1. My father-in-law has Cirrhosis of the liver not because of alcohol use but because of a lifetime of eating fatty everything combined with diabetes. He's not a transplant candidate due to his age (70) and his poor health. We found out in May but it just hit Mr. Ella that his Dad is going to die within the year.
2. My baby had a rash on his bottom so I cleaned him up and let him crawl around naked in the backyard. Tater Tot immediately decided that he needed to be naked too. Was he motivated by empathy or is he a budding nudist?
3. Louie, my oldest daughter, has been inspired by Teeny's recent trip to California to see SuperCroc. She's decided that she's going to save her money so that we can go to Sea World in San Diego. She picked Sea World because she LOVES sharks and they have a pool with just sharks. She won't get to swim with them, much to her dismay, but I guess seeing 30-50 sharks swimming together makes her happy.
4. I'm still recovering from a bout of strep throat (I'm still mad my parents didn't have my tonsils taken out when I was little) and am having a hard time getting to sleep. I've been falling asleep around 5 am.
5. I am tired.
6. I'm addicted to protein smoothies. Some vanilla protein powder, orange sustain (a gatorade-like drink) powder, banana and pineapple.... seriously good!
7. I went for a walk with my husband last night and since I don't know how to walk slowly, it only took 10 minutes to walk a mile. I don't know how to dawdle.
8. The tan I acquired from my recent vacation has finally started to go away! I've worked hard at not maintaining it. I like being pale.
9. This morning I gave Teeny and Tater Tot a hair cut. I was so proud that Tater Tot sat quietly through the whole thing.
10. Lately, Teeny has become obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine.
Ella
© Ella's Place
June 18, 2012
June 6, 2012
California Trip
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| The view just a one minute walk from our hotel |
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| I discovered I have a bridge phobia because the thought of driving over 8 1/2 miles of bridge to get to San Francisco scared me to death |
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| So we took the ferry |
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| We met Claude the albino alligator at the California Academy of Science |
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| Doesn't Claude look creepy and hungry? |
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| Teeny named his momento Suchhi (because it kind of looked liked Sarco suchus Imperator or SuperCroc) with Mike, Junior and Abel her babies |
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| Teeny in front of the Oakland California Temple for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Isn't it beautiful? |
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| And here is the whole reason for our trip. I'd like to introduce you to SuperCroc. It's mouth was so big I could have easily fit in it. |
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| It looks like SuperCroc decided Teeny would make a nice snack |
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| This elephant knew it was time to eat and was patiently waiting at the food drop off spot |
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| Teeny channeling his inner alligator |
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| View of San Francisco from the ferry on our way to Pier 39 |
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| Alcatraz island |
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| We weren't the only one crazy for alligators and crocodiles. Here's what we found in the window of Boudin's Bakery; bread shaped into a momma alligator and her baby with a few turtles. I'm not sure why turtles but they're cute. |
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| Our last morning in California. I had promised Teeny could make a sand castle everyday but we never got to it. Here's is our last minute attempt made with a juice cup from breakfast. |
Ella
© Ella's Place
June 1, 2012
Freezer Meals
In my last post I mentioned the frenzy of freezer meal making I recently went through. My motivation was realizing this summer is going to be warmer than usual and since we don't have air conditioning, I decided to cook the stuff that would really heat up my house a.k.a. meat. We're lucky enough to have a freezer chest that we only stock with meat and cheeses so I was able to cook up meat that we already had.
I made over 40 meat portions for meals and it really didn't take that much time. I made everything in 7 nights only working for 2-3 hours. And since I cooked the meat overnight in order to avoid heating the house during the day, there was some work the next morning when I shredded the meat but it didn't take more than 30 minutes. I also have 2 crockpots which really made things easier. It was nice to be able to have BBQ beef and pulled pork cooking at the same time. I also prepped all of the veggies beforehand. I chopped all of the peppers and onions at the same time and pulled them out of the fridge when I was ready.
I froze everything flat in Ziploc freezer bags to make it easier to store the meals. By freezing everything flat, you're able to stack things sideways or on top of each other. This allows you to fit more meals in your freezer.
When you defrost the food, place the freezer bag into the fridge the night before to allow time to defrost. Reheat the food and serve.
In honor everyone else who doesn't have air conditioning and tries to avoid heating up an already hot house, I thought that I would share some of the recipes with you.
BBQ Beef
1 2-3 lb. lean chuck or bottom round roast
Sauce:
1 1/2 cup ketchup
1 chopped onion (or 1 cup if pre-chopped)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbs. brown mustard
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. liquid smoke flavoring
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper, I prefer freshly ground
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Place the beef roast in the crock pot with the fatty part facing up; this allows the fat to baste your roast while it's cooking. In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the sauce. Whisk together well. Pour the sauce over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until tender. Remove the roast and shred the meat. Place the shredded meat back into the sauce in the crockpot. Stir to coat the meat.
Allow the bbq beef to cool. Transfer to a gallon freezer bag; I use Ziploc. Squeeze all of the air out of the bag and seal it. Lay the bag flat on a cookie sheet or cutting board; shmoosh the bbq beef until it's even and flat inside the bag. Put the cookie sheet/cutting board into the freezer. Once the bbq beef is frozen, remove the cookie sheet/cutting board and store in the freezer.
Dressed-Up Sloppy Joes
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped (or 1 cup if pre-chopped)
1 green pepper, chopped (or 1 cup if pre-chopped)
1 Tbs. minced garlic, I use the pre-minced store bought garlic
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp. mustard
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbs. tomato paste
1/3-1/2 cup water to reach desired consistency
freshly ground pepper to taste
Brown the ground beef with the onion, green pepper and garlic. Season to taste with salt. In a bowl mix the remaining ingredients except the water. Whisk together. Pour into the hamburger mixture. Stir to combine. Stir in 1/3 cup of water. Add more water if desired. Cover and turn heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take off heat.
Allow the sloppy joes to cool. Transfer to a gallon freezer bag; I use Ziploc. Squeeze all of the air out of the bag and seal it. Lay the bag flat on a cookie sheet or cutting board; shmoosh the sloppy joes until it's even and flat inside the bag. Put the cookie sheet/cutting board into the freezer. Once the sloppy joes is frozen, remove the cookie sheet/cutting board and store in the freezer.
Source: slightly adapted from Our Best Bites
Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork
1 large Vidalia onion, sliced thin
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. paprika
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 4-6 lb. boneless pork butt or shoulder
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Rinse pork roast under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Placed the thinly slice onions in the crock pot. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, paprika, kosher salt and pepper. Mix well. Rub mixture all over the roast. Place the roast in the crock pot on top of the onions.
In a two cup liquid measuring cup; combine the apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar, dry mustard, garlic salt and cayenne pepper. Whisk or stir with a fork to combine. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the roast. Cover and refrigerate the rest of the vinegar mixture.
Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 10-12 hours. Pour the remaining vinegar mixture over roast when there is only 1/2 hour cooking time left. Cook for the remaining time. Remove roast leaving the sauce in the crockpot. Chop or shred the meat. Put the meat back into the sauce.
Allow the pulled pork to cool. Transfer to a gallon freezer bag; I use Ziploc. Squeeze all of the air out of the bag and seal it. Lay the bag flat on a cookie sheet or cutting board; shmoosh the pulled pork until it's even and flat inside the bag. Put the cookie sheet/cutting board into the freezer. Once the pulled pork is frozen, remove the cookie sheet/cutting board and store in the freezer.
After you defrost and reheat the pulled pork, you can drain some of the sauce according to your taste.
Source: slightly adapted from My Baking Addiction
All of these recipes are beloved by my family. In fact, my sister hated sloppy joes and bbq beef until she tasted these recipes and now she's first in line when they're on the menu.
Ella
© Ella's Place
I made over 40 meat portions for meals and it really didn't take that much time. I made everything in 7 nights only working for 2-3 hours. And since I cooked the meat overnight in order to avoid heating the house during the day, there was some work the next morning when I shredded the meat but it didn't take more than 30 minutes. I also have 2 crockpots which really made things easier. It was nice to be able to have BBQ beef and pulled pork cooking at the same time. I also prepped all of the veggies beforehand. I chopped all of the peppers and onions at the same time and pulled them out of the fridge when I was ready.
I froze everything flat in Ziploc freezer bags to make it easier to store the meals. By freezing everything flat, you're able to stack things sideways or on top of each other. This allows you to fit more meals in your freezer.
When you defrost the food, place the freezer bag into the fridge the night before to allow time to defrost. Reheat the food and serve.
In honor everyone else who doesn't have air conditioning and tries to avoid heating up an already hot house, I thought that I would share some of the recipes with you.
BBQ Beef
1 2-3 lb. lean chuck or bottom round roast
Sauce:
1 1/2 cup ketchup
1 chopped onion (or 1 cup if pre-chopped)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbs. brown mustard
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. liquid smoke flavoring
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper, I prefer freshly ground
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Place the beef roast in the crock pot with the fatty part facing up; this allows the fat to baste your roast while it's cooking. In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the sauce. Whisk together well. Pour the sauce over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until tender. Remove the roast and shred the meat. Place the shredded meat back into the sauce in the crockpot. Stir to coat the meat.
Allow the bbq beef to cool. Transfer to a gallon freezer bag; I use Ziploc. Squeeze all of the air out of the bag and seal it. Lay the bag flat on a cookie sheet or cutting board; shmoosh the bbq beef until it's even and flat inside the bag. Put the cookie sheet/cutting board into the freezer. Once the bbq beef is frozen, remove the cookie sheet/cutting board and store in the freezer.
Dressed-Up Sloppy Joes
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped (or 1 cup if pre-chopped)
1 green pepper, chopped (or 1 cup if pre-chopped)
1 Tbs. minced garlic, I use the pre-minced store bought garlic
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp. mustard
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbs. tomato paste
1/3-1/2 cup water to reach desired consistency
freshly ground pepper to taste
Brown the ground beef with the onion, green pepper and garlic. Season to taste with salt. In a bowl mix the remaining ingredients except the water. Whisk together. Pour into the hamburger mixture. Stir to combine. Stir in 1/3 cup of water. Add more water if desired. Cover and turn heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take off heat.
Allow the sloppy joes to cool. Transfer to a gallon freezer bag; I use Ziploc. Squeeze all of the air out of the bag and seal it. Lay the bag flat on a cookie sheet or cutting board; shmoosh the sloppy joes until it's even and flat inside the bag. Put the cookie sheet/cutting board into the freezer. Once the sloppy joes is frozen, remove the cookie sheet/cutting board and store in the freezer.
Source: slightly adapted from Our Best Bites
Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork
1 large Vidalia onion, sliced thin
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. paprika
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 4-6 lb. boneless pork butt or shoulder
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Rinse pork roast under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Placed the thinly slice onions in the crock pot. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, paprika, kosher salt and pepper. Mix well. Rub mixture all over the roast. Place the roast in the crock pot on top of the onions.
In a two cup liquid measuring cup; combine the apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar, dry mustard, garlic salt and cayenne pepper. Whisk or stir with a fork to combine. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the roast. Cover and refrigerate the rest of the vinegar mixture.
Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 10-12 hours. Pour the remaining vinegar mixture over roast when there is only 1/2 hour cooking time left. Cook for the remaining time. Remove roast leaving the sauce in the crockpot. Chop or shred the meat. Put the meat back into the sauce.
Allow the pulled pork to cool. Transfer to a gallon freezer bag; I use Ziploc. Squeeze all of the air out of the bag and seal it. Lay the bag flat on a cookie sheet or cutting board; shmoosh the pulled pork until it's even and flat inside the bag. Put the cookie sheet/cutting board into the freezer. Once the pulled pork is frozen, remove the cookie sheet/cutting board and store in the freezer.
After you defrost and reheat the pulled pork, you can drain some of the sauce according to your taste.
Source: slightly adapted from My Baking Addiction
All of these recipes are beloved by my family. In fact, my sister hated sloppy joes and bbq beef until she tasted these recipes and now she's first in line when they're on the menu.
Ella
© Ella's Place
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