Stubby . . .

When we first met Stubby, we thought there was something wrong with his legs as he would scuttle from place to place looking like his white paws here about an inch from his body. We soon discovered that Stubby was parnoid, attention deficit, and nervous . . . all at once and all the time! He still looks like a fuzzy caterpiller when he dashes from cover to cover to escape notice but we have seen him sprint off, legs at full extension.

His meow matches his personality. It is a raspy sound and he doesn't even move his mouth when he does it. In fact, he often moves his mouth independently of the meow. We see his mouth move and a few seconds later, we hear the meow.

After feeding and trying to befriend him for a couple of weeks now, he is still skittish. It's a miracle he doesn't have stomach ulcers because his meal time consists of quick bites of food, neck extension to check out the vicinity for danger lurking, a quick run into the bushes, a faster return to the food bowl and the routine starts all over again.

A favorite way to present a bowl of chili . . .

We like chili and usually have it with rice or tortillas. I have discovered, however, that my family is thrilled when I present it as a casserole with a baked layer of corn bread on top. It is so easy and makes a one-dish meal preparation.

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Using canned or your own chili, layer it in a baking dish. If you have an oblong baking dish, you get more cornbread!

Make a recipe of cornbread according to your favorite recipe or the boxed directions. There is a recipe listed on my blog. Pour the batter over the chili and spread gently to cover the chili mixtures. Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes or until corn bread is baked and the chili is bubbling hot. Serve!

If you like it spicer, you can add some chili flakes or canned chilis to the cornbread batter. A change of pace is to sprinkle on a good helping of cheddar over the chili and then put on the cornbread batter.

The times, they do be changing . . .

The Quote of the Decade:
“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America 's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America 's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, "the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.”
~ Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006

In total agreement!

"There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes."
-- Doctor Who

"Nothing is impossible. Some things are just less likely than others."
-- Jonathan Winters

"Aborting' babies after delivery . . .?

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/shock-ethicists-justify-infanticide-in-major-medical-journal

The world just gets crazier and crazier and not in an amusing manner, either. All I can say is that a doctor who can 'abort' a baby after birth, is not a doctor I would trust with my life on any level. Where have the values of the world gone? How horribly the issue of abortion has come from limiting it to first trimester right up to killing a healthy baby delivered and breathing on his own. God is a merciful God but how would He rule when one of His creations is murdered for the sake of convenience. This article is scary because the issue seems to be growing.

When I was expecting my second child, the doctor talked me into having a blood test which, according to him, revealed my child would have an increased chance of being a Down's baby. We said we weren't interested in abortion and I just wanted to continue with the pregnancy with prayer and hope for the best course for this baby. The doctor decided it would be a good idea to have an ultrasound to check on the baby. I called the clinic for this and was told that they would schedule me for the ultrasound and reserve a subsequent appointment for a termination. I said I wasn't interested in an abortion and the nurse said they would keep the termination appointment open . . . just in case. No matter how I said I wasn't interested in an abortion, the nurse insisted on scheduling both appointments on the same day. I hung up and changed doctors. My baby was born without any health issues. I was so shocked at the pressure being applied, however, for someone just seeking medical attention for a pregnancy.

It is a proven myth that our world is not overpopulated yet the world seems intent in limiting our population resulting in  the loss of a valuable population for our future and a moral respect for life.

Dinner Prep and Conquering the Dry Pork Roast . . .

In gratitude for a stree-free afternoon of sewing, I treated my family to a roast pork dinner. The fact that the pork was on sale contributed greatly to my kindness! I hesitate to use boneless pork as it tends to get dry being the 'other white meat' and all. I did some research and discovered a few things about almost insuring a juicy outcome for the protein portion of the meal.

1. Marinate the meat for four to six hours. I did this by putting the roast in a sealable bag with enough soy sauce and white wine to give it something to laze around in for the day. I kept it refrigerated.

2. When I was ready to cook, I drained the meat from the liquid and discarded the marinade. I made sure to throughly pat dry the meat.

3. Salt and pepper the meat and brown it in a preheated pan with oil and a bit of butter.

4. Place in a baking pan lined with lots of garlic and chopped onion.

5. Set aside while you add 1/2 cup of finely chopped onion and eight cloves of smashed and chopped garlic to the oil and brown bits left in the frying pan. Saute until the vegetables are tender. As 1/4 cup flour to the onion/garlic mix and continue stirring and cooking until the flour is incorporated. Add 1/2 cup white wine and stir until it thickens. Pour this over the pork roast and place in a preheated 350 degree over. In about 30 minutes, I added 1/2 cup of water to the pan. My roast was about three pounds so your cooking time will depend on that. The inner temperature should be 150 when it is done. A meat thermometer is a handy items!

6. Let the roast set (covered with foil) while you prepare the gravy. If you kept the bottom of the pan with about 1/2 inch of liquid during cooking, you should have a golden broth with browning onion and garlic. My favorite way of making a fast gravy is to puree it all in a blender until smooth. I pour it back into a pot and add some water if it is too thick. I season to taste and bring it to a simmer.

Quilting on a Rainy Day . . .

My experiment with some new fabric is going almost the way I imagined it would. As with anything in life, nothing ever turns out in the perfect way you create it in your mind. So far, however, I'm pleased. I'm done with the quilting portion and have twenty squares that need sewing together. Lots of handsewing from this moment on!