Thankful

I am thankful for...

| A Heavenly Father |

| A godly husband |

| A warm home to cover our heads |

| Little ones in our family... and the ones yet to arrive |

| Sister days like these, making donuts |

Oh, the list could go on and on.

I am humbled at what I have been given.

But it comes with a great responsibility,

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; 

and from the one who has been entrusted with much, 

much more will be asked."

Luke 12:48b

Happy Thanksgiving, lets go on 'Thanksliving'

Hope

An update

Yes, I'm still alive. Alive and well. Our computer decided to kick the bucket, and we were without it for a whole two weeks. It was good for us and good for me. Yes, I can survive without one, but do miss blogging.

I hope to be back soon. Until then, enjoy your Thanksgiving vacation and don't eat too much turkey. 

Blessings,

Hope

Tapioca Pudding

If you want to be comforted, try this pudding recipe. Before you know it you will have consumed a whole bowl or two.

This recipe is from my school cookbook. The lady who put the recipe in, Ethel, is known for her tapioca pudding and dill rolls. I added unflavored gelatin for extra shine and a little thicker pudding.

 Comfort awaits.

Tapioca Pudding

6 Tbsp. seed pearl tapioca

4 cups milk

2 cups milk

3 egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. unflavored gelatin, dissolved in a little water

2 tsp. vanilla bean paste, or plain vanilla

Soak tapioca in 4 cups of milk for several hours.

Pour into a double broiler and cook for 15 minutes.

In a blender add milk, egg yolks, sugar and salt. Blend well.

Stirring constantly, add mixture to double broiler.

Cook until tapioca is clear and pudding has thickened.

This takes awhile, be patient. Sing a song or read a magazine while stirring.

It will help tone your 'chicken wing' arms. I always freak out 

when I'm whisking and I feel my upper arm flopping.

Remove from heat, add vanilla and unflavored gelatin.

Let cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap right 
against the pudding. This keeps a thick layer from forming on top.

Set in refrigerator until completely cool.

Enjoy!

I am having fun with a sweet visitor that is staying around for two months.

My sister, Charity, and her husband will be staying for the winter in Virginia.

Yipee, skippie.

"Mom, the tummy blowing joke is getting old," he says.

 

Blessings,

Hope

Simple Cranberry Sauce

I made dinner tonight with ear plugs in. My husband is putting down our hard wood floor and the stapler noise is above loud. He started this evening before I had my ear plugs in place and I screamed at the first staple. 

Cooking with ear plugs sure is interesting. I had to take them out twice to taste something. I had to hear the sizzle of the pan to get the whole taste. Kind of like my Grandma I guess- she cant talk on the phone until she finds her glasses.

I was craving thanksgiving food so I made fried ham with a simple cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, creamed limas and spinach salad.

I am sharing the simple cranberry sauce recipe with you. It sure is tasty. I caught Josh eating it by the spoonful. This could be used on various meats.

  Cranberries make me happy. I love their flavor and color.

Simple Cranberry Sauce

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1/4 tsp. salt

zest of one orange

12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries

In a small saucepan combine sugar, water, salt and orange zest.

Bring to a boil, stir in cranberries return to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer until 3/4 of berries have popped open.

Remove from heat and keep warm until ready to serve.

If you want a thicker sauce just cook it longer.

It really thickens once it cools.

Cooks Illustrated recipe revised slightly.

Enjoy,

Hope

Maple Glazed Pork Chops

Last week I was craving maple glazed pork chops. I had them awhile back at my sister's house, but she couldn't remember the recipe so I recreated the flavors I remembered.

I remember a Hickory Smoke Marinade in the recipe and happened to have some on hand. It's tasty and adds a real smokey flavor to meats. You can buy it at Walmart or most grocery stores.

Marinate | Fry | Make Sauce | Your Done

My mouth is watering now. I need to go fix supper.

Maple Glazed Pork Chops

4 pork chops

1/2 cup Hickory Smoke Marinade

 3 Tbsp. butter

6-8 large mushrooms, sliced

salt and pepper

1/4 cup chicken broth

3 Tbsp. maple syrup

Place pork chops in a shallow dish and pour about 1/2 cup marinade

over them. Poke all over with a fork and let marinate 40 minutes.

Heat a skillet with 3 Tbsp. butter. Add pork chops and fry until done, 

about 5-6 minutes. Size and thickness can make a difference.

Do not over cook! They will get tough. A little pink is okay in the middle.

You will be adding them back to the heat once the sauce is done.

When done remove from skillet.

Add mushrooms to pan drippings and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Saute until soft. Add chicken broth and maple syrup, cook on high

until sauce reduces and thickens. Add pork chops back to skillet

and heat for a minute or so.

Enjoy,

Hope

And the winner is...

Teresa

A favorite fall food, apple crisp or apple dumplings....what a fun giveaway!

Check out her lovely blog!

I hope you are ready to do some fall baking!

 Please email me your address so I can send it your way.

p.s. This was so much fun to see all who commented. 

I would love to have a big party with all of you! 

Cheers,

Hope

a Fall Giveaway

Because I like fall and all my readers, I am giving away some fall baking supplies. A nice sturdy cookie scoop, a flour sack towel that's great for covering baked goods while they cool, ground cinnamon, cinnamon sticks, whole nutmeg, and a pint of local sorghum molasses.

Let the fall baking begin!

To enter just answer the following question.

What's your favorite fall food?

The cookie scoop and flour sack towel are supplied by Kitchen Kupboard, my mother-in-law's specialty kitchen store. It is a local store with friendly help. Go to her website for more information.

The spices are from my Auntie's store, The Cheese Place. There you will find tasty cheese and bulk foods of all kinds. She has an extra special worker, my Grandma Shank, who I like visit when I stop by.

Deadline October 23.

No shipping outside USA and Canada.

Winners will be selected using www.randompicker.com. One entry per person.
Winner will be announced on my blog page Tuesday evening. Please include your email address so I can contact you. If you feel uncomfortable leaving your email address be sure to look at my page Tuesday evening and you can email me your information for shipping address.

Let the giving begin,

Hope