Vacation

I don't know about you but I use almost every bit of vacation time that I earn from work every single year! In Fact, I could use much more vacation time! I don't know how so many people can ignore their time off. I work with people that lose half of their vacation time every year because they don't use it. How do you do that? I wish they could donate it to me! :)

I could use a staycation! I rarely take time off to stay home not to mention I don't have enough time left usually to just stay home... What would I do...  spend time with my kids, my house, my dogs, my garden (that I have yet to plant- HAHA)! :) Still I don't know if I would end up staying home anyway. You see, I love to travel. You might even say that I am a bit adventurous. I like to go somewhere new every single trip that I take. I want to see places and do things that I have never seen or done before. The only reason that I haven't seen the world yet is that I miss my family! Since no one lives near me I often want to visit them. They are a bit spread out so that means a couple separate trips a year... By the time the years goes by the time is gone....

I think about my family and I miss our family trips. Growing up we usually didn't have the money to go on an exotic adventure and with as many kids as my parents had... I don't know how we went ANYWHERE! BUT we did and those trips are some of my favorite memories! We all piled in a car which was usually the family station wagon (and we only fit because no seat belts were required then) and took off driving. We drove everywhere! NO TV's in the car. No video games. Just the license plate game, the "I see something blue" game and a lot of patience (on my parents part). Driving to OK to see Uncle Dennis, Aunt Pat, Josh and Jake. We loved stopping in St. Louis on the way to see MEME. She always took her teeth out to scare the little kids! Her laugh when she did that! I can still here her! I remember driving to Florida to see my moms family and to go to DISNEY! WOO HOO! Swimming with the alligators and dodging my grandfathers machete as he walked around shirtless being macho while my grandmother strutted around in her tini tiny string bikini! YES! My grandma! You can't make that stuff up and you cant ever forget those times! Memories.

 I was so blessed growing up! Of course you don't think that when you are a kid but I know it now!
I love Vacations. They are almost always great but they are the best with family! Especially mine.

T-

Substitute for Buttermilk

I never have buttermilk and find quite a few recipes that call for it. OF COURSE I'm usually looking for a recipe just before I decide to cook so when I find one that calls for buttermilk I end up skipping it! NOT ANYMORE! Great quick hint.... Ta Ta for now...

1 cup buttermilk-  use 1 c milk and 1 1/2 tsp vinegar... let them sit together until little bubbles appear on the top, about ten min

NICE! 
T-

New Recipes

I often don't buy pork because I can't easily find it without antibiotics or growth hormones so I have been sitting on a recipe for pork loin that I have been wanting to try! Well, Lucky me! On my monthly visit to BJ's Wholesale Club this morning I discovered that they now carry a bountiful supply of meats and veggies that are either organic or antibiotic and hormone free. They get more and more every time I go and that makes me so HAPPY! YAY! The things that excite me! HA HA
 So Sunday dinner tomorrow will be this recipe. I will be happy to share the results after I gobble this delightful dish up tomorrow.  For dessert another new recipe (found on Pinterest) Almond Joy Bars! YUM YUM and YUM! Original Recipe Links are listed below. I LOVE New Recipes!

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Ingredients:

1 (2 pound) boneless pork tenderloin (or regular pork loin)

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup water

Glaze

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

 


 Desert...

 Almond Joy Bars

Photo Credit: Chris, Mele Cotte
 
10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 ½ cups pastry flour (all-purpose works as well)
½ tsp. fine sea salt
28 ounces of sweetened condensed milk
28 ounces shredded coconut
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chunks (like quality Scharffen Berger)
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
Preheat oven to 350° F . Line a sheet pan (like a 15X10X1 pan) with aluminum foil and coat with canola or vegetable spray.
In a small bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until combined. Add the flour and salt. Carefully mix to combine until it resembles chunky bread crumbs. Transfer into the prepared pan and evenly press the batter into an even layer. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool on a wire baking rack while preparing the coconut topping.
In a large bowl, combine the condensed milk, coconut, and vanilla. Spread over the crust and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until it begins to brown.
Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Add peanut butter and stir until melted and smooth. Pour over cooked coconut bars and spread into an even layer. Allow to cool then refrigerate until hardened, about 1 hour. Cut into 36 squares.


Almond Joy Bars from http://www.melecotte.com/2011/08/almond_joy_bars/
Pork Loin recipe from Let's Dish via http://www.candcmarriagefactory.com/2011/01/brown-sugar-and-balsamic-glazed-pork.html

Siblings

Love my Family! Love this Pic! This was in Hawaii for Melissa's Wedding! Fun Times! This was shortly after we all spent the day in a little Tattoo parlor in Kona Hawaii getting matching tattoo's! Yes, 12 Irish Clovers and a few bigger Scarier Tats were permanently inked on Carey bodies that day! Some People think its odd but it's just a Carey thing! Although My Dad, Brother-in-Laws and Nephews joined us siblings, My Mom and Husband Steve opted out! PARTY POOPERS! AND to add to that... Until that day my Dad (Pastor Carey) hadn't had a Tattoo since he was in the Marine Corp in the 60's! What a way to break him in again! I LOVE thinking of that day!

Blogging?

Well, so this is me. I am blogging! WOW. I am not sure why yet other than maybe I don't have enough places to share my thoughts! Like Facebook or Pinterest or Twitter or email... Ya, lets add another forum for me to give my unsolicited opinions, like and dislikes.... I'm not a very good writer either! I am long winded and over detailed at times. My grammar is terrible and spelling- Well, thank GOD for spellcheck!

Regardless, I guess I think I have some STUFF that I would like to share for those that want it! Whether its inspirational stuff, funny stuff, yummy stuff, frustrating stuff or stuff that just makes me happy! It's simply just stuff that I love (or sometimes I don't love it but I love to talk about it)! I hope you may find it useful and maybe that its gets you thinking and you share some "stuff" back!

 SO ON WITH THE STUFF! :)