Good Morning-TGIF!!

[Wiped Out]

Good Morning Friends,

Yet another night when I'm not sleeping. This time though it is not worry-just difficult child wet his bed (actually the couch-he fell asleep there last night and husband couldn't rouse him to get him to bed) and I haven't been able to get back to sleep. This is probably not a good thing since we are driving to Michigan tonight (family Christmas party for husband's side of the family).

Now, if I was really good I would drag myself to the health club but it's 15 degrees outside and I am not feeling quite that ambitious!!

This morning we are going on a field trip so that should be fun. Hopefully my voice will last. I completely lost it for about 7 hours yesterday!! It is mostly back right now but I have a feeling as soon as I have to start talking a lot it will go again.

We are expecting our first snowfall this weekend. Hopefully we will end up with a white Christmas this year. Hard to believe that next week they are forecasting windchills down to 20 below-that isn't something we usually get until January!!

Wishing everyone a peaceful day

 

[LittleDudesMom]

Good Morning Friends! It's Free Choice Friday!!!

I don't know how you guys feel, but this week seemed to just breeze by!

Sharon, ok, I have the pulled pork recipe for you - it's kinda long so I hope others don't mind having to wade through it:

1 T each of (I usually triple it and store the extra in an airtight jar for next time) ground cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, ground pepper, paprika and 1/2 C of brown sugar. Mix - this is the rub.

Brine - 1/2 C each salt and brown sugar, 2 Qts water, 2 bay leaves, and 3 T of dry rub (as with most brines, stir the salt into the water until it's dissolved, then add the rest of the stuff).

The day before, place brine solution in a baggie and place boston b**t (shoulder) in the bag then the fridge (at least 8 hours). Some folks cook their pork over night and brine in the morning, but I don't use a 7 or 8 pounder - I usually use a 4-4.5 pound shoulder so it's not an 10 or 11 hour process.

Anyway, take the pork out of the brine, preheat oven to 225, pat dry the pork and then "rub the rub" all over and into any "flaps". Place in a broiler pan that is at least an inch wider/longer than the pork and about 3" deep. Place uncovered, fat side up in the oven and cook until the internal temp is 200. Now, this can take anywhere from 5-8 hours depending on the size.

Turn off the oven. And let shoulder sit in cooling oven for about 30 minutes. If there are no juices left in the pan, cover with foil, otherwise just leave it!

Remove pork and place on cutting board and take two forks and pull pork!

Now, you can use this for mexican stuff (which is easy child and my favorite) or make a bbq sauce and make sandwiches (difficult child's favorite), although I like it just the way it is. I usually pull all the pork and then add a little of the dry rub so all the meat is flavored. It makes tons and it freezes great and feeds hungry college students!!!!!

If you like that recipe once you try it, I have another one for an amazing chinese bbq pork (using shoulder or b**t) in the crock pot that is great!

I know it's early, but is anyone getting hungry???

Today is a kinda fun day for me - hitting the grocer first thing, then taking my cousin to Macys to shop for a new black leather bag for her mom (my Aunt). Cousin is not a "girlie-girlie" and has no idea what her mom would like. My Aunt just said, small black leather purse on her Christmas list! Then I'll come home and start cutting that fabric for my canning jars.

After picking up difficult child at school, easy child, my cousin and I are going to a Christmas Bazaar that is in town. This will be our 11th year going together! easy child started joining us abbot 4 years ago.

A full day, but a fun one! Hope your day is a good one as well.

Sharon

 

[HaoZi]

Already have some snow here. Already almost wiped out on the way home from school the other day. Hate winter. Hate hate hate. Hoping the weekend's snow holds off long enough for me to take kiddo to a neighboring town for a Santa visit tomorrow morning. Typing kind of painful today as I cut myself on the hand yesterday at work (kiddo is not the only klutz here). Don't wanna go out in the cold, don't want to drive in this weather, and the closer it gets to the holidays the more rude people get (not our regulars, but the casual customers you don't see often). And of course the people in charge that live in sunny places still running their A/Cs even this time of year have changed our winter clothing policy to where I either have to wear so may layers I can barely move or else I will freeze (insert choice words about said people here). This of course only really bothers me and one other co-worker who is also from someplace far warmer than where we live now. We are wusses about cold. "You've been here for a few years, you should have acclimated already." No, no I haven't. I still keep it around 80 inside year 'round and only go outside when I have to. So no, I have not acclimated, and short of putting on a lot of extra weight I don't want in order to stay warm, I'm not going to.
Kiddo was up in middle of the night and went back to bed, now doesn't want to get up. Time to go start that fight. *sigh* Then go argue with the truck doors and get it warmed up.

 

[tiredmommy]

Good morning.

Sharon (WO)- Careful driving tonight!

Sharon (LDM)- Yes, this week passed in a blur!

Hao- Stay warm!

I'm in another hurry today! (LOL!) I'll be getting Duckie up soon for school. She's exhausted from late rehearsals all week but tonight is opening night! Wish her luck and break a leg!

Have a great day.

 

[Marguerite]

G'day, people.

Sharon/WO, I hope you can not lose your voice on the field trip. My old teacher used to carry a small loudspeaker to talk through when she lost her voice.

Sharon/LDM, that sounds like a really good recipe. I might try it next winter. We're moving in to summer recipes now, even for Christmas. Some people like 'traditional' foods even in a summer Christmas, but cooking on the stove or in the oven contributes significantly to the heat, then after it's cooked we all feel too hot to eat! mother in law is planning Christmas lunch already, and I will have a fight on my hands to stop her from cooking far too much, and the wrong sort of foods.

HaoZi, I'm a wuss a bout the cold too. But I do love snow, as long as I don't have to drive anywhere in it! One day I hope to experience a white Christmas.

It's warmed up here a bit. The sun came out today and after all that rain, the humidity hit hard. But it's still going to be cool and damp for the next week. I can't wait for the weather to warm up a bit more.

I had a busy day on the phone today, sorting out a staffing situation at difficult child 3's school. I have another staffing phone conference on Monday. Tomorrow is my friend's book launch. I haven't heard from her, so I hope the books arrived today from the printer's. I never want to cut things that closely again! I prefer to have the books in my possession before I organise the launch. I felt very rushed with this book at times. But the author is happy with the product and that is what is important. I have to give a small speech (as publisher/consultant) to help the launch. If the weather is OK, I will hopefully get in some beach time - the author lives on the beach. Well, right next to it. While at her house working on the book, we could look out the window at the water.

Enjoy your Friday and the promise of snow.

Marg

 

[SearchingForRainbows]

Good Morning Everyone,

Sharon (WO), Sorry about the couch - NOT FUN! Enjoy the family Christmas party in Michigan !!! Have a safe trip!!!

Sharon (LDM), That recipe sounds absolutely delicious!!! YES, you're making me hungry and I already ate breakfast and downed two cups of caffeine, lol...!!! I think I'm going to have to print it - Pulled pork is an all time favorite around here. Have fun shopping...

HaoZi, Hope you stay WARM today...!!! THINK SUMMERY THOUGHTS...

TM, Enjoy opening night!!! I just know Duckie is going to be a star... GOOD LUCK DUCKIE!!! THESE ARE FOR YOU - ...

Last night husband and I enjoyed dinner out. We also did just a bit of Christmas shopping (didn't have time for much) for our "favorite sanity saver", lol... She knows whenever there is a special celebration and there are gifts, there will be some for her too...

Unfortunately, when we got home easy child was a super PITA - As of today, she is officially going to be known as easy child/difficult child 3. Still even her being such a PITA isn't spoiling the holiday mood for me. Today, I can't believe I'm saying this, lol..., I'm actually in the mood to clean the house This house needs some festive touches and I refuse to put up any decorations in a dirty house.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!! SFR

 

[SearchingForRainbows]

Marg, I hit the send button too soon!!! The book launch sounds so exciting - Keeping my fingers crossed the books arrive ASAP!!! The author's house sounds absolutely beautiful... Hope the weather is perfect so you can finally get some beach time in... SFR

 

[1 Day At a Time]

Finally, it's Friday!!!

Good Morning Everyone,

Sharon (WO)... sorry to hear about your lack of sleep last night. When I miss out on sleep, I feel like I have cotton stuffing in my brain - everything is muffled and slowed down LOL. Brr... such cold weather, I hope the field trip goes well!

LDM, Oh, yes, I'm hungry already. I'm going to have to give this receipe a try. Sounds delish, and husband loves pork.

HaoZi, Sorry to hear about your hand, I hope it heals quickly. I know what you mean about the cold. I'll never get used to it, and I grew up in a place with very cold winters. I just don't like it!

TM, I'm wishing Duckie luck...

Marg, the book is so exciting. I hope you get in some beach time. That sounds awesome to me right now.

SFR, Good luck with the house cleaning - you can come here afterwards... .LOL... we need some serious intervention. I hope easy child simmers down.

We've had a very busy couple of weeks here. We rented a mountain cabin and had extended family from around the country to visit. It was just a wonderful, wonderful time. sister in law and her husband are visiting here from Texas for a week. She designs and sells beautiful jewelry and she is participating in a holiday sale here. Unfortunately we are in the midst of yet another home renovation (old homes never get finished) , so things are quite chaotic here. We all had a lovely dinner last night in spite of it all, and it is really good to see them.

easy child is working on becoming GFGish. He's back from his thru hike of the Appalachian Trail and now he's stressing over his next steps. Unfortunately his girlfriend broke up with him while he was gone (5 months is a long time for young love), so he is feeling at loose ends now. We're trying to be as supportive as possible but youthful angst is really exhausting. I am confident he will get it together , but in the meantime... difficult child , on the other hand, is doing well - and also enjoying all the family visits. This is new for him, and we are quite encouraged.

The temperature dropped dramatically here yesterday, so we're all layered up to try and stay warm. December is definitely here!

I hope you all can find a few minutes of peace in the midst of your busy day .

Valerie