Monday, September 21, 2009

Porkchops & Appleshawsh Recipe

Well, it's not actually applesauce, but there are apples involved. And let me just say - right up front - this is not a figure-friendly recipe! Unless, of course, you don't mind your figure going out and not in!

The second and third things that you need to know about this recipe are that 1) it's SOooooo fast & easy to whip up and B) it's sooooooooo yummay! And let's face it... anything TTM (This Tired Mom) can fix that has superb taste & is super easy to make... winner, winner, winner! This is
monumentally ahead of Mac & Cheese or KFC or Burgers in terms of taste and is just as simple to fix! I'm not makin' this up... you can even ask my BFF (yes, I just used that acronym) Sayrah. (I'd totally give you her contact info, but I don't think she'd appreciate that.)

So here it is!


*The first thing you want to do is preheat your oven to 375 degrees! Do it first or else your dish will be prepared & just waiting for the oven to heat up! I mean it! This dish is THAT fast!























Cast of Characters:

*9x13 pan
*cooking spray or some other type of greasing/buttering/non-sticking method
*foil
*canned apple pie filling (notice the orange stickers on top! $1.30 on sale - SCORE!)
*pork chops
*stuffing (flavor of your choice - I used Pork)

*Prepare your stuffing as directed on the box. Since TTM is all about the ease of things, I used the microwave method.

*I used 2 boxes of stuffing. I could have gone with 1, but I needed enough for leftovers the next night.

*While this is in the microwave - or on the stove for all the overacheivers out there - you can do the next two steps.



*Empty the apple pie filling into your sprayed/rubbed/greased baking dish.

*Seeing as how LM (Lovin' Man) is also a hard-working man, one can just wasn't going to cut it... we normally use 2 cans.

*After getting the second can in there, I added a 3rd! Hey, at $1.30 ea, we could afford to use the 3rd can! Plus, it assured more for the leftovers!




*Place the porkchops on top of the apple pie filling.

*I like to get boneless chops from Costco. They're more cost effective and they do us well!

*I seasoned them with some salt & pepper. Sometimes, if I have more time and I'm feeling rather June Cleaverish, I'll sear the chops before this step, however, last night wasn't one of those times.


*Spread the stuffing over the top of the chops & cover with foil!
*Bake @ 375 for **40 minutes, removing the foil after 30 minutes. This allows the stuffing to get crispy on top! The apples will be oozing out the top of the stuffing. (I now need to clean out my stove!)
**Seeing as how I used MORE stuffing and apples than a normal sized dish, I let mine cook for 60 minutes! I wanted to make sure the chops had enough time to get cooked through. If you're one to take a temp, they should reach 160 degrees!



*Here's the finished product. Man, was it good!

*I hope this recipe might help some other Tired Moms out there!





*Yes, those are canned string beans... and?

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Conversations with Red

Scene: This Tired Mom & her adorable middle child, "Red" are standing at the bathroom sink. Hair is being parted. Spray gel is being sprayed. Hair is being beautified two minutes before needing to leave for Church on Sunday morning.

Red: Mom, are you gonna be my kids grandma?
TTM (This Tired Mom): Yes, I am
Red: Who's going to be their grandpa?
TTM: Uh, Daddy is, silly.
Red:
*giggle* Daddy is going to be their grandpa?
TTM: Well, yeah! Who else would be?
*silence*
Red: Well, we're gonna live in this house, Mom.
TTM: You are, huh?
Red: Yeah. When I'm a teenager and I have ki-
TTM:Um, wait a minute. You don't have babies when you're a teenager. You have to be married.
Red:
*listening*
LM(Loving Man):
*pipes in from other room in big, booming man-voice* YOU CAN ONLY HAVE BABIES WHEN YOU'RE 25! OR OLDER! *His tone seems to insinuate it must be obeyed and any other answer is unacceptable*
TTM: *
continuing as if LM's proclamation had been nothing more than a whisper on the wind* As long as you're married, and you and/or your husband have enough money to take care of your baby then it's OK to have babies.
Red:
seemingly accepting to this instruction. "We're gonna live here, though, Mom."
LM: YOU'RE GOING TO LIVE HERE WITH YOUR HUSBAND AND KIDS?! ALL IN THE SAME HOUSE WITH US?
Red: Ignoring LM
TTM: Where are Mommy and Daddy going to live?
Red: In another house.
TTM: You're going to make us move out so you can live in our house?
Red: Uh huh!
silence... TTM is letting her theory sink in.
TTM: Wait a minute... are you going to put us in an old folks home?!?!
Red:
giggle AND a nod. UH HUH!

Lord, help us!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Watching and Watiting

Pretty soon there are going to be some changes around here...

We know approximately when they will be taking place...

But for now, we're just watching....


Watching and waiting...

... waiting....


... and watching.


Tucker is taking it all in stride...


... but Ginger remains ever vigilant... just a-watching & a-waiting!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Lookin' back - Emma Edition

Emma is 18 months old!
What is she up to now?!

She weighs 23.8lbs & depending on whose shoes she's wearing, she's averaging 30 inches long... er, high.

She wears an 18 - 24 month pant, 24 mos - 2t Tops & dresses.

Emma is in a size 4 diaper.

She loves to...
...play outside
...ride horses
...chase her sisters
...jump on the trampoline... or Daddy
...go bye-bye.

She also loves...
...her paci
...avocados
...SHOES
...chocolate milk
...her blanky(ies)
...bananas
...shoes
...her sissies
...Mommy & Daddy
... did I mention her shoes?

Emma has 5 teeth with 3 on the horizon!

She is down to one nap in the afternoons and is still sleeping through the night! (Hallelujah!)

Although sometimes she's a little hard to understand, her vocabulary is expanding! Her current word bank consists of...
...Ma (usually yelled)
...Da, Daddy
...Tucker
...Gigi (Ginger)
...peesh(please - which she also signs)
...baybee
...ewwww (my personal favorite!)

She also makes certain noises for her "paci" and food! Mommy thinks that being the youngest of 3 has something to do with Emma's obvious disdain for talking. Why talk when Mommy and Sissies have you all figured out?!

Mommy is glad that Emma has turned out to be a happy and healthy girl!!! Emma can bring a smile to our faces a thousand times a day! She seems to be on a more "average" growth chart than her big sissies and can be quite the Sassy Susan! However, Mommy & Daddy are loving every minute of it and can't believe how fast time is going by!

I've posted quite a few pictures from the past 18 months... *sniffle sniffle*


3/10/08 - 6 lbs, 10 ounces (1/2 ounce heavier than Brooklyn)
I was SO sure she was going to be a bigger baby. I kept saying,
"I can't believe she's so tiny!"

Proud Sissy Brooklyn

Brenna is finally a big sister!

Daddy had the flu when Emma was born!

Just minutes after she was born!
I can feel my ovaries itchin'!

A quiet moment with Mommy

Cuddled in the blankie that Auntie Kell made!

The Elvis Yawn

The infamous long toes - Mommy thinks shes grown into them now!

About 6 weeks

Gettin' ready to talk to Brenna


I just love this pic of her on the pillow... so tiny!

Wearing Momma's very first headband!

Father's Day 08

A rare happy baby at this point... I was so thrilled to snap some smiley pics!

2 mos old at the Fair


First taste of food!

Loungin' with Ginger


6 months old!



Wearing the beginning of what would become Momma's crochet obsession

Halloween 08




November/December 08





January 09

Red cupcakes - practicing for birthday!

Her 1 year b'day photo

March 09 - 1 year old!

One of the saddest/pics that I love

Water fun!

Jumpin' girl

Loves the water so much she fell asleep


My happy girl!

18 months old - still attached to that paci!

Riding Gigi

My big girl!

Lovin' her monkey

Sittin' pretty!