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Posts Tagged ‘Shanna Hatfield’

Shake and Bake

Posted in Comfort Food, Main Dish, Recipes, tagged , , , on September 14, 2012| Leave a Comment »

The other day I decided to see what would happen if I made by own “shake n bake” mixture for some pork.

Turns out it happened to be a pretty tasty idea.

It was simple to make (honestly, it didn’t take much more time than digging out the pre-packaged stuff I normally use and was way better).

Captain Cavedweller declared it “edible” which interprets to better than average and pretty darn good.

Ingredients

 

Dump your seasonings into a resealable bag and give it a good shake, then stick in your meat and coat thoroughly.

 

 

Place in a foil-lined pan and bake at 425 about 15 minutes or until done. (Baking time will vary depending on the thickness of your meat cuts).

Yum!

Shake and Bake

1/2 cup Panko Crumbs

1 tsp. pork rub

1 tbsp. all-purpose seasoning

1/2 tsp. coarse salt

3 pork chops

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix seasonings, crumbs and salt in a resealable bag. Shake until blended. Add in pork chops, one at a time to coat. Shake well then place on foil-lined pan. (The foil is because I’m lazy and don’t want to scrub the pan later).

Bake for 15-20 minutes until meat is cooked to temp and coating is brown.

You can also use this coating on chicken.

She Who Will Need to Make This Again Soon

 

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Manners Do Matter

Posted in Musings, tagged , , , , on September 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Please.

Thank you.

You’re welcome.

Simple enough words, but far to few people use them anymore.

I was reading through one of Zig Ziglar’s enewsletters the other day and it was talking about manners. Mostly how people today lack them and view them as unnecessary.

I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve thanked someone and instead of  “you’re welcome,” I’ve received a grunt, a head nod or a blank stare.

How many times have we said “could you do this?” and barked orders around at home. Even with our loved ones, why do we not say “please” or “thank you.”

It’s not like the words are hard to say. They are small. Simple. More than that, though, they are essential.

Good manners separate us from the animal kingdom – and I have to tell you, I’ve had dogs with more manners than some people I’ve encountered.

Good manners can also open doors. If you’re stuck in a rut with a career or relationship, try applying good manners and see what wondrous changes take place.

I realize with all the technology available today, when people are condensing their lives into 140 characters of information, it’s easy to leave out niceties. Easy, but not always what is right.

Wouldn’t it be great if we all behaved like ladies and gentlemen? If we opened doors, offered sincere thanks, treated others respectfully?

I for one am making a mental note to practice what I preach going forward. I hope you will, too.

She Who Is Digging Out Her Etiquette Book

 

 

 

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September’s Blossoms

Posted in Flowers, Home and Garden, tagged , , , on September 11, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I have come to the conclusion that sunflowers should be the official flower of September.

My self-declared proclamation stems from the fact that sunflowers, to me, are the transitional blossom between the true end of summer and the inevitable beginning of fall.

They are like some visible rite of passage for the season with their beautiful little heads, weighted down by seeds, standing in brilliant contrast against the soon-to-be autumn sky.

I do realize I’ve posted more than my share of sunflowers in the past few weeks, but I can’t seem to help myself.

They are cheery and bright.

Nodding their little heads in farewell to summer as they welcome fall.

She Who Needs to Come to Terms with the End of Summer

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Captain Cavedweller

Posted in Captain Cavedweller, Musings, tagged , , , on September 10, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Today is Captain Cavedweller’s birthday.

I have a feeling since it is Monday, since we both have to work and since it isn’t a “milestone” birthday, the celebration is going to be pretty low key.

Low key works for CC because that pretty much sums up his personality – low key, laid back and casual.

When I met CC, he was so different than other guys I knew. He liked to stay out of the spotlight, he genuinely cared about others and he wasn’t embarrassed to hug his mom or his grandma. You know you’ve got a keeper when he lets his grandma pinch his cheeks in front of his new girlfriend or allows his mother to hug him or his dad to ruffle his hair without rolling his eyes or complaining.

Some of the things I most admire about CC includes his ability to break the tension in a room with a joke or a laugh. Rarely is anything all about him. He can be completely exhausted, but if someone asks for his help, he’ll see what he can do to provide assistance. He doesn’t dwell in the negative or stew over things he can’t change. I recently witnessed him take the high road when taken the lower road would have been a lot easier.

He has taught me to look beyond what is just in front of my face  – to see the stars twinkling in the night sky or the butterfly dancing with summer’s fragrant blossoms.

CC still holds open doors for me, he brings me flowers “just because,” and makes my world a little brighter just be sharing it with me.

Although I’m sure it would embarrass him to acknowledge it, he provides me with a wealth of inspiration for my romance novels. In my stories, most of the guys are gentlemen. They treat women respectfully, work hard, have fun and do their best. They may not always get everything right, but they try.

Rather like my Captain Cavedweller. He’s not perfect, but none of us are. And if you want to tally flaws, I’m pretty sure his are far, far fewer than mine.

Which is why I love him so.

That, and he looked really cute in his jeans in boots.

CC knows I’m a complete and total nut-job most of the time, yet he loves me anyway.

He gives me time and space to be me… to dream. And he not only encourages my dreams, he does what he can to support them and help them become a reality.

I know his love is unconditional. I like to think he knows mine is too. Unconditional and deeply grateful for the blessing of him in my life. I don’t know how he manages it, but he melts my heart on a daily basis, makes me laugh and gives me more joy, friendship and love than I would have thought possible.

So today, my beloved Captain, I wish for you all that you deserve and so much more. I wish for you a special day and an amazing year ahead. I wish you dreams come true.

Happy, Happy Birthday!

She Who Loves CC From the Very Depths of Her Heart

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