Flanders Pork & Apples

Here is another delicious recipe. We got pork center loin from SAM's the other day for $1.48 a lb. This was the first recipe I made with this meat. I had some apples in the fridge and decided this was the dish to make.

Flanders Pork & Apples

From the cookbook: Casserole Treasury by Lousene Rousseau Brunner

2 lbs. pork shoulder or loin sliced 1/2" thick

12 small white onions ( I chopped up some Spanish onion that I had)

2 TBS. flour

!/2 C. white wine ( I used o.j. and a dash of Southern Comfort)

1/2 c. chicken broth or condensed consomme ( I used chicken broth)

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 tsp. dried oregano and rosemary mixed or 1 Tbs. fresh, chopped

(I had fresh rosemary and dried oregano)

1 tsp. minced parsley (I used dried)

1 lb. tart cooking apples, peeled and sliced

1. Trim fat off the pork slices and try out in a heavy skillet. Skim out the brown particles, and saute in the fat, the pork and onions. Remove to a medium casserole.

2. If there is much fat left in the skillet pour it out and measure back 2 TBS. Stir in the flour and slowly add the wine and broth, stirring until the sauce is smooth and thick.

3. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper, add the herbs, and pour over the casserole. Cover tightly and bake 2 hours in a slow oven, 300 degrees. (If your casserole lid does not fit tightly cover the casserole first with heavy brown paper and then put on the lid.)

4. When the casserole has baked 1 1/2 hours stir in the apples, cover, again, and finish baking. Serves 6.

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I did this in the crockpot. Putting the sliced apples in first, then the meat, then the sauce. Cooked it on low for about 6-8 hours.







This seems like it would be a great dish for you up north with your frigid temps and white stuff on the ground. You can stay indoors smelling something delicious making for dinner.

Zone 10 ~ s.e. FL

A simple cottage Christmas

Good Sunday morning Friends ~ Hope your weekend got off to a good start and hope your day today is peaceful.

I did get in the mood to go into the attic the other day to get Christmas boxes down. Didn't do as much as I usually do, but this year it's enough.

Click on pictures for a larger view.

The first picture is in my little office/workspace, looking out onto front patio.

This is our little tree on the wall space between two arches in our living room.

This angel is made of lace by my late MIL
and is one of my favorite pieces to get out each year.

The next few pictures are of some of the ornaments,

from family and friends, a couple I've made, all special to us.

Below are pictures of our Nativity scene. We bought the main Nativity pieces, Joseph, Mary, Baby Jesus, the three wise men and a donkey and cow in Spain, I think for our first Christmas there which was our second married Christmas. So these pieces are about 39 years old. We bought these in the little town we lived in.

The angels we have collected over the years, plus other pieces, like the soldiers, and other visitors.The sterling salt and pepper shakers hold bits of myrrh in one and frankincense in the other. I always pick fresh rosemary for in the back of the creche. DH made the creche, many, many years ago. I love setting this all up each year.

Hope you all have a lovely holiday season.
May it be filled with love, light and happiness.

Zone 10 ~ s.e. FL

Pumpkin or Sweet Potato Bread

Pumpkin Bread III

By: Leigh Paulin from here


* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 3 cups white sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 2/3 cup water
* 1 cup canned pumpkin or mashed sweet potatoes
* 4 eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease and flour two 9"x5" baking bread pans.

2. Sift together the dry ingredients .

3. Combine the vegetable oil, water, canned pumpkin and eggs.

Slowly add dry ingredients to egg mixture and mix until blended

4. Evenly distribute the batter between two pans. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
and top of bread is browned.
Cool bread in pans on a rack for 15 minutes.
Remove bread from pans by running a knife around the edge and turning upside down to dislodge bread, (you might have to shake a little but then it should come right out). Cool completely.

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Oh yea, I added a handful of raisins and about 1/2 c. or chopped pecans, could have added more of each. This was delicious. We're eating the first loaf and the second is in the freezer.

P.S. DH and I were just having some with lunch and I realized I should have said sweet potato bread as that is what I used because I had mashed sweet potatoes. So I edited the post. Sorry about that.

Zone 10 ~ s.e. FL

A start anyway

Hi Folks ~ It has been a warm, humid day today, it's 80 right now at 4:19 p.m and we've had a few showers. It does not feel like Christmas.

I've been debating about decorating this year and it's still up in the air as to whether or not I'll get boxes out of the attic or not. We'll see, maybe in a week or so, I'll feel differently.

The blog that inspired me to make a wreath today was Notes of Sincerity. I was lazing around this morning after reading Tricia Anne's post, and thought I might have a wire wreath. I checked in my shed and I had two of them, so grabbed one and started thinking about what to use on it.

The only pine we have that I could reach limbs to get any greenery from is our Norfolk pine. We bought this tree to use as our Christmas tree one year, many years ago. It was about 3' high in a pot. Now it's probably 30' tall at least and has been through several hurricanes.

After I got the greenery on, tied on with twisties, I thought of using shells from the beach, for a Florida theme. The center shell is a sand dollar that a friend of mine found and gave me, the rest DH and I found walking the beach. I used monofilament to tie those on, then hung it on the gate into the secret garden behind our little cottage. I love it. It says Cottage Florida Christmas.

This may just have inspired me to get things out of the attic yet.

Have a wonderful December preparing for a love filled Christmas.

Zone 10 ~ s.e. FL