Author: jeanbean94 (Page 3 of 3)

Last Sunday, I worked the library with my buddy, MG. She mentioned the new, fabulous thing she had going on in her crock pot, even as we spoke. Always on the prowl for a great recipe that’s been pretested, my ears perked up. She said her friend told her to use short ribs, but they’re so expensive this week at the store where most of us shop, that MG substituted pork ribs. My mind went one crazy step further. Could I perhaps use pork chops? It was all moot until the report came in.

And it did, thank you for that, MG! Absolutely delicious, she said…perhaps cut the sugar…and the cook time.

So, culinary genius that I am (actually so not), I tweaked the recipe, had it in the pot the very next day, and can report to you, my friends, that it was a success (measured by teenage boy consumption rate, of course.)

MG’s Crock Pot Whatever

1 envelope onion soup mix (True the store was out. I used an onion mushroom packet I had at home, instead.)

1 bottle chili sauce (6.4 OZ was perfect)

1 cup ketchup

Low for 6 hours worked great for my 5 pack of thick cut/ on the bone pork chops.

It’s March now, friends and fellow single parents. Think about how tremendously satisfying it would be to have even a few home grown plants to move outside in a month or two? So, simply fill a few small containers with potting soil, plant some seeds, place them under a plant light on a corner of your kitchen counter, and water daily…..voila! If you have even a shred of interest and made it through the previous sentence, I’ll explain better.

Why not repurpose a food container or two for your planting? I did… and also filled a couple of small flower pots with soil. Buy just a small bag of potting soil or seed starter mix at a garden, grocery, or drug store. Choose some seeds. I personally like to get an early start on peppers (spicy for us), coleus (think gorgeous, variegated leaves), and marigolds (unappealing to deer). I also planted a few nasturtium. Some seeds don’t like to be grown indoors. I love sunflowers but only have success when I plant them later on directly into the ground. So, pick your seeds and follow planting instructions on the package.

The Light- A

Single parent hack (aka a tip that saves time and/or money)

Last week, I worked a free car wash. My white, winter weary Honda was salt encrusted and oddly gray speckled. On a rainy day, I approached the behemoth armed with one thing- a handful of paper towels. Working quickly, I gave it a rub down that involved more smearing than dirt removal. Good thing I moved fast because I was back inside before the heavens opened and gave my car its final (and still free) rinse. The following morning I drove a gleaming car to work!

So, this is my first “blog post” as I wade into the waters of blogging. It’s going to be about, well, my blog! Everything, so far, is an experiment. It hasn’t been easy figuring out how to do this. I have a story to share that is ongoing, though. I’ll roll it out bit by bit under the pages labeled with years. All my material is recorded, but it’s a tedious process typing it in from my handwritten journals, removing the “and then I tossed in a fifth load of laundry” mundane, and making sure I don’t begin too many sentences with conjunctions. I also admit that I’m partial to quotes around “random” words and phrases -dashes, and my all time favorite………

Every name used has been changed to protect the identities of both the innocent and the guilty. In fact, in most cases, characters chose (usually after a glass of wine), their own pseudonyms.

Over here in the Blog, I’ll discuss things that I’ve figured out or done that I think are interesting. Topics covered might include single parenting, gardening, cooking, reading, or selective crafting. I have a knack for keeping myself occupied, whether at home, waiting in the car for a boy’s practice to end, or (shhhhhh) watching a baseball game.

Please join me on this exciting journey. I hope I can be a part of your life in some tiny way!