IT'S TUESDAY - What's new with you? Besides the look of this board.

Good Morning, George, and Everyone,

Always a pleasure to "see" you sharing George.  It's Tuesday and my cold woke me up early again.  Oh well.  It will run it's course no matter what I do.  It's amazing to me to feel cold as I never did before losing the weight I've lost.  Can't imagine how I would feel in the more severe climates some of you experience.

We have the office Christmas party today.  It's being catered and everyone pays $12.  $12 and there isn't anything but salad I can eat.  I find it fascinating that it's pasta, vegetarian dishes, salad and desserts.  I will consume protein at my desk before going to this event and then push some salad around my plate.  I paid and actually treated my two co-workers in my office to their lunch as well.  We then do a gift exchange where everyone draws numbers and selects a package from under the tree.  Always interesting to observe people.

My daughter-in-law called last night to tell me they've decided our grandson is left handed - just like me.  She asked me to assist in helping him to learn to write.  The pre-school teacher says he's in need of practice.  Happy to do it!  He had pictures with Santa on Sunday and had a great time.  He's having surgery on his ears on Friday.  Keeping prayers going for that.

Take care and stay warm.

Hugs,

Kathi

Hi George et al,

Thanks for the quick recap, George, and for getting us started so bright and early.

It's very cold here, had some freezing overnight so Gary doesn't have to go in until 10:00 and I rescheduled my 9:00 client to tomorrow. The much anticipated Christmas party was cancelled last night. I'm really grateful that it was. Not just because of the weather, but with one co-worker hospitilized and another's father knocking on death's door, I just knew it wasn't right to be out partying. So, cute outfit will just have to wait. I really enjoyed a quite evening of homemade turkey soup and snuggling with Gary on the couch. Along with the two dogs, of course.

So....this new OH format. HMMMM  had a bit of a time finding OFF, the state forums were easy enough, but there was a brief moment of panic there when I couldn't locate my friends here. But, all is well. Now I'll have to browse around and see what there is to see.

I'm putting in a pork roast for dinner this morning. If you haven't tried this technique, you MUST!!!

Pre heat your oven to 500 degrees. Season a whole pork tenderloin with your seasonings of choice. Put a few slices into the meat and insert some whole cloves of garlic.....or don't if you'd prefer. We personally love garlic, so the more the merrier.  Now, wrap the meat in foil, not too tight around the meat, leaving a bit of a "tent", but well sealed. Put the roast onto a baking sheet into the oven for 30 minutes...no longer then SHUT OFF THE OVEN AND DON'T OPEN IT UNTIL IT IS STONE COLD.
So, you do this while you're getting ready for work (I've done it before bed to take to work for pot lucks the next day) and it's wonderful. All you have to do is your side dishes when you get home.  The leftovers make great pulled pork sandwiches.  After it's done, I cut it in half and freeze the second half for furture use.  This also works well with a roast beef.

Ok, dudettes, off to make another FF latte. It's a lazy morning.

hugs and love

Susan, this sounds so good. Would you take it a step further and tell us how you do the pulled pork? What do you use for the sauce, etc. I know my aunties in NE Arkansas make a wonderful pulled pork but I don't have the recipe (if there is one!) Thanks.

Hi Karen,

Well, I'm not from NE AR and I still don't have a recipe  LOL.  What I did was cut the roast in half after taking it out of the oven. I think what I'll do is chunk up the half I'm making into barbecue and toss it into the crock pot with a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce. I'm going to do it tomorrow while I'm home so, eventhough I'm keeping the pot on low I'll be able to watch it.

If I had started it from the raw state I'd chop up a large onion ( I'll still do this) and put it into the crock pot early in the a.m. and just let her cook on low all day. Then I'd pour off the juice, shred the pork, add the sauce and let it reheat on high for 30 minutes or so.

As far as the oven cooking method, I've made it twice. The first time I did the high heat and shut the oven off right before leaving for work, so it was in the oven for about 9-10 hours (give or take) with no ill effects. Yesterday I put it in about 8:30 and I think I took it out about 3:30 or 4:00. It was still a tad warm, too!  I put it straight into the frige until dinner time, then sliced off what we needed and heated it up a bit in the microwave.

I have also used this techinique with roast beef, but decreased the temp to 450. The roast was a wee bit frozen when I popped it into the oven, and I let it cook for 30 min, and let it stay there until I got home. It was the best roast I've ever made. I didn't slice it until the next day and it was perfect!

Nothing like having dinner ready when you get home!

Thanks a bunch Susan. I always need the "between the line" instructions for anything. I can manage to screw up even the clearest recipe. This sounds great for while family is here SIX DAYS BEFORE Christmas.  I can't wait to see them, but feeding them all week???? Planning about every other night to be a "pizza one night, then Chinese" alternating with homecooked. Should keep my sanity!

Susan, One more ? How many hours can you leave the pork in the oven safely?

Good Tuesday morning.  Foggy, but warm here!

My DH has 2 different doc appts today, just routine stuff.  And he found some FANTASTIC coupons online for Progresso soup at Walgreens.  We go right by there on the way to the doc, so will stop on the way there AND on the way back, so we can get the max allowed each time.  The grandsons are into chicken noodle for their after school snacks, a can and a half each, so I ALWAYS need coupons for that.

Tomorrow I begin cleaning house and preparing the house and food for our Christmas party on Saturday.  I have WAY too much planned, and I know others will bring stuff, but I can't help myself.  My Momma and Sissy are the same.  We ALWAYS have to 'provide'.

Everyone in snowy, icey, foggy climes, DRIVE CAREFULLY, stay warm!  Be sure your fire detector and carbon monoxide detector are working!

Good morning.

Looks like a cold, frigid day in Texas.  Now mind you, since I know the majority of our OFF folks are already enjoying frigid temps, I won't complain.  The warmest temp in the area is farther east and is 38 right now.  We have a windchill in the Tarrant County of 12.  Some schools are closed, some are delayed start, some stayed open.  Just enough mist and drizzle to cause problems.  90+ wrecks in Dallas last night in a very few hours.

I'm dressed and ready to walk out of the house.  It's dark so will wait until daylight to head my 35 mile trek to work... heading right into where the drizzle seems to be.  Will make a showing so I can get paid and come back home... maybe.  Costco may be in my future.

Right now, $4 is calling my name.

Janet

Morning George and all,

Checking in from Freezing cold Spokane, at -1 this morning. Suppose to get down to -17 Saturday! I am hating this! Our old house is COLD!
This kind of weather makes me anxious, hubby too. I understand that while our shelters our open in town they only open at 8pm and then everyone, including children, have to be out by 7am. I can't believe it! I for sure can't complain...I am so thankful to have a roof over my head no matter how windy and drafty and cold.

Beth is getting her wisdom teeth out today. I can't take off as I was out sick for three days and work frowns on taking sick time, so Tom took the day off and will care for her. His boss told him "family comes first." I don't think my employer has that same feeling. Oh, well, lots of people out sick, it's colder than usual, and people are kinda cranky.  I am glad I like my job and will just keep smiling and get lots done.

It's so nice to wake up and see you all...nice start to my day...thank you.

I am soooooo far behind my "Christmas" stuff. We have the tree up but no ornaments, just lights and garland...I think it looks beautiful.


Prayers out to all in need. Hugs to same and hugs to all of you other folks I have come to know and care about!

Cheryl

Good morning to you George and my other OFF sisters and brothers. I am hoping that things are well for everyone.

The weather here is just plain icky. It is colder than two hoots~it is a big goose egg here~ZERO. The temp isn't going to get much better later on in the day. I am so tired of the winter already. The only good thing about winter is Christmas. We have some ice today but not to much.

I forgot that I have to have pasta salad to the church this morning for a funeral dinner~yes another of our members passed away. I hope they don't go in three's. I forgot all about it yesterday until after 11 last night so I am off to the deli and buy some. At least they are getting their pasta salad.

Misty is playing and I can't see what she is playing with. She is something else. Always up to something and sometimes it isn't good either. ha ha That is the devil in her I guess. I can't tell you how many times I have had to straighten out the tree skirt because she thinks she is a Christmas present and plops herself under the tree and rolls around. I always tell her when she is under there that all she needs is a bow on her head. I forget from one year to the next that she is into the tree. If she isn't laying under the tree she is working on eating it. She is now tossing her cat mat around. She is chasing after it and now it is all folded up and on the opposite side of the living room than when it started. I know that she has horns but I think she keeps them hidden. But I know that they are there.

I am meeting a girl and her husband from the IN board today. I have talked to her on the phone a lot but we have never met. We live about 3 hours away from each other. Her husband lost his job last Friday and he has a interview with the local gas and electric company and so his is at 11 this morning. After that they are coming here and we are spending the afternoon together. We are hoping to go for lunch and if we work out the time Bill might be able to go with us. Then Janene wants to go to the Goodwill store across the street from me and then to the one in Valparaiso too. That one is my favorite one. I am giving her some big bags of clothes and she is bringing me some that are 3-4X. I wasn't sure what to do with them but now I know there is a lady who lost everything in a house fire and she wears that size so I am going to send them to her. That works out good.

I have a few things to do around her before Janene and Mark gets here. Nothing much just some dusting and that is it. I worked around here last night to get some of the stuff done. It was a hard thing to do since I am so crippled up with my back. I am walking like a little old lady all bent over and such. Oh the trials of getting older. I guess it beats the alternative tho.

We got some bad news about Bill's job last night. Things aren't doing what we thought that they were. His company is an outside contractor at the coke plant and if they are not happy by the end of January the company is out and everyone looses their jobs. Oh God I am so scared that I could just vomit. I am not sure what we would do if that happens. I guess that is where the faith comes in and know that God is taking care of the whole situation. Please pray for this.

I better go so I can do what I need to do. Have a wonderful day and know that I am sending my love and hugs to all and special prayers are going up for everyone.