Following the path of most resistance

A study of nine leaves and why herbicides miss the mark....

The target:

The Bullseye:

Pictured above is the actual root system found by following the nine leaves in the first picture.

Where I've been:

Where I'm going:

Poison Ivy a study on whether technology has replaced man power:

• Urushiol (you-ROO-shee-all) is the oil that causes the rash
• There is more urushiol (you-ROO-shee-all) in the roots than on the leaves
• Urushiol (you-ROO-shee-all) is a oil which means water based herbicides essentially roll off the leaves. Another agent must be added to the herbicide to cut through the oil.
• Poison Ivy has very long runners that produce the leaves. Each runner puts down roots enabling the plant to withstand heavy and consistent doses of herbicide by essentially stopping the poison ivy at the runner roots rather than transferring back to the original root system.
• Mechanical devices such as Bush Hogs and rotitellers tear up the root system spreading tiny roots everywhere enabling poison ivy to start fresh ALL OVER

Chicken Taco Soup - slow cooker

This pleasantly spicy soup is great to mix up the typical soup fare. Made in the slow cooker it is a great hands off soup to come home to on a cold winter day.

Chicken stock/broth - slow cooker

This free and easy broth/stock will heighten the flavor of all your dishes! I do not add salt or pepper to the stock so that I can personalize it to fit any dish.

Thanksgiving Turkey - Day before prep = Day of ease

Easy... Beautiful.... Delicious.... Moist.... etc. 

The transformation tour

It's been a wild ride and a wonderful 7 years in the making... thank you for all your prayers and support. Enjoy the tour:

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin - Slow Cooker

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin
Recipe from Let’s Dish and Burn This Mama Down

Thai Coconut Pork Curry - Slow Cooker

Thai Coconut Pork Curry - Slow Cooker
2 pork tenderloins (1 package) - cut into 3 inch sections
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 TBS olive oil
1 medium onion - coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic - minced
1 1/2 TBS mild red curry paste
3/4 tsp tumeric

1 TBS cumin

3 TBS ginger root - grated
1 can (14.5 oz) diced onions - undrained
1 can unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup stock (chicken or vegetable)
Steamed rice, cilantro and green onions

Place pork in crock pot.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in skillet. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, cumin and turmeric and cook over low heat, stirring, until fragrant and the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add curry paste and combine. Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker.
Add the tomatoes (undrained), coconut milk and stock.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Serve over steamed rice
Top with chopped cilantro and sliced green onions

Inspired by: Food & Wine

Parmesan Honey Pork Tenderloin - Slow Cooker

2 boneless pork tenderloins
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp dried basil
3 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil

Cut tenderloins width ways into 3-4 pieces each.
Place pork in slow cooker.
In a small bowl, combine the cheese, honey, soy sauce, basil, garlic and oil.
Pour over pork.
Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160°.

Adapted from: sixsistersstuff.com

Caprese Shrimp Pasta

Caprese Shrimp Pasta

Slow Cooker Tikka Masala

Slow Cooker Tikka Masala
Picture next time...

Ground Beef Gyros

Ground Beef Gyros
1 lb lean ground beef
1 1⁄2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
3⁄4 teaspoon pepper

Recommended toppings:
pita bread
3 cups shredded lettuce
1 large tomatoes, sliced or diced
1 red onion, thinly sliced.
Tzatziki Sauce

1. If needed: prepare and refrigerate Tzatziki Sauce
2. Add beef and spices to a food processor or stand mixer and process until a fine paste is formed into a ball, approximately 1-3 minutes. Stop the processor as needed to scrape down sides of bowl.
3. Press into a loaf pan and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes - or as my lovely and talented friend Julie suggested: form a loaf and bake on a broiling pan to skip step 4. 
4. Remove from pan immediately and allow excess juices to drain off (onto paper towels or from a cooling rack)
5. Beginning on the bottom, thinly slice meat. 
6. (Optional: place sliced meat under the broiler until extra browning occurs)
7. Serve on pita bread (or tortillas) with lettuce, onion, tomato and Tzatziki Sauce

Optional: make extra and freeze it raw - I freeze it in 2 lb increments in a quart sized freezer bag.

Tzatziki Sauce

Tzatziki Sauce

1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cucumber - peeled, chopped, & squeezed
3/4 tsp dried dill weed
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 TBS olive oil
Salt and pepper to tast
- Blend to combine

WWII Honor Flight Welcome - How we preschool

For the 70th Anniversary of V-E Day we celebrated with WWII vets by welcoming them to Washington, D.C.

The Vets thoroughly enjoyed the boys...

....and the boys loved the Veterans

Pork Roast/Tenderloin Uses

Slow cooker:
Crock Pot Pork Carnitas - PinkatonFamily
Parmesan Honey Pork Tenderloin - Pinkaton Family
Thai Coconut Pork Curry - PinkatonFamily
Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin - Burn This Mama Down
Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork - Chow.com
Chipotle Roast for Tacos & Sandwiches - Food.com
Green Chili Pork -Slow Cooker - PaleoNewbie
Tacos Al Pastor - slow cooker - gimmesomeoven - to cut down on fat/calorie content I used homemade chicken stock instead of beer and pork loin instead of pork butt
Slow Cooker Mexican Pulled Pork - Simply Recipes - to cut the heat I reduced the cayenne to 3/4 tsp, to cut the fat I opted for one package pork tenderloins and to increase the sauce I added 1/2-1 cup water
Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce - Prep Ahead and Dine In


Stove-top:
Szechuan Pork & Green Beans - Budget Bytes

Oven:
Chili Lime Pork Loin - Budget Bytes
Soy Dijon Pork Tenderloin - Budget Bytes
Herb Mustard Pork loin - Budget Bytes

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Reduced fat and lactose intolerant friendly

Beef Round Eye Round Roast Uses

Roast Beef - PinkatonFamily

Cooked recipes:
Dice and freeze in 1 lb increments in separate ziploc bags for The Best Beef Stew, Greek Yogurt Stroganoff, Steak Salads with Feta and Spinach, etc

Uncooked recipes:
Barbacoa Beef - slow cooker - separate 3 lbs and cut into 2 inch chunks prior to freezing in a Ziploc® quart bag.
Coffee Barbacoa Beef - honeyandbirch.com - I preferred this recipe.
Korean Beef - Slow Cooker - damndelicious
Crockpot Saucy Southwest-Budget Bytes
Crockpot beef stew - the men love - familyfreshmeals.com
Carbonnade Beef and Beer Stew - simply recipes
Crockpot Beef & Broccoli-chef-in-training.com

Ground Beef- uses

Gyros
Tacos
Spaghetti

Garlic

I buy the big bag of garlic heads for a measly $3.49 from Costco. It lasts months and months on top of the fridge in the winter but it's getting warmer and I don't want to lose the last 3 heads. Rumor has it that you can freeze the peeled cloves in a ziploc and freeze it. The only thing is I hate peeling garlic.

I saw this trick somewhere on the internet. You break the cloves off the head and place them in a bowl.

Place another bowl over the top of the first, crank up the dance music, and shake, shake, shake. The more you shake the looser the skins become.

Shake it enough and all the skins fall off or... give it to the preschoolers to shake and learn all about the delicious and nutritious biology lesson.

 As a bonus you can turn it into a service project if you have an arthritic family member who didn't want their garlic to go bad.

O is for ostrich - ignore the sub par octopus - preschool craft

I am still loving the ostrich but the octopus could use some love. Ugh he's in rough shape. Here I was overly concerned with the ostrich and it shows.

c is for the very hungry caterpillar - preschool craft

Paired with a reading of Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar this is an easy one to master.