My Favorite Things - 2010 Edition

One of my favorite blogs 320 Sycamore is hosting a Favorite Things Party. So many beautiful things that people have listed.  Here are a few of my favorite things. Just in case my husband decides to read my blog .

Sara Groves : O Holy Night CD. Sara Groves is one of my favorite singer/songwriters and this cd does not disappoint. I could listen to her version of Cradle in Bethlehem  all day long.

Philosophy Amazing Grace. A friend bought this for me a few years ago for Christmas and I absolutely fell in love with the scent. Every stinkin' time I wear it, I get asked what I am wearing. It smells that good.

NBC you have my heart with this show! If you have not seen Parenthood, you are missing one of the best on television. The Braverman clan is real. And honest. And did I say real? Awesomeness that I look forward to every Tuesday night!

I have talked about Janet Hill before, but I could not compile a Favorite Things list without including her. I love her use of color . Lovely. You can find her Janet Hill Studio on etsy. 

This season, I love anything crochet. This necklace by Marie'sFiber on Etsy is one of my favorites. I love the Christmas colors.  ( honey, I would really like this one in my stocking this year ;)  )

I love to wear aprons when I am baking and cooking. This one from SassyAprons  is a favorite of mine.

Wine. My favorite at the moment is Merlot and Riesling by 14 Hands . A big ole "thank you" to one of my besties Tina for turning me onto this deliciousness! 

I love inspirational jewelry and this bracelet is a favorite of mine. You can find them Here at Dayspring

This is one of my favorites, hands down.

Sponsoring children in need is breaking the cycle of poverty  

Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.

Founded by the Rev. Everett Swanson in 1952, Compassion began providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care, as well as Christian training.

Today, Compassion helps more than 1 million children in 26 countries.

This is something that is near and dear to my heart . If you feel a calling on your heart to sponser a child, or know someone who would be interested , please visit Compassion International to get started.

Rose Salve by C.O. Bigelow. Every time I go to Bath & Body Works I pick one of these up. I use it on my  lips, on my cuticles and my cheeks when it is cold and windy outside. Oh, and on my eyelids when I am at home and have no desire to put on make up. It brightens up my face  with a very subtle punch of color.

Mr.Clean Magic Eraser Bath Scrubber. These scrubber are perfect! Cleans up my bathroom in no time and leaves a sparkly clean bathtub, shower and sink. 

Hope you guys have have a great Holiday week! Happy Thanksgiving!

Framed Christmas Countdown Calendar

 

 

Every year I attempt to add a few more crafty things to our Christmas decor.This year I decided I was going  to make a Christmas Countdown for the boys.I used a black picture frame that I found  at our local thrift shop for .49! I took the glass out and added a few coordinating sheets of Christmas themed scrapbook  paper. Glued buttons where the two papers met. This spring I found and old  box of anagram letters and I used those to spell out the word DAYS. Tiny clothespin and the number cards and I have a beautiful framed  Christmas countdown calendar that we will use for many years to come!

Old Fashioned Pork Stew

I had about 3 cups of Crockpot Pepsi Pork Roast left over from last night's dinner to do something with. It is cold and rainy here today, so I made a pot of pork stew. Super easy and tastes really good. Comfort food. It really is just a throw together soup. No rhyme or reason. Add what you have on hand. I added corn, butter beans, string beans,cooked rice a can of diced tomatoes and chicken broth. I let it simmer for a few hours to get nice and thick. Perfect lunch using leftovers! You can use beef, chicken or leftover Thanksgiving turkey or ham. Nothing fancy, just stick to your bones, old fashioned goodness.

Pork Stew

 3 cups cooked, shredded pork
1 carton organic chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups butter beans
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
1 1/2 cups string beans
1 cup cooked rice
salt and pepper, to taste


In a medium soup pot, add all of the ingredients. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot .

I need your help...

Hi all my blog readers! I hope you are having a great start to November! Christmas will be here before you know it.

On to my pleas for help. My 13 year old and I were talking yesterday about my  blog. He thinks it is cool that it has already brought me great opportunity . But he made a comment that has bothered me all night. He said no one outside of family and friends read my blog.  Which got me thinking... where are my readers? Is one state more prevalent than another? East coast vs West Coast? Canadians?

Can you, my loyal readers, leave me a comment and let me know where you are from. Lurkers, I know you are there! :) My son ( and myself) would greatly appreciate it!

~Liz ( in PA, by way of NC!!!)

Crockpot Pepsi Pork Roast

I debated putting this recipe up on the blog. The picture is not the most appetizing one that I have ever taken , that's for sure. I have had this recipe in my crockpot file for a few months now, knowing that it would come in handy on day. I was a bit hesitant about the pepsi  being in it, but bought a can and decided to try it out .(I do not keep soda in the house) . I had lots of errands to run today and knew that I would be in and out most of the afternoon, so I put the recipe together and turned the crockpot on. I have to say, the smell wafting from the kitchen when we walked into the house was amazing. All of my sons and my husband mentioned it smelled yummy. After about 6 hours on low I took the roast out and shredded the meat. I then strained the juices and added  the juice back into the crockpot  and added the shredded meat. I let it sit for a few minutes and plated the meat on a bed of rice , with a few spoonfuls of the juice on top. I have to say, it was one of the tenderest roasts I have made, and it did not taste sweet like I thought it would with the pepsi. The pepsi kept the roast tender and really flavorful. Everyone ate seconds at dinner. So, now that I know the pepsi works, I will make it again. Highly recommended weeknight dinner. I served  steamed green beans and fresh bread , along with the pork and rice.

Crockpot Pepsi Pork Roast


3-4 lb boston butt pork roast (or any cut of pork roast)
1 (12oz) can Pepsi
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup ( I use low sodium)
1 1/4 oz packet onion soup mix ( I make my own using organic ingredients)

1.Place roast in crockpot
2.In a medium bowl, mix the soup and onion mix until well mixed. Add the Pepsi to the soup and mix until incorporated.
3.Pour mixture over the roast.
4.Cook on high 4-5 hours or low 5-6 hours.
* if you want a thick gravy, take the roast out of the crockpot and add a bit of cornstarch. Stir until thickened and return meat to the crockpot.

A little bit of Whimsy

I found this necklace on ETSY and fell in love with it. You can find the seller here .  I love the teardrop crystals and the wool cloud! Santa, if you are reading this blog...