Easy Pork Roast

I love the smell of roast pork as it slow cooks in my oven on a cold snowy day. I want to show you just how easy it is to get a perfect roast every time. 

Easy Pork Roast

 1 (6-8 lb). boneless rolled Pork Loin or Sirloin pork Roast
1-2 cups of apple cider or chicken stock

Dry Rub

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup paprika
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup garlic powder
2 tablespoons mild chili powder
2 tablespoons course salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons celery seeds
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
3 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground allspice

Mix all dry seasonings and ingredients together until blended. Lay roast on plastic wrap and coat with olive oil. You may also pour olive oil in spices and blend for a wet rub. Generously rub entire roast with spices. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Remove roast from refrigerator and set oven to 450 degrees. Place the roast on a rack inside a roasting pan with the fat pad on the top side up so you have a natural basting throughout the cooking process.

Roast on center rack of oven for about 15 minutes to sear the meat and activate the flavors of the spices. Carefully remove hot roasting pan from oven and pour chicken broth or apple juice under rack, making sure meat is not sitting in liquid. Cover entire roasting pan and rack with heavy foil to keep in steam. Reduce temperature down to only 250 degrees and bake for 60-90 minutes or until you reach a temperature of 145 degrees in the center of the roast.

Remove roasting pan from oven and carefully remove foil so that steam escapes. Carefully use tongs to lift the roast to a platter. Do not puncture with a fork. Tent loosely with foil and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before carving. Remove foil, slice, and serve.

 Photo credit http://www.primemeats.com/pork/pork-loin-roast/

You Are One Of A Kind

You Are One Of A Kind

God made you just the way he wanted.

You weren't an accident. You weren't mass produced. You aren't an assembly-line product. You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on the earth ...by The Master Craftsman.

You are unique...in your appearance, your character, your beliefs, your principles, your talents, and your gifts. There is no one or nothing else exactly like you.

He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. He gives you the moon at night and warm summer breezes. He gives you the song that birds sing to enlighten your days and the snow covered mountains to liven your senses. He brings you miracles every day to let you know he's nearby.

You are a miracle. He created you and he thinks you are wonderful and beautiful and he made no one else in this whole wide world like you. Remember that the next time you feel you are not good enough...thin enough...smart enough....pretty enough...You ARE enough.

You are one of a kind.

By the way, each day of your life God gives you a gift of 86,400 seconds. Have you used one of them today to tell him thank you?

Honey Sesame Chicken over Sticky Rice

I love this dish...I order it often when I go out for Chinese food. I also love making my own Chinese food at home and last summer I decided to try and come up with the right ingredients to copy the recipe of my favorite restaurant. I would say this is right on the mark. Tender moist chicken in a thick Asian honey sauce over a bed of perfect sticky rice. Sometimes I even add a little orange zest and orange juice to make orange chicken from the same recipe. This is a keeper my friends!

Honey Sesame Chicken over Sticky Rice

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 pinch each salt & pepper
4 tablespoons of vegetable or peanut oil (for frying)

Sauce

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup honey
½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional for heat)

In a large bowl, coat chicken well on all sides in the cornstarch and add a pinch of salt and pepper. In a large heavy skillet, add the peanut or vegetable oil and fry the chicken over medium high heat for about 10 minutes or until it is golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken and place on a plate lined with a paper towel. Once all chicken is cooked, place it all back into the skillet with the heat turned down to simmer.

In a small bowl stir together soy sauce, water, sesame oil, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, fresh grated ginger, minced garlic, cornstarch, and sesame seeds. If you want to add spiciness or heat to your dish, now would be the time to stir in the red pepper flakes. Pour the sauce over the top of the chicken and toss to coast well. Sauce will start to thicken as it warms in the skillet. When it is the consistency you like, turn off the heat. Serve the chicken over a bed of rice and sprinkle with additional sesame seeds if desired.

Photograph is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home.

♥ Bacon Cheeseburger Skillet Dinner

Bacon Cheeseburger Skillet Dinner

From Marie over at the English Kitchen who is always so kind to share her recipes with us."This is one of those great family style dishes that not only tastes delicious, but is also quick, easy and feeds a crowd. You can cut the quantities in half if you like, but I'd also like to add that it freezes very well and so it's one of those things you can have in the freezer, ready to whip out at a moment's notice!"

1 box (16 0z) uncooked pasta
2 pounds extra lean ground beef
1 pound of bacon
1 onion, peeled and minced
2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 cans of tomato soup
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon mixed herbs (dried basil, oregano, parsley, marjoram)
2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove with and set aside to drain. Add the beef, onions and garlic to the drippings. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the beef is lightly browned and the vegetables are soft. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and the herbs. Crumble in the cooked bacon. Add the ketchup and tomato soup. Bring to the boil, then simmer while you cook the pasta.

Cook the pasta in lightly salted water according to the package directions until tender. Once tender, drain well and then stir into the beef mixture. Add 3/4 of the cheddar cheese and stir it in to melt, then sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top and allow to melt. Serve right from the pan with lots of crusty bread and a tasty salad on the side.

Make sure you stop by Marie's webpage for some of the best recipes and step by step directions on how to make them! Let her know Welcome Home sent you!

http://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.com/2012/03/bacon-cheeseburger-skillet-dinner.html

♥ Hash brown Egg Nests

Hash brown Egg Nests

1 box (5.2 oz) Betty Crocker® Seasoned Skillets® hash brown potatoes with hot water, salt and margarine called for on potato box
1/4 cup crumbled bacon or ham
6 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 6 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray.

Make potatoes as directed on box. When done, place in medium bowl. Stir in crumbled bacon. Divide mixture evenly among muffin cups. Bake about 15 minutes or until starting to turn golden brown on edges. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Crack 1 egg over each muffin cup. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350°F about 18-20 minutes or until egg whites and yolks are firm, not runny. Cool 5 minutes before removing from muffin cups.

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/egg-topped-hash-brown-nests/81c8931d-5efb-4e43-8e1b-f7f25f77ba02

Dear God

Dear God,

Help me to put aside the things that are breaking my heart, long enough to think and pray about all the things in this world that are breaking yours.

Amen

♥ It's A New Year

Good morning friends. Well, we have a whole new year ahead of us now....and the question is, what do we plan to do with it? I would like to offer you a suggestion and challenge you to take a pledge.

What major change can we make in our liv...es to better the life of others? Even one other person. I'm not talking about New Years Resolutions or Weight Loss Diets or rearranging furniture. I am talking about making a difference in other's lives in some way. Oh it's easier said that done....you really have to take the initiative and get involved and make it happen.

Having a cause that you believe in can make your own life richer in so many ways. I'm not talking about donating to the Church. I hear that all the time..."I give to my church and they take care of all that stuff." I am talking about getting personally involved and doing something for someone that will make a difference in their life and in your life.

As you all know, I support the No Kill Advocacy Group who are out there everyday, working diligently to save the lives of innocent dogs and cats who are being killed unnecessarily while they wait in shelters for someone to love them and give them a new home. There is nothing for fulfilling for me than knowing I may have saved the life of an animal today. There is nothing that enriches my life more than seeing a dog trapped in a shelter go out the front door with a loving family than the rear door to it's death.

Some of you know that I have a homeless friend who walks the highway near where I live and I have sort of adopted him without him knowing. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about his safety and his care. I go out and search for him each week to give him food and things to keep him warm. That my friends has enriched my life more than you know. The other day I saw him walking down that same stretch of highway in the rain and bitter cold. On his
head was the new furry wool hat that I had given him on Christmas Eve. I am still smiling.

This year I pledge to do more....because God has blessed me in so many ways, why shouldn't I share those blessings with others? I'm not rich by any means. But I have a roof over my head and food on my table and God has always taken care of me. I think he expects me to do the same. I cannot imagine going to bed hungry or sleeping outside in the cold and it breaks my heart that a country as rich and prosperous as ours allows it. So it is up to me to make a difference.

I have always wanted to start a program where funds could be raised to pay the mortgage or rent payments of someone who is about to lose their home due to job loss or illness. I can't imagine anything being worse than losing your home and having nowhere to go. It literally hurts me to think about the indignity of being told you have to leave your home, knowing you have no place to call home anymore. I think of all the gifts God gives us, Home is the one we are most grateful for. Home is our sanctuary. Home is a place where we can go to feel safe. So this year, I will set out to search for such a program or create of my own.

You might be asking what you can do this year. I look at the power in numbers. Look at how many followers at Welcome Home on Facebook....over 465,000. What would happen if each and every one of us decided that everyday for the next 364 days, we were going to do something...anything...to make a difference in a life out there?

What if we kept a few dollars in our car to give to someone who we saw holding up a sign on a street corner? What if we baked bread or cookies to give to a shelter or mission in your area? What if we gave canned goods to a food bank in town or we dropped off a bag of dog or cat food to your local animal shelter? What if we handed out blankets or coats to the homeless? What if we just handed out a box of groceries to someone standing in the unemployment or welfare line?

And it's not always the needy or the hungry we can help. What if we set out to make someone's day better? Like buying that cup of coffee for the person in line behind you at your local coffee shop or paying the toll for someone at the toll booth. What if you see someone who might need help buying groceries at the local market and you help pay the bill? What if you can help that elderly neighbor in some way this year with chores he or she can no longer handle? What if we actually smile at people and say hello to a stranger at least once at day this year?

Judy Garland once said, "Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could be a little more gentle with each other, a little more loving, have a little more empathy, and maybe next year at this time, we'd like each other a little more...."

So there is a new chapter for Welcome Home this year and I challenge you to take the pledge to do something for someone on every single day of it. At the end of every day... just before the goodnight baby post... I will feature a post that will talk about kindness and goodwill towards each other. It's purpose will be to allow you to comment on what YOU did to make a difference that day. Like it?

I hope you will take the pledge and get involved....don't just say it. Do something today that will make a difference even in the slightest way...and tonight be ready to share it with all your friends here at Welcome Home. Together we can make a difference my friends. Let work together to do just that.

~Marty

♥ Sometimes we just need to be a kid again.

Sometimes we need to go where we can hear that screen door slam, and bring back memories of Mom calling us at supper time. Sometimes we need to wish on a falling star and lay in the grass and make shapes out of clouds. Sometimes we need to climb a tall tree, and skip rocks across a pond and catch fireflies in a jar. Sometimes we need to remember when life was simple and innocent. Sometimes we just need to be a kid again.

~Marty

♥ Savory Beef Stew

I think beef stew is the ultimate comfort food for fall and winter and it just gets better as the flavors meld each day. I don't put a lot of things in my beef stew because to me it is a stew and not a vegetable soup. In this version you will find that the true meat and potato girl comes out because I only do beef and potatoes...oh yea, and a few carrots just to say I added vegetables! LOL!

Savory Beef Stew

2 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed and cubed
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32oz) carton of beef broth
1 packet Lipton Onion Soup mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
2 tablespoons olive oil + 2 tablespoons butter for frying
4 tablespoons of flour
1 bag small baby carrots
1 can of whole kernel corn, drained
1-2 lb Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon corn starch as necessary for thickening gravy

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil. Saute onion and garlic until tender and lightly browned. Add flour, salt and pepper to a small bowl. Dredge beef cubes in flour and fry in same skillet until brown on all sides. Set aside. Transfer everything to your crock pot.

Sprinkle packet of Lipton onion soup over meat. Add peeled potatoes, baby carrots and corn, (you can add other vegetables such as celery, mushrooms, pearl onions, etc) at this time. Next pour entire carton of beef broth over everything and set your crock pot on high. Cook for 6 hours on high (or 8 hours on low).

At this point, your meat and vegetables will be fork tender and your gravy will thickened because of the flour you dredged your meat in. However, if you would like thicker gravy as seen in the photo, you can spoon about 1 cup liquid from your stew into a bowl and whisk in 2 tablespoons of corn starch until smooth. Pour mixture back in your crock pot and cook for an additional 30 minutes until gravy is thicker.

Photograph is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home.

My Mother's Gift

As we all celebrate the holidays this year, please take a few minutes to think about those who have nothing to celebrate. Those that are less fortunate and have no place to call home.

I know you have heard this time and time again and you always intend to help...but someone else's sorrow is not always on the forefront of our minds. If you truly want to change your life this coming year, then make it a point to help others who have nothing.

Look for opportunities everyday and everywhere you go. I mean really set a goal to help one person anyway you can at least once a week. Your life will change for the better. The joy that comes from helping others is unlike any other emotion. All my young life I was taught to give and I am a better person because of it. I thank my Mom for that. It is one of the greatest lessons of my life.

My Mother's Gift

My first lesson came when I was only 7 years old and a drunk driver going 80 miles an hour on a local street struck and killed my Dad in front of me as I ran to greet him. It was pretty traumatic for a little girl. It was devastating to a young mother of two children who was left alone without any way of supporting us until she met my Step father three years later. But she managed on her own and we had food on the table, a roof over our heads and she made all our clothes.

One night, just a few days after my Dad's death, we went to visit the wife of the man who killed him. I can remember walking a short way to this old house and my Mom telling me to hold on to the hem of her skirt as her arms were carrying a big heavy box. With my other hand I was pulling my old red wagon behind us which had another box. When we reached the house, my Mom sat the box down and knocked on the door as I hid behind her still holding on tight to her skirt.

A woman answered the door and instantly buried her face in her hands and began to sob. My Mom reached in and hugged her and told her not to cry and asked if we could come in. She then struggled to pick up the heavy boxes and we went inside. The woman told my Mom that she was so ashamed of what her drunken husband had done and wished she could do anything to change the circumstances. She apologized for having nothing to offer us to drink and for the house being so cold that February night.

Even at 7 years old I knew that these people were poor....there was an infant with just a diaper on and the house was so cold you could see your breath. There were homemade beds made of old rags and worn blankets on the floor where the bedrooms were. There was a little girl about my age, hiding behind the curtains, her face was dirty and her clothes were ragged and torn.

I stayed right next to my Mom as she opened the box and told the woman that we wanted to give her a token of love and friendship. She reached into the box that was filled with my old baby clothes and clothes that might fit the little girl my age. She had packed some of her things too for the woman to wear. In the other box she had packed canned food and blankets and household goods. She even thought to pack a hair brush and some ribbons for the little girl's hair.

And the woman cried. Her little girl came from behind the curtains and tears also rolled down her cheeks as she saw a doll my Mom had packed in the box. She picked up the brush and asked her mom if she would brush her hair. Then she went into the other room and she brought out a small toy from a box of Cracker Jacks and handed it to me. My Mom reminded me to say thank you and I hugged the little girl.

Now keep in mind we didn't have much when my father was alive and now we were facing even less, but I watched my Mom's face as she handed this woman our things and I could see the joy that it brought. I knew it made my Mother so happy. Later, when I was old enough to understand the message that night, I knew that I wanted to feel that same joy of giving and to this day I have never stopped.

Oh what a wonderful and generous human being my Mother was. Instead of feeling hatred and anger for these people who took her husband away from our family, she reached out to them to ease their pain. In my mind there has never been or never will be a woman like my Mom and I thank God she was the Mother he chose for me. I strive everyday to be just like her.

Please make a pledge to help those that have no one and very little of their own. And tell yourself that from this day forward you will try to make a difference. It will make a difference in your life. I promise.

My Prayer

"Oh, God, when I have food
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work, help me
to remember the jobless;

While I am in my warm home,
help me to remember the cold and the homeless;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer.

And in remembering,
please help me to destroy my complacency;
please stir my compassion,
so that I am concerned enough to help;
By word and by deed,
those who cry out for the very things I might
take for granted.
Amen.

By the way, for those of you who are new to my page, I always choose a pink rose when I write about my Mom. Pink roses were her favorite.

~Marty