Simple Things

Simple Things

It was a dark and stormy night…and then it became the wee hours of the morning.  Suddenly I was aware how important sleep was to me.  The value of it was never appreciated until it was interrupted. 

2:18 AM Chow Maine thinks she is in combat and starts doing laps around the perimeter of the bed to make sure the hatches are closed. 

2:37 AM Tall Cool ☺ne has had enough after the fourth lap pouncing on his pillow across the headboard to my pillow and then leaping to the floor with a loud plop as if she weighed 40 pounds.  He gets up and she runs out of the bedroom; he closes the door saying something about that’s enough of her.

3:01 AM I can’t take her scratching and clawing at the door any longer — it sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard.  I get up with the flash light, open the door and she peaks around the corner of the couch as if to say, “Want to play?”  I walk over to her dish and say, “Come here,” which she thinks she is going to get a treat.  I scoop her up and climb back under the covers.  Chow Maine does a little kneading with her claws and settles in under the covers, purring.  I am just about to go to the land of “La-La” when she is out from under the covers, across the bed over to the desk.  She commences to clawing the paperwork that awaits my attention.

3:32 AM Grrrrrr, she is driving me crazy!  I get up and she immediately runs out of the bedroom.  I toss a sweatshirt on the floor in front of the door hoping to dissuade her from digging at it.  Tall Cool ☺ne snickers and says, “She is just going to yawl”.  I get settled back under the covers and start that deep breathing that comes just before sleep and …

3:55 AM Bow Wow, Wow, Wow; it is Foxtrot.  He has a deep southern drawl type bark that almost makes me think that he is saying, “I really don’t want to put too much effort into this barking thing but I feel like I should bark.”  He has the Sam Elliot of dog barks.

4:09 AM I lay there thinking, he won’t bark that long, he’s not real loud.  He will quiet down in a minute and he does and I’m back in that mode of falling asleep when suddenly his brother, Charlie starts:  Ruff, ruff, ruff, ruff, and ruff!  He has that high pitched beagle in a big dog bark that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.  He has the Pee Wee Herman of dog barks.

4:28 AM I drag myself out of the bed and open the window and yell for the two meatheads to be quiet, not in such a nice tone either.  Charlie, the daring one, tests me and barks a couple more times.  This time I yell just at him.  Again I am back under the covers and I am wondering why bother because the alarm is going to go off very soon.  Sleep seems to come easy and just as I am sauntering off, plunk right in the center of my stomach.  Chow Maine is back… How the heck?

Sleep is one of those things that the value cannot be truly appreciated unless it is interrupted.  As I thought about that through the wee hours of sleeplessness, I am convicted by how many things that I cannot place a value on because I have not been without them.  Food, water, shelter, clothing; all things I take for granted every day;  simple things like being able to take a shower and wash my hair, a washer and dryer so that I can clean my clothes.  It is very simple for me to look at other people and see some of the things that they have and don’t need.  Isn’t that always the way?  It is so easy to pick out the faults of others but to see our own faults, well that is a different story:  Matthew 7:3 “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?” 

I am going to think really hard about this during the holiday season.  There are so many people that don’t have the simple things that I take for granted every day. Maybe my deprivation from sleep was a wake up call.  What else is there that I can give up?

© Crackerberries 2011

Tartarmingus

Tartarmingus

Ever heard of Tartarmingus?  Me either.  I did a web search to see if I could come up with anything but I could not.  I am going to apply my own definition to it because this morning when I woke up it was in my head.  Right when I woke up I knew what it meant, I knew everything about it.  I knew so much about it, that when I made my sleepy-eyed way out to the coffee pot to pour myself a fresh hot cup of homemade apple pie spiced coffee, I scratched T-A-R-T-A-R-M-I-N-G-U-S across the white board my husband graciously installed in my office for me.  Like so many times before I thought if I wrote it down, when it came time for me to actually sit down and write about it, the memories I had when I first woke up would come back to me.  Not so; not this time.

Tartarmingus means absolutely nothing.  I cannot even begin to remember the thoughts that were on the tip of my mind when I woke up.  Isn’t that the way it goes when we wake up in the morning?  That dream we are having is so vivid and real be it good or bad, but when we wake up it is just below the subconscious, gone, never to return.  Tartarmingus: the thought that is the last thing on ones mind right before waking up.

God’s word sometimes can be like that for me.  I read something or something comes up in a Bible study and it is so fresh and vibrant right then while I am studying it.  But sometimes I loose sight of what I was taught and I experience Tartarmingus. 

For example the other day some Jehovah’s Witnesses came to my door.  Now I have nothing against them.  They are very nice people, misguided, but very nice people.  They were showing me and telling me all about this book they wanted me to read (The Watchtower) and how the Bible is inspired by God.  I knew exactly how I wanted to respond and it was right on the tip of my tongue but for some reason I was hit with Tartarmingus and I drew a blank.  Later that evening as I was reading and pondering over God’s word everything I wanted to share with them came back to me.  Then I realized that my Tartarmingus was God telling me to be quiet.  Sometimes we jump on things too soon and then we loose the opportunity to really show God’s love.

Deuteronomy 12:26-28 Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse; the blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.

Whether we want to believe it or not God uses us in mysterious ways.  I wanted to blast those JW’s with everything I knew that was wrong with their faith and belief.  I had all the Scripture I was going to use (John 1:1-5, 14) and I wanted to make them see how they were wrong.   Although my heart was right and I had good intentions, it would not have been done out of love and God said, “No, that is not the way I want you to do it.”  Maybe there will be another opportunity and maybe there will not… I do not know.  I do know that God is in control of everything.   I pray for Him to work in me and use me to bring glory to Him and if Tartarmingus is necessary so be it.

© Crackerberries 2011

Apple Tarts

Apple Tarts

6-8 apples peeled, cored and sliced

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup water

1 tsp cinnamon

½ cup brown sugar

¼ tsp mace

½ tsp nutmeg

Combine apples, water and lemon juice in large sauce pan and cook over medium heat about 20 minutes, just until apples start to soften.  Stir in sugar and spices and remove from heat.  Let cool while preparing pie crust.

Preheat oven to 375º

Pastry for two crust pie:

2¼ cups flour

½ tsp salt

2/3 cup shortening

¼ cup ice water

In medium bowl stir together flour and salt.  Cut in shortening with a pastry cutter or fork until pieces are pea size.  Sprinkle water over top stirring to moisten.  Divide dough in half and then in quarters; on lightly floured surface roll out each quarter into a 8x6 inch rectangle.  Fill with 2-3 tablespoons of apple filling.  Fold pastry over and crimp the edges with a fork.  Place on cookie sheet and bake at 375º 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

© Crackerberries 2011

Sweet Potato Muffins

Sweet Potato Muffins

It is week #5 of my sweet potato challenge.  Not as sweet and delectable as the sweet potato cheese cake but very healthy for you.  If you have a sweet potato recipe you want to share or any comments, please email me. 

2 cups all purpose flour

½ cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 tsp nutmeg

¾ cup milk

¼ cup canola oil

1 egg, beaten

1 cup mashed sweet potatoes

Preheat oven to 400º.  Grease bottoms of 12 muffin cups.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in medium bowl and mix well.  In large measuring cup or another medium bowl, blend together milk, egg, oil and sweet potatoes.  Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.  Spoon into muffin tins, sprinkle with a little sugar if desired and bake 18-22 minutes or until golden brown; let cool slightly before removing from tins.

© Crackerberries 2011

Chicken Corn Enchiladas

Chicken Corn Enchiladas

1 cup great northern beans

4 cups water

½ cup maple syrup

½ tsp chili powder

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp celery seed

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp dry mustard

1 bay leaf

Combine above ingredients in slow cooker on low for 8-9 hours. Remove bay leaf.

1½ cups diced cooked chicken

3 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 onion, chopped (reserve ¼ for topping)

½ red bell pepper, chopped

1 tbsp oil

8 corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 375º.  Sauté onion and pepper in skillet for 3-5 minutes, add chicken and bacon and cook a few minutes longer.  Add to beans and stir to combine.  Spoon onto corn tortillas and carefully roll and place in lightly greased baking dish seam side down.  Bake at 375º for 20 minutes until slightly crispy.

Melt butter in sauce pan over medium high heat; add flour and stir, pour in chicken broth slowly, stirring constantly until thickened, add cheese and stir to combine.  Pour over top of baked enchiladas and sprinkle with chopped jalapeño and onion.  Bake 10-15 minutes longer at 375º.  Cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

2½ tbsp butter

2½ tbsp flour

1 cup chicken broth

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 jalapeño pepper, diced

 Crackerberries 2011

Shrimp & Ravioli with Hot Pepper Cheese Sauce

Shrimp Ravioli with

Hot Pepper Cheese Sauce

18 frozen cheese filled raviolis

26 medium shrimp

1¼ cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

¼ cup shredded cheddar

1 jalapeño pepper, chopped

½ red bell pepper, chopped

2 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup milk

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

Cook ravioli according to package directions.  Peel and devein shrimp.  Sauté garlic and peppers in hot olive oil for about 2 minutes then add shrimp and sauté another 3-5 minutes until shrimp turns pink and opaque. 

In medium sauce pan melt butter and stir in flour, add milk and heat until thick and bubbly.  Stir in Monterey Jack cheese until melted.  Add shrimp and peppers to cheese sauce stir to blend. 

Place nine raviolis each on oven safe plates; pour sauce over and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.  Place under broiler for 1-2 minutes just until cheese bubbles.  Serve immediately.

Note:  This is not for those who are watching their weight.  This is an 825 calorie meal.

© Crackerberries 2011

Cheddar Cornmeal Biscuits

Cheddar Cornmeal Biscuits

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

¾ cup corn meal

1 tbsp sugar

½ tsp salt

¾ tsp cream of tartar

½ cup butter flavored Crisco

¼ cup half & half

¾ cup milk

½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400º.  Combine flour, baking powder, cornmeal, cream of tartar, sugar and salt in bowl.  Cut in Crisco until crumbly and create well in center of mixture.  Add cheese and pour milk and half & half in all at once.  Stir with fork just to moisten and combine.  Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and pat into ½ inch thickness.  Using cookie cutter or glass, cut into circles.  Place on lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 400º 15-18 minutes until golden brown.  Serve with homemade chili or great with pea soup.

© Crackerberries 2011

Pork Loin Chops

Red Pepper + Chipotle Stuffed Pork Loin Chops

2 Pork Loin Chops (½-¾ lb)

1 red bell pepper, julienned

¼ cup chipotle in adobo sauce

¼ cup pear butter (or applesauce)

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Finely chop the chipotle peppers and combine sauce and peppers in a small bowl with pear butter or applesauce.  Butterfly the chops by slicing horizontally through the meat leaving ½ inch in the center; gently pound the chops to ¼” thickness.  Spread with the sauce and roll up chops.  Secure with toothpicks.  Heat oil in large cast iron skillet; season pork rolls with fresh ground pepper.  Sauté the pork rolls on all sides until golden and browned.  Transfer to lightly greased baking dish and pour remaining sauce over top.  Bake at 350º for 20-30 minutes.  Slice and serve.

© Crackerberries 2011

Sweet Potato Cheesecake

Sweet Potato Cheesecake

It is week #4 of my sweet potato challenge.  Last week we had cheesecake bars and they were so yummy I thought, why not try sweet potato cheesecake...even more delectable.  If you have a sweet potato recipe you want to share or any comments, please email me. 

1½ cup graham cracker crumbs 

6 Tbsp butter or margarine

2 Tbsp sugar

16 oz cream cheese softened

¾ cup sugar

2 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes

¼ tsp salt

1¼ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ginger

½ tsp nutmeg

3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350º

Graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tbsp sugar and melted margarine and mix well.  Press into 9 inch spring form pan and bake in 350º oven for 8 minutes.

In large bowl beat cream cheese and sugar until well combined.  Add sweet potato and spices and mix well.  Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition.  Mix until smooth.

Pour into prepared crust and bake at 350º for 50-55 minutes until center is set.  Turn oven off and crack oven door, let cool in oven for one hour.  Using butter knife, loosen sides before opening spring. 

© Crackerberries 2011

Bacon Egg & Cheese

Bacon Egg  Cheese Biscuits

3 eggs, lightly scrambled and cooked

4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

½-¾ cup shredded cheddar

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

¾ cup butter flavored Crisco

1 cup skim milk

Preheat oven to 375º

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt in medium bowl and mix well; cut in Crisco until crumbly.  Form well in center of mixture and pour in milk, mix just until moist.  Divide dough in two.  Press into flat ¼ inch circle and using large mouth glass cut dough into circles.  Place in lightly greased muffin tins and gently press into tin. 

Combine eggs, bacon and cheese together and mix well.  Spoon into muffin tins distributing mixture evenly over dough. 

Using second half of dough, repeat the process by creating tops for the muffins.  Seal with tops to bottoms by pressing gently with fingers.  Bake in preheated 375º for 20-25 minutes until tops are golden brown.  Remove from tins immediately; serve hot and store leftovers in refrigerator for 3-5 days.  A great breakfast to take on the go.

© Crackerberries 2011

Chow Maine's Baby

Chow Maine’s Baby

Recently Chow Maine was in heat and when she is in heat she is the most loving cat you ever want to be around.  She wants to be on your lap, she wants to be petted, and she wants to be where you are.  Normally she doesn’t like to be held or touched or petted.  In general if you walk by her, she sticks her paw out and swats whatever part of your body she can reach while digging in her claws.

Chow Maine has a lot of toys; catnip filled mice, feather clad birds, plastic balls with little bells, etc.  Her favorite toy, which my husband calls, “her little bacteria trap” is a black stuffed “thing” — I refer to it as a “thing” because I’m not really sure what it used to be — with a pink feather boa around it’s neck.  This is the only toy that Chow Maine will play fetch with as if she were a dog.  We can throw it and she will bring it back and drop it at our feet waiting for us to throw it again.  I’ve always believed she thinks she is a dog.

Sometimes when she is playing with it, she throws it up in the air and then grabs it with her paws only to tackle it to the floor and beat it to death with her hind feet.  It is kind of comical to me, but then I think maybe she is disciplining it, as if to say “bad kitty baby!”

We have to close her out of the bedroom at night otherwise she runs laps around the bed head board and across the bed until someone pays attention to her.  The other night we were awakened by the loudest meow crying we have ever heard.  We opened the door and she was sitting there with her baby on the floor in front of her as if it were dead.  She looked at us and then immediately picked it up and ran into the bedroom under the bed.  She is one crazy cat.

She carries the baby around in her mouth while meowing loudly.  I wonder and think this must be difficult for a cat.  She paces with it for long periods of time and then will suddenly appear in the living room or wherever we are without the baby in her mouth.  If we ask her where her baby is, sometimes she goes and gets it and other times she does not. 

Today I followed her because I wanted to find out what she does with that baby.  After several laps around the house and a stop at Bear’s kennel for some good old fashion dog smell she finally quieted down and ended up on her favorite blanket on the couch where she will sleep most of the day with her baby.

As I brood over this story of Chow Maine and her baby it reminds me of how God is with us.  He carries us around, He leaves us to try to make it alone, and He gives us discipline and lets us go through our struggles that we have brought on ourselves.  When we finally stop to rest, He is always there with His arms around us.  We are never alone no matter how much we think we might be.  He gives us just what we need; be it discipline, be it a struggle, or be it a hug.  God knows just what we need and when we need it.

© Crackerberries 2011

Homemade Dog Biscuits

Fido Bone Treats

Spare the rod, spoil the dog.

2½ cups flour

¾ cup grits

½ cup shortening

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 cups chicken/beef/pork fat, cooked and ground

Combine 2¼ cups flour, grits and brown sugar and mix well.  Cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly.  Stir in egg and meat fat until moistened; place on floured surface.  Divide dough into 1½ tbsp portions and using your thumb and forefinger, create dog bones.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet and back at 375º 25-30 minutes until crisp. 

I do not know what they taste like, but they smelled real good cooking and the dogs LOVE them.

© Crackerberries 2011

Pork Chops in Strawberry Chipotle Sauce

Pork Chops with Strawberry Chipotle Sauce

¾ lb pork tenderloin chops

¼ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tbsp lime juice

½ cup strawberry fig preserves

¼ cup chipotle in adobo sauce

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Chop chipotle peppers very fine.  Combine lime juice, preserves and chipotles in adobo sauce in medium sauce pan.  Heat to boiling and then reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes.

Sprinkle pepper and garlic powder on both sides of pork chops.  Heat oil in cast iron fry pan; cook chops for about 5 minutes per side on medium heat.  Spoon sauce over chops and serve.

© Crackerberries 2011