Homemade Shake and Bake Pork Chops

March 19, 2018March 17, 2018 RefreshHer7 Comments

Man I love a bone-in pork chop! They are thick, juicy and scrumptious! Are you old enough to remember the commercials for Shake and Bake coating mix for chicken and pork? Here it is…

The commercial might be comical now (especially those “southern accents!”), but it’s true – this coating is easier and better than frying!

I Recently found a lovely package of pork chops on sale at Kroger and brought them home, not knowing how I would prepare them. Then remembering those crispy oven-baked pork chops from my childhood, I Googled “Homemade Shake and Bake Pork chops” and found that Southern Living had a great recipe!!

Look at this pork chop with its delicious coating that was BAKED!

Homemade Shake and Bake Pork Chops

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 1/8 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
4 (1/2-inch-thick) bone-in pork loin chops

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425°. Stir together first 6 ingredients, 2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper in a bowl. Transfer mixture to a 1-gal. zip-top plastic freezer bag.

Step 2

Sprinkle pork chops on both sides with remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Place 2 chops in breadcrumb mixture, and shake to coat well. Place chops on a wire rack on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chops.

Step 3

Bake at 425° for 15 minutes; turn chops over, and bake 10 more minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 155°. Let stand 5 minutes.

Southern Living added a Mustard Sauce. I tried it and it was delicious!! Here’s the recipe for that:

Mustard Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
1 large shallot, minced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Step 4

Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallot, and sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Increase heat to medium-high; add broth, and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Stir in mustard, cream, and lemon juice, and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in chopped parsley. Serve immediately with pork chops.

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Now, aren’t you hungry for a crunchy, savory pork chop? i SERIOUSLY could eat this every week, and that’s coming from a girl who likes variety in her menu! I hope you’ll find someone to give you some help (spoken with a southern drawl!) and try this recipe!

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Family Friday – The Happiest Place On Earth

March 16, 2018March 16, 2018 RefreshHerLeave a comment

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I just heard a comment from a high school senior on her senior trip to Disney World say, “This has to be the happiest place on earth!” Having been there I can understand her sentiment. With beautiful flowers everywhere, light-hearted music, Mickey and Minnie, fun food, fun rides and fun times. of course it’s a happy place!

There is another place that should be one of the happiest places on this earth – home. Home should be the most loving, secure and fun place for a child. What will you do today to make it that way for your children? Are you homeschooling? Are you sending your children off for the day? Dealing with adult children living at home? What can you do to make this the BEST place to live in or return to? Don’t get so caught up in the day-to-day routines that you forget to make more than a house – make it a home…a place to nurture, love, accept and have FUN!!

For your little ones – Change things around today or even on April Fools Day. Let them eat their dessert first! Have lunch under the table instead of on it. Go to the library and get new books – perhaps books about spring, baby lambs or even a child’s cookbook. Read together in a new place – build a comfy spot on the floor with pillows and cushions or make a tent using all the kitchen chairs as props.
Play uplifting music – Patch the Pirate, The Donut Man, Veggie Tales, etc. Let the atmosphere of your home be encouraging for them. It’s easy to play what we like instead of what they would enjoy.

How about some fun food? Cut their sandwich into shapes using cookie cutters. Peanut butter and jelly can take on a whole new taste when it’s cut differently!

For your older kids = be there for them. Sit and listen to them. Do something fun together. Cook. Bake. Shop. Scroll through Pinterest for ideas and then rearrange her room. Stay up late with them. Watch their movie or ball game. Talk. Nod. Love. Pray.

Make your home the “happiest place on the earth” by taking time to be with your children, using creativity and thoughtful action to make each day one they won’t forget!

What are you doing to make your home the HAPPIEST place on earth?

Home decor · laundry · refreshment at home

Spiffing Up the Laundry Room

March 15, 2018March 15, 2018 RefreshHer9 Comments

laundry room

Probably most of us spend lots of time in the laundry room, so it only makes sense to make it a pretty place that we can enjoy! Here are a few things that I’ve done to love hanging out (pun intended!) in there.

My laundry room is bright with a window that has a lovely view of the mountains and the countryside, so I didn’t want a curtain that would cover it. Instead, I hung a valance at the top so I could always see out.

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I also like to have a small lamp glowing on top of the dryer; it just adds a warmth to the room. To keep it from sliding around while the dryer is operating, I put a fabric placemat on top. A jar of clothespins , a fragrance warmer and a pretty calendar make the vignette complete.

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Fun artwork is a great detail and doesn’t have to be expensive. I found several things recently for under $5 that I love! Target had this “Fresh and clean” sign in the dollar spot. It was $3! My laundry room doubles as Liza’s space where her food and litter box are. The command hook holds a small basket with baggies that I use for Liza’s canned food.

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To keep the litter box hidden, I use a hinged window shutter. I have a wooden step that holds all the “stuff” – laundry soap, litter scoop, paper towels, etc. Baskets keep it all neat.

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I found I was using the doorknob to hang clothes that needed to be line dried. When I was at Dollar General this week I found a cute Button hook to use instead. It was only $2.50!!

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I love plants with blooms that last. This little guy was a gift to me by a sweet guest. I’m not sure what it is, though it reminds me of a Mimosa. (Does anyone know what it is?) It needs very little attention, but keeps those yellow blooms ALL the time! It really perks up this corner. The stool it’s sitting on is where I store Liza’s cat food.

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I added a throw rug on the floor and some baskets on the shelf over the appliances for extra storage. I love this space. Maybe that’s why I don’t mind doing a load of laundry every single day!

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The only other thing I’d add if I could would be a small chandelier, but because we have the pot lighting in the ceiling, it might be a little too difficult to make that happen. Even if it doesn’t, I’m totally loving my laundry room. It just makes me smile!

Do you love your laundry room/space? What could you add to give it a more inviting appeal?

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Christian growth · Goals · Saturation

Spiritual Snacking Choices

March 14, 2018March 14, 2018 RefreshHer4 Comments

No snack before supper or you’ll ruin your appetite.

Most mothers have had to say this to their child at one time or another. A child may feel as though Mom is withholding good food from them, but oh, no! She has stored away all kinds of good things for her family! Plans for good meals are in the near future! She won’t let her family go hungry; she just wants her family to be hungry for the best foods that will help them grow.

Physical food can ruin your appetite for the right things, but have you ever considered that spiritual snacking actually creates an appetite for healthy spiritual eating?

Yesterday I talked about making wise decisions regarding entertainment. We get kind of “hungry” for something good to munch on while we’re working or doing a mindless tasks like getting ready for the day, riding in the car or washing dishes. Just as we don’t stop eating just because we want to eat healthy, we don’t have to stop using media because we want good choices to nourish our minds. Why? Because there ARE good things out there that can feed us well!!

Look what Scripture says –

The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish:
Proverbs 10:3

Our loving God knows that we need spiritual food to grow and He will not let us go without what we need. His Word is the answer for every hunger in our soul! He is so good to allow so many avenues today in which we can hear His Word given to us!!

The word SATURATION is my word for 2018. I’ve asked the Lord to help me saturate my heart with Truth from His Word each day. I don’t always win at this but I want to share with you some of the ways that I “snack” on God’s Word most days.

Audio Bible – Each morning while I’m making the bed, I listen to the Proverb chapter the correlates to the day of the month. In order to keep my ear and heart engaged, I try to finish the verse before the audio speaks it. I don’t have it all memorized, for sure, but I know it well enough that I can finish some of the verses. The Word is getting into me while I straighten up.
Pod Casts – I have an app on my phone that fills my podcast library with episodes from Revive Our Hearts and Love Worth finding (there are many other preachers on that site as well). The word is getting into me while I’m working at home or traveling in the car.
CD’s of messages – I often listen again to messages from conferences I’ve attended, via the recorded message on a CD. The truth comes back to my heart and I’m reminded of what the Lord taught me or I catch something I missed the first time! The Word is getting into me while I mop, fold laundry, iron, work on projects or cook.
Pandora radio – I have several stations on Pandora of music that is a blessing to listen to while I cook or while I have my quiet time in the morning.
Bible memory – I try to work on new verses or review ones I’ve memorized as I’m getting ready in the morning. I keep my memory verse cards nearby – on the counter or I take them with me in the car so I can keep working on Scripture. Having God’s Word in my heart makes Scripture the most mobile of all apps! It’s always with me!

While the real meat and meals come from my time in God’s Word each morning, these are some of my spiritual snack foods. They’re so wonderful that it truly does make my heart crave for more.

If you haven’t tried these delights, I hope you will, and if you have another suggestion of good spiritual “snacking food,” I would love for you to share that with us!

I hope I’ve made you hungry!

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Christian Life · Entertainment · Social media

A Healthy Balance of Entertainment

March 13, 2018March 12, 2018 RefreshHer2 Comments

For the last 50 days or so, I have been putting my meals into My Fitness Pal – an online calorie counter. I type in the foods I’m eating at each meal, and it tells me how many calories and nutrients are in each food. If I go over the “allotted” carbs, sugars or sodium, for example, it will tell me what number I was supposed to stay under. It keeps me from eating that extra snack I might be hungry for or the dessert that is tempting me. It’s really a good thing because it keeps me eating what is good, and it keeps it in healthy portions.

In another part of my appetites, I enjoy a good fictional book. I love a funny Andy Griffith Episode. I have several You Tube Channels that I watch. I have Instagram and Facebook accounts. At times these “outlets” can overwhelm me…

if I let them.

If I don’t keep a check on them.

My heart’s inclination would be to “munch away” on Insta-stories,” or be lured by the fancies of my entertainment. It’s up to me to reign it in so that I may fill my heart with more that is edifying and will push me closer to the Lord.

The Spirit of God guides my entertainment like My Fitness Pal guides my food. You see, if I allow the worldly to outweigh that which would edify, my emotions will be flighty. My temperament is unpredictable. My decisions are based on feelings instead of Truth. Oh, how I need God’s Spirit to lead me to His Word so that I will be spiritually healthy! When I tip the scale and absorb more of the world’s philosophy than God’s thoughts, I’m asking for trouble. I pray for the Lord to

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation;
on thee do I wait all the day.
Psalm 25:5

When I listen to the guidance of My Fitness Pal, I smile when I look at the scales. On a much higher plane, when I listen to God’s Spirit tugging at my heart to binge less on the world, I smile when I see the results of godly thinking and actions replacing my fleshly ones. I don’t always win this battle, but it’s one I want to keep fighting!

Do you find yourself devouring more of the world’s thinking than you do spiritual nourishment? Ask the Lord to help you have a healthy balance; it’s a prayer He will answer!