We got this nice crockpot from our son for Christmas. Today we’re breaking it in with a tri-tip bottom sirloin roast covered in red bliss potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic and a sweet potato. The meat is partially immersed in beef broth which will later become the base for a delicious gravy.
Today, we took the old burned-out TV to the electronic and hazmat disposal site. After that, we did the weekly grocery shopping and stopped at the sporting goods store to get some pistol and shotgun ammo and targets – you know – the bare necessities.
Before we went on our errands we made the marinade for some 1-inch thick pork loin chops, We juiced some oranges from our recently-harvested dwarf orange tree, added some honey and coriander with a little salt and gourmet pepper and refrigerated with the chops in a zip lock bag.
When we got home, we sliced up some fresh pineapple and put the slices in to the broiler with the chops. I whipped up a bourbon-orange reduction, and steamed up some rice and broccoli.
On a busy day with lots of errands to run, it’s nice to be able to whip up a sumptuous meal in about 45 minutes. So easy and so good.
Christmas dinner: roast beast au jus, horseradish sauce, stuffed baked potatoes, broccoli, orange glazed carrots and a small dinner salad. Don’t bother me – I’m eatin’.
Even though the weather has been wetter and cooler here over the last couple of weeks, it was nice enough today to barbecue up a couple of beef tenderloin steaks. This delicious meal didn’t take all that much time for us since the sides were left over from a previous meal.
I cooked the steaks on the grill with no seasoning other than olive oil (to keep ’em from sticking to the grill) and some fresh cracked pepper – seven minutes each side on a hot grill.
For the side dishes, we had some mashed potatoes with spinach and braised, chopped Brussels sprouts and bacon bits. As mentioned before, these only had to be nuked in the micro for a couple of minutes.
Damsel and I walked it off afterwards.
Tomorrow, we’re cooking in the crockpot since we’re going to the shooting range. In addition to the time at the range we will be cleaning up the equipment for an hour after we get home. Not enough time to prepare a conventional meal – not to worry though, tomorrow’s recipe is for Hungarian Goulash.
This was our post last Thanksgiving Day. It is just as appropriate today as it was a year ago.
We often think about and pray for our troops across the globe. And our efforts go beyond just thoughts and prayers since we routinely support charities such as Wounded Warriors, Soldiers Angels and the USO. Please, if you are able, send our troops a little support as a way of saying thanks for what they do. Keep it going all of this holiday season if you are able.
You should also keep the families of these wonderful men and women in your thoughts and prayers, since they will be celebrating without their loved ones.
Neil Cavuto of the Fox News Channel offered this poignant and insightful thought about those serving in our defense:
Giving Thanks to Our Troops
By Neil Cavuto
I cannot imagine eating Thanksgiving dinner in a mess hall. In a foreign country. In a hostile foreign country. Away from family. Away from friends. Away from all I hold dear.
I cannot imagine wondering whether this meal might be my last. Or the buddy sitting next to me won’t always be with me.
I cannot imagine going through what our soldiers go through every day. But especially “this” day. When we should all give thanks. But they barely have the time to eat. Before they’re back on the line. Back protecting us.
We who debate their role. Some of us who even mock their cause. This isn’t about a war. This is about those who fight it. And endure it. And live through it. In a place we forget. On a day we should not.
I am very lucky to have this day with my family. My creature comforts are secure precisely because theirs are not. It’s not fair. It’s not right. It just is.
They are due our thanks every day. Our prayers all days. But they are due both, especially this day. It’s amazing to me that those paid so little, give so much. Never complaining. Always giving. So that we can sit down in peace. While they stand guard, in war.
May God bless and protect all of our men and women in the armed forces.
Welcome to Damsel’s Diner. Over the weekend, we indulged ourselves by preparing this delicious blue-plate special: chicken-fried steaks with mashed taters and country-style green beans – served with a frosty mug of winter lager.
Although the meal seems a bit waistline-unfriendly, we did clean up the fat act somewhat. Damsel fried up the steaks in light oil in a pan (rather than deep-fried) and low or no-fat dairy products were used to prepare the mashed taters and gravy. The green beans were accented with onions, garlic and bacon bits. By the way, we used fresh-picked green beans that are still growing in Damsel’s garden.
Click on the image to enlarge.
A little change in the weather today brought some badly needed showers to drought and fire ravaged Southern California. It also brought cooler temperatures and the gusty winds calmed down.
We decided to prepare a gourmet dinner for an autumn afternoon. Grilled pork loin cutlets with baked acorn squash, braised cabbage and a gourmet dressing for which Damsel created a custom recipe. Maybe we’ll publish the recipe sometime.
We worked together to prepare this dinner. I was in charge of making the breadcrumbs for the spinach dressing, baking the squash (I use the outdoor BBQ as an oven) and grilling the pork loin cutlets. Damsel prepared the braised cabbage and gourmet dressing on the stove top.
Topped off with a glass of Kendall–Jackson Chardonnay or a Sam Adams Oktoberfest Lager, we gotta tell you, this was really good. We had to take a nice long walk in the rain after this sumptuous autumn meal.
