Thoughts On Boston:Love Conquers All

As many times as the videos of the twin bombings in Boston have been played, and replayed, throughout the past 24 hours, I have noticed something.

 It took me a few views to see it. At first, I watched with horror, as the bombs exploded and people fell to the ground. However, once I looked further (I would say 'got past', but one really cannot get past such videos as these,) this is what I saw…

 I saw people running towards the explosions. I saw marathon workers. I saw first responders. I saw marathon runners. I saw moms. I saw dads. I saw employees of the local shops.

All running towards the carnage. Working together. Crawling through twisted metal. Tearing down fences. Reaching out to those that were scared. Tying tourniquets onto limbs. Carrying those that could not walk. Comforting those that could not be moved.

Racing through the streets with gurneys and wheelchairs, crossing a finish line that, moments before had held so much meaning, yet now seemed to be an insignificant blip on the radar, in a race against time to get the injured to hospitals.

 I saw the good of humanity rising up to and surmounting this display of evil. I saw national pride. I saw the best, and worst, of humanity, all within one video clip.

I saw that no matter how much a person or group may try to drag us down. No matter how many times a person or group tries to terrorize us. No matter how many attacks may occur on American soil. No matter how much evil may try to manifest itself in our world. Love conquers all.

The love we have for our brothers and sisters rose up in grand fashion yesterday during those terrifying hours. Once again, we, as humans, were put to the test. Once again we showed our true colors.

Many will rail against the world, America, the government, and anyone else that may seem easy to blame for such an evil act. Many will ask what our world, and specifically, this country, is coming to.

 However, I choose not to join in these masses. I choose, instead, to see the glimmer of good in this tragedy. To see the one bright light in the sea of darkness. I choose to recognize and celebrate the love that mankind displayed yesterday afternoon in the streets of Boston.

The kind of love that makes rational, logical adults run towards danger. The kind of love that makes these same people risk their own lives in hopes of saving and helping others.

In the aftermath of yet another tragedy, I choose to focus on these heroes, remembering a verse taken from I Corinthians 13, verse 13. “And now these three remain: Faith, Hope and Love. But the greatest of these is Love.”

As Mr. Rogers told us so long ago, “When I was a boy and would see scary things in the news, my mothers would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people helping.’”

Mr. Rogers and his mother were right. You will always find people helping. Why? Because love conquers ALL.

~Annie

Annie’s All Natural Pots and Pans Cleaner

Last night I made some super yummy stuffed peppers. I will post the recipe in a future blog, but for now, I need to tell y’all what I did. I burnt the peppers to the bottom of the pot.

Not just a little scorched, either. The “food-was- burned –to- the- bottom –of- the- pot -and –there- is- no- hope- for- redemption- might –as- well –throw- it- all -out –and- buy- new” kind.

But here is the problem. I love that pot. Therefore, I couldn’t give up on it. Not without a fight. Enter, Annie’s All Natural Pots and Pans Cleaner.

Annie’s All Natural Pots and Pans Cleaner

·        Cover affected area of pot or pan with ¼ inch of baking soda.

·        Pour vinegar over area until completely covered.

·        Let mixture sit for 5 minutes. Call the kiddos over to watch. Everyone likes a good fizz show.

·        Scrape and rinse.

·        Repeat first three steps, adding extra vinegar.

·        Bring pot to a boil, watching it carefully. Boil 2 minutes.

·        Let cool, then scrape and rinse.

I have used the recipe several times. Most of the time the pot or pan becomes as good as new. I have always seen marked improvement in the pot or pan, and I have always been able to salvage it instead of throwing it away.

I hope y’all never need to use this recipe. Hopefully you will never scorch a pot or pan. However, if you are like me, life gets busy, distractions arise, something shiny appears, and eventually the food gets burnt. While I cannot salvage you’re your meal, at least I can give you a way to salvage your pan.

“The grand essentials of life are something to do, something to love, something to hope for.”~ Thomas Chalmers.

~Annie

Annie’s Bubble and Squeak

 A family favorite while I was growing up, was Bubble and Squeak. My mom always would laugh and say that the bubble was from the cabbage and the squeak was from the pig. While I am not sure that was the case, it doesn’t truly matter. It is delicious, and I am here to share my recipe with you.

Bubble and Squeak is an old English recipe, with as many variations as chili. Some variations call for multiple steps and multiple ingredients. Mine is much simpler, with only three ingredients.

Annie’s Bubble and Squeak

• Brown 1 pound of sausage. For me, the spicier, the better!
• Chop one head of cabbage. Place in pot. Fill pot until cabbage is just covered.
• Cook cabbage until almost tender.
• Add ¼ cup butter.
• Add cooked sausage.
• Cook until cabbage is tender.
• Serve.

That’s it. Seriously easy. Seriously short prep time. You may add whatever you wish to this dish. Carrots and potatoes are old favorites. I prefer to just enjoy the flavors of the cabbage mingled with the sausage.

As Lanston Hughes said, “ Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.”

~Annie

The Sister I Never Had

When I married JP almost sixteen years ago, I inherited something that I had always wanted: a sister.

JP’s sister, SJ, and I were on cordial terms for years. This included small talk, always sticking to surface subjects that were safe and polite. It was nice, but I longed for more.

Fast forward to October 2005. SJ was returning from a year overseas. She had a few weeks before other obligations called, so she decided to spend those weeks with us.

To say I was nervous is an understatement. I had never spent so much time with SJ in my life. How were we going to fill the days? How was I going to entertain her? What if she hated it so much that she left early? Questions and doubts plagued me.

I took the train to Chicago to meet her. On our way home, I realized that she was extremely easy to talk with. Over the next few weeks, the walls between us disintegrated, and she truly became my sister.

I now understood what people meant when they spoke of the connections between sisters. We did everything together, from the excitement of climbing and dune diving off of Mount Baldy, to cleaning out the chicken coop. Everyday was an adventure with SJ, and I loved it.

One of my fondest memories of those few weeks together was driving down the road, explaining to SJ that our county was a leading producer of mint. She was instantly intrigued and asked if I would take her to see a mint field.

Upon arrival at said mint field, she immediately hopped out of the van and took off through the field, running for the pure enjoyment of running. It was an awesome moment for me. For the first time ever, I was witnessing someone living everyday to the fullest.

That moment changed my life, yet I never did tell her. It took several more years for me to actually embrace living life to the fullest. To choosing joy everyday. It took several more years for me to become comfortable with who I truly was, but SJ was the catalyst that helped me begin my journey.

SJ intentionally moved closer to our home for five years, partly in hopes of getting to know our new arrival, Little Bug. She was very successful in doing so, as Little Bug is Aunt SJ’s number one fan. After the five years that she had allotted, she moved away.

The move broke my heart. I miss SJ everyday. Every single day. Due to costs of travel, jobs, and time, we only get to see each other once a year. We definitely make those precious days count, but I cry every time I have to say goodbye to SJ until the next year.

Last night, right after finishing supper, I received a call from SJ. We are not really the “chat on the phone with each other” types, so I knew something was up. She was in town for meetings and had finished early, and could she come hang out with us for a few days? Needless to say, I was beyond excited, as were JP and Little Bug. Our sister was coming home.

So here is to my sister. To the “quick! Stop the van! I need to take pictures of those weeds and that pile of dirt!” moments. To the talk into the wee hours of the morning moments. To the “only you understand because you lived through it too” moments. To the laughter. To the tears. To the hugs. To the “see you next year” moments. To the “care packages sent just because” moments.

As Carol Saline said, “Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other.”

To my SJ. I love you so much. Thank you for willingly coming into my life and becoming the sister I never had.

~Annie

Annie's Scrumptious Pork Chops

Every year, JP and I get a hog butchered. Sometimes we raise our own. Sometimes we get one from our friends that raises them organically. Either way, we try to steer clear of the store bought pork if we can help it.

Recently, a friend of mine purchased a hog from our farmer friend as well. She asked me if I had a recipe for pork chops. Boy, do I ever…..

Annie’s Scrumptious Pork Chops

• Select pork chops. My selection of pork chops consists of opening the freezer and getting a pack or two out, however, I realize most people will be getting them from the grocery. You can use any thickness you desire. I have found that my family prefers them about ¾ inch think. Look for chops that do not have an excessive amount of fat on them as well.
• Place on plate and bring to room temperature.
• While on plate, sprinkle the following onto your chops:
• Vinegar. Make sure to cover entire chop. For an explanation as to why you are doing this, head over here and read my recipe for steaks.
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Montreal seasoning (optional)

• Once chops are to room temperature, place them on grill. If you have a gas grill, place the grill on lowest setting. If you are using a charcoal grill, wait until the coals have burned down a bit.
• Then walk away. Please. Just leave them be for awhile. They have work to do and they are not going to be able to do it to the best of their ability if you keep peaking in on them and poking them every two minutes. Tell them you will be back in ten minutes and walk away.
• Check in on your chops after ten minutes, turning them in the process. Then walk away again, this time, for five minutes.
• After five minutes, use tongs to lightly press on the chops. If they give you some resistance, chops are done. Otherwise, leave them on the grill for a few more minutes. Do not, and I repeat do not, cut into them to check. All of the juices will run out and you will be left with a dry, shoe leather-like pork chop.
• Place chops and plate and leave them alone for a five minutes. This will give them time to rest and evenly distribute their juices.
• Serve and enjoy your yummilicious pork chops!

As the weather improves, and cookouts abound, keep this recipe in mind. I use it for pork steaks and the like as well.

Have a gorgeous and fabulous day, my friends!

“So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains, and we never even know we have the key.”~Lyrics from Already Gone, performed by the Eagles for their 1974 On the Border album.

~Annie

                       

Annie’s Award-Winning Yellow Tomato Chili

JP loves my chili. Loves it. He loves it so much, that he did not tell me about the chili cook-off at his work for eleven years so he would not have to share it with anyone. Seriously. The man is addicted.

The thing about my chili is that it is unlike any other that I have ever had. For several years of my life, I was allergic to citric acid, which is found in large amounts in red tomatoes. Enter: yellow tomatoes.

Yellow tomatoes do not have the acidity of red tomatoes; therefore they are perfect for those with citric acid allergies. Although I no longer have those allergies, the yellow tomato based chili has found its niche in our meal rotation.

Annie’s Award-Winning Yellow Tomato Chili

• Throw a pound of ground beef, venison, turkey, etc. in a pot. Pot should be at least 6 quarts in capacity.
• Brown ground meat.
• As meat is browning, chop up and add the following:
• 1 large onion
• 2 stems of celery
• ½  of a green bell pepper (or any pepper that may be lying around your fridge, waiting to be useful.
• Add 1 heaping teaspoon of minced garlic. Stir.

• Once veggies are translucent, add the following:
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1 Table spoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon celery seed
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red peppers
• 1/8 teaspoon oregano

• Stir.
• Add 2 quarts of canned yellow tomato puree  (recipe to follow soon.) If you do not have this on hand, you may use red tomato juice if you wish.
• Add 1 pint or can of diced tomatoes
• Add 2 cans of kidney beans
• Add water until chili is 2 inches from top of pot
• Stir.
• Bring to boil, then turn heat to low and let simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. The longer it sits, the better it will taste.
• About twenty minutes before you are planning to serve your chili, add 1 cup of instant mashed potatoes. Please trust me on this one. It will thicken your chili just a bit and give it a hearty taste and texture. I promise.

I serve this chili with my cornbread. It makes a nice addition to a scrumptious meal. The chili can me made ahead of time. It is also easy to freeze and take out on a busy day when there is no time to cook supper. It can also be made in a crock pot and left to simmer all day.

To jazz up your chili, you may want to serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, hot sauce, jalapenos, crackers, tortilla chips, and anything else that suits your mood.

Oh, and remember that chili cook off at JP’s work? After I finally knew about it, Annie’s chili won, hands down, every year.

As you charge out into this day, take with you the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Live your life to the fullest, lovelies, everyday, choosing JOY.

~Annie

Annie's All Natural Coffee Maker Cleanser

This morning, as I eagerly anticipated that first sip of coffee, my fingers drummed the counter. When the coffee was finally in my cup, doused with a bit of almond milk, I took the first taste.

What I expected was a tasty, wonderful mouthful of a richly, brewed drink. What I got was bitterness. It was time to clean the coffee pot.

Cleaning a coffee maker is relatively simple. I am sure that they sell some sort of coffee maker cleansers somewhere, stock full of chemicals that you in no way want to ever ingest. Ever.

Instead of some high priced cleanser, let me let you in on a little all natural secret of mine. This little secret will cost just a few pennies, and a bit of wait time.

If you read my blog with any regularity, you will know my secret weapon of choice for all sorts of things. Its name is vinegar.

Annie’s Coffee Maker Cleanser

• Pour vinegar into carafe. For large (12 cup) carafe, use 2 cups of vinegar. For small (4 cup) carafe, use 2/3 cup of vinegar.
• Pour vinegar from carafe into the holding tank, where you normally would pour the water.
• Leave filter basket in place. This is a great time for it to get a cleaning as well.
• Turn on coffee maker.
• Let the vinegar run through the coffee maker.
• Turn off coffee maker.
• Pour vinegar from carafe into holding tank, taking care not to burn yourself. The vinegar will now be very hot.
• Repeat three times.

While the coffee maker is running the vinegar through four times, I take this time to clean my sinks, and prepare them for cleaning their drains. This little tip is found here.  Since the vinegar still is useful, and is already hot, why waste it? Right? After the vinegar has ran through the coffee maker for the fourth time, just pour the vinegar from the carafe, down into the drains as directed in the drain cleaner post. In this way, you are killing two birds with one stone.

Ok, back to our coffee maker….

• Fill carafe with water.
• Pour it into the holding tank.
• Run water through coffee maker.
• Once the coffee maker has finished filling the carafe, pour the hot water down the kitchen sink. I pour half down one side, half down the other.
• Repeat six times. Yes. Six. For a total of seven times. I have found that it takes seven times to completely rid your coffee pot of the vinegar taste. If you want to chance it and live life on the wild side by only running water through a total of six times, do it. (I am currently on round number five of running water through the coffee maker as I write this post.)
• Your coffee maker, filter basket, and carafe are now ready to be used again.

If you have found that your favorite coffee now seems to have a bitter taste to it, clean your coffee maker. If you find that your coffee is taking forever to brew in the morning, clean your coffee maker. If you can no longer see through your carafe, clean your coffee maker.

For only a few cents, you can have your coffee maker back in like-new condition, and your favorite coffee tasting like a little bit of Heaven with each eagerly anticipated sip.

 As Aristotle said, “Happiness does not consist in pastimes and amusements but in virtuous activities. “

~Annie