The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is doing awesome!.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 2,200 times in 2010. That’s about 5 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 11 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 60 posts. There were 56 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 6mb. That’s about 1 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was October 20th with 55 views. The most popular post that day was “Big Game Suppliers”.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were en.wordpress.com, thepioneerwoman.com, networkedblogs.com, leasehunter.com, and dobetter.wordpress.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for venison chorizo, venison chorizo recipe, christmas crepes, homemade stills, and deer chorizo.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

“Big Game Suppliers” January 2009
4 comments

Venison Chorizo November 2008
2 comments

About that no-knead pizza dough….. December 2008
1 comment and 1 Like on WordPress.com,

The 12 Hour Pizza or… Chef John’s No-Knead Pizza Dough December 2008
1 comment

Babies Eat Everything January 2010

Some of the most popular posts were written before 2010. Your writing has staying power! Consider writing about those topics again.

Since it’s been a while since I played with a wordle I figured it would be fun to see what my blog is saying today…. veeerrrrry interesting!

Visit Wordle.net for some more word play!

gotta get me one of these!

Have you ever made that meatballs with grape jelly recipe?  I’ve used it several times when I need something quick and easy for potlucks.  They are always good but I’m not completely happy with the ordinary-ness of the taste.

Today it was a funeral that made me run to the store, when I should have still been in my pj’s, for a 3-4 lb bag of frozen meatballs.  I ran out of the store forgetting the rest of the ingredients.  (I hate it when that happens!)

I got home and realized my fatal error.  I stood in front of the refriderator, all that cold air escaping, snorting something about how to figure out how to makeshift the recipe, (good thing no one else was up yet) since I only had 30 minutes to get these puppies up to speed and be at the church on time for sound check. (I was singing in said funeral too)

So what does any self respecting pastor’s wife who cooks for all the potlucks do in a pinch? She gets out the raspberry chipotle sauce and some “famous” peppers and onion relish from the “famous chain store” and gets cooking!

Mission accomplished!  They were a big hit, my recipe made the requests list and I was relieved.

And a beautiful funeral I might add.  We miss you Roy!…  Looking forward to our heavenly reunion, minus crock pots and meatballs.

For those of  you who asked.. here’s the recipe in all it’s glory….

The Amazing Meatballs Recipe:

• 1 3-4lb bag of frozen pre-cooked meatballs
• 10 oz Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
• 11.5 oz Harry and David’s Pepper & Onion Relish
• 4 oz tomato catsup
• 2 Tbs worcestershire sauce

Method:

1. Place bag of meatballs in the micowave to defrost for 8 minutes.
2. After 90 seconds take bag out of the microwave (because there’s not enough room for them to turn on the lazy susan) and pour meatballs out into a large plastic (micro safe) bowl.
3. Now put the bowl in the microwave on defrost… on second thought, maybe just set to high for 8 minutes.
4. Stir meatballs every few minutes and repeat the process, (no! don’t put them back in the bag! just repeat step 3 on high at 8 min.) Stir and continue on high as needed, until heated through.
5. Pour meatballs into your 25 year old crock pot.
6. Now mix together the sauces, relish and catsup in a bowl or measuring cup of your choice.  (I didn’t mix first… mistake!) Pour over the meatballs stir and and run out the door!
7. Wait, don’t forget the crock pot!!!
8. After the emotional flogging of getting a speeding ticket, arrive at the church and unload your amazing meatballs, find the right place for them and plug them in.  Set heat level on high.

XO and Enjoy!

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

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Grilled Birds, Smashed Potatoes and Burgundy Mushrooms

A few weeks ago I posted this to my Facebook page and neglected to share it with you.  So here goes…

The weather was still in the 3 digits and using the oven to heat the house didn’t sound too good but I had come across a recipe that I couldn’t ignore.

I follow The Pioneer Woman Cooks who had posted a recipe for Burgundy Mushrooms.  Now if you like mushrooms you have to admit these sound more than tempting.

Off the the grocer I went to pick up 2lbs of button mushrooms, pulled 2 gamebirds from the freezer and dug around in the pantry for some potatoes.

We grilled the gamebirds and smashed the potatoes with lots of garlic and olive oil.  The resulting dinner was amazing and thanks to The Pioneer Woman Cooks, Chef Michael Chiarello and Hunter Angler Gardener Cook it was a feast worthy of a blog post!

The internet is truly amazing!  I can find any recipe to fit any desired result.  There’s such an abundance of free information and so many great chefs and cooks out there that are gracious enough to share their secrets with us.  No wonder we are on perpetual diets.

Now my daughter has requested that I post something original the next time I get a chance.  As I think about it… is there anything new under the sun?  Maybe.  I’ve been working on perfecting some javelina recipes.. could be our next adventure.

Pr 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

A couple of summers ago I wrote a post about gardening and in it mentioned , “teaching your children and remembering Who it is that has provided the bounty on your plate!”

Pictured above is my oldest daughter, who posted the photo on her facebook album. She reminded me of the impact we can have on our children while they are growing up and how important it is to pass on the things that are most important in life.  Her “sense of adventure” and being a “berry picker” are, apparently, a result of my example.

The truth is these qualities were passed on to me by my parents who took my older sister and I camping, made us work in the home garden and picked wild berries on the side of the road with us, not to mention a number of other things that have stuck with me into my 50′s.

I learned from my parents to keep an eye out for wild critters and learned to spot a deer when most folks would miss it.  I count and track the birds that come and go each year in my back yard.  Even begging my husband to stop on the side of the road so I could enjoy the multitude of wild flowers in the spring was a result of parental guidance.

The things we pass on to our children can last into eternity… It’s up to us to choose what it is that they will live with forever.  Teach them rightly and they will live rightly.  Teach them evil and they will reap the consequences.

There is no greater joy than knowing your children have taken on the heritage you’ve handed down to them.  The next best thing is watching them share it with their children and others.

I started making these precious little crochet caps especially for babies in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at a local hospital.

For every item sold at my ebay and Etsy stores ONE PREEMIE CAP IS DONATED for a premature baby.

A packet containing a scripture card and a crocheted cap can bring warmth for a preemie and love to a family who finds themselves in a fearful time.

I’m so blessed to be able to offer such a simple gift for such an important cause.

homemade air freshener

Over the past few years I’ve noticed that I have become more and more sensitive to a number of things including fragrances and air fresheners.  After reading some of the contents on various air freshener labels I’ve noticed there are essentially two kinds, air fresheners with gobs of stuff I cant pronounce and air fresheners with the simplest list of ingredients; alcohol, water and essential oils.

I have come to greatly appreciate the latter.  One type in particlular stands out in my mind as simple and amazing in it’s ability to freshen the air quickly and pleasently.  I’ve considered trying to reproduce it and have come up with a recipe I think will ease the minds of most indoor air-pollution consious persons.

Ingredience:

• 6 oz  distilled water
• several drops of essential oil (citrus, peppermint, lavender, etc)
• 1 oz  alcohol (rubbing, vodka, gin etc)

Use a good misting style trigger spay bottle, shake and spritz away!

photo: Not Dabbling in Normal

In the beginning God created the….

Ok so I wont go that far back but I will ask you to think about what it would have been like to be in the kitchen a couple hundred years ago.  What items would have been in the ordinary pantry?  How simple would the ingredients have been back then?  Raw, unprocessed foods were the supplies in the kitchen except for some things like sugar, flour and maybe a few other simple cooking and baking ingredients we take for granted today.

Simpler times meant simpler ingredients and it was cost effective.  Today, we face the dilemma of trying to decide which can of soup is the healthiest without loosing all that flavor or which boxed cake is the easiest while still light and moist.  Plus, we could save a bundle if we think simple foods and avoid the center of the grocery store and probably be healthier for it too.

I was reminded, this morning, of those simpler times at Not Dabbling in Normal. This sight is full of simpler times, eating real food and growing your own.  Today, Baking Powder is the topic.  Have you ever made your own?  Did  you know you could?… It never even crossed my mind.  Surprise!  Simpler is putting it lightly.  I figured it’s like lots of other stuff that requires special ingredients an ordinary cook doesn’t have access to.

If you want to simplify your kitchen, save a little for the cookie jar, are going back to basics or just want to experience a new thing, try making  your own Baking Powder.  Visit Not Dabbling in Normal and see how simple it really is.  You wont believe your eyes!

Grilled Chocolate Ribeye Steaks

A few years ago I made a cooking blunder that turned out to be a major AHA! in my cooking experiences.  You know, a recipe error that turns out to be a good thing?  Like in that peanut butter cup commercial?  “You got chocolate on my peanut butter!”  …. “No, you got peanut butter on my chocolate!”

The plan was to make some BBQ Ribs with this spice rub from a cookbook.  I had mixed a spice rub up a few weeks earlier for another meal and the unused portion was packed away.  The problem was that when I was prepping the ribs, sprinkling  spice rub on them, I realized something was wrong.  It wasn’t spice rub at all….. it was … chocolate?

Yep, I had on another occasion way, way back, taken some stale chocolate biscotti and ground it to a crumbly sprinkle for ice cream and I had put it in the same kind of container as the spice rub.  Foolish me didn’t label them and now I was in a pickle with chocolate biscotti sprinkles on my beef ribs.

“So,” I think to myself, “my husband and I both like chocolate.  Maybe if I rub it off and put enough spice rub on he wont notice.” So that’s what I did and the ribs were wonderful!

Since that day I’ve recreated that great bbq taste and presented it to the twisted brow of a few folks who agree it’s great.  Now I’ll share my little secret with you. Enjoy!

Chocolate Ribeye Steaks

Ribeye Steaks

Mix all dry ingredients together.  Sprinkle on both sides of your perfect steak, “marinate” for about 30 minutes and grill to your desired result.  I like mine rare.

Store left over Chocolate Spice Rub in an airtight container.  Stays fresh for an extended time in the freezer.  Oh, and don’t forget to put a label on it.  :)