Author: Dackel Princess

The Royal Baby Girl

I woke this morning to the news that Prince William and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, have safely delivered a healthy baby girl! How wonderful for them and for England.

From the moment that it was announced that Kate was expecting, I just knew that it was a girl. Now we must wait to learn her name. I hope that they give her a beautiful, original name.

Looking back, I recall how wonderful it was when I gave birth to my daughter, Amanda. Back then we did not know before hand what the baby would be, but I had a good idea it was a girl. Call me clairvoyant, but I was just certain.

Then she came flying out, after just 8 hours of labor, and when they laid her on my abdomen and I saw her face, I felt like I had known her all my life and that I had loved her for all eternity.

I guess the thing is, for me, as soon as I knew I was pregnant, I loved that little baby growing inside me. And seeing her and holding her, cemented those feeling for a lifetime.

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Now my daughter, has her daughter, Savannah, and the love that I have for my granddaughter is so deep. I never knew it could be like this! As Savannah grows and becomes her own little person, I find I am totally filled with love.

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Salisbury Steak

A quick and easy dinner that everyone will love.

MEAT MIXTURE
1 pound Lean Ground Beef
1 tsp butter
1/2 small onion diced
1/2 cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons Dry Mustard
1 cube Beef Bouillon, Crumbed (or Powdered Beef Base)
4 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Ketchup
Salt And Pepper
Gravy
1 whole Onion, halved or quartered and thinly sliced
2 cups Beef Broth
4 dashes Worcestershire (additional)
1 Tablespoon Ketchup (additional)
1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet (optional)
1 teaspoon Corn Starch Mixed With A Little Beef Broth To Make A Thin Paste
Salt And Pepper, to taste
More Broth If Needed For Thinning
Mashed Potatoes, For Serving
Buttered Peas, For Serving
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, For Frying
1 Tablespoon Butter, For Frying

Preparation Instructions:

Cook onion in 1 tsp butter until soft and translucent. Cool.
Combine all the ingredients for the meat mixture and knead until all combined. Form into 4 to 6 oval patties, then make lines across the patties to give them a “steak” appearance.

Fry in a skillet with oil and butter over medium-high heat on both sides until no longer pink in the middle. Remove from the pan and pour off excess grease.

Reduce the heat to medium and add in the sliced onions. Stir and cook for several minutes, or until golden brown and somewhat soft. Add the beef stock, Worcestershire, and ketchup. Stir and cook to reduce.

OPTIONAL: Add Kitchen Bouquet, which will give the gravy a deeper color and a bit more flavor.

OPTIONAL: Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch/broth mixture to give the gravy a little gloss and to thicken it up a bit without lightening it (as flour would.)

Return the steaks to the gravy. Spoon gravy over the top and let them simmer and heat back up for a couple of minutes.

Serve with mashed potatoes and peas!

Baltimore

AS I watched Baltimore burning, my heart sank. I believe in protesting, but I believe that protests should be civil and lawful. A few years back, in the middle of winter, I actually marched in a protest in our states capital. I was protesting the unlawful imprisonment of a friend.

None of us set fire to cars, or over turned them. No glass was smashed, no fire arms shot off. No buildings burned down. Just about 50 of us that showed up to protest what we felt was unlawful by our state courts.

So yesterday, as I watched the coverage from Baltimore, I watch as a mother tracked down her son and dragged him home! Bravo Mom!!! Not only did I admire her going out to find her son and bring him home, but she would not be put down by the other looters!

I have real admiration for this woman. How many mothers just sat by and allowed their kids to participate, without saying, NO to the illegal expression of their gripes.

Dr. Martin Luther King believed in peaceful protests. He marched singing hymns. He did not loot, burn store fronts or throw molotov cocktails. Peace, prayer and compassion.

I hope Baltimore will quiet down and the people can control their young people. This truly saddens me.

More Questions

I think the thing I am learning, as I go through the process of getting a firm diagnosis on my health is, it isn’t easy, and it will take a bit more time, and lots of patience.

I returned yesterday to get the results from all the blood work I had done three weeks ago. Some of the results were good. Some were bad. At least I’m not dying, right? However, there was still a giant question mark. What exactly is wrong?

We have an idea. It is more than likely an Autoimmune Disease, we are just not sure which one. I’m scheduled for a CAT Scan in a couple of weeks, and then, hopefully, we will know what we are dealing with, or have a better idea.

Some of you know that I have been fighting ill health for sometime. At first it was high fevers, congestion, exhaustion. However for the last six plus months, my joints have become swollen and painful and the exhaustion continues.

I finally have a doctor who is Board Certified in both Rheumatology and Internal Medicine. After our initial meeting he promised he wouldn’t give up on me, and in the end we will find out what it is and get me  on some sort of therapy to feel good again.

Keep your fingers crossed that they can discover what is wrong, and get me feeling back to normal. (Or as close to normal as is possible.)

Diagnosis?

Today I go to Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospital and will be getting the results from all the blood work I had. I am a bit nervous, but hopeful at the same time.

I have so much that I am thankful for, and each day I pray that whatever is wrong with me, won’t be too bad, and will be treatable.

I’ll be writing about it all tomorrow. Please keep your fingers crossed and say a little prayer.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Have you ever had to wear a uniform? If yes, tell us more. Did you love it or hate it?

No, never had to wear a uniform. Thank goodness!

2. April 22nd is Earth Day. What is one thing you do personally to be a good steward of planet Earth?

Every year I plant a garden.

3. Brown rice, quinoa, or couscous…your healthy grain of choice? How often are one of the three on your menu at home? Given a choice between white rice, brown rice, wild rice, and fried rice which would you go for?

Love fried rice!

4. In your opinion, who has the best job ever?

A children’s book writer and illustrator. I would really love to do that.

5. What’s a situation in your life currently requiring patience?

My health. Or should I say, the lack there of.

6. Do you live your life around days of the week? Explain.

Not really. I do try to make it to Weight Watchers on Wednesday.

7. In a nod to the A to Z challenge happening around town this month, what ‘R word’ best describes your April?

Ridiculous! It’s been crazy busy, and I have not felt up to par. Get the first of my test results on Thursday.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

After getting my hair done today I came home and we were eating lunch, when all of a sudden the back of my head started hurting, and then my neck. Tonight it’s just on the right side. I’m thinking I pinched a nerve. How this actually occurred is beyond me. But it hurts like heck!

MB’s Pork Roast

Last night I decided to redeem myself after Sunday’s french fry and onion ring disaster. I had a wonderful pork roast and wanted to try something new. Hubby loved it, and so did I!  Here is what I did.

Roast Pork

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs pork loin roast,
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon rosemary & thyme
  • 1 cup water, divided
  • salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Place pork roast in a shallow metal pan.
  3. Combine honey and Dijon mustard. (I also added the spices to this and poured it all over the pork)
  4. Coat top and sides of roast with this mixture.
  5. Sprinkle garlic powder and rosemary over entire coated surface.
  6. Roast meat for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.
  7. Remove from oven and add 1/3 cup water to the bottom of the pan.
  8. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and roast meat for 35 minutes per pound or until meat thermometer reaches 175 degrees.
  9. Check roast occasionally and add a little more water to pan to keep honey drippings from scorching.
  10. When meat is done, remove from oven and place on carving board.
  11. Scrape pan and enjoy the juices, by pouring over meat slices.
  12. I served this with tiny pearl onions, baked potatoes and asparagus.

Ooooops!

Did you ever have one of those days moments, when for whatever reason something goes wrong with what you are cooking.

Usually I am pretty good and it has been a long time since I totally screwed up a meal. I remember a long time ago (first marriage) when I attempted to make a tuna fish roll for dinner. As I started the roll, it all fell apart, and there was no salvaging the mess. I sat down and wept, until first husband came home and told me all was well, and we went out for dinner. I seem to recall that pancakes were involved, but at that moment, no one cared, as long as they weren’t forced to eat that tuna fish disaster!

Well, last night, I was making baked chicken for Hubby, some fish for me, and baked fries and onion rings. I had the timer going and the chicken and fish did well, but when I went to take the fries and onion rings from the oven…they were burnt to a crisp!

Not wanting to admit to this disaster (after all it was my fault), I quickly dumped the crispy mess down the disposal and quickly made a fresh batch. Dinner was just delayed by 10 minutes.

Anyway, it’s funny when something like that happens because in the grand scheme of things you realize that one meal in thousands, really isn’t too bad.