all dry spices (onion powder, chili powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and celery salt, Italian dressing powder mix) give it a good stir until its heated through

Slice sausage rope into equal length pieces.. (I cut mine into about 3 inch slices)

when butter and spices are heated add beer, Worcestershire and minced garlic, and grape jelly and give another good stir to mix well and jelly had liquefied.

add all other ingredients (onion, peppers, sausage)

stir and simmer for about 2 minutes on medium low (about 4 or 5 on my electric oven)

cover and pop mixture into a preheated 350 degree oven for about 1 hour

remove lid adjust temperature to 400 degrees and cook and addition 20-30 minutes or so to reduce some of the liquid

then serve the juices are good sopped up with bread, toast, or over egg noodles or rice.

recipe notes

Grape jelly you say?? Yes... It's no different than adding red wine, except it doesn't have the alcohol content. This recipe already has alcohol in the beer you add so, grape jelly works perfectly here..

You could add any flavor jelly (jalapeno jelly might even be great here) I wouldn't recommend a jelly that has seeds tho.

miller high life beer could be substituted for another beer if you prefect a different flavor, even an apple ale might be awesome in this recipe

I think rosemary would lend itself very well to this dish too (I haven't tried that yet but I think it would be awesome)

mushrooms would be tasty in this dish, but if adding them I would add them closer to the end of cooking time, like maybe when you uncover the dish to bake a little longer.

My hubby loves Franks red hot as much as I do so he ate his with a side of franks for dipping, if you like it extra red hot you could add some to the side for dipping

a dipping sauce we enjoy here for rope sausage or anything really, is 1 cup franks red hot, to 2 tbsp ranch powder mixed well

I hope you have enjoyed my post.. I would love comments, corrections, constructive criticisms, compliments, anything you have to offer is welcome. It's nice to know someone read me..

Wishing you all a peaceful and happy evening from the plantation.

One Pot Deer Spaghetti

2017-01-22T21:34:00.000-08:00

My son Chris He is a hard working fella, as I have mentioned before, he worked 2 jobs during deer season, and so he didn't get to do much hunting, I was looking like it would be a deer-less season for him, but the last day of the season he bagged himself a deer. It wasn't hunted and killed in the traditional way, He was out doing something else when he ran across this young buck.

It was as if God gift wrapped it for him. I guess after his months and months of skinning for everyone else in town, God thought he deserved one of his own, and here it was ready and waiting for him. Truthfully I didn't know if my son would have it in him to kill a deer. He is the kid who has brought home strays, and injured birds, and rabbits and tried to nurse them back to health. Never with much luck but not for lack of trying. But given that he has skinned deer for 2 seasons now, and given the fact that it was the kindest thing to do for this deer. His leg was broken, and he had some pretty gnarly injuries. He did it and tonight we enjoyed venison spaghetti. Thanks to God, and this deer who gave his life so we could have meat in our freezer. It is appreciated.

I am still curious about what was going on in this deer's life prior to this that would get him tangled in a fence that way.

So here is what the deer spaghetti looks like, and then Ill talk a little about deer meat and how to cook it.

If you are not familiar with deer meat, let me say that it has a certain "twang" for lack of a better word. It's not a bad flavor but if you are not used to eating it, you might not care for it. There are certain steps you have to take when cooking any wild game to take the gamey flavor out of it. I read somewhere once that the more scared a deer gets at the time of the kill the worse the gamey flavor can be. I don't know how much truth is in that statement, but it does make sense to me that it might be truth, when you get scared the adrenaline flows, and maybe part of that taste is what adrenaline tastes like.

With other cuts of meat the best thing to do is soak the meat in a salty milk brine for 24 hours before cooking.. It will tastes almost exactly like beef after that if prepared right. But you can't very well do that with ground venison. So what do you do with that?

Well, first, the processor offered a package that was ground venison with bacon, which came with bacon already ground into it, which helped alot, not only with flavor, but with fat content. (another thing you should know about cooking deer is that it has very little fat and fat is flavor. you always want to add some fat source to venison.)

The next thing you need to know is deer meat has a very strong flavor, so you want to pair it with very strong flavors. If you don't your deer meat will over power the other flavors in your dish and it wont be as yummy as it otherwise might be. If I had to compare the taste of deer meat to some other thing, I think I'd compare it to burnt.. To me deer meat has a subtle taste of something that scorched to the bottom of your pot and you try to serve anyway without scraping up the bottom of the pot but everyone still gets that burned flavor anyway. To me it tastes like that.

So my deer cooking tips are these..

If you have a no ground cut of deer meat, always soak the venison in a VERY salty milk bath for 24 hours before cooking. then rinse very well (I was in my 30's before i realized venison and deer were the same thing.. :P)

With ground cuts, add lots of fat and flavor...

Now, for what you came here for.. Well.. almost... I want to share a link with you first.. I was searching venison recipes when I stumbled onto this site that has lots on all sorts of game animals. It's worth a look.. brokenarrowranch.com

Now with all my rambling over let me tell you about this spaghetti. I made a huge pot of it, and am pleased to report there were no leftovers. I saw 2 plantationites go back for seconds, and baby Paisley gobbled it up too.

As i mentioned you want to add fat to deer meat because it has almost no fat. So the fat sources I used were butter, ground pork sausage, and italian dressing.. Why wouldn't I add italian dressing to an italian dish??

and then I added LOTS of flavor, onion, garlic, chili powder, sugar, worchestershire sauce, lots of basil, oregano, bay leaves.. just lots of yummy flavors

It's my experience that the foods that have the most flavor are the ones who have the most smell.. So.. The eyes might be the first critic of your cooking but the smell comes into play too, even before taste factors in.. Make it smell good!!!

I just went to put up leftovers and guess what... There are no leftovers...

So.. you ready for that recipe?? Cuz Im ready to give it to you, and all in one pot..

One Pot Venison Spaghetti

1 lb ground venison (deer;bacon mixture is what I used)
1/2 lb ground pork sausage ( jimmy dean mild ground sausage is what I used)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp italian dressing (shaken well)
1/3 cup chopped sweet onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 can petite diced tomatoes
2 tbsp dried basil ( I love sweet basil)
1/2 tbsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp porchini mushroom powder
2 1/2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp worchestershire sauce
2 large jars ragu spaghetti sauce (choice of flavor)
1 can hunts canned spaghetti sauce
2 hunts cans of water (or chicken broth)
1 small box spaghetti sauce broke into thirds
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp black pepper(ro to taste)
1 tbsp salt (or to taste)

cook low and slow

in cast iron skillet melt butter and add well shaken italian dressing, sweet onion, minced garlic, then ground venison and ground jimmy dean sausage and stir until meats are well combined and browned, add all other ingredients except pasta and simmer fr 10 minutes on low heat giving flavors a chance to form then add spaghetti pasta broken into thirds and dropped into sauce stirring frequentlybecause pasta will stick together i not stirred well. after all pasta has been added and mixed in well, cover with lid and simmer over low heat ( i use 3 on my electric oven) for 45 minutes to 1 hour until pasta is done.. when pasta i done dish is fully cooked.

This is a very saucy spaghetti so I would recommend serving with a garlic bread of some sort. We used hamburger buns butters with a mix of butter, sea salt and minced garlic from the fridge section of our grocery store and then sprinkled with parmesan cheese. and broiled for approx 8 to 10 minutes.. Trust me you want the bread.. lots of juices to sop up on that bread..

You can take the bay leaves out or proclaim the finder of the leaves is the one who will have luck for the next 24 hours.. My folks seem to enjoy feeling lucky for 24 hours but you do whichever...

sausage egg rolls with orange soy sauce sesame oil dipping sauce

2017-01-19T02:07:00.001-08:00

First of all, before we get started on the sausage egg roll, and orange Asian dipping sauce recipes I want to say that I loooove these little dishes.. The the white dish was given to me by a friend, who is always so encouraging, and tries to stay upbeat even in the darkest of times. Bless her heart, her family just recently lost their home to a fire and even with losing her home to a fire only 10 days before Christmas, she has still managed to make me smile every day. I hope that if I am ever faced with a situation like the one she has been in that I can maintain even half as much of a positive attitude as she has been able too. That said, the second dish is the little cup with the orange sauce, is actually a measuring cup from an adorable little set of measuring cups my daughter picked up at Ross'. This cup is the 1/4 cup measuring cup the other 3 cups are different colors but look exactly like coffee cups.. Isn't it the cutest? I searched for a link I could share to either piece and was unable to find anything but if I do I will be sure to post it because everyone needs these dishes.

Now.. let's talk sausage egg rolls, and home made orange dipping sauce. I had just quit cooking for a while. My son had 2 jobs and wasn't getting home until midnight every night so he would have already eaten by the time he got here, my daughter working night would usually grab something on her break and not be hungry when she got home, my 14 year old son was perfectly happy to eat MC Donald's or hot pockets every night, and had a habit of coming into the kitchen to microwave something WHILE I was cooking supper and then not be hungry when food was ready, and hubby just pisses me off.. So there really hasn't been anyone here to appreciate my efforts, so I stopped. Well.. Deer season is over so son is not skinning deer every night any more, and the others gained a new appreciation for what Mom was no longer doing for them, so I am no longer on strike and back in the kitchen, and the sausage egg rolls and orange dipping sauce were a success.

I call meals like we had tonight, "appetizer night" I cooked several appetizer type foods and filled their plates with them, and no complaints, in fact I even got compliments. But this sausage egg roll, with orange Asian dipping sauce was the star of the show with the grown folks...

The entire menu was this.. I made the Hormel chili, Rotel tomatoes and Velveeta slow cooker dip over tortilla shells, I did the sausage and cabbage egg rolls, with the orange dipping sauce, and I did pepperoni and cheese egg rolls with marinara sauce for dipping. Something for every taste bud in the house, and being a home full of carnivores there was no lack of meat in the menu.

I wish I had gotten pictures of the pizza egg rolls and dip but I didn't. I wasn't even planning to mention them but here I am mentioning them. So let me just lay it out there as simply as I can...

Pepperoni pizza egg rolls

4 or 5 pepperoni per egg roll

approx 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese per egg roll

dash of basil per egg roll

roll up and fry until golden brown and serve with spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce for dipping

Cheesy Chili tomato slow cooker dip

1 can Rotel tomatoes,
3/4 block Velveeta cheese,
1 can Hormel chili,

put all in crock pot and simmer until ingredients are melted together.. serve over Frito's, Doritos, tortilla chips, over baked potatoes, over french fries, over tater tots, or any other way you can think of.. The sky is the limit on this one...

As for the pizza egg rolls, my 4 year old granddaughter came to me today and she said, "I like your food, and I want more, but its all gone." Bless her heart if I had had the ingredients to make a second batch I would have just for her. I think this is very similar to pizza rolls, minus the sauce, but I offered sauce for dipping,and satisfied the 4 year old in the process because she just likes her pizza plain. When we order takeout pizza we have to order a special pizza for her and me) no sauce extra cheese cuz we just aren't into sauce.

I guess by now, you are wondering why I'm rambling on about all these things you didn't come here for instead of getting down to business... Well.. OK.. OK.. Let me get to the reason you came here.. Those yummy sausage egg rolls with that Delicious orange dipping sauce.

I was worried that using just sausage in my egg rolls might make it a little breakfasty, and I didn't want that.. I toyed with the idea of mixing my jimmy dean mild sausage with ground pork to cut the sausage flavor, but I ended up not doing that and am pleased with the results. When I added the onion powder, the cabbage mixture, the chopped garlic, and the salt pepper and sesame oil it really didn't leave much of a breakfasty sausage flavor to the egg roll. It was just yummy good goodness. In fact I got very little "sausage flavor" to the egg roll at all.

I cooked my filling the night before and then put it into a colander inside a bowl over night wrapped in tin foil in the fridge. I'm a cat napper so I was up several times in the night and stirred it around and this gave it both time to cool, and time for any access liquid to drain out of it. So if possible I would recommend cooking your mixture over night and storing in the way until time to cook.

So, here is the sausage and cabbage egg roll recipe.. read on for the orange sauce recipe..

Jimmy Dean mild sausage egg roll recipe

1 tube Jimmy Dean tube sausage fully cooked
2 packages dole coleslaw mix
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic (I use the pre-chopped stuff in a jar)
1 handful ( approx. 1/8 or 1/4 cup) very finely chopped white onion
salt and pepper to taste (I used Hawaiian black salt cuz my Hannah bought it for me for Christmas but you can use whatever salt you have on hand)

add your ground sausage, onion, and garlic and cook until sausage is browned. add 2 packages of coleslaw mix and and all other ingredients and stir frequently for 1 to 2 minutes. Cut off heat and allow to cool in cooking pot. When cooking pot has completely cooled remove mixture to colander and place colander in a bowl large enough to allow for drainage and place covered in fridge for at least 2 hours.. over night is best. roll up and deep fry in approx 3-4 inches oil until golden brown.. server with dipping sauce of you choice or recipe that follows this one..

Orange Asian dipping sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp toasted sesame seed
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1/3 tsp more or less to taste red pepper flakes
3 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tsp ginger powder

add all ingredients to pot simmer until mixture bubbles and orange marmalade is completely melted, then cut off heat and allow to cool 15 minutes before replacing to storage container and refrigerating over night.

The orange Asian sauce was a hit, I caught hubby not only dipping but trying to pour the sauce into the egg roll so.. that's a good sign ya'll, and I served him two each of the pepperoni pizza egg rolls and the sausage and cabbage egg rolls and he went back for a third on the sausage egg rolls, with the sauce. I won dinner tonight friends..

As I have said before I think egg rolls are an awesome vessel for anything you want to put in them, much like tortilla wrappers, and when I told my friend what I planned to cook, she had a brilliant idea for breakfast egg rolls that I plan to try so look for that recipe here soon.. Sausage and egg and cheese egg rolls. How yummy does that sound?

What do you put in your egg rolls? Would love to hear all about it in comments..

3 bean chocolate chili inspired by Paula Deen ya'll

2017-01-16T20:18:00.000-08:00

Well, FINALLY, the holidays are out of the way and hopefully I can get back to something resembling normal life.. I get the holiday funk, Im not much of a people person, and the holidays require way too much peopling for me. Brings up bad feelings, dealing with annoying family members, it's just not the most wonderful time of the year for me.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't all bad, I guess more mentally exhausting than anything. But it's over and here I am ready to share a new recipe with you guys.

This one is adapted from a Paula Deen recipe for chocolate chili. Mine isn't exactly like hers, but it was inspired by Paula Deen. But I always consider a recipe more like a suggestion list not an instruction manual anyway.

Thanks for the suggestion Paula, this one is a keeper.

The family liked it, the whole pot was eaten and it was a huge pot.

My normal chili recipe is more tomato-y, I used canned diced tomatoes and it usually has lots of yummy chunks of tomato. But I didn't want that this time, which is what sent me searching chili recipes for inspiration. That's when I found Paula Deen's chocolate chili recipe.. I love Paula Deen, she is a Southern girl like me. Infact Savannah is only a short drive from me. We are practically neighbors.. So I was sold. Chocolate Chili it would be tonight.

So I got to googling Chocolate chili, and was surprised at the number of chocolate chili recipes there are. So after reading some of them and looking at tons of images of these different chocolate chili recipes. I sat out to create my own version, not really sure how well chocolate was going to lend itself to a tomato based dish with pepper.. But i remember seeing these fancy chocolate candy bars sold in a shop once that were chocolate and chili peppers, and, well, Paula Deen ya'll..

Like I mentioned.. I didn't want a chili with chunks of tomato today, today I wanted something rich and thick and for lack of a better word I guess I'd call it masculine. There is nothing dainty and feminine about the flavor in this chili. I don't really know if that is right either.. Let me try again. If I had to liken this chili to something. Id liken it to a warm summer afternoon on the end of a lake dock fishing and sipping a beer as the sun goes down.. Yes ya'll its that good.

Here is the recipe...

3 bean Chocolate Chili

1lb ground beef

2 cans tomato sauce

1 can tomatoes with green chilis

1 can red kidney beans with juice

1 can black beans with juice

2 cans chili beans with juice

2 ounces semisweet bakers chocolate

1 small can tomato paste

1/2 cup brewed black coffee

1/3 cup chicken or beef stock

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 onion finely chopped

2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp (or to taste) cinnamon

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tsp cumin

salt to taste ( I like Pink Himalayan salt)

add ground beef, chopped garlic, and chopped onions, to cast iron skillet and cook over medium heat until beef is browned then drain

add beef mixture and all other ingredients to large pot and simmer over medium low heat stirring frequently for at least 30 minutes before serving.

serve with chives, cheese, and sour cream

*** Recipe notes ***

I love chili because it is such a versatile recipe. You can cook chili 7 days week and have a different dish every single time.
You can change the meat, the seasoning, the type of peppers, the beans, you can add cheese, or.. well.. the sky is the limit. Here are some things you could do different than what I did..
This recipe would work with ground chicken, turkey, pork, a mixture of any of the above, or with stew beef meat
If you want a thicker chili you could substitute any of the beans above with a can of refried beans, or add them in addition to the ones listed
if you like a spicier chili you could add jalapeno peppers or any other pepper you like
This chili would be great served over Fritos, or tortilla chips, or even baked potatoes and served with cheese and sour cream and chives
canned pumpkin is also a great addition to any chili recipe as a thickener and adds great, not weird flavor to your chili.
cocoa powder can be used in place of bakers chocolate squares, use 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
leftover chili goes great on hotdogs, burger, fries, baked potatoes, nachos, pour cornbread mix over the top and cover in cheese for chili pie, add rice and corn and roll up in a burrito with cheese, top with mashed potatoes and cheese for a shepherds pie, put egg roll wrappers in muffin tin, fill with chili and cheese for chili cups, I could go on and on...
Pink himalayan salt can be substituted for another type of salt to taste if you'd like

you may want to omit the cinnamon, or cut the amount. The trick here is you don't want to over power your chili with a cinnamon taste you want just the tiniest hint of cinnamon flavor, that makes warms the palette and leave them guessing what was that flavor. It's like the secret ingredient. I have also used nutmeg in place of the cinnamon with great results.

Chili is one of the things I tend to toy with often so check back for more chili recipes and tips in the future.

If you try this recipe let me know what you think, if you have a great chili recipe share it in comments.. Id love to hear from you guys...

The cutest easiest christmas ornament to make with young kids

2016-12-21T12:55:00.000-08:00

If you are like me you have taken advantage of the great deals you can get online with coupon codes, and the honey app, and you probably find yourself with some cardboard boxes in full supply this season. Even if you haven't ordered online cardboard is a surplus situation in daily life, when you empty those cereal boxes, and cracker boxes, or whatever else everything comes with some cardboard doesn't it?

I am a big fan of recycling what I can, and I love crafting with the grandbaby. She is going to be 4 in January so she can do a few different things, and this craft idea was perfect in so many ways. It helped us decorate our tree, and the ornaments we made together I think makes it even more special. It recycled those cardboard boxes, and it gave us an outlet for those scraps of wrapping paper you really don't know what to do with, except throw away.

The only thing we actually spent money on for this craft was some raffia, but I had that on hand from another project so even that was a non-expense as pertains to this craft project.

Everything we used was on hand, and most was recycled.

Here is our supply list

cardboard squares
scraps of wrapping paper
baling twine from a hay bale bought for the chickens
tape that was actually bought for wrapping gifts
and raffia that was bought for a different project

This project is versatile.. I had some amazon boxes that packages have been shipped to me in, but this could be done just as easily with recycled cards, cereal boxes, eggo boxes, whatever you have on hand. Instead of the rafia, you could use ribbon from gifts, minature christmas bows, crochet yarn, or whatever you have around.. You could even curl ribbons from a sales paper if you wanted.. In place of bailing twice which we used for hainging the ornaments, you could use sewing thread, crochet yarn, ribbon, Heck if you want to you can draw your own wrapping paper if no scrap paper is available..

This was the perfect craft to do with the almost 4 year old grandbaby, she was big enough to tear the tape from the dispenser and stick it on the wrapping paper when i folded it, and big enough to cut the ends on the raffia after I tied the bows.

This craft was quick and kept her engaged, it wasn't something where she had to wait a long time for her part of the craft.. I cut the squares of cardboard, and the wrapping paper to the size we needed before hand and so she was fully engaged the whole time.

When we were all done she got to hang them on the tree, and she is very proud of the ornaments she made. I think we will go on a nature walk today too and see waht else we can find to make our tree magnificent with.. Tomorrow I think we will be breaking out the glitter and glue.. Fun Fun Fun....

Last minute quick easy Christmas gift Idea

2016-12-13T18:13:00.000-08:00

I'm gonna start by telling you how much I love the Dollar Tree. (I'm not affiliated but have mad love for them) They have so many things that you can make crafts with and everything in the store is 1.00

This little plastic cup was bought there. It was blank when I bought it. It has a screw off lid, and is made of sturdy plastic so it doesn't look cheap. It isn't flimsy. I brought it home, and cut a decal to put on it for my nieces Christmas present. The plan was to personalize it for her and put something in it.

I had lots of ideas about things I could put in it.. But settled on makeup and a bracelet because she is 15 that's right up a 15 year old girls ally right?

This is the finished product, and it was inexpensive but thoughtful so i think she will love it..

Some other Ideas for filling your cup if you make one

Hershey's kisses

jewelry

money

gift card

t-shirt (depending on size)

love letter

bath bombs

a small stuffed animal

hot cocoa mix

favorite snack

beef jerky

M&M's

Reese's pieces

makeup

Hershey's miniatures

home made candy

peppermint

gum

gumballs

specialty tea bags

bath bombs (in individual bags)

jelly beans

cubed fruit cake chunks

shopkins

deck of cards

literally anything that will fit inside the cup

Hope you enjoy this Christmas gift Idea and if you need a decal for you Christmas gift idea I sell them on my etsy shop and offer custom orders so check me out..

My husband and an impromptu smoked turkey with Turkey Brine recipe

2016-12-12T22:47:00.001-08:00

Well, my sister in law decided to have her Christmas dinner early this year to try and make everything a little easier for those who had so many places to go on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. With the family growing and the nieces and nephews expanding their own families, and with the divorce rate being what it is these days I think it was very thoughtful of her to do that. Hubby does too, now that it's come and gone he appreciates that she did that. But Change is never easy for my husband.

Nothing new is ever a good idea, sometimes you just have to do what you do and once the initial shock wears off he will be glad it happened. This was one of those times, be is calmed and glad of the change now.

But the night before the Christmas dinner, he got himself all in a tizzy about it, He was drinking a little, and got in his mind that he just HAD to smoke a turkey to take to his sisters. No amount of talking would convince him that this froze solid ball of meat didn't possibly have time to thaw and brine over night in the 12 hours until her dinner.. So he takes this turkey out of the freezer, hell bent on making it happen for his sister. (sweet sentiment, his heart was in the right place i guess).. So he takes this turkey out of the freezer and he puts it in a huge pot that covered it with water and he put in on the stove over night on the lowest heat setting, and sure as shooting in the morning that bird was thawed, and his plan to smoke a bird for his sister might have worked, had he not brined it, and not had a hang over that left him sleeping until 45 minutes before he had to be at his sisters house. So no birdie for sisters dinner, but he didn't even remember that there was supposed to be a bird smoking happening so, its all good I suppose.

This did however leave us with a turkey to brine and smoke. We aren't seasoned vets at smoking meat, but we have done it enough times to have an idea of how the process works, and so I set out to make a brine for it..

a brine NEEDS 4 things in my opinion

an acid like vinegar, beer, wine, etc
salt plenty of salt
oil
and some sort of sweet element (brown sugar, honey, fruit juice etc)

Everything else is extra and season to your liking

I was already aggravated about this darned turkey I had tried my best to talk him out of, so I didn't care, and maybe eve a little bit hoped it turned out shitty cuz he was an asshole.. (I still love him tho)

So, here is what went into our turkey brine

5 cans of Budweiser lime-a-Rita
1/4 to 1/3 cup salt That seems like a lot but a lot is needed for the brine and you rinse it before cooking it so it was not too salty)
4 sliced and squeezed oranges rinds and all ( i quartered the oranges, squeezed the juice into the brine and then dropped in the pulpy rinds)
3 tbsp dill weed
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup honey
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp onion salt
4 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp celery salt
1/3 cup mustard seeds
2 tbsp bacon flavoring powder
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil (if Id had it I would have used olive oil but I was out)

I put the turkey in with all these other ingredients, and then filled it the rest of the way with water until turkey was completely covered.

I took out the giblet sack, but didn't realize until it was done that I had left the neck in it. But this is asshole turkey I'm sure I cared.

This thawed turkey soaked in the brine in my fridge from about 4pm on Saturday, until about 6 pm on Monday (roughly 3 days) in a pot as big around as a small bicycle tire and as tall as my 8 month old grand baby, maybe not quit as tall but darned near it.. We lucked up and had this ginormous stock pot to use but if you don't you can use a cooler but you will need to keep it iced cuz its important to keep the meat cold while in the brine.

when we were ready to put it in the smoker i removed the turkey from the pot and put it into the sink in a colander and rinsed with cold water inside and out very well

I patted it dry, stuffed 2 oranges that i cut into quarters into the cavity, and placed it in a large cast iron pot, folded the wings behind the back, rubbed the outter skin with a mix of honey, salt, garlic, black pepper, and butter, and covered loosely with tin foil, I did not seal it, I just kinda lay the tinfoil over the turkey and cast iron pot and folded to shape but did not seal to allow the smoke flavor to get it. If you do not leave the tin foil loose around the turkey you might as well cook it in the oven, the whole point of smoking is to allow the smoke to get to the turkey.. the reason for covering with tin foil is to somewhat trap some of the steam and moisture that develops during the cooking process to become trapped and keep the smoked turkey from drying out.

I cannot tell you bout the smoking process because the brineing and seasoning stage is my area of expertise and then hubby takes over from there. But I will get with him about the smoking process and i will post about it later. When I do that , i will link it to this post so you can check it out.. It's stupid o'clock in the morning right now and even I should be in bed instead of doing this, so its a no go tonight ya'll..

Anyway, long story short this was one of the best turkey's we ever made and I hope he takes his sister some of it since it meant so much to him to try to make a 40 hour bird in 12 hours. But he gave it the old college try didn't he? Well you don't know but trust me he did...

This is the first time I have done no more than brine on a turkey. I normally brine over night and then inject a few hours before smoking, but no injecting this time, just the weird brine and the weird brine worked very well, I am both happy and sad to say the smoked turkey was dy-no-mite. I don;t know if it was the brine or the smoke that did it good, or maybe we just make great team.. But OMG YUMMM!!!!

**note**

I think this brine would world just as well on chicken or pork, I have no regrets..

Pictures to come tomorrow when phone is charged...

Flinstone type house for the polymer clay owl family

2016-12-07T21:38:00.000-08:00

This project started off as some polymer clay owls that I made for the grandbaby to play with. She helped with the painting of them and gluing on the rhinestone eyes.

Well she enjoyed this owl family so much that between her playing with them and watching the Flintstones I became inspired to build her a house to play with them in.

This is the cheapest project ever. The only store bought elements to this project were the E600 glue, the Rhinestones, the paint, and the polymer clay, and all of thosethings were stuff I had on hand from other projects. So no out of pocket cost on this craft project at all. Everything else was found when we went on a walk.

The walls are made of gravel from our driveway, and a few rhinestones mixed in for bling effect.,

The roof is made from pine bark found in our own yard, the tree is made from a cutting from our azalea bush, and the grass to the right is moss from the edge of the woods near our house.

We used E600 glue and hot glue to glue everything into place, the hot gluw works better on the moss and the pine bark, but the E600 worked great on everything else.

The stepping stones, the yellow flowers, lady bug, sign, mailbox and sun were made from polymer clay and painted with craft paint

The plank is just some random board one ofthe men in the family brought home for whatever reason and i found it laying around and used it for the base.

The pond was simply blue paint on the board, the the stone border glued around it with E600 glue and then inside of that stone border I squirted E600 glue and let it dry it gave it a water like effect, and the glue evened itself out to be a flat surface. No fuss there.

Here is the beginning of the Flinstone house craft project in its early stages. Each stone was glued together with E600 glue

The owls as mentioned were polymer clay baked in the oven and then painted and then detailed in black with a fine point sharpie before being sprayed with a spray on sealant.

The sun is held glued with E600 glue to a pencil and then stuck into a base made of polymer clay and glued onto the board. The azalea pieces that are acting ass a tree was also in a polymer clay base that is covered in moss so you cannot see it.

The stepping stones aren't flat I wish I had pressed them onto the board to get the shape of the board before baking them but I didn't, but im not terribly unhappy with the rustic-ness of it all.

Here is a view of the entire project from above. complete with rhinestone floor cuz even a Flinstone style owl family needs some bling in their life right?

Apologies for having not posted recently but the Holiday's tend to get to me, and not to mention Ive been elbows deep in filling decal orders. A LOT of people must be getting yeti decals and car windshield decals for Christmas.

If you need a decal be sure and check out my Etsy shop

Sponsor links

cross clipart free colored and uncolored versions

2016-12-03T02:08:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted regularly lately, between the holiday Blah's that have had me in a tailspin, and the holiday orders that have had me jumping for joy, Ive just been caught up in life and haven't really had a chance to post, or even to fully process all the thoughts in my head.

as Im sure you may have noticed the cooking posts have been at a minimum lately, but that is because our little plantationites have all grown up. I clung to them for as long as I could, but the facts are what they are. Those folks who until now have needed me, if for no other reason than to fill and empty belly, no longer need me for that either. Now don't get me wrong, I am proud that i have raised people who are on the go, and out loving, and living life, and can afford to buy themselves a meal on the go. I am as pleased as punch that they are thriving in the real world.

But I am also a little depressed that they no longer need me at all. Food, that was my offering of value, the last thing they still needed me for. But they no longer need me for even that. Yes folks, the seasons of my life are changing, and I don't feel like I am ready for retirement from my old job, but when that job is no longer a position your company has a need for anyone to do, what do you do but retire, and try to find other interests? At the moment, my interest is Adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator, and of course making decals and t-shirts.

Yes folks, it's up to you now to give this old goat a reason to roll out of bed every morning. No one needs a booboo bandaged, a fever checked, a hot cooked meal anymore, not that I am discounting the grandbabies, but I am not solely managing that, they have a mom of their own, and all but my Ryan are on the cusp of leaving the nest. So I am counting on you folks to need a sticker, a decal, a tshirt to fill that new found void in my life, so I still feel like I contribute something in this world.

If you want to buy from my Esty shop here are a couple of my best selling items for you to consider

https://www.etsy.com/shop/HippieChicsMakings?ref=l2-shopheader-name

also here are 3 crosses, I am offering you a colored version and a line drawing version of each and they are as always free for you to do whatever you would like with them, commercial, or personal use. They were inspired by the loss of a young life in our community recently, only 18 or 19 years old and she got caught up in drugs and headed down a dark path and I guess God just saw fit to take her out of that lifestyle early rather than let her struggle with it for years. I had a prophetic dream about this child's passing that haunted me for days, and I won't get into all of that disturbia in this post, but after a few days of mourning for this child who was no more than an aquaintence to our family, and putting to bed the idea that my dream could have saved her, not to mention counting my blessings because she is my childrens age and I could very well be that mother laying her child to rest. I have lay that aside, and send thoughts and prays to and for the family, and thanks and prayers to God for not making it one of my own.

I apologize, I could ramble on and on about this young girls passings, But I am trying not too.

So anyway, out of this tragedy came these crosses that I hope you guys can find a use for in your blogs, and crafts, and scrapbooks, and whatever other creatively brilliant ideas you can think of...

Peace and love to all..

Good Night from this old Plantationite

#lifeontheplatation

Simple sand dollar christmas tree ornaments

2016-11-30T12:29:00.000-08:00

I am known for my creativity in the family, so when the stumble across something they think Ill have fun with they bring them to me. This time I was given some sand dollars. So Clarissa and I made some sand dollar christmas tree ornaments.

We only used three things in this craft, and the hardest part was waiting for them to dry.

Here is our results..

You can't tell by the pictures but the paint has a hint of glitter to it that I think will look awesome against the Christmas lights.

We used Rustoleum Multi-colored textured sandstone spray paint
and Raffia that we got at the Dollar tree

We took our sand dollars outside and sprayed them and let them dry, and then Clarissa helped me string the raffia on them and now they are ready to go on our Christmas tree..

I think I want to do a natural tree this year..

I want to string my own cranberries and popcorn for garland, and use these sand dollars and other natural things we can find around.. Maybe next Clarissa and I can make some grapevine, or pine cone, or acorn ornaments to go on our tree too.. There are so many natural things around we can create a beautiful tree with, and the thought of Clarissa telling her kids and grand kids about that time she helped WeeWoo make all the ornaments for the tree will be an awesome way to live on long after I'm gone.

To date the Christmas tree that my children still talk about, infact the only one they seem to ever mention is the one when we lived in Jackson SC, Hubby and I had split up for a while and I packed the kids up and we moved 45 minutes away from everyone and everything we knew to start a new life. As a single mama of 4 there was no Christmas ornament budget, so we all sat down together and strung up every happy meal toy they ever had and put them on that tree.. Barbie and Hotwheels was the happy meal theme them and so a few dollars on Christmas lights and a little time on stringing those happy meal toys to be ornaments and stringing popcorn into garland, and a tree was born. It wasn;t anything pretty and fancy. But it is the most memorable of all the Christmas trees this family ever had.

I want to make that mark on Clarissa too. I want a tree this year that is the one she remembers when she is 85, and when she and Paisley and Mama move away from the plantation and have their own home I want to be able to send the sand dollar ornaments we made together with her to remember our time together..

Show me pics of your Christmas tree, or Christmas crafts in comments.. share your links.. I want to see how you do Christmas..

Holiday Blah and 8 free clipart frames

2016-11-29T18:38:00.001-08:00

Well, The Holiday's have had me in a funk, like they always manage to do.

I've tried to post a blog post for days now, and each one ends up sounding doom and gloom-ish, and so I delete and go do something else. Holiday's bring out the worst in me. I want to love the Holiday's. But it is so stressful for me.

I did create some awesome frames clipart images that are free to use any way you'd like. That was my stress reliever through Thanksgiving.

In other news though I have not just sat around and felt sorry for myself. I have been productive.. Here are some more frames I made. They are as always free for you to enjoy in any way you'd like. They are printable, editable, color-able and ok to use commercially. I would love to see what you do with my clip art images if you use them. I always love seeing peoples creativity in action. Share in comments what you did with them. That would make my day.

breaking Thanksgiving Protocol

2016-11-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 2016, It feels like the end of an era. Im not sure if I should breathe a sign of relief, or mourn it's passing. Im in emotional limbo about it all at the moment.

This is the year my son inherited the family curse. Arguing over the Holiday agenda. Her family has this thing going on, our family had another thing going on, both want to celebrate with their folks, and it becomes a tug of war that no one really wins.

I don't want to do that to my children. I don't want to make them fight with their spouse on their day off that is meant for enjoying family. I don;t want to make them chose between their pleasing the spouse or pleasing me on a day that is meant for enjoying family. There is no joy in fighting with, or hurting the ones you love.

I know it is tradition to come together and surround yourself with your nearest and dearest on the holidays, and should be a wonderful tradition. But it is a tradition that sucks. I know some families are blessed with festive joy over the holiday gatherings, and everything just works out wonderfully for them, but it isn't the case with my family, and given the number of TV shows, and phone calls from the brother in-law who couldn't make it this year sadness at the holidays is rampant.

Tradition is defined as
noun

1.
the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way.

"every shade of color is fixed by tradition and governed by religious laws"

synonyms: historical convention, unwritten law,
2.

THEOLOGY

a doctrine believed to have divine authority though not in the scriptures, in particular.

The very definition is religious in nature according to Merriam-Webster, which sort of leaves you in a quandary doesn't it? Do you go by the law that governs all man, and respect the 10 commandments that say "honor thy father and mother" or do you respect the vow you made before God, to "love honor and cherish him til death do you part forsaking all others?"

As a loving parent, I feel like it is my job to make my children's lives a little easier, and this dilemma parent vs. spouse should be a non issue for them. I have always opted on the side of spending the rare time with my parents, because 1. they are busy and holidays are about the only time they stop to "play" family for a day, and 2. because I feel like my time with them is a lot less than my time with hubby and when they are gone I don't feel like I will have any regrets about missed opportunities the spend time with them. Hubby and I will have all the rest of those years to share holidays, and not to mention he and I share every other day of the year, so I don't really mind the parting of the ways for him to go be with his family that he rarely gets to enjoy, while I spend time with mine which i rarely get to enjoy.

I know my in laws must think I just don't like them, and that couldn't be farther from the truth, But I think it's more a case of hubby and I still want to once or twice a year go back in time and try one more time to have that something special with our mothers.

I think we kind of understand that about each other. At least I hope so.

All of this is to say, I learned a lot this year, about the fact that my family will never be the family I dream them up to be all the 364 other days of the year, and Ive learned that faking it for one day, doesn't not a family make, and I've wasted a lot of years on people who can barely waste a day on me.. I've learned that I don't want to be that Holiday planning parent that causes her children grief on holidays choosing between her family and his, or his family vs hers, or which way to break God's heart.

I like to believe my children love me, and want to see me at least sometimes and in that fact I believe that I won't need a tradition filled with headache and stress to get to spend time with them. I want to believe my children will make time for me off and on all the days of the year simply because they want to be around me, and not because it's some messed up tradition and they feel like they "have to"...

I suppose tradition, and keeping it up can be great, but for those of us who do it, because we feel like we have to... WHY? Why do we feel like we have to? What will happen if we don't? Why would we cause ourself that kind of stress when life goes on weather we buy into it or not? If life can go on with the death of loved ones, the permanent loss of those we care for, they why cant it go on if we break thanksgiving protocol?

Well, these are just the rambling thoughts of an old fool who hopes your Thanksgiving was wonderful.

smothered capicola pork chops baked potatoes with gravy and green beans...

2016-11-21T17:03:00.000-08:00

My mother in law made a recipe similar to this once and she called it Sunday chicken. I still haven't mastered her recipe, but I keep trying. I should probably just ask her for her recipe. But I love a good mystery haha, this one remains unsolved but I'm close.

This is a variation on one of my variations of her recipe. OK well, this is a totally different thing, hers was chicken, and i think Lebanon bologna, or dried beef, and mine is pork chops and capicola, I guess I should say, this was inspired by that recipe.

As I mentioned before sometimes the kids come in with different things for me to cook, I enjoy the challenge of figuring out what to do with the stuff they bring in. This week Traci brought home two packages of boneless pork chops, and a bag of potatoes and Chris brought home some capicola deli meat. So that, and a fond memory of my mother in law's "Sunday chicken", are to bless or to blame for this recipe.

I have had capicola on my sandwiches from sub shops before, but other than that I didn't know much about the stuff. Here is what I have learned..

It is a pork product
It is cured with a rub made of red pepper flakes and other stuff but I'm fairly certain mostly red pepper flakes
capicola is a hard deli meat, similar to salami or pepperoni in texture and consistency

Now that I have imparted some new found knowledge on you, let me tell you my capicola story. I m a midnight snacker, If there is deli meat in the house and I go for that in the middle of the night half asleep depending on my level of wakeful-ness (is that a word?) I may wrap it around a pickle, or roll it up with a slice of cheese, or just eat a slice or two of deli meat by itself. This night I chose to eat just a plain old slice of capicola, knowing nothing about the stuff. I get up go potty, wash the hands grad a slice of capicola and eat it on the way back to bed, stuffing the last bite into my mouth as I crawled across the sleeping hubby and got back into my place in the bed. It was yummy, Chris was right to bring this stuff home, and I don't know if the heat normally has a delayed affect or if it was my groggy brain that slowed the signal from my brain to my mouth, but I was nestled in and it hit me, That shit was HOT!!!! Now I could have gotten up and got a glass of milk or some other thing to cool my mouth but it was 3am and I had already been up to potty twice in the night rousing poor sleeping hubby who had to get up at 5 for work, and he already has such a hard time getting up. I opted to wait it out and I promise i will never eat capicola by itself again.

It isn't so spicy that you couldn't eat it with bread and cheese and condiments and be fine, I think the combo of ingredients tame it. But unless you like spicy things never eat it solo.

So lets get down to the business of the recipes

The baked potato is fairly simple

oven baked potatoes

(I cooked 6 but you can cook as many or as few as you want)

6 potatoes (I like Yukon gold potatoes)

1 tsp olive oil

1 tbsp bacon grease

coarsely ground salt

wash potatoes well

mix olive oil and bacon grease together and smear all over potato skins, puncture with knife or fork several times on top and bottom

sprinkle salt all over potatoes skins

bake in a 425 degree oven for 1 hour turning once

***notes***

you do not have to use this combo of oil, you can use olive oil, coconut oil, veggie oil, shortening, butter, whatever you like, this is just what i chose to use because i enjoy the skin as well as the potato
cooking time may vary depending on the size of your potato, the best way to determine if it is done is to stick it with a knife or fork, when your knife goes all the way through to the center with no resistance your potatoes are done.

Smothered Capicola Pork Chops

8 boneless pork chops

approx 9 slices capicola deli meat

1/2 cup sour cream

1 can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup

1 can milk (the Campbell's soup can)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 cup chopped chives

salt (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

garlic (to taste)

cooking spray

layer the bottom of your greased baking dish with capicola slices

place pork chops on top of capicola slices

in bowl mix all other ingredients well and pour evenly over pork chops

sprinkle chopped chives over everything

cover with tin foil

bake in a 350 oven for 2 hours

***notes***

This recipe could easily be made in a slow cooker or crock pot as well, follow all instructions but put in a crock pot for 4 hours
I have made this recipe using dried beef, and also Lebanon bologna and both are awesome variations
the next time i make this recipe I will probably wrap my chops in bacon
This recipe will work with cream of celery, or broccoli soup, or other cream of something soup.. I don't think Id try it with cream of chicken, but you could..
This recipe works with chicken also same recipe just substitute chops for chicken
I served mine with baked potatoes and spooned the gravy over the baked potatoes and sprinkled with cheese, but you could use rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes if you preferred.

Never too old to learn and I need your help desperately

2016-11-17T17:45:00.000-08:00

I tend to get excited about things that make my children excited. My Ryan, 14 years old doesn't get excited about too many things, he is just easy going, laid back, if he has emotions, you'd never know it, he s just "whatever" usually. I mean Im sure he has emotions, but you just don't see them often. Very even keeled young buck.

But recently I have found something that excites him. Building his on gaming PC. He has been reading up on it, asking friends questions, and learning everything he can about it. I have been learning with him. Because I can use the heck out of a computer but to build one, I have no idea where to even start.

He sent me this image, Im not sure where he got it from but he said these are the things he needs to build his own computer for gaming..

That info paired with what info I have plucked from different websites and This awesome parts compatibility website I found. pcpartpicker.com I have started the buying for his system and hope to have all the piece he will need for the build by Christmas Morning.

This week I bought the shell.. Im not sure that is the proper term for it, but the box everything will go inside of, and his motherboard. I figure the first thing needed is a house and a mother(board) am I right??

I, looking at this from a mothers point of view, maybe a little bit of a daydreamer point of view, I see it as the box it all goes into is the house, the motherboard is the Mother that keeps things running smoothly, and everything else is the furniture, or children, or whatever household items would be inside. God Im lame. Years ago I'd have know the terms, and these things I'm ordering wouldn't seem like Im ordering off of a foreign menu. When I look at the words used to describe the things I'm ordering, for all I know I could be ordering fried eyeballs and chicken peckers..

So, Im hoping to appeal to any of you who are computer savvy or know someone who is, so you can maybe steer me in the direction of a good build for a gaming PC, that is also financially in my budget.

As I mentioned I started the buying today, and these are the pieces I ordered.. If you can tell me the best direction to go from here, and if the direction I have started in is a good one I would be so appreciative. Id even feature you and your excellent advice in a future post..

The motherboard I ordered

MSI 970 GAMING DDR3 2133 ATX AMD Motherboard

Is she gonna be a good mama or no??

This link is too a refurbished one and I ordered new it was only 1 penny more for brand new so why not.. But For whatever reason amazon wouldn't let me link to that one.

and here is the case I ordered.. The one I ordered said it comes with 3 fans.. Do we need 3 fans? I have no idea?

Rosewill ATX Mid Tower Black Gaming Computer Case Galaxy-01 Black

So what do you guys think about where we started and what is our best options for a good setup. He wants to play things like world of warcraft, and i think there is a battleship game, or something with tanks, and I think something called age of empires, and he wants to share with his sister so she can play Sims,, I think I might have heard the word minecraft too at some point... But don't quote me on any of that cuz I could just be speaking "momanese" and wrong about it all..

I was told its not a good idea to buy a part at atime, but its the only way we can afford to do it and get him a gaming system together by christmas, plus he is excited about building his first system and I want him to be able to do that. I would love for him to find a hobby outside of gaming that he can enjoy. So Help is appreciated if you can..

any advice on building a gaming PC on a budget is welcome.. Is not only welcome but invited, begged for.. NEEDED desperately.

We are very blessed

2016-11-15T16:54:00.000-08:00

It isn't thanksgiving yet, but this week we were reminded of our blessings. We have some wonderful people in our lives that we should be, and are, very thankful for.

This week I got to spend some time with my mom and my aunt, almost the whole day and that is rare, Both ladies are workaholics and so when an opportunity arises to spend some time with them It is a blessing. There was a time when I just didn't bother because spending time with them wasn't about sipping coffee and gossiping over the latest local soap opera drama. But Im starting to realize it doesn't have to be that to be a great visit. This time I jumped right in and worked with them and enjoyed every single minute we were able to spend together. Im at an age where I realize those moments are fleeting. Every single one of them should be taken advantage of and cherished.

This week My nephew graduated his basic training, came home and took a bride and began the rest of his life. We got to share those moments with him, and his new wife, and it was lovely. It was a small ceremony with only the closest friends and family, maybe 30 folks in all in attendance if that many. But that was plenty, and everything was wonderful. They cried when they read their vows to each other and it warmed my heart. New, young, hopeful love is a wonderful thing. I am thrilled for him that he found his Mrs. Right and am pleased to bits that we got to share in their coming together as a married couple.

I had to leave the wedding early because I was riding with Traci and the babies diaper had started to leak and she forgot the diaper bag and well it was just a whole fussy leaky baby thing that had to be handled. But we stayed for the main stuff and I am glad we did. It is only the second wedding I have ever been too in my 43 years. Im just not much of a socialite. Ive always been shy and panicy in public situations, so I just avoid them every chance I get. But as Ive said, I am glad I went to this one, and I so regret I couldn't get my nerves together to go to my other nephews wedding. He is very special to us too.

All of our nieces and nephews are special to us, but Brandon, and Logan, are especially special. At times when I didn't feel welcomed into my husbands side of the family, These two guys always liked me, always made me feel welcome, and always sent messages home with the family about how much they missed me being at family functions when I was not there. These two make this outcast feel like she matters, and always have. Logan lived with us for a while during his awkward teen years when he just couldn't find his place in this world, and Brandon has spent a many a night around a bonfire making memories with us. All my nieces and nephews hold a place in my heart, but these two are kind of adopted, and are kind of part of the plantation. They have given their time to us and we have given time to them and that makes for a bond around here..

But this post isn't supposed to be about weather or not I love my nieces and nephews, its supposed to be about things I am thankful for right? I am thankful we got to be there when the nephew started the rest of his life, I am thankful for the time I got to share with the mom and aunt, and I am thankful for all the wedding recception food that got sent home with the plantationites who didn't have to skip out early for wet, hungry baby issues.

But the blessings don't stop there.. Thanks to my sister inlaw who fed the masses this week, My wonderful aunt next door who is one of the best cooks I know called offering roast and potatoes that she had cooked to help feed the masses too, and feed them it has. I am thankful that it is Tuesday and I haven't had to cook a meal since Friday, and for the wonderful sister inlaw and aunt who made that possible. Mama REALLY appreciates the culinary vacay... The food has been enjoyed and was all wonderful and delicious. I think the aunt should start a food blog as a matter of fact because I have never ate one thing she cooked that wasn't out of this world good.. Infact she has taught me ALOT about cooking. She is da bomb in the kitchen!!!

Tomorrow I will venture back into the kitchen, and I thing Eggrolls are on the menu. But Im quirky and I don't plan a damned thing so, Ill let you know tomorrow what I end up making. But thank you, thank you, thank you, to aunt charisse, and Aunt Lisa for keeping me out of the kitchen since Thursday.. I cannot tell you how thankful I am for all the food you offered us. Myself and all the plantationites thank you so so much.

bunny, gift box, and 2 sets of patterned numbers Free clipart images

2016-11-15T13:14:00.000-08:00

With the wildfires in North Carolina the air has been terrible, smokey even way down here in Aiken SC, Its caused me some sinus issues and Ive been avoiding the outdoors as much as possible, so Ive been doing alot of illustrations instead of being outside enjoying this wonderful weather we have been having. Sad for me, but lucky you!!!

More fun freebies for you to enjoy. For personal or commercial use. Great for card making, or scrapbooking, or any other use you can think of.

Bunny Rabbit

Christmas gift box

Set of clipart numbers

set of clipart patterned numbers

Deer stew meat and gravy recipe (venison recipe)

2016-11-15T02:38:00.000-08:00

Deer Stew meat with Gravy, It wasn't something I ever cooked before the other day. I have worked with deer sausage and deer ground beef, they are easy enough, you can add them to spaghetti, or anywhere you would add ground beef, or pork sausage, But I never worked with any other cuts of venison, so I did some research, read everything Pinterest had on the subject, and appealed to my facebook friends for intel, and finally came up with a prize winning plan.

The Plantationites had no idea they were eating deer meat. I fed all of us and sent some to mom and dad for their supper too and not a one of them except Traci who as here when I cooked it knew it was deer stew meat.
I read of two different methods for taking the wild gamey taste out of the meat, and my facebook advisors offered up the same two remedies for taking away the gamy taste.

The first was soaking it in vinegar and salt over night, then rinsing well and proceed to cook.

The second was to soak it in milk, or buttermilk over night rinse well and proceed to cook.

My method was a combination of the two, and next time I cook a cut of deer meat that isn't ground I will use this same method because it was awesome.

So here is the recipe I used for deer meat and gravy over mashed potatoes.

I have no mashed potato recipe to share because on the day that I cooked this meal I was pressed for time and cheated on the potatoes. I went to bojangles and ordered 2 picnic sized mashed potatoes to use for spooning my venison and gravy over. So, do that, or look for a mashed potato recipe somewhere else because I don't have a recipe for that to offer up today.

But, as I was saying.. here is the venison and gravy recipe I think anyone would enjoy..

***note before we get to the recipe***

Venison, or deer is a very lean meat so you will want to add some fat source. Trust me, it needs it. I used a tbsp of bacon grease but you can use any fat source you have available, such as coconut oil, olive oil, butter, lard, veggie oil. I can't really tell you what adding a fat source to the venison does to it, but its much like cooking beans, or greens, it just needs that extra something. So just do it!!!

So without further ado... Here is what you came here for..

Deer (venison) and gravy

Serve with rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes

Prep (day before cooking)
1 package deer stew meat
enough whole milk or buttermilk to completely cover meat
1 1/2 tbsp salt (i used pink himalayan salt)
add all ingredients to dish stir to mix and coat well and put in fridge overnight (mine sat in fridge in the salty milk bath for 28 hours)
after soaking put in collander and rinse very well in cold water atleast 6 minutes tossing and stirring around meat to assure you have rinsed every piece well.

Cooking

1 package deer stew meat
1 tbsp soy sauce
salt to taste
pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 tbsp bacon grease
1/4 cup chicken broth

Mix all ingredients well then transfer to a casserole dish (I used a corningware lidded baking dish, but you can use anything similar in size)
add your lid or cover tightly with tinfoil and put in a 350 degree oven for 3 1/2 hours

Serve over rice, pasta, potatoes, or toast and it is awesome. No one knew it wasn't beef until I told them.

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4 MORE ADOBE ILLUSTRATED CLIP ART IMAGES FREE

2016-11-13T15:02:00.000-08:00

I love the Adobe illustrator so much that I broke down and purchased the 19.99 a month subscription so I could keep playing. I still have a long ways to go before I will be good enough to sell my illustrations on my Etsy shop.

But, they are relatively good, and some of you may be able to use them in your blogs, or arts and crafts. They are free for any kind of use commercial or personal. They are all 300 DPI jpeg images.

Hope you enjoy.

Weird little Bird

Funky Chicken

Fish

Flower

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Also check out my Etsy shop for some great decals and t-shirts

Incredible deals on all the best stuff you want! SEE TODAY'S DEAL!

57 Best songs that just make your heart happy music playlist

2016-11-09T19:55:00.001-08:00

Thought it might be fun to share some of my favorite feel good songs that just make my heart happy. They aren't in any particular order, It's a nice mix of oldies, southern rock, rap, pop, country, classic rock, just a mix of every genre.

I think anyone could find something to like on this playlist.. Serve this playlist up at your next party its sure to please everyone. Would love to hear your favorite fun songs in comments to make this list even better..

Hope you find something here you like, or something new to like.

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Comfort foods I have a secret love affair with

2016-11-08T18:00:00.000-08:00

I don't talk about this. Because it isn't someting I'm proud of. I would love to come across as if I cook great meals all the time and I never eat junky things. But That would be a lie. I love some really bad things.. This is my list of those comfort foods, full of gluten, and additives, and preservatives, and all those things that should never be ingested by the human body.. I ingest a great many of those things when im broke, when i need comfort food, when the power is out, when I want to reward myself.. mostly any excuse I can find to justify eating all the wrong things..

Here is my top 10 comfort foods that I should NEVER touch

1. Chef Boyardee Spaghetti and Meatballs

2. Shrimp Flavored cup of noodles

3. Campbell's tomato soup with grilled cheese (american sliced cheese)

4. Prairie Belt canned sausage

5. canned corned beef

6. potted meat

7. almost any campbell's chunky soup

8. canned squirt cheese

9. frozen egg rolls

10. toaster strudels

Yep!!! I love these things. So full of so many things the human body doesn;t need, and I am aware of that, but a girl has her vices.. I will redeem myself with a future post about the top 10 healthiest foods I love.. But not tonight.. Tonight I am feeling indulgent and unapologetic...

What are your favorite comfort foods that you know you should leave alone?

4 free adobe illustration clip art images

2016-11-07T10:46:00.001-08:00

I've still been playing around in Adobe Illustrator, reading lots of tutorials and learning my way around the software. and Ive made a few more clip art images to share. They are free for the taking if you'd like to use any of them.

1. Cheeseburger free clip art image

2. Strange masked duck / bird free clipart image

3. Owl

4. shampoo bottle

I hope you enjoy them, and remember clicking our sponsor links help us earn money for the family even if you do not purchase through the links. Your clicks are very much appreciated.

Also I love getting comments on my posts so If you like what you see, or if you don't comment and say hello.