Sunday, December 28, 2014

this recipe is for the best sweet 'n sour crockpot beans you'll ever eat!

This recipe is for the best pot of beans you will ever eat - thank you Alleen Bock!  One look at the beautiful cooked beans and your mouth will be watering.  However, you will just have to take my word for it.  For some reason, blogger is not letting me download pictures.  So no step by step photo recipe today.  Since it was so popular at our Christmas Eve party and so many have asked for the recipe,  I decided to post it without pictures. 


Alleen  Bock’s Sweet ‘n Sour Beans 
8 Bacon Strips – Dice
2 Medium onions.  Cut in ½ and slice thinly
1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

½ Cup Cider Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Mustard
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Can (28) oz) Baked Beans (do not drain)
1 Can (16 oz) Kidney Beans (rinse and drain)

1 Can (15 ½ oz) Pinto Beans
1 Can (15 ½ oz) Lima Beans
1 Can (15 ½ ox) Blackeyed Peas

Start in skillet.  Cook bacon.  Save 2 Tablespoons of drippings.  Sautee onion in drippings.

Add Brown Sugar – and all ingredients. 
Bring to a boil.
Then, put in slow cooker and add beans.  Cook 3 – 4 hours.
Serves 15 – 20 people.  (I often double the recipe, if your crockpot can handle it)



Saturday, December 27, 2014

change

working on changing the face of this blog and the timeliness in posting.  this photo is precious to me.  these are the siblings mentioned in "more about me".  the year is probably 1956.  location is 619 5th street north, wahpeton north dakota.  daniel looks a bit bored.  charlene still had some of her beautiful blonde curls.  david was the baby and we were all crazy about him. me. four eyes.  from 6 years old on I was completely dependent on those glasses!  (or some such vision correction)  until January of 2014 that is.  cataract surgery and lens implants changed my life.  I do not even use reading glasses any longer. how does it make me feel?  like superwoman.  like I can take on the world.  give me any task and just watch me keep up with you. and that is just what I did this past year. ha!  youthful.  that is what it feels like.  with the exception of a few incidents such as:
  • leaving a restaurant in riverpark.  dutch and I walking along and holding hands  suddenly we hear two teenage girls behind us say "look at those two old people.  aren't they cute.  holding hands!"  of course, we quickly looked around for the two cute old people holding hands. couldn't find them anywhere.
  • or this one:  first visit with my new dentist.  examines my mouth and says "hope my teeth are as good as yours when I am your age" well, he was a kid, I have to admit.  probably out of dental school no more than fifteen years.
  • hair color.  yes hair color.  almost tried to go with out coloring.  not a pretty sight.  so got that out of my system pretty doggone quickly.
and the list could go on.  maybe I will embellish at a future date.  For now, I will leave you with this thought: 
"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."  Isaiah 46:4



Thursday, December 11, 2014

putting my week in perspective


Me: God, can I ask you a question?

God: Sure.

Me: Promise you won't get mad.

God: I promise.

Me: Why did you let so much stuff happen to me today?

God: What do you mean?

Me: Well, I woke up late.

God: Yes.

Me: My car took forever to start.

God: Okay.

Me: At lunch they made my sandwich wrong and I had to wait.

God: Huummm.

Me: On the way home, my phone went dead, just as I picked up a call.

God: All right.

Me: And on top of it all, when I got home I just wanted to soak my feet in my new foot massager and relax, but it wouldn't work!!! Nothing went right today! Why did you do that?

God: Let me see, the Death Angel was at your bed this morning and I had to send one of the other angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that.

Me: (humbled): OH...

GOD: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that would have hit you if you were on the road.

Me: (ashamed): Oh...

God: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick and I didn't want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work.

Me: (embarrassed): Ok...

God: Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to give false witness about what you said on that call, I didn't even let you talk to them so you would be covered.

Me: (softly) I see, God.

God: Oh and that foot massager, it had a shortage that was going to throw outall of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in thedark.

Me : I'm sorry, God.

God: Don't be sorry, just learn to trust me.....in all things, the good and the bad.

Me: I will trust you.

God: And don't doubt that my plan for your day is always better than your plan.

Me: I won't God. And let me just tell you God, thank you for everything today.

God: You're welcome child. It was just another day being your God, and I love looking after my children