Pork Soup

Ingredients: 

4 Pork Chops

Dusting of organic flour

Celtic Sea Salt to taste

Mrs Dash Chicken seasoning to taste

2 bay leaves

3 Carrots Chopped 

5 Yukon Gold Potatoes Chopped

1 Sweet Onion 

1 Bag Organic Corn

1 Bag Organic Peas

12 Cups Bone Broth (we made our own bone broth, but if you use just broth make sure you season it to taste)

Directions:

Chop your onions, carrots and potatoes and pork chops. In a pot cook carrots, onions, peas and corn in the bone broth. Season to taste.  Usually the bone broth is pretty flavorful so not much is needed.  Add bay leaves. Roll pork chops in flour than throw them into a pan and cook until just done. When carrots are tender add potatoes. Cook until potatoes are fork tender add pork, simmer. Remove bay leaves and serve. 

Christmas At The Cottage

Silent night- as darkness falls there is a glimmer of little lights that add cheer to the darkness.

There is a chill in the air but they add warmth.

The sound of carols being sung is in the air.

The smell of wood burning in a fireplace keeping a family warm.

Joyful talking and laughing drift past.

It is Christmas time again, family and friend gather around the hearth.

Pause and remember the babe in the manger

The savior that hung on the cross to set us free.

To remember to love our neighbors and share the good news.

May you experience His love and blessings anew.May you walk ever closer to Him this year. May you have overflowing love and joy. Merry Christmas friends

And a very blessed new year.

May not only your stockings overflow but your hearts as well.

God bless you, friends. 

Merry Christmas, from our home to yours.

Snowflake Hot Chocolate

Two of my wonderful friends came over a few days ago and after a nice walk (and mad dash home because we all forgot to bring coats) we decided to make hot chocolate. This is great especially if you have little's (or not so little's) that love the Frozen movie (wink. Look kids Elsa Hot Chocolate). So here we go... Snowflake Hot Chocolate. 

Ingredients:

1 3/4 Cup Organic Milk of your choice

1/2 Cup Organic White Chocolate 

1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla 

1 Teaspoon Raw Sugar  or Sweet Leaf Stevia to taste.

Directions:

Heat milk, vanilla, sugar and chocolate in pan. Stir with whisk until chocolate is melted. Now pour it into fun mugs(we got the red and white one from Starbucks last year) and top with wipped cream and if you really want to make it look pretty add sprinkles, We got these ones at Ross.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  We sure did.  Sitting by a roaring fire with laughter floating in the air.  It is perfect for these sweet holiday moments.  Merry Christmas everyone. 

Brisket

Ingredients:

1  approximately 6 pound beef brisket

16 oz organic (We use home canned from the garden, but you use what you have.) tomato sauce

12 oz non high fructose corn syrup ketchup

12 oz beef bone broth (Recipe Here) (or you can use beef broth just watch for yeast extract as it is MSG and high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils.)

½ cup organic butter

¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce

1 onion finely chopped

Juice of 2 limes or equivalent of bottled lime juice

½ tsp chili powder

½ tsp Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce.    

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Mrs. Dash

Celtic Sea Salt

2 large onions cut in rings

1 jar 14 oz jalapenos (juice reserved)

Directions:

Pre-heat your grill for indirect heat over medium heat.  Place brisket in medium pan and poke about holes in each side with fork.  Season with garlic powder and sea salt & Mrs. Dash.  Pour juice of peppers on each side.  Cover and cook ½ to 2 hrs. 

Cook onion slices and jalapenos together. 

Baste sauce on brisket 1/3 of sauce.  Remove from grill and top with onion pepper mixture and serve with remaining sauce.  Makes 8- 10 servings.

Serve with Broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, cabbage, squash, beets, Brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, eggplant, garlic, okra, spinach, peas, string beans, cucumber, pumpkin, onion, leaf lettuce (all kinds), mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, artichoke, leafy greens (kale, collard, broccoli, mustard greens, etc.)

5 Christmas Mantle Ideas

Hello, everyone! I am sorry that we have been so quiet for awhile. We thought we would do a post on simple Christmas mantle decorations for different distinct looks. The first one we will look at is a simple western motif. We really love this one.

Western Mantle:

The picture over the fireplace is Wizzy over at the R-Lit Ranch.  It was taken at a great event over at the ranch last year.  I paired it with some metal candle sticks and some cream colored candles. 

The simple garland is made of pine cones and twine.

I think they look great together, simple but festive.

Old Fashioned Christmas Mantel:

This mantle is a simple one.  The iron candle holder gives some soft light in the evenings.  The gold ceramic one gives a pretty glow even when it is not cold enough for a fire.  The stockings I sewed out of ticking material once used for feather mattresses and pillows.  It is a tan striping and I just love the vintage feel.  On the mantle and above the fireplace on the wall are old family photos that just bring warmth and fun to the room.

 Hippie Chic Mantle: 

This is a more fun design.  The picture above the fireplace is an original piece that I did to match the decor.  It is a peacock feather in watercolor.  On each side of the mantle we have some iron candle holders and candles and hanging in the center is another pretty blue and metal candle holder we picked up at Ross Dress For Less.

The garland is simply beads picked to match our fun Batik fabric stockings that I made in tie dye colors.  We made a fun and funky Christmas tree out of a flower basket turned upside down and given a bit of chic with a pink and a purple boa wrapped around it.

Elegant Christmas Mantle:

This is a simple but pretty mantle.  We found this mirror at a great yard sale and painted it (tutorial here).  These stockings we made last year and they came out so fun.  We made them out of burlap and muslin and made each one of the different.  One has a vintage button and looks more masculine, the rest are bedecked with ruffles, vintage buttons, and bows.

The garland is a simple faux pine garland with a beaded ice garland woven in. 

Next, I added some clear lights to the garland to give the sparkle.  I just love how this turned out.

Cape Cod Christmas

For this one, we took frosted winter berries and wove it together with some green garland and driftwood stars, and fresh sprigs of greenery. We used burlap and muslin and brown ticking stockings.

We placed a lighthouse on one side of the mantle and an antique vase on the other, in the middle we put a country market basket filled with seashells, a small birds nest, and tree with a starfish topper.

Above we decided on our Cottage Sign and a homemade Hydrangea Wreath.

Cream Of Broccoli Soup

Need a yummy soup recipe for a cold afternoon? Or a bowl of comfort food that always makes you feel like you are home? This recipe is bound to fit the bill!

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Organic Butter

1 Cup Organic Flour

2 Cups Organic Milk

6 Cups Organic Broth

2 Cups Organic Broccoli 

Directions:

In a large pan melt butter, add flour. Stir in milk and broth. Cook stirring constantly until mixture is slightly thickened. Meanwhile steam broccoli until tender. Add the steamed broccoli to soup. 

If you are using bread bowls cut the middle of your bread out and ladle soup into the inside. We like to add a touch of hot sauce to ours but either way is delicious! 

If you don't have the organic stuff then just use what you have. :)

I know Just What You'd Say...

The house is so quiet, so still. How can life change so fast? Your clothes are still hanging in your closet. Your bed is still made where I made it the day after you went to the hospital. I walk through your room so still. Everything just the same... or almost just the same.  The night light in the bathroom is off. Your cane rests in the corner of the room instead of in your hand. 

Despite the heater humming your room seems so cold. Like stepping outside on a snowy morning and knowing no one else is out. Your footsteps seem to echo over the frozen ground. 

I can't stand to stay in this room long but sometimes I just can't stay away. I half smile at the boxes of Christmas village stacked in one of your closets that you loved so much. How many years did we put it out together? How much fun we had as I handed you things to put out and smiled up at you telling you if it was "the perfect spot" which of course it was... perching on a ladder with steaming hot cups of coco on freezing morning putting Christmas lights up. 

And then one year we switched, I was the one on the top of the ladder you at the bottom smiling up.  Oh how you loved Christmas! And then as the years went on, I did more by myself but the light was still there in your eyes. Making you almost look like a small child filled with the magic of Christmas... But as the years went on that to began to dim... until only at certain moments could you see it in your blue eyes. But it was still there. I can almost hear your voice in my mind as I run my hand over the rough cardboard boxes. 

I know just what you’d say…

You’d say “oh my goodness” and “I love you honey”.  “Do you want to spend the night?”, “Can I pray for you?”. And with that guilty look of yours and a hand over your heart “Who me?” followed by a twinkle in your eye and “How could you think so?” 

“Drive carefully," - even if you’re just walking “I pray a hedge of protection around you and your car” or “Lord surround their car with angels” and “Can I sing you a song?” 

You see Grandma I know just what you'd say... "It so nice to see you," "Do we have anything sweet?"  "Ice Cream sounds good" and "Bless you heart". And "I need to blow my nose."

You would pray every day for your children and grandchildren, on your knees even when it hurt to do so.  When you would hear of a need you were quick to offer help, love, a place for those that needed a home.  You stood in the cold serving food you helped cook for the homeless and you were not afraid to love on the ones that stood before you. Strangers became family in the blink of an eye.  Sailors hundreds of miles away from their family found family in your arms.  Those hurting and needing a home found a place of love and care seldom seen in this world.  Orphans became grand children in the blink of an eye.  You held nothing back from anyone.

I can still hear your voice as we sit around the table... and I know just what you'd say... Faith plops down beside me with a sigh and I know just what you'd say, " What's wrong pooch?" 

The Most Important thing to me is ending up in heaven and having all of my children and grandchildren make it there, so be there everyone. - Martha Gibson 1996