Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  Today was the best kind of day.  We did some chores around the house.  Watched a lot of football.  Made a delicious lunch that I am going to share the recipe for.  Made a pair of pajama pants.  Spent some time outside in the grove.  Just an all around perfect kind of day.  Let's start with that recipe.  My husband had this one day at work last week.  Some of the ladies brought in lunch a couple of days before Christmas and he just raved about this dish.  I don't know what it is called.  I am not even 100% sure of the ingredients.  But after we googled some similar crock pot recipes, we came up with what we all agreed  was an outstanding dish!!  I started it last night at about 10:00.  I wanted it to cook a good 12-15 hours.  You will need about a 3 pound chuck roast, a large jar of pepperoncinis, and fresh garlic.  Trim visible fat from roast.  Make slits into meat and press fresh garlic cloves inside holes.  I used about 6 whole cloves of garlic.  You could use minced that you buy in the jar, or in a pinch, dried, but fresh is always best.  Lay your meat into crockpot.  I turned it up to high for first two hours, then to low.

I stemmed the peppers so I poured the juice straight into the crockpot, then dumped the peppers onto cutting board to stem them, and I also ran a knife down the centers to open them up.  You can't see that the garlic is already in the meat, but it is.  I just didn't get a photo of that.

Put the lid on and go to bed.  This is what it looked like this morning.

It looks like a lot of liquid, but that gets absorbed.  At about noon, I took two forks and shredded the beef.  It shreds easily, and is very tender by this point.

For lunch, we had this heaped onto hamburger buns, topped with a slice of provolone cheese.  The flavor is unbelievable!  The peppers give it just the right amount of flavor and kick.  And the beef is so tender it melts in your mouth.

I made a little pasta salad to go with it.  We were so hungry that we didn't wait to toast the buns and cheese.  But I think that would have been yummy!  If we were having company, and serving lots of other things with this, I would do them as sliders on small buns.  I will be making this again for sure!  It was so easy. Three ingredients.  You can't beat that.  What a great dish for camping, or tailgating, or Super Bowl party..etc.   This would also be outstanding in burritos!  In fact, I think that is what we will do with the leftovers tomorrow.  You will love it!  Try it!!!   Everyone gave this two thumbs way up!!
Before Christmas, at our enchilada making party, my daughter Gennifer made this wonderful punch. She had found the recipe on Pinterest.  It called for ice cream too, but we did it without.  Take one 2 liter bottle of Sprite, or 7-Up.  One frozen can of limeade.  And one cucumber, peeled and sliced thin. 

Had I been making this for a crowd, I would have probably tripled the recipe.  It is so refreshing, and pretty in a glass jar too.  My adult children were saying that they thought it would be good spiked with vodka or something.  For me, I love it with no alcohol.  I am not much of an alcohol drinker, and I much prefer it UNspiked!!  I have been sipping on this all day.  Yum!  I know I will be adding this to my summer list of party drinks.
Today I made myself a pair of "pie pants" or pajama pants, out of some red and white polka dot fleece. 

I spent some time out back in the grove today.  It was so pretty, just walking around back there.  Checking on the fruit.  We have lots of oranges, as usual, but this year they seem to be smaller than last.  They kind of do that.  One year they are huge, then the next they are smaller.  But always, we have more than we could ever use.

Last year we had the biggest crop of avocados ever.  Looks like it is going to be another good year for guacamole!

Our lemon trees are loaded, but the fruit is still a bit small.

In the past year or so, I have for the first time since living here, entertained the thought of moving to a smaller property with less upkeep.  Some day we probably will. But oh how I would miss this place.  I love to be outside here.  I love that we have so much privacy in our yard.  I love to bring my morning coffee out with me to walk around the grove and listen to the birds and watch my chickens. 

I would miss my chickens!  I would miss my garden.  I would miss my grove.  We won't be moving anytime soon, I don't think.

Before I go, I want to show you my latest Craig's List find.  I have been keeping an eye out for a chair to put back in the guest/play room.  This is a very large bedroom.  We have a queen sized bed in there, along with a dresser, and an armoire with telly and all.  This is also where we keep all the toys for the kids.  And they spend a lot of time back there.  I wanted to put a comfortable chair in there for me to sit in when the kids play back there.  That way I can crochet or read a book, or read to them.  This chair I bought was not anything at all what I was looking for!   I wanted a small chair.  But a soft comfy chair.  This is actually a chaise lounge.  I saw it and thought what the heck, I will go take a look at it.  It was in very good condition, the price was right, and they lived only  a few blocks away from me.  So my son Drew and I went out to see it.  It had been covered in storage in the garage, and it was very clean.  In fact when I came home I used upholstery cleaner and washed it anyway, cuz that is just what I do, I clean stuff.  I saw no visible dirt that was removed!   What a bargain!
Please disregard that atrocious wallpaper in it's state of partial removal there on the wall.  That is on my list of things to do in January!!

When I remove that paper and paint the room, I am sure I will be moving the furniture around.  But for now, it is in an optimal spot for viewing the telly, and near the window for natural light.  Guess how much it cost?  Give up?  35.00.  I love Craig's List!!  That comforter on the bed, although very pretty, is not my style, and will be changed soon.  It was Gennifer and Jake's set when they first married.  It was the only thing I had on hand to cover a Queen bed for now.  But I am seeing quilts in this room for sure.  

So, with that I will wrap it up for tonight.  I have my freshly washed  "Pie Pants" on and am going to go get my crochet and work on that for a bit. 

I welcome the new year!  I welcome the first page of my new calendar!

I can't wait to have my coffee tomorrow morning while watching the Rose Parade!  

Happy New Year to each one of you!   I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know so many of you through blogging.  I am excited for so many things in this upcoming year.   2012 is going to be great, I just know it!!!

XO  Kris