Works for Me Wednesday - Quick Dinner

I'm not a cook. I'm a baker.

But since my family can't live on cakes and pies (Why, I ask you, why?), occasionally I have to cook. Real food.

Bummer.

So in one of my handy-dandy quick recipe books, I found a new one to try tonight. It's Peppered Pork Chops and Pilaf. (Say that three times fast!)

It starts with pork chops, covered in seasoned pepper, cooked in a skillet.


Remove them from the heat, and add a can of chicken broth, 3 cups of cut veggies (I used broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and onions),
and 2 cups of uncooked instant rice. Boil it, cover it, reduce heat and simmer 5-7 minutes. Add the pork chops back in and heat until warmed through. Garnish with roasted red peppers strips.

Dinner is served!

This was pretty tasty. My hubby loved it, and my "I'm-almost-a-vegetarian" middle child ate like he hadn't seen food in a week!

I have to say that my favorite part was the roasted red peppers. YUM-MY!! I didn't notice that they were roasted right away. But, since I play by the rules, I had to roast them. Thank the good Lord for the internet - I learned how to roast them! (And you can too - see this.)

See?


OK, so maybe that doesn't look too appealing. But trust me when I say it was delicious!!

That's what Works for Me today!

New 'Do Reveal

OK. I've started getting emails wanting to know which style I chose, so I guess I'd better fess up. I was hoping for a really good shot to show it off, but #1, I'm the subject so, no-go. #2, my camera batteries are dead. We'll just all have to settle for these! Please overlook the pasty whiteness that it is my face and the witch-nose I have in my profile :-)

Here goes!!




Short. Courtney Cox wins!

I think I did, too. My new stylist, Cara, is precious and I totally want to hook her up with my brother. (Seriously. Any ideas how? He can't go in for a trim because he SHAVES HIS HEAD.)

Anyway, apparently this is a cut that you either love or you hate. I say that because today at work I either heard, "That looks so good on you!" or my new 'do went completely unnoticed. Go figure...

Throwing Stones

Just in case I haven't mentioned it on my blog before, I hate politics. To the extent that I will leave the room if a discussion about it starts.

I personally believe that all the ads and stuff mean absolutely nothing. The ones saying "Vote for Me because..." are fluff. They say what we want to hear, so we'll elect them. Not that they can actually deliver what they promise, in most cases, without the backing of their Party, or the House, or Senate, or whoever else is involved.

Fluff.

Then there's the mudslinging, attack ads and smear campaigns. Taking snippets of past speeches and twisting them to fit their agenda. Pulling up old demons that have long been buried for the sole purpose of making the competition look bad.

More fluff.

How about just make yourself look better and leave it at that?

Ugh. I hate politics.

Then, how about we forget going after our competitor and go after their families instead? Yeah. That's SO much better.

I only bring all this up with the danger of starting a comments riot because I saw one of those attacks today. I was reading (for the first time) about Cindy McCain's past prescription drug addiction. So, it's over, it was years ago, it was a hard time for her and her family, so lets' just bring it back up and beat on her some more.

Usually, people like to hear about someone who is reformed.

Usually.

Unless you're in the public eye. Then they seem to want you to fail!

Apparently, if your husband (or wife) is in line for a big political seat, you'd better not have any skeletons in your closet either, because they're gonna be pulled out, dusted off, and put on display.

I'm not endorsing any candidate here. I'm simply making a point. Luke 6:37 says, "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults - unless, of course, you want the same treatment." (The Message)

If you were the spouse of a political candidate, what skeletons would the press dig out of your closet?

Right. We won't talk about those here, will we?

John 8:7: "The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone."

Don't the rest of you just want to write all the newspapers and TV stations and remind them about throwing that first stone?

Regardless of the ability of politicians to push my buttons, I have to extend the same grace to them (and the press) that my Lord gives me. They may aggravate me to no end, but at the end of the day, if I can't step back and drop my stone instead of throwing it, I am no better than them.

Behavior like that is part of what gives Christians a bad name.

How about in this election year, we become the real change? We as children of God showing the world what that really means: love, forgiveness, mercy, acceptance and, of course, grace.

That might actually make me like politics.

Darn Dog!

Nothing beats walking barefoot through the house after scrubbing toilets and bathtubs than stepping in a Puppy Pee Puddle right in my kitchen floor!

Grrr.....

ELECTION DAY! (No, not THAT one!)

Finally, after a week or two of waiting, I am getting a hair cut.

I cannot wait. It is way overdue.

Now, I have to decide just how to cut it. Look in my sidebar to see how it is now. (I'll wait.)

Then, vote between these two looks. Essentially, do I go short, or keep it long?

#1: The Courtney Cox look



#2: The Jessica Simpson (similar to what I have now)



My appointment is this afternoon. Vote, because I'm all democratic like that :-)

I'll have a big reveal, um, later :-)

Now GO VOTE!!!

Not today!

Um, maybe I'll have time to post next week! :-)

How to Get Compliments 101

If after my last few posts you still find yourself in a funk, I have one more suggestion: bribe people do something nice for someone else.

I found this recipe for Cheese-and-Cherry Danishes a few weeks ago and finally decided to try it out. While I was at it, I figured that I might as well make a double batch and take some to my coworkers.

I assure you: if you take platters full of these



you will instantly be everyone's BFF. Not only that, but you will receive heaps of compliments, which does wonders for your mood :-) Here's a sampling of what I heard:

I thought those came from the bakery.
Can I have that recipe?
Excellent!
And my own personal favorite:
What a woman! Wanna marry me?

If none of my tips have succeeded at getting you over The Grumps by now, then my work here is done. Hire a professional. And when you go, take a few homemade danishes with you.

You can thank me later.