Pork, the other white meat...

We love pork here in our house. Any kind of pork, ham, bacon, sausage, pork steaks, bacon, ribs, bacon. It's a pretty tasty meat and usually pretty fairly priced.

I happened to have some pork steaks that needed to be used and wanted to find something different to do with them. So to the internet I went... My search lead me to a recipe for Ranch Porkchops.

I will admit this dinner was not the most healthy of meals, and I had to run some extra miles to work it off,  but it was pretty good even our 11 year old loved it.

So here it is....

Preheat oven to 400*
Use a dark cooking sheet and cover with tin foil for easier clean up
Spray tin foil with Pam

4 Pork chops
1 Cup Ranch Dressing
1/2 Packet of Italian Seasoning
1 1/2 Cups Italian bread crumbs
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp of Seasoning salt

1. Combine Italian Seasoning, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and pepper in a bowl. (You could also use a zip lock bag.)

2. Pour ranch dressing into a bowl.

3. Coat pork chops with ranch dressing.

4. Put ranch covered pork chop into bread crumbs and cover on all sides.

5. Put on pan and cook for about 40 min.

I cooked these at a higher temperature to try to prevent the breading from being too gooey. Just keep an eye on them at this temperature.

Next time I will not put such a think coating of ranch on the meat before the breading. I think this also attributed to the breading not being crispy.

This meal was pretty tasty and got pretty decent reviews from the family. I will be making it again. If you like pork this is a recipe you may want to give a try!

Nettie <3

Oh, how I love FALL!!

So, I love everything fall. The color changes in the trees, the smell in the air, the fallen leaves, the jeans, sweaters, hoodies and boots, hats and mittens. Bon fires, hot chocolate, snuggling and sweats. But, I think one of  my most favorite things about fall are the scents. I love walking into a home and smelling cinnamon, and cloves and vanilla and everything in between.

Now, I love my house to smell this way just like many of you out there.. Candles are expensive and leave soot on the jars and generally are kind of pricey for what they are. The tarts are amazing, and only about $2.00 a piece, but they don't last as long and the money starts to add up. So my inexpensive cost effective way of making my house smell like harvest heaven??

Make your own!!! And it doesn't include wax, artificial ingredients, or a lot of time and attention! Sounds like a dream come true right??

Here is what you will need:

1 Saucepan
Cinnamon Sticks
Cloves
1 Orange, sliced

(don't stick to just this list. Be creative. Add things you like, don't include things you don't. If you like vanilla, add a few drops of vanilla extract!)

To begin:

1. Boil a pot of water

2. Once water is boiling, add a your ingredients. (I used 2 cinnamon sticks, threw in a few cloves, and four or five orange slices.

3. Reduce pot to a simmer.

4. Enjoy the magic aroma that fills your home!

Remember to keep an eye on this every so often. The water will evaporate and more will need to be added. When the pot starts getting low just add some more water. I use the same pot for about two days. Then I throw it out and start again!

The cost is only a fraction of what you spend on candles, tarts and air fresheners! Try it, I promise you won't be disappointed!

       (This is all you need!)

    (Just throw it all in)

(You can see the yummy smells rising!!)

 

Disclaimer: I realize this is not a new thing. People have been doing this for years. I am just surprised at the amount of people who do not know about it!

Who's that girl?? And what does she want?

Hello!

My name is Nettie. I am a wife and mother of three. I worked for many years in the life insurance/annuity industry. I had the opportunity to quit my job after the birth of our twins and now am a full time stay at home mommy! My husband and I have been married for 3 years. We have three children together. Our oldest son is 11 and our boy/girl twins will be 2 in December. My family is my life and I would do anything for any of them. I smile as much as possible and laugh at the dumbest things.

I started running last year and finished just finished my second half marathon this month. Running has become a way of life for me. I am addicted and really do enjoy it. Since the birth of my twins I have lost 75 pounds. I have done this with a combination of running/exercise and diet. Although, I am not perfect at either. I am human and I still struggle regularly. But I am always looking for new ways to push myself and keep me interested.

So there are a few reasons I wanted to start a blog.....

1. I still have about 20-25 pounds I would like to lose and need a little more motivation/accountability.  (Really just someone to kick me in the butt everyday)

2. I love to do craft/DIY projects, and a house that is still in the process of being finished (yes that we live in...really it's just a bunch of small projects that need to be done..ummm honey??).... I would like to start blogging about a project I do weekly. The good the bad and the epic fails.... Why the heck not? I'm a stay at home mom and you all are looking for entertainment.

3. I LOVE food and love to cook. I am always looking for and trying new recipes. Not all healthy, but all pretty amazing. I will be blogging about the meals and treats I will be making. How they go over in the house and what I would change in the future if anything..

So for now that is what I can think of...I know it will change along the way anyway!!!

Oh and in case you haven't figured it out.....I'm tattooed!!!

I have many many tattoos and continue to add as regularly as possible. My husband is tattooed and we wouldn't have it any other way!!